Giselle’s POV
“Bring my carriage around. Now!” I snapped at the guard standing by the door. His eyes widened for a split second before he quickly bowed and rushed off to obey my command.
I stood there, my fists clenched, trying to control the rage boiling inside me. How dare he? How dare Denderick treat me like this after everything my father has done for him?
A few minutes later, I heard the clatter of hooves and the creak of the carriage wheels as they came to a stop in front of the pack house. Without waiting for anyone to open the door for me, I stormed outside and climbed into the carriage, slamming the door shut behind me. The carriage rider turned to ask for directions, but I cut him off before he could speak.
“To my father’s pack!” I ordered. The rider nodded quickly and snapped the reins, urging the horses into motion. As the carriage began to move, I leaned back against the plush seat, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
Denderick. I couldn’t believe him. After everything I’d sacrificed, everything I’d endured to be his Luna, this is how he repays me? By defending that worthless woman? That slave who somehow managed to worm her way into our lives and disrupt everything I had worked for?
My hands curled into fists again as I thought about the way he looked at her, the softness in his eyes that he never showed to me. It was disgusting. Unforgivable. How could he not see that I was the one who truly cared about him, the one who was meant for him?
My father, Alpha Marcus, had given me to Denderick and ensured that I would become his Luna, bear his heir, and secure his throne. And this is how he repays me?
I could feel the bile rising in my throat as I thought about it. Denderick was ungrateful. He didn’t deserve me, and he didn’t deserve the throne. But I would make sure he regretted ever crossing me. He would learn that no one, not even an Alpha, could treat me with such disrespect and get away with it.
The carriage jolted slightly as we turned onto a rougher path, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced out the window and recognized the familiar landscape of my father’s territory. The sight of it gave me some comfort, knowing that I was close to someone who would understand, someone who would help me get the revenge I deserved.
When we finally arrived at the pack house, I didn’t wait for the carriage to come to a complete stop before throwing the door open and stepping out. The guards at the entrance straightened up immediately when they saw me, their eyes filled with respect. One of them hurried forward to escort me inside.
“Is my father in his study?” I asked curtly as I marched through the entrance hall.
“Yes, Lady Giselle,” the guard replied. “Shall I announce your arrival?”
“No need,” I said, waving him off. “I’ll go to him myself.”
I didn’t knock when I reached my father’s study. I simply pushed the door open and walked in. My father was seated behind his massive oak desk, his eyes focused on a stack of parchment. He looked up as I walked in.
“Daughter,” he called, setting the papers aside. “What brings you here so suddenly? Is everything all right?”
I shut the door behind me and strode toward his desk, my heart pounding in my chest. “No, Father, everything is not all right. Denderick-he’s-he’s been disrespecting me. Treating me like I’m nothing. All because of that slave he brought in recently.”
My father’s expression darkened immediately. He stood up, his towering frame casting a shadow over the room. “What has he done?” he demanded. “Tell me, daughter!”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice as I spoke. “He’s been defending her, protecting her, even though she’s nothing but a threat to us. He’s completely blinded by whatever hold she has over him. And it’s not just that, Father. He-he looks at her like she’s the only one who matters. Like I’m invisible.”
My father’s eyes narrowed, and I could see the fury building behind them. “He has no right to treat you this way,” he growled. “You are supposed to be his Luna, chosen to secure his position and ensure the future of his pack. He should be worshipping the ground you walk on.”
“That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell him,” I replied. “But he refuses to listen. He’s so blinded by her that he can’t see the truth. And the worst part is-” I hesitated, then forced the words out, knowing this would push my father over the edge. “Aria lied about the child she’s carrying. She told everyone it was Alpha Logan’s, but it’s not. It’s Denderick’s. She’s been playing him all along.”
“Aria…” My father muttered. “I saw her during the last Council meeting. Alpha Logan claimed she was the mother of his child, but I sensed something off about her.”
His eyes flashed with a dangerous light, and I could see his hands clenching into fists. “That deceitful woman,” he muttered, his voice thick with rage. “She thinks she can manipulate us? She thinks she can come between you and Denderick, and steal what is rightfully yours?”
“She’s been doing it ever since she arrived,” I said bitterly. “And Denderick has been falling for it every step of the way. I don’t know what she’s told him, but it’s enough to make him forget his duty, forget his loyalty to me, to this pack.”
My father slammed his fist down on the desk, making me jump. “He will answer for this,” he growled. “I will make sure of it. No one, not even an Alpha, disrespects my daughter and gets away with it.”
I felt a surge of satisfaction at his words. “Thank you, Father. I knew I could count on you.”
“I will pull my power to make sure he pays.” My father assured me.
“What will you do?” I asked. “I don’t want us to punish him or make him suffer too much for this. All I want is for that slave to leave his life for good.”
“I will summon Denderick to me,” he explained. “He will explain himself, and he will understand the consequences of his actions. If he thinks he can defy me, if he thinks he can choose that woman over you, he will learn just how mistaken he is.”
A slow smile spread across my face as I imagined Denderick’s reaction, the fear that would flash in his eyes when he realized the full extent of his mistake. “Then, he deserves whatever punishment you decide, Father,” I replied. “And that slave girl deserves to suffer for what she’s done.”
“And they will,” my father promised. “But first, we need to take care of Aria. She’s the root of this problem, and she needs to be dealt with.”
My heart leaped at his words, a cruel excitement bubbling up inside me. “What do you plan to do?” I asked.
My father’s smile was cold, and calculating. “Leave that to me, Giselle,” he said. “I will handle Aria. And by the time I’m done, she will regret ever crossing you.”