*Avery*
The knock on the door echoed through the room, a soft but unmistakable sound that sent ripples of anticipation through the space. I glanced at my father, and he nodded ever so slightly a silent understanding passing between us.
With a determined exhale, I crossed the room. My fingers curled around the doorknob, and as the door creaked open, there she stood Eden.
I swiftly gestured to her, my hand extending to guide her inside. She slipped past the threshold urgently. I locked the door behind her with a soft thud, the world outside now sealed away. Turning around, I faced her, my eyes searching hers.
“Did you make sure that no one would see you coming here?” I asked urgently.
“No, Luna Avery, I told the soldiers on the border that I was going to take some important ingredients only found in this village,” Eden replied in her voice, low but resolute.
“Good,” I said in a stern tone.
“Do you know what happened this morning, Luna Avery? The Alpha king took that slut’s side. He is falling for the charm of that bitch again,” Eden’s words dripped with venom, her fists clenched at her sides. The fury in her voice resonated with the resentment that had fueled our determination to challenge the status quo.
“So, without delaying anymore, we have to execute our plan tonight,” I declared.
“Tonight?!” Eden’s voice held a flicker of disbelief, her eyes widening in response to the sudden acceleration of our timeline.
“Yes, all the arrangements have been made. Just stick to the plan and be careful,” I ordered. “Tonight, when everyone from Moonglow pack is caught up in the yellow moon festival an event that graces them once a year we will execute our plan. This night will be forever marked by the rogue’s hand claiming Selena’s life.”
A faint, vindictive smirk played on my lips, mirroring the ferocity in Eden’s expression. She nodded in agreement, her lips pressing together in a tight line.
“She deserves it for stealing your mate,” Eden spat, her voice laden with a mixture of disgust and determination.
“You may leave now. Otherwise, someone might suspect,” I instructed.
“Luna,” she acknowledged, her head bowing respectfully before she turned to depart.
After Eden left, I pushed the door close, and the door clicked shut behind me, the distinct sound of the lock echoing the finality of my actions. My gaze shifted, and I found myself facing the imposing figure of my father.
I was in my father’s pack his territory, a small village nestled within the sprawling dominion of Zander’s Kingdom in the north.
“I have already warned you, Hailley,” my father’s voice carried a weight of disappointment, like a long-suffering mentor unable to reach an obstinate student. “That woman, Selena, is going to be a significant problem for you, but you are incredibly stubborn and refuse to listen to me.”
I swallowed hard, the knot in my stomach tightening as I braced myself for the reprimand that was to follow. His words were a bitter truth I had tried to evade.
A surge of determination flickered within me, and I squared my shoulders, meeting my father’s gaze with a mixture of confidence and defiance.
“Don’t worry, Father. Everything is under control. I will handle her this time,” I asserted, my voice laced with a veneer of self-assuredness that I hoped to embody.
He let out a deep, exasperated sigh, the lines on his face deepening as he regarded me with a mix of concern and reproach.
“You said that last time as well,” his words were sharp, a blade slicing through my facade of confidence. “But your worthless rogues failed to kill her in the forest, and they were subsequently killed. Their bodies, torn into pieces, were all that remained a testament to your failure. Moreover, your attempt to shift blame for trying to burn down the kitchen and the pack house onto Selena by setting fire to her clothes but it failed when she was rescued… this only added to your failure.”
My fists clenched at my sides as his words struck home, each one a blow to my pride and determination. I glanced away, my frustration etched across my features, struggling to maintain my composure.
“I know, Father,” I admitted through gritted teeth, my voice strained. “You don’t have to keep reminding me of my failures every time we speak.”
He held my gaze with an unwavering intensity, his eyes like shards of ice, piercing through any pretense.
“I have to, Hailley,” his tone remained stern, unyielding. “Because it seems you refuse to learn from your mistakes. I told you to seduce Zander, to bear his pup as soon as possible a means to secure your claim to the throne. Yet, here we are,” he concluded, his lip curling with a mixture of disdain and frustration.
“Dad, I have to maintain the facade of being good in his eyes,” I began, my voice tinged with frustration and desperation.
The truth lay bare, an unspoken secret I had kept hidden beneath the surface. Every time I attempted to seduce Zander, he relentlessly turned me down, and the memory of this still hurts my pride.
As my memories resurfaced, an ache of longing gripped my chest as I recalled those moments when I had yearned to make him mine, to tear down the barriers between us. The desperation had clawed at my insides, fueling a determination that had bordered on obsession.
“I can’t force myself to be a whore for him and risk unraveling everything I’ve painstakingly built. He values me as his best friend,” my words flowed like a plea, tinged with the anxiety of holding a precarious position. My gaze remained steady, resolute, as I explained my reasoning. “Zander’s trust in me is unparalleled. He believes I am the embodiment of truth, the one person who has never lied to him.”
The air seemed to thicken as my father’s stern gaze bore into me, a mixture of disappointment and skepticism painting his expression. His voice cut through the tension, sharp and unforgiving.
“But it’s your foolishness that has brought this complication named Selena back into his life,” his words struck like a lash, causing my jaw to clench in response.
I recounted every strategy I had employed, the lengths I had gone to in order to rid myself of the threat Selena posed.
“I tried everything to make him hate her. I put wolfsbane in her food when she was pregnant, causing miscarriages and pushing her away from Zander. Since she was wolfless, it didn’t seem to affect her visibly, and people suspected nothing.” my voice wavered with a mix of frustration and resentment.
A chilling memory resurfaced, the call from Dr. Anderson, the whisper of a nightmare. I was almost caught red-handed.
The urgency in my voice was evident as I continued, “When I coincidentally received that call on Zander’s phone, hearing that Dr. Anderson knew what caused Selena’s miscarriages, I had to eliminate her. I had to burn her office to erase every trace of proof she had.”
It was the day when Zander was in Alpha’s conference and couldn’t receive calls or mind links.
“I didn’t go that far just for her to triumph. It was my mistake to spare her life, but that won’t be the case any longer,” I declared, the vehemence in my voice cutting through the air like a blade.
“You have to hurry up, Avery, because if the prophecy is true,” my father’s voice carried a gravity that held me captive, “he will die on his 30th birthday.”
My heart seemed to stall for a moment, the world around me narrowing down to his words.
“What?!” The single word tumbled from my lips, disbelief and surprise merging in my tone. “What did you just say?!”
His nod was solemn, a confirmation that sent a chill racing down my spine.
“Yes,” he affirmed, his gaze unflinching. “The Alpha King is invincible, and no force in this world can kill him. But the prophecy dictates that he must die on his 30th birthday.”
“And you knew all along?” My voice wavered, the hurt I felt evident in the cracks that laced my tone.
A heavy sigh escaped my father’s lips, his eyes carrying a mix of empathy and regret.
“Yes, Avery. I’ve known you have been in love with him, and I understand your emotions. That’s why I kept this from you. I didn’t want your feelings to cloud your judgment.”
Swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat, I mustered a response, the truth, “I did love Zander, but not more than I love this position and power.”
A wistful smile tugged at my father’s lips, a hint of wicked pride in his gaze.
My curiosity was piqued, and I found myself leaning in, the urgency of the situation demanding answers. “But Father, how did you come to know about this? How did you find out?”
A sly glint entered his eyes as he recounted the events.
“When George came to our pack, his suspicions arose. He discovered our secret thefts in Zander’s pack and intended to confront me. I managed to sneak into his room and uncovered a scripture that detailed the prophecy.”
A realization dawned upon me, widening my eyes. “So Zander’s father, George, wasn’t killed by the rogues?”
A casual shrug from my father confirmed my suspicion. “No, I had to kill him to protect our secret.”
A mix of astonishment and admiration flickered within me. “Father, you’re even more cunning than I gave you credit for.”
He chuckled softly, a shadow of amusement dancing in his gaze. “Avery, I wish I could say the same, but your actions have disappointed me. Your recklessness could have cost us dearly.”
A smirk tugged at the corners of my lips, a trace of my confidence returning. “Don’t worry, Father. I will tread carefully. No more missteps.”