Astrid's POV:
“The pack belongs to me now and no one else! You were banished, remember? Or did you lose your memory when you got abducted by the rogues, right?” Camilla snarked, a sneer curling up on her lips.
At this moment, all I could see in her eyes were anger, pain, and regret. She just wanted what I had; she wanted what I earned in the easiest way possible.
She had taken Halfdan from me because of her greed, and now here she was trying to act all defensive? She never liked my father for a single day. She pretended to be his best relative, and that was all.
“I'm not here for the pack, Camilla. I'm here for my father's remains. Unlike you, I have a heart!” I spat, my glare fixed on her. I was certain that she was angry, that she was mad I had exposed her plans.
“How dare you say such a…” she began, lifting her hand to hit me on the face as usual, but right then, Alpha Dane intervened.
He held her hand tightly.
“You dare not lay a finger on my mate, not when I am here, Camilla!” he warned, tossing her hand away from his grip immediately.
“Leave! Leave!” she commanded. Just then, the door was pushed open from behind us, catching our attention immediately.
“And who are you?” Camilla asked rudely, her glare fixed on him. She had no respect, and I wasn't surprised.
“I am Alpha Safiya's legal practitioner, and as it stands, there won't be any need to claim the pack falsely!” he stated. Camilla cut in immediately as if she understood what he meant.
“You see, Astrid? I warned you. The pack will never belong to you!” she said through gritted teeth.
I wasn't expecting the pack myself because I got banished. I was only in the pack's mansion because of my mother's call.
“No, Luna Camilla… you must have gotten my statement all wrong…” he said, taking out the files from his bag.
He opened them and handed each document to us.
“Why are you giving me this? I don't understand,” Camilla asked impatiently.
“It’s boldly written in the documents that the pack will be handed over to no other person than Astrid and Alpha Dane, her mate and Alpha!” he revealed abruptly.
The second he let out those words, my eyes filled with tears and widened with shock and uncertainty.
“What? What is that supposed to mean? We all know that she was banished! She can't become the Luna of this pack! I am the rightful heir! I am to take over!” she fought against his words, her voice dripping with nothing but anger and fury.
“Astrid has no place here! She's nothing but a slut that…” Just as she was going to expose my night stand before Alpha Dane, I swiftly turned to her and glared right into her eyes.
At this point, it was best I acted with wisdom. There was no doubt that if Camilla knew I was trying to hide it from Alpha Dane, she wouldn't expose it.
“Your words, Camilla! We just need to figure this all out. There's no need for you to act like an insane dog!” I satirised, and just then, her fist clenched tightly.
“One more insult from you, and I won't hesitate to deal with you. Trust me, Astrid, I don't care if your mate is here! Dare me!” She walked closer to where I stood, her face mere inches from mine.
“That’s enough now, Camilla, let's leave!” Halfdan, who had barely uttered a word since she began her madness, tried calming her down but failed both as her mate and her Alpha.
“I'm not leaving here… not until she claims she is banished and hands the pack over to me!” she snarled, as if she thought I would listen to her. What a joke.
A scoff left my lips, and I was sure it infuriated her.
“Did you just laugh?” Her brows creased immediately as she watched me.
“I don't know, you tell me…” I took a step closer as if we were about to kiss. “You are the one making a fuss about claiming the pack when the Alpha is barely gone! Do you even care about anything else? I can't believe you are blood! You disgust me, Camilla!” I rolled my eyes in disdain. Just as I was about to walk away from her sight to see my dead father, she got a strong grip around my neck.
Her grip tightened, and she left me choking, tapping on her hand and struggling to free myself.
“What has gotten into you, Camilla? Let go of my Luna!” Dane warned as he held her hand and threw her to the side.
“She caused it! She…” she began, but Dane got even more furious.
“Guards!” he called with authority, and immediately, the doors were opened to three men.
“Get her out of here, right now!” Dane commanded. Seeing that he was my mate, they obeyed him.
They rushed towards Camilla and Halfdan, and before they could say another word, they dragged them both out of the mansion.
“I'll make you go through hell, Astrid!” I heard her voice fade as they dragged them on.
They had both spoiled my mood. They had made it worse, and here I was thinking my dad's death was more painful.
“Are you okay?” Alpha Dane asked, his sudden touch around my neck jolting me back to reality immediately as my gaze snapped towards him.
“I… I am fine!” I muttered, trying to wave it off. He immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me back to himself before the legal practitioner who stood behind us.
“You are not. Come on, sit, I'll help you heal.” He urged, but I didn't feel the need to let him.
“I'm fine. I just want to see my father.” I muttered. Seeing that I wasn't in the mood for that, he stood erect.
“Lead the way then,” he huffed as he let me walk past him.
“This way, Luna Astrid!” A guard standing by the second door directed, and I followed him from behind, my anticipation growing with every step I took.
Soon, we got to a stop right before a room. It wasn't just any room; it was the place my father's dead body was placed. Even more intriguing, it was the last room I had stepped foot into before being banished from the pack.
“Father…” I gasped softly, my heart racing rapidly.