Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 55: Poisoned...

Chapter 55: Poisoned...

Evelina’s senses returned sluggishly, as though she were surfacing from deep water. Her head pounded, and her body felt heavy—wrong somehow, like it didn’t belong to her.

She blinked against the harsh light above, the fragmented patches of sky peering through a jagged opening. The air was damp, carrying the scent of earth and decay.

Her eyes roved upward.

The sky seemed distant, impossibly far, as if she were trapped in a pit. The realization sent a jolt of panic through her, but when she tried to move, her limbs wouldn’t obey. Her fingers twitched faintly, but her arms and legs remained numb.

Fear clawed at her as her breathing quickened.

What’s happening?

She tried turning her head a bit, but the movement was sluggish and exhausting. When she finally did, she noticed insects moving on the wet ground next to her. A big beetle hurried past her face, causing her to feel a quick jolt of fear, but she couldn’t pull away.

Her heart raced as she struggled, forcing her mind to focus. Reaching inward for Relia, she called out desperately, "Relia! Where are you?"

But there was no answer.

The silence from her wolf filled her with dread, like a cold pit forming in her stomach. She gritted her teeth, straining against the numbness until her fingers twitched again.

She could feel them now, just barely, the faint prickling of sensation returning to her fingertips.

Slowly and painstakingly, she finally turned her wrist.

A sharp sting bit into her skin, and she hissed softly as her gaze dropped to her hand. A small insect—some kind of ant—had sunk its mandibles into her skin.

The pain moved up her body, which felt strange because she still had a numbness that made her feel like she couldn’t move.

Evelina forced herself to focus. The bite meant she was regaining feeling. Pain was better than nothing.

Her breaths came in shallow gasps as she willed her body to move. The sensation crept back gradually—pins and needles stabbing at her arms, her legs.

After what felt like an eternity, she managed to roll onto her side, her cheek pressing into the damp earth.

Her wolf’s voice finally stirred, faint and trembling. "Evelina..."

The sound hit Evelina like a blow. Relia’s voice—usually full of sass and energy—sounded small, fragile. And she had called her Evelina, not Evie... or Eve.

Eve swallowed hard. "Relia... I’m here," she whispered weakly.

Relia’s response came in a quivering whisper. "You’re not Evelina. Who... who are you?"

The words struck Evelina in the chest, stirring a deep ache she couldn’t quite name. "Relia, it’s me—Evelyn. Remember?"

There was a long pause before Relia’s voice returned, filled with grief. "I... I miss her. She was everything to me, Evelyn. She... she died protecting us, and I didn’t even have time to grieve her. And now... now it’s happening again."

Evelina’s breath hitched. "What’s happening again?"

Relia’s voice cracked. "Wolfsbane. The poison. That’s how they killed her last time. Evelina didn’t stand a chance, and now..." Her voice broke entirely, dissolving into silence.

Evelina’s mind reeled.

Wolfsbane.

The word sent a chill through her veins. She had heard of its effects on wolves—how it weakened them, rendered them vulnerable. But how had it happened? And who was behind it?

Evelina’s voice trembled as she whispered, "Relia... I didn’t mean to replace her. I didn’t even mean to come here. I just... found myself in this body. I’m sorry."

Relia’s response was soft; the grief was still present but laced with a familiar edge of sass. "I know, Evelyn. You don’t have to explain it. Guess we’re stuck together now, huh?"

"I guess we are."

"At least you’re not boring. Evelina would’ve liked you... maybe."

Evelina felt the faintest spark of warmth at her wolf’s words, a bittersweet comfort amidst the pain. Looking around, she was drawn back to the pressing problem. "So, what else do you remember? Did you sense anything before we were poisoned?"

Relia’s response was faint. "There was a scent... faint, but familiar. Then nothing. Just darkness."

Evelina closed her eyes, her mind racing. Whoever had orchestrated this attack knew exactly what they were doing. And they had done it before.

But why?

Relia broke the tense silence. "Selene." Her voice was sharper now, the earlier grief giving way to suspicion. "She’s behind this. Has to be."

Evelina exhaled shakily. "It fits. She’s already used manipulation and lies. Poison isn’t far off for someone like her."

"First the aphrodisiac," Relia mused. "Then Brenick. And now this? It’s almost predictable. Desperate women do desperate things."

Evelina frowned, her fingers curling against the damp ground. "But what does she gain from this? Damian’s already called off the engagement. Why risk so much now?"

Relia huffed. "If she can’t have him, she might be trying to remove the competition. You’ve been in her way since day one."

Evelina felt uneasy as she tried to sort through her thoughts.

Just then, she couldn’t help but remember Damian’s silver eyes and his firm voice when he told her that he had broken up with Selene.

Relia’s tone softened. "You know he’s worried sick about you right now."

Evelina swallowed hard, shaking her head. "Damian has bigger responsibilities than me."

Relia scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that. But the mate bond doesn’t lie, Evie. He’ll come for you."

For a moment, Evelina closed her eyes, her chest tightening as the situation settled over her. But she steeled herself, whispering to her wolf, "I can’t rely on that. I have to survive this on my own."

Her priority was survival—and answers.

Evelina pushed herself to her knees, her body trembling with effort. She scanned her surroundings, noting the uneven walls of the pit she had been dumped in.

The insects were still crawling, and the damp air pressed heavily on her lungs, but she ignored it all.

Evelina pressed her knees on the wet ground, sitting up with quick, shallow breaths. The pit felt like it was closing in on her, trapping both her body and her thoughts.

She couldn’t stop her mind from racing, thinking about everything all at once.

But only one thought prevailed. How to get out of here?

*************

Meanwhile, in the Palace

Damian strode through the palace halls, and though he looked calm on the outside, inside, he was anything but composed. The knot in his chest had tightened with every passing hour of Evelina’s absence.

Storm growled restlessly in his mind. "She’s in trouble. I can feel it."

"You’re jumping to conclusions," Damian muttered under his breath, though his own unease made the denial feel hollow.

"And you’re in denial."

Which might be true. He had checked everywhere—her chambers, the library, the gardens—but Evelina was nowhere to be found.

"She wouldn’t just leave without a word," Storm pressed. "Something’s wrong, and you know it."

Damian clenched his fists in frustration. "If something happened, Jasper would have found her."

Storm’s growl deepened. "Unless it’s something Jasper can’t see."

The thought sent a shiver down Damian’s spine. He reached out through the mindlink. "Jasper. Any updates?"

Jasper’s voice came through immediately, though it carried a note of worry. "None yet, Your Highness. I’ve checked all her usual spots, and no one’s seen her since yesterday."

Damian’s jaw tightened. "Keep looking."

"Where are you, Evelina?" Storm growled.