Chapter 30: The Herb

The Blackwood estate's greenhouse sat at the edge of the property, a glass cathedral of exotic plants that Marcus Vance had cultivated for years. Elena had memorized the guard rotations from Damon's security feeds, but she hadn't accounted for the motion sensors embedded in the gravel path. She stepped carefully, her boots finding the exact spots where the stones were packed too tightly to trigger the pressure plates. The air inside was thick and humid, heavy with the scent of damp earth and something floral she couldn't name. Moonlight filtered through the glass panels, casting silver stripes across rows of potted ferns and flowering vines. She moved past them, her eyes scanning for the telltale purple leaves of the herb that could slow the poison racing through Damon's veins. A sound stopped her cold. The soft crunch of footsteps on gravel, coming from the far entrance. Elena pressed herself against a wooden support beam, her hand sliding to the knife strapped to her thigh. The footsteps grew closer, accompanied by the rustle of fabric. A figure emerged from between two towering ferns, and Her breath stopped short. Lydia. Her half-sister looked different in the dim light—less polished, more desperate. She wore dark jeans and a hoodie, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. In her hands, she clutched a small gardening trowel, as if she'd been caught in the act of digging. "Elena," Lydia breathed, her eyes widening. "What are you doing here?" "I could ask you the same thing." Elena kept her voice low, her grip on the knife steady. "Does Father know you're sneaking around his greenhouse at midnight?" Lydia's his expression locked down. "He doesn't know a lot of things. But I'm not here to fight with you. I need something." "So do I." Elena stepped forward, her gaze flicking to the corner where the purple-leaved herb grew. "And I'm not leaving without it." "The moonvine?" Lydia followed her gaze, her expression unreadable. "You're here for the moonvine. Why?" "That's none of your business." "It is if you're planning to use it against the pack." Lydia's voice hardened. "That herb can kill an alpha if used wrong. Do you even know how to prepare it?" Elena's pulse quickened. She didn't have time for this. Damon's life was slipping away with every passing minute. "I know enough. Step aside, Lydia." "Or what?" Lydia raised the trowel, but her hand was shaking. "You'll kill me? You've already destroyed everything I had. Father barely looks at me now that you're gone. He only cares about the deal with the Crimson Fang." Her thoughts snapped through every possibility. Lydia was afraid, but she was also a threat. If she alerted the guards, the mission would fail. But there was another way. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter she'd found in Marcus's study—the one detailing Lydia's pregnancy and the father's identity as a Crimson Fang enforcer. "I know about the baby," Elena said quietly. "I know whose it is. And I know what Father would do if he found out." Lydia's face went pale. "You wouldn't." "I don't want to. But I will if you get in my way." Elena held her gaze, letting the threat sink in. "Help me get the moonvine, and I'll keep your secret. We both walk away with what we need." For a long moment, Lydia said nothing. Then she lowered the trowel. "You're playing a dangerous game, Elena." "I know." "Fine." Lydia's shoulders sagged. "But I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for myself. And if you breathe a word about the baby to anyone, I'll make sure you never see the light of day again." Elena nodded. "Deal." They moved together toward the moonvine patch, their footsteps synchronized. Lydia knew the layout better than Elena had hoped. She pointed out the pressure plates hidden under the soil and the infrared beams that crisscrossed the greenhouse's interior. Within minutes, they reached the cluster of purple leaves. "Use the roots," Lydia whispered, handing Elena a small knife. "The leaves are too potent. One mistake, and you'll kill whoever you're trying to save." Elena knelt and began to dig, her fingers working the damp soil. The root was thick and fibrous, twisting deep into the earth. She worked carefully, prying it loose without breaking the delicate tendrils. When she finally pulled it free, a sense of relief washed over her. She had it. Damon had a chance. "Thank you," she said, rising to her feet. Lydia's expression was unreadable. "Don't thank me yet. We're not done." She glanced toward the greenhouse's main entrance. "There's something you should know. The Crimson Fang isn't just after Damon. They're after you. Father made a deal—your life for the alliance. They're planning to take you tonight." Elena's ice threaded through her pulse. "Tonight?" "There's a raid scheduled for midnight. They're coming for the estate. Father thinks he's using them, but he's the one being used. They're going to kill him too, once they have you." Lydia's voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm not on his side. I never was. I've been feeding information to the Crimson Fang for months, hoping they'd take me with them when they left. But they don't want me. They want you." Elena stared at her half-sister, the pieces falling into place. Lydia's desperation, her presence in the greenhouse, the tremor in her voice. She wasn't here to stop Elena. She was here to escape. "Why are you telling me this?" Elena asked. "Because I want out. And you're my only chance." Lydia met her eyes. "Help me disappear, and I'll give you everything I know about the Crimson Fang's plans. Their safe houses, their contacts, their weaknesses. I've been keeping records for months. It's the only leverage I have." Her thoughts sharpened at once. This was an opportunity she hadn't expected. Lydia's information could be the key to dismantling the Crimson Fang for good. But it meant trusting someone who had betrayed their family, who had sold her out to the enemy. "I can't promise anything," Elena said slowly. "But if you help me save Damon, I'll see what I can do." Lydia nodded. "That's all I ask." They moved toward the exit, but before they could reach it, Elena's phone buzzed. She pulled it out, her heart sinking as she read the message from Kael. *Damon's condition is critical. He's crashing. Hurry.* "I have to go," Elena said, shoving the phone back into her pocket. "We'll talk later." "Be careful," Lydia called after her. "The guards are doubling their patrols. If they catch you with that herb, they'll kill you on sight." Elena didn't look back. She slipped out of the greenhouse and into the night, the root clutched tightly in her hand. Damon was running out of time. And so was she.