Venom
1223 Words
Later that evening, when the estate had quieted and only the faint glow of lanterns lit the corridors, Theo returned to Rina’s chambers. He found her sitting near the window, her hair loose, her eyes thoughtful as though her mind had been turning over something for hours.
He immediately sensed her hesitation. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice firm, low, already braced for trouble.
Rina looked at him, her lips parting slowly. “Samantha came to see me today.”
Theo froze. Just the sound of that name was enough to set his jaw tight. His eyes darkened, and the hand resting casually at his side curled into a fist. “Samantha?” he repeated, each syllable clipped with warning.
Rina nodded carefully. “She… came disguised as a maid. She brought my meal. At first, I was shocked—furious even. But then…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “She fell to her knees, Theo. She wept. She said her father cast her out, that she’s been wandering ever since. She begged for forgiveness. She swore she only came to seek peace.”
Theo’s expression hardened. He turned his face away for a moment, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he tried to contain the sudden flare of anger in his chest. When he finally looked back at Rina, his gaze was sharp, almost cold.
“And you believed her?”
Rina’s brows drew together. “She seemed sincere. Her tears… her words—”
Theo cut her off with a bitter scoff. “Her tears are nothing but poison, Rina. You think I don’t know her better than that? That woman is a viper. She cries when it suits her, smiles when it profits her, and stabs the moment you turn your back.”
Rina flinched at the harshness in his voice, but Theo didn’t soften. He stepped closer, towering over her with the force of his presence. “Do you know what she’s doing right now? She’s laughing at you in her heart. Because you—my mate, my Luna—showed her compassion. And compassion is what she will use to sink her claws into you.”
Rina lowered her gaze, troubled. She wanted to defend her choice, yet Theo’s certainty rattled her.
Seeing the doubt flicker across her face, Theo crouched down before her, his large hands bracing her knees, his eyes locking fiercely onto hers. “Listen to me, Rina. I will not have her anywhere near you. Do you understand? If she dares to touch even a strand of your hair, I will tear her apart myself.”
His words were fierce, protective, but there was something else underneath too—fear. Fear of losing her, of watching history repeat itself, of Samantha weaving her way into their lives again.
Rina reached out, laying a hand on his cheek, trying to ease the storm raging inside him. “Theo, I hear you. I promise you, I’ll be careful. But if she truly has been abandoned, if she truly has nowhere else to go…” Her voice softened. “I can’t turn her away without offering at least a little mercy.”
Theo closed his eyes briefly, exhaling through his nose as if her gentleness both pained and awed him. He turned his face into her palm, pressing a rough kiss to it before pulling back, his gaze still fierce.
“Then show her mercy if you must. But never trust her. Not for a second.”
Rina nodded slowly, though in her heart the unease remained.
Theo wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against his chest as though shielding her from an unseen enemy. Over her shoulder, his eyes burned with the silent vow he made to himself:
If Samantha thinks she can worm her way back into our lives, she’s sorely mistaken. I won’t let her hurt Rina—not now, not ever.
---
That evening, Samantha seized the opportunity once more. With a tray balanced carefully in her hands, she swept into Rina’s chamber with the same humble posture, her eyes already glistening with rehearsed tears.
But the moment she met Rina’s gaze, her heart skipped. The Luna’s eyes no longer carried the softness of earlier. They were guarded, cool, though still gentle in tone.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Samantha,” Rina said, her voice calm and even. “You may remain in the pack if you wish. No one will drive you away.”
For a fleeting moment, Samantha’s heart leapt—until Rina continued.
“But as for bringing me meals, there is no need. Another maid is assigned to that duty. You need not trouble yourself further.”
The words, though spoken kindly, landed like a door shutting in Samantha’s face.
She froze, lips parting in disbelief. That wasn’t what she had expected at all. Immediately, her eyes brimmed with tears. She placed the tray down with trembling fingers and sank to her knees.
“Luna…” Her voice cracked with practiced sorrow. “If you truly forgave me, then why this cold shoulder? Why deny me even this little chance to serve you? Please, don’t cast me away again!” She clutched at her chest dramatically, tears rolling down her cheeks. “If you send me out from your presence, it means my guilt can never be erased.”
Her sobs filled the room, a sound designed to break hearts.
But this time, Rina did not move to comfort her. Theo’s voice still echoed in her mind—Her tears are poison. Don’t trust her. Not for a second.
Rina’s chest tightened with guilt. She hated to see anyone weep, hated to be the cause of another’s pain. And yet… she could not ignore the shadow of warning her mate had planted in her heart.
So she simply remained still. Calm. Silent.
Samantha raised her head slightly, her tear-streaked face searching desperately for some crack in Rina’s resolve. But the Luna offered nothing—not anger, not comfort, only silence.
Defeated, Samantha’s sobs faltered. She bowed her head low and forced out a whisper. “As you wish, Luna…”
With that, she rose unsteadily, gathered the untouched tray, and slipped out of the chamber.
But the moment she was alone in the dim corridors, her sorrowful mask crumbled. Her lips twisted into a scowl, her eyes blazing with venom.
“How quickly she changed,” she muttered under her breath, her hands clenching the tray until her knuckles turned white. “That weak little Luna, so easily swayed. She must have told Theo. And he—he warned her against me.”
Her breath came in sharp bursts, her anger spilling over like a raging fire. The thought of Theo whispering into Rina’s ear, turning her compassion into distance, made her blood boil.
So it’s him again. Always him.
Her nails dug into her palms, drawing faint lines of red.
“No matter how he tries to resist me,” she hissed in the shadows, her voice trembling with fury, “Theo will be mine. He must be mine. Even if I have to destroy her to take him.”
And with that, Samantha turned back toward the servant’s quarters, her steps quiet but her heart pounding with burning resolve...
- Writer
