Camilla's Pov.
“How much longer do we have to wait for her? She might not be interested; we can't keep postponing the event just for her.” I argued with a scowl, but Mrs. Safiya remained unwavering.
She was beginning to irritate me; why was she always doing special favors for Astrid?
She wouldn’t delay by a minute if I was the one who ran late, but since it was her most esteemed, beloved daughter, there was nothing she could do but wait, and it was certainly beginning to annoy me.
“We will wait for one more hour; we both know she's the main reason for this ceremony. We can’t just start without her. If we do, it means...” She stopped halfway through her words. I understood what she meant; we both did, and it only made me more furious.
“One more hour, and if she doesn’t get here, we will know what to do,” she added before rising to her feet.
“Luna Safiya, this is absolutely unfair!” I shouted, my voice trembling with frustration.
“This is the sixth time you’ve extended the wait by an hour. I’m telling you, if she doesn’t show up in an hour, I’ll go up to the podium and start the ceremony with you, and Astrid won’t be there… I swear!”
With that, I stormed past her, my anger boiling over. I slammed the door behind me and stormed out of the room, my fists clenched.
Every second they wasted only added to my rage; it was clear Astrid wasn’t coming, and I had made sure of it.
My heart pounded in my chest as I walked swiftly down the corridor, making sure no one was around to see me.
I turned a corner into a shadowed, deserted hallway, where the muffled sounds of the ongoing event were faint.
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves before pulling out my phone. My hands were shaking slightly as I dialled a number, the silence stretching with each ring. After what felt like an eternity, someone finally answered.
“What’s the progress?” I demanded, my voice barely controlled. “Is it done?” I held my breath, bracing myself for the worst possible news.
“It was a success, Luna Camilla,” he said, his voice steady and reassuring.
“I instructed them to leave the pack immediately after the attack was initiated. They haven’t returned with any complaints, which means they’ve abandoned the pack. None of the guards reported any signs of an attack either, so everything has gone exactly as planned.”
A surge of satisfaction coursed through me. “Good,” I said curtly, ending the call with a decisive click. A dark, victorious grin spread across my face—I had won.
Everything was falling perfectly into place. My meticulous planning was finally paying off. I revelled in the triumph, savouring how everything was unravelling in my favour.
With Astrid and Dane out of the picture, it no longer mattered whether I waited another hour or just a minute. They were gone, and the pack was mine. The victory was absolute.
I quickened my pace, striding back to the room where Halfdan waited.
“Let’s take over the pack now,” I commanded, my voice brimming with excitement. But as I looked at Halfdan, his expression was a mix of confusion and hesitation, far from the enthusiasm I had hoped for.
“What’s with this sudden change?” he asked, his tone laced with bewilderment. “Isn’t that position supposed to be for Astrid?” His confusion was exactly what I had anticipated. I had kept the plan tightly under wraps, not wanting to risk anything. Now that everything had unfolded perfectly, I no longer needed to explain.
“Astrid won’t be showing up,” I said sharply. “So why are we wasting time waiting? Let’s seize control of the pack and deal with any issues as they come. We’ve kept the guests waiting long enough; don’t you think they’re growing impatient?”
“But it’s been a long time,” he countered. “But you can’t just take your cousin’s position like this. Astrid will be furious when she finds out.” His resistance was beginning to grate on my nerves, adding to my mounting frustration.
“Are you coming with me or not?” I demanded, my voice rising in anger. “Do you want the pack or not?” I glared at him, my patience wearing thin. With a shrug and a resigned sigh, Halfdan stood up, the decision now inescapable.
“Fine, I’ll come with you,” Halfdan mumbled reluctantly.
I shot him a sharp look. “It’s not like you didn’t want this position anyway, Halfdan,” I snapped, exasperated. With that, I stormed toward the main grounds, my anger propelling me forward. The sight of the guests seated and the burial instruments laid out only fueled my impatience.
Striding purposefully to the podium, I could feel my aunt's intense, disapproving gaze burning into my back. Her discontent was clear, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.
“I apologise for the delay, everyone,” I began, my voice ringing out with forced calmness.
“There has been a situation, but I am here now to inform you that it has been resolved. As many of you know, this should have been my sister’s position. However, due to her prolonged absence, she contacted me to say she would not be coming and requested that I step in for her.”
A murmur of confusion and dissent rippled through the crowd, quickly followed by a chorus of jeers and disapproving whispers. The hostility in the air was almost tangible.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp tug on my arm. It was Astrid's mother, my aunt. Her face was flushed with anger as she pulled me away from the podium, away from the eyes of the crowd. Her eyes blazed with fury as she confronted me.
“What do you think you’re doing, Camilla?” she demanded, her voice low but seething with intensity. Her anger was clear, and I could sense the weight.
“What am I up to? Or why have you been hovering around?” I shot back, my voice dripping with contempt.
“You have so much faith in her, don’t you? Look around you. Do you see Astrid anywhere? She’s not coming, Aunty. Your precious daughter has no interest in any of this, so I suggest you stay out of my way.” I argued frustratingly.
“Would you prefer that none of your daughters claim the pack and leave it to some outsider? You’d be left powerless, you know.” My words were laced with a thinly veiled threat.
She was silent, her face a mask of hurt and frustration. Without another word, she released my arm and turned, walking away with a stiff, defeated posture.
I watched her retreat with a smirk, revelling in her disappointment. But her feelings were irrelevant.
The only thing that mattered was my ascension to the Alpha of my uncle's pack.
The smile that spread across my lips was one of triumph as I turned back toward the podium.
The crowd had fallen into a hush, their eyes fixed on me with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
This was my moment, the total of all my planning and scheming. The spotlight was mine, and I intended to seize it.
“Let the rites begin!” I commanded with a sneer, my voice cutting through the silence like a knife.
A man in a long black robe approached me, his head bowed in respect.
As he reached my side, he spoke softly, “Please, extend your hands.” His tone was formal, yet soft.
I didn’t waste time arguing. I extended my hands, and the man produced a ceremonial dagger with a deliberate, practised motion. As he pressed the blade into my finger, a sharp sting shot through me, making me wince despite my best efforts to remain composed.
“Stay still!” he ordered firmly, his voice carrying an edge of impatience. With one hand still gripping mine, he reached out to the right. A subordinate quickly handed him a small, ornately decorated bowl.
The man guided my bleeding finger over the bowl, letting three droplets of my blood fall into it. Each drop seemed to echo in the silent room.
A sinister satisfaction curled at the corners of my mouth as I watched my blood mingle with the ceremonial vessel.
“Once this is merged with the blood of Alpha Safiya, you will be formally recognized as the owner of the pack,” he explained succinctly, his voice reverberating with the weight of the moment. He then turned to the lifeless body of Alpha Safiya lying before us.
The man proceeded with the same ritual on the Alpha's finger, collecting his last blood with meticulous precision. The ceremony was nearing its climax, the anticipation hanging thick in the air.
Just as he was about to merge the two bloods—my own and the Alpha’s—a deep, authoritative voice shattered the silence, resonating through the room and bringing all activity to an abrupt halt.
“Not so fast, Camilla!” The voice boomed, its authority cutting through the charged atmosphere. Heads turned in unison towards the source of the interruption.
My fingers involuntarily clenched, the anger simmering beneath my surface.
“Astrid,” I muttered under my breath, fury simmering in my tone. The stupid werewolves had failed to eliminate her and Dane as they’d promised.
“Why must she always show up at the worst possible moment!?” I snapped, my voice sharp with frustration and disbelief.