WITH THE ALPHA

Part 8 ; A woman's will

I slipped back down to my original room in the pack house, a swirl of bitter, dark thoughts racing through my mind.
The door was unlocked. Doors here were rarely locked; the pack house was supposedly the safest place on the continent, and crime was virtually nonexistent under the blind obedience enforced by the Alpha and Beta. Of course, I was always the special exception.
Damian finding his mate shattered every single plan I had meticulously crafted. He had marked her right before my eyes, and now it was only a matter of time before she was presented as Luna. Everything I had worked for, everything I had sacrificed, was about to be swept away by some intruder.
Carlisa.
I felt a sudden, sharp sting of devastation—and then it hardened into pure malice. How could she just drop out of nowhere and ruin my life? There was a high chance Damian and Derick's inner wolves would reject my unborn pups the moment they were born, especially with a new Luna sitting on the throne. I had two options: force her to take pity on me, or eliminate her.
Option one was out. Deviana Horl didn't beg, and she certainly didn't play the pathetic victim. Option two was the only way forward.
Sure, losing a mate might shatter Damian's mind, pushing him toward insanity or turning him into a rogue. But I'd be there to pick up the pieces, convincing him to make me his Luna—or better yet, standing beside Derick when he stepped up to claim the Alpha title in Damian's collapse.
A slow, wicked smirk spread across my face. "Well, my name isn't Deviana for nothing," I whispered, curling up under my familiar blankets for the first time in weeks. I closed my eyes, comforting myself with the promise of chaos to come.
When the sun broke over the horizon, my eyes fluttered open. I lay still for a moment, letting my dark scheme crystallize.
I couldn't act rashly. Direct evidence leading back to me would ruin everything. I needed to orchestrate her murder while I had a rock-solid alibi—while I was safely locked away at the outskirts house. I hummed my childhood song beneath my breath, letting the sweet melody coat the toxicity brewing inside me.
Today was my last day in the main pack house, and I had no intention of going quietly. If they wanted to isolate me, they were going to have to taste my claws first. They couldn't truly harm me anyway—not while I carried Alpha blood in my womb.
"Deviana, you devious bitch," I praised my reflection.
After a long shower, a meticulous skincare routine, and hair styling, I stepped out looking like an absolute weapon. I pulled on a skin-tight black dress with double thigh-high slits, showcasing every curve and the full length of my legs. I strapped on my highest heels, styled my dark hair into bouncy, voluminous curls, and painted my lips a vivid blood-red.
Searching my cabinet, I pulled out my most expensive perfume, spraying the rich, intoxicating scent over my collarbones. Sliding on a pair of oversized, half-tinted black shades, I headed straight for the elevator.
It was prime time for Deviana chaos.
I took the elevator to the top floor, the heavy clicking of my heels echoing off the marble as I ascended the final flight of stairs.
"Where's the Alpha?" I intercepted a passing staff member.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "He's in a high-level meeting right now. You can't go in there."
"A meeting?" Perfect. That meant the visiting delegates were in there too. "Thanks. Let me go say hello."
I didn't knock. I simply threw open the grand double doors and strutted straight into the boardroom.
The room was sleek, professional, and flooded with morning light from massive floor-to-ceiling windows. A long conference table was strewn with official documents, and every head whipped toward me in utter shock.
At the head of the table stood Damian, looking equal parts stunning, stunned, and dangerously livid. In the vacant first chair to his right sat a woman who looked just as startled as everyone else. Passing Derick, I offered him a playful wink, letting my hand drag lightly over his shoulder before coming to a stop directly in front of Damian.
"Deviana," Damian growled, straining to keep his voice controlled in front of the council. "What are you doing here?"
I smirked, adjusting my sunglasses. "Oh, my mistake. It seems I got lost."
"It doesn't look like it, considering you walked in here with absolute confidence!" he spat.
"Oh, no, Alpha. Couldn't you tell how terrified I was when I walked through those doors?" I purred, stepping closer. "I only made it this far because I caught a glimpse of your pretty face."
A harsh growl echoed from the head of the table, followed by the violent scrape of a chair across the floor. Carlisa surged forward, stepping protectively in front of Damian as if her shorter frame could block my view of him.
"Who is this ragged bitch?!" she demanded, her voice trembling with territorial anger.
I looked down at her through my tinted lenses, a slow, predatory smile spreading across my red lips.
"This 'ragged bitch' is superior to you in every single way, female," I sneered.