Avenging Luna
Chapter 85: Wolfbane In Her System

Chapter 85: Wolfbane In Her System

Drake’s POV:

I watched her closely, my mind torn between trust and the nagging doubts that had crept in like poison. Leila’s voice was steady, her gaze unwavering as she stood there, daring me to challenge her. It was almost enough to make me believe her. Almost.

But how could I ignore the signs? Her health had been deteriorating for weeks, and now this—the bottle of wolfsbane. It didn’t add up. And as much as I wanted to trust her, the evidence felt like a blade between us, threatening to sever everything we’d built.

"Would you be willing to get tested for wolfsbane in your blood?" I asked, my voice low but firm. I had to know the truth. I needed proof, one way or the other.

Leila’s expression tightened. "You really think I’d hurt our baby? You think I’d do something that reckless?" Her voice wavered slightly, but then she lifted her chin. "Fine. If I prove that I don’t have any wolfsbane in my blood, will that be enough for you? Will it prove that I didn’t try to kill our baby?"

Her words stung. The pain in her voice twisted inside me, making me feel like the worst kind of monster. But what choice did I have? The doubt had been planted, and until I had answers, it wouldn’t go away.

"Okay," I said quietly. "If the test comes back clear, then I’ll believe you."

She nodded, her face hardening with determination. "Call the doctors. Let’s get this over with."

I stepped back and mind linked our pack doctor, Dr. Harris. It was late, but this couldn’t wait. I needed answers now.

As I waited for a response, I couldn’t stop the thoughts racing through my mind. Was it possible that Leila was telling the truth, that someone else was behind this? If so, who would go to such lengths to hurt her, to tear us apart? And why?

But then, there was the other possibility—the one I hated to even consider. What if she wasn’t being honest? What if Leila, the woman I loved more than life itself, was hiding something from me? Something dark and dangerous?

I rubbed my temples, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. Marcus’s death, the traitor still lurking in our pack, Leila’s declining health—it was all connected somehow, but I couldn’t see the full picture yet.

Moments later, Dr. Harris arrived at the pack house. He didn’t ask questions—just bowed his head slightly, sensing the tension in the air. "Alpha, Luna," he greeted us, his voice calm and professional. "You requested a test?"

"Yes," I said, my tone clipped. "We need to test Leila’s blood for wolfsbane."

Dr. Harris’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he set up quickly, preparing the necessary equipment.

Leila rolled up her sleeve, her movements stiff and deliberate. She looked at me once more, her gaze locked with mine, and for a moment, something passed between us. I couldn’t quite place it—anger, hurt, maybe even a trace of betrayal.

"Go ahead," she said to Dr. Harris, her voice steady, though I could sense the tension radiating off her.

He drew the blood efficiently, without a word, and then packed up the sample to take back to the lab.

"It’ll take a couple of hours to run the test," Dr. Harris said as he gathered his things. "I’ll send word as soon as we have the results."

I nodded, barely able to speak. I was grateful for his professionalism, but inside, I was a mess. I didn’t want to be in this situation—I didn’t want to doubt her. But I needed the truth.

After Dr. Harris left, Leila and I stood in silence for what felt like an eternity. She was the first to break it.

"I can’t believe we’re here," she said, her voice soft, almost defeated. "That you’d even think I’d hurt our baby."

"Leila," I started, but she held up her hand, cutting me off.

"No, Drake. I get it. You’re scared, and this whole situation is insane. But do you even realize what you’re accusing me of? Wolfsbane? Abortion? Do you know how that feels?"

I clenched my jaw, feeling my throat tighten. I did know. I knew how it felt to question everything, to wonder if the woman I loved was keeping secrets that could destroy us.

"I just need answers," I said, my voice rough. "I need to know what’s happening, Leila. Your health has been getting worse, and now this—" I gestured to the bottle still lying on the floor, a symbol of everything unraveling between us.

"And I’ve told you the truth!" she snapped, her eyes blazing with frustration. "I’m not the one lying here. I don’t know how that bottle ended up in my drawer, but I didn’t put it there. Someone is trying to mess with us, Drake, and you’re letting them win."

Her words hit hard, but I couldn’t ignore the doubt gnawing at me. I wanted to believe her so badly, but the evidence, the symptoms—it all pointed to something being wrong.

"Then why is your health getting worse?" I asked, my voice sharp. "Explain that to me, Leila. If you’re not taking wolfsbane, then what’s happening to you?"

She flinched at my words, and for a moment, I regretted the harshness in my tone. But I needed her to answer. I needed to understand.

"I don’t know," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I’ve been feeling off for weeks, but I didn’t think it was anything serious. Maybe it’s just the pregnancy, Drake. I’m pregnant with your child—our child—and that’s hard on the body."

I stared at her, trying to reconcile the woman I loved with the mess we were in. Was it possible she was right? Could her declining health just be a result of the pregnancy? Or was something else at play?

"We’ll know soon," I said, my voice calmer now. "Once we have the results, we’ll know."

She didn’t respond, just looked at me with a mixture of sadness and resolve. There was nothing more to say. We were both waiting—waiting for the test results, waiting for the truth to reveal itself.

Hours passed, and the tension between us only grew thicker. Neither of us said much, both lost in our own thoughts, our own fears.

Finally, a knock sounded at the door. It was Dr. Harris, holding a folder in his hands. My heart pounded in my chest as he stepped into the room, his face unreadable.

"Alpha," he began, "Luna. I have the results."

Time seemed to slow as he opened the folder, his eyes scanning the paper. And then, with a steady voice, he said the words that changed everything.

My heart sank as Dr. Harris looked at us, the expression on his face giving nothing away until the words finally left his mouth.

"Alpha," he began cautiously, "Luna’s test results came back positive for wolfsbane."

For a split second, the world around me seemed to freeze. Positive? Wolfsbane? How could that be? My mind whirled, a storm of disbelief and betrayal crashing into each other. I glanced at Leila, and she looked as shocked as I felt, her mouth slightly open, eyes wide.

"No..." Leila whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "That’s not possible. I haven’t—" She cut herself off, her face turning pale. "I haven’t taken anything... I swear, Drake."

I stared at her, my gut twisting in confusion. Could this really be happening? After everything, after she’d looked me in the eyes and swore she hadn’t taken wolfsbane—could she have lied?

Her health had been deteriorating for weeks, and now it all made sense. The exhaustion, the faint spells, the way she couldn’t keep food down. It was all there, the signs I should’ve seen earlier. She had taken wolfsbane, and it was affecting her, our baby.

But why? Why would she do this?

I remembered how conflicted she had been when she first found out she was pregnant. She hadn’t wanted the baby then. Had those old feelings returned? Had she tried to get rid of our child? The thought made me sick to my core, like someone had ripped my heart out and left a gaping hole in its place.

"Leila," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper, "why?"

Her eyes snapped up to mine, filled with hurt and confusion. "Drake, I didn’t do this!" she pleaded, stepping closer, but I backed away instinctively. "I don’t know how the wolfsbane got into my system. I didn’t take it!"

"Then how?" I demanded, my voice louder now, the anger and pain bubbling to the surface. "How did it get there, Leila? You expect me to believe someone just slipped it into your food without you knowing?"

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Her face was pale, and her hands trembled as she wrapped her arms around herself. She looked vulnerable, scared—and yet, I couldn’t shake the anger gnawing at me.

"Drake, please," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I would never hurt our baby. I swear to you."

But her earlier fears and hesitations about being a mother echoed in my mind. I couldn’t forget the way she had reacted when we first found out she was pregnant—the uncertainty in her eyes, the way she had questioned whether she was ready for this. Was it possible those doubts had resurfaced, leading her to do something so drastic?

"I don’t know what to believe," I muttered, running a hand through my hair in frustration. I was torn between the love I had for her and the evidence that was staring me in the face.

"Do you really think I’d kill our baby?" she asked softly, tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice cracked, and my heart clenched, but I couldn’t let go of the questions swirling in my mind.

"Leila, I don’t know," I admitted, my voice raw with emotion. "You didn’t want the baby at first. You were so scared, so unsure. I’m trying to understand what changed. Why would there be wolfsbane in your system if you didn’t take it?"

She shook her head frantically, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I didn’t, Drake! I would never! Please, you have to believe me."

The sincerity in her voice was undeniable, but so were the test results. How could I ignore the facts? The doubts crept in like shadows, spreading through my mind and twisting everything I thought I knew.

"I don’t want to believe it," I said quietly, my voice cracking. "But your health... the wolfsbane... What am I supposed to think?"

She stepped forward, her hands trembling as she reached out to me. "Please, Drake," she begged, her voice breaking. "I need you to trust me."

I wanted to. God, I wanted to more than anything. But how could I when everything was pointing in the opposite direction?

Dr. Harris cleared his throat, and we both turned toward him. "I can run further tests, Alpha," he said gently. "Given the levels in her system, it’s clear that this didn’t just happen overnight."

His words sank in, heavy and ominous. The wolfsbane had been in her system for a while. This wasn’t some random occurrence. It had been building up.

I looked back at Leila, who was standing there, looking more fragile than I’d ever seen her. Her eyes were pleading with me to believe her, to trust her, but the doubt clawed at my chest, refusing to let go.

"Let him run the tests," I finally said, my voice tight with emotion. "If there’s another explanation, we’ll find it."

Leila nodded, wiping at her tears with shaking hands. "Thank you," she whispered.

Dr. Harris gathered his equipment and prepared to leave, giving us both a nod before stepping out of the room. Once he was gone, the silence between us was deafening.

Leila turned to me, her face pale but determined. "Drake, I love you. And I love our baby. I don’t know how this happened, but I will prove to you that I didn’t do this."

I wanted to believe her. I really did. But the damage had been done. The seeds of doubt had already been planted, and until we had answers, I wasn’t sure how to move forward.

"I hope you’re right," I said quietly, my heart aching with every word.

With that, she turned and left the room, leaving me standing there alone, the weight of everything crashing down on me like a tidal wave. My mind raced with a thousand questions, none of which I had answers to.

Had I been too quick to judge her? Or was this just the beginning of something far darker than I ever could’ve imagined?