LORRY SPRINGSTONE'S / KELLY THOMPSON'S POV
Jason raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue.
I take a deep breath before explaining, "Eden's illness isn't natural. It's the result of a curse - a powerful one that's been slowly draining his life force. That's why none…" I say but can't finish my sentence as we approach the gates of the royal palace.
The head housemaid Tina comes rushing towards us, her face etched with worry.
"Thank the Moon Goddess you're back!" she exclaims, her eyes darting between Jason and me. "Doctor Springstone - I mean, Your Highness - you must come quickly. The young prince's condition has worsened significantly."
My heart races at her words. Without waiting for Jason's permission, I break into a run, following Tina through the familiar corridors of the palace. Behind me, I can hear Jason barking orders to his men before his footsteps join ours.
We burst into the royal chamber, and my breath catches in my throat at the sight before me. Eden lies pale and motionless on the massive bed, his small form almost lost among the plush pillows and blankets. His chest rises and falls with shallow, labored breaths.
I rush to Eden's bedside, my heart breaking at the sight of my son's frail form. His skin is pale and clammy, dark circles marring the skin under his eyes. I gently brush his sweat-dampened hair from his forehead, feeling the heat of fever radiating from him.
"Oh, my sweet boy," I whisper, fighting back tears.
Without hesitation, I reach into the hidden pocket of my dress and pull out a small vial filled with the magical yellow fluid. Jason steps forward, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the mysterious liquid.
"Kelly, what is that?" he demands, his voice tight with concern and suspicion.
"It's the only thing that can help him," I reply, my voice steady despite the trembling of my hands.
"Please, Jason. Trust me. It's not the first time I administer this to him. I, myself, have been using it after being wounded by the bear and the North pack's ruthless soldiers." I try to reassure.
For a moment, he hesitates, his protective instincts dominating his reason but after a second thought, he finally nods.
I carefully uncork the vial and gently part Eden's lips. With a steady hand, I administer a few drops of the golden liquid onto his tongue. For a few agonizing moments, nothing happens. Then, almost imperceptibly at first, Eden's breathing begins to even out. The tension in his small body slowly relaxes, and a hint of color returns to his cheeks.
"It's working," I whisper, relief washing over me.
Jason moves closer, his eyes fixed on Eden's face.
"What is that substance? Tell me everything!" he asks again, his voice a mixture of awe and lingering suspicion.
I take a deep breath, knowing it's time for the truth. "It's a magical elixir. It was created by an ancient and powerful witch to combat curses like the one afflicting Eden." I explain softly.
Jason's eyes widen in surprise as he exclaims.
"A curse?" He says.
"Yes, Your Majesty! And I know who's behind Eden's chronical illness." I replied, arousing even more his curiosity.
"Really? And who's the guilty?" Jason then asks.
"It's former Luna Queen Betty." I answer with no hesitation.
Jason's eyes thus widen in shock at my revelation.
"Betty? My ex-wife? But...why would she curse Jason? He can't harm her or do any bad thing to her, can he?" He expresses in total confusion.
I take a deep breath, knowing the full truth will be difficult for Jason to hear.
"It's complicated, Jason. Betty never approved of our union as you know. She thought she deserved to be your Luna, not me. And when she managed to trick me to mistakenly poison the old Alpha King Don Bentley, your father, you banish me from the pack without a fair trial. Then sometimes later, I heard you got married to her and she became the Luna Queen. Our son Eden was the only threat for her plan to conquer the supreme power. If she had given you a son, he would have been second in line behind Eden. And that was out of the question for Betty. So she tried to eliminate Eden through silent and mystical ways in order to avoid suspicion." I explain to my ex-mate with a torn heart.
Jason's face darkens.
"But that's absurd. How could she do this?" He spits out while clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in anger.
"She enlisted the help of a dark witch," I describe softly. "The curse was meant to slowly drain Eden's life force, making him sickly and weak. Betty hoped this would somehow prove I was an unfit mother and Luna."
Jason runs a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of fury and disbelief.
"Why didn't you come back to tell me this for the sake of our son?" He queries, his voice thick with bitterness.
I take a deep breath, knowing I need to be fully honest with Jason now and speaks my true mind.
"I was afraid, Jason. When I discovered the truth about Betty's curse, I was banished already and wandering in the nature. And also I feared for Eden's life if I confronted her directly. And after everything that happened with your father's poisoning."
Jason's jaw clenches at the mention of his father, but he remains silent, waiting for me to continue.
"I didn't think you would believe me over her. Moreover, later on I went to England and there, I was getting news from my informant that Eden was now fine. But I just realize the informant was in reality siding with Betty. He purposely deceived me. I was though convinced that she had uplifted the curse now she was finally Luna of the South pack." I confess regretfully, my eyes fixed on Eden's sleeping form.
"Nonetheless, I sought out experts in magical healing to learn to break curses, subconsciously thinking it could help me someday. That's how after my training, I ended up creating this elixir. It doesn't break the curse completely, but it helps combat its effects."
Jason takes a deep breath, clearly struggling to process everything I've just revealed. His eyes dart between me and Eden, a storm of emotions playing across his face.
"Kelly," he says finally, his voice low and intense.
"I need you to understand something. I never stopped believing in you, not really. Even when all the evidence seemed to point to your guilt in my father's death, a part of me couldn't accept it. That's why I couldn't bring myself to execute you and chose to exile you instead."
My breath catches at his words. All these years, I had assumed Jason believed the worst of me. To hear otherwise now sends a rush of conflicting emotions through me: Can I trust him or is it that he just wants to use my medical skills to cure our son Eden, even though it means faking regretting my eviction from the pack ?