Tamara’s POV
As soon as Jack was out of sight, I rushed to my room, and went straight to the closet. It was time to begin the first phase of my plan. I shoved aside the soft, delicate dresses Jack liked me to wear and reached for the boldest, most daring outfit I had. It was a leather warrior set, black and fierce, with intricate gold and silver designs that gleamed in the light. The material hugged my body in all the right places, showcasing both my curves but still making me look powerful. It was a piece specifically made for a Luna. It commanded attention, and respect, so Jack hated it when I wore it. He didn’t like the fact that whenever I wore it, every single pair of eyes always ignored him to focus on me. It was perfect. I turned to the mirror and started applying a little makeup. That was another thing Jack had never allowed me to do in my past life. He used to say that he didn’t want me looking too good, because he was afraid that someone would realize how beautiful I was, and take me away from him. I used to think he was joking, but after our marriage, when he started locking me up at home, I soon realized he was very serious. He was scared someone would steal me away before he could claim my pack completely, and that was the very same fear I would use against him. For the final touch to my outfit, i picked up the Alpha’s chest pin my parents gave me before they retired. It was designed as a golden Phoenix, it was meant to signify the transition from a child to the pack’s leader, and since a Phoenix was also the symbol of death and rebirth, I thought it was the perfect jewelry for me. Suddenly a soft voice sounded behind me making me freeze. “Tamara?” I spun around to see Violet, my best friend standing at the doorway. I stared at her, unable to believe my eyes. She was alive. “Violet?” I whispered, shakily. In my past life, I was forced to to watch as Jack and Katie cruelly beheaded her right in front of me, claiming that she had been plotting with King Dante to kill me. I hadn’t believed them of course, and I even fought to save her. But then, Violet’s own husband, Richard, had provided some evidence that proved she helped Dante to kill my parents and I was heartbroken. Violet had crawled on her knees, begging, crying and telling me that Alpha Dante wasn’t our true enemy but I didn't understand her then. I still tried to save her, but Jack cruelly killed her right in front of me. I was devastated. Later, I found out that her so called husband Richard had fabricated everything, just so that he could inherit all her property and marry his younger mistress. Richard was our Gamma and Jack's closest friend, so they planned everything together. They had successfully gotten rid of both of their wives and had replaced us with their mistresses. But here was Violet now, my beautiful best friend standing in front of me. Alive and healthy. I rushed forward to hug her tighter than I had ever held anyone in my life. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered to her. “I should have listened to you, I’m so, so sorry.” I cried and she was stunned . Violet awkwardly patted my back, clearly confused about why I was acting like this. “Tamara? … are you okay? What’s going on?” I pulled back to look at her innocent face and smiled. “I’m fine now that you’re here,” I said honestly, “And i promise I’ll protect you this time, Violet. I won’t let anything happen to you. Not this time.” She frowned and placed her palm on my forehead to feel my temperature. “Are you sure you’re alright? Are you feeling feverish?” She asked and I shook my head with a laugh. She frowned more. “Then what are you talking about?” She asked before suddenly noticing my warrior outfit. “And… why are you dressed like that?” “I’m going to the warriors’ meeting,” I told her. Violet’s face immediately tensed, and her eyes widened in alarm. “No, Tamara, no,” she suddenly whispered urgently, grabbing my hands. “You don’t have to go to that meeting. Please, you have to trust me. Stay out of this.” Her sudden fear startled me. Why didn’t she want me to go? I knew that she was constantly trying to protect me, she was the only one who ever dared to tell me the truth about Jack and Kate, and that was probably why they had her killed. But what was the problem now? Why didn’t she want me to go to the meeting when it could help me save my pack? “Violet, what’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?” I asked, but she refused to say anything else, just insisting that I shouldn’t go to the meeting. Whatever she was hiding, it only made me more determined to go to the meeting and find out. I grabbed her wrist and began walking to the meeting. Violet tried to protest, but I didn’t give her the chance as I dragged her with me down the hallway, to the meeting room. When we arrived at the meeting hall, I heard voices talking, so I pushed open the doors with force, and all eyes immediately turned to me, then the hall immediately fell deadly silent. I felt Violet stiffen beside me, and my eyes followed her line of sight until it landed at the top of the table where Jack was sitting. But that wasn’t what made her freeze, what made her freeze was the fact that Kate was sitting right beside him, on the Luna’s chair, right were I was supposed to be sitting. I gritted my teeth as my blood began to boil. That fucking bitch! So this was why Jack didn’t want me to come to the meeting. He was already trying to replace me with Kate. Already giving her my position as Luna, even though I was still alive. He said this meeting wasn't a place for a woman, but that rule clearly didn't apply to my sister. So he had been stopping from attending important meetings, just so he could parade his slut in my place? My fists clenched at my sides, How dare they?!Ivonne’s POVI inhaled slowly, shoved the phone aside, and forced my voice into the iciest tone I could manage.“What do you want, Lincoln?”The door cracked open and, just as I suspected, he stood there. His expression was calm—too calm. That in itself was enough to make me wary. He wasn’t calm by nature. Lincoln thrived on storms, on anger, on fire. But now, he stepped in as though he were just an old friend dropping by.“I brought wine,” he said, holding up a dark bottle. In his other hand, a stack of papers. “And these. Peace offerings.”I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t drink with enemies.”He chuckled. “Enemies? That’s what we are now? No, Ivonne. I think we’re far too entangled for that word.”I crossed my arms, doing everything I could to keep from throwing him right back into the hallway. “Say what you came to say and leave.”“I came,” he said, stepping inside without permission, “to call a truce.”That stopped me cold.“A truce?” I repeated, my voice dripping disbelief.“Yes.” He
Ivonne’s POVThe first thing I did when I finally shut my bedroom door behind me was collapse onto the bed and grab my phone. My head was still hurting from everything—Archibald’s will, Hector’s furious face, Alison screaming like a banshee, Lincoln trying to lunge at me. It all replayed in my head like some twisted drama.There was only one person I could think of calling. Lady Elizabeth.I scrolled until I found her number, my thumb hovering. She had been my only anchor before I returned here. She was the one who comforted me when I thought I was falling apart. She was the one I had clung to like a mother I had lost.When the line rang and she picked up, her warm, steady voice immediately made my chest tighten.“Ivonne?” she said. “Is everything alright? You sound… shaken.”I laughed bitterly. “Shaken is an understatement. Elizabeth, you won’t believe what just happened.”“Try me.”So I switched to video call and told her. Everything. I spilled the entire insane story, pacing back a
Hectors POVI stormed out of the manor like the place was on fire.My boots pounded against the marble steps, echoing through the night, and my fists were clenched so tightly I could feel my knuckles popping. Leonard and Sevrin trailed behind me, silent for a moment, though I could feel their eyes burning into my back.The cool night air hit my face, but it did nothing to douse the heat boiling in my chest. My whole body shook with anger, like my veins were molten. I didn’t even realize I’d stopped until I was at the stone wall bordering the garden. With a guttural roar, I drew my fist back and slammed it into the wall with everything I had. The crack of stone splitting reverberated through the night. Dust rained down, and pain shot up my arm, but I welcomed it. Pain was better than helplessness.“Alpha!” Leonard rushed forward, grabbing my arm. “You’ll break your hand!”“I don’t care!” I snarled, yanking my arm free. I could feel the skin tearing across my knuckles, but I didn’t even
Lincoln’s POVI slammed the door to my room so hard the frame rattled. My chest heaved as if I had sprinted a marathon, but it wasn’t exhaustion—it was fury. Pure, boiling rage. My grandfather. That old man. How could he… how could he hand everything over to her?My hand curled into a fist before I could think, and the nearest thing within reach like a glass paperweight on my desk—was sent flying against the wall. It shattered into glittering fragments. The crash echoed through the room, but the sound barely scratched the surface of the chaos tearing inside me.“Damn it! FUCK!” I roared, grabbing the edge of the desk and flipping it. Papers scattered, wood cracked, and the lamp tumbled, clattering loudly to the floor. My breaths came out ragged, almost animalistic. I wanted to destroy everything. Every reminder of this cursed family, every piece of furniture that mocked me with its stillness while my world collapsed.And all because of her. Ivonne.I ripped a framed photo off the wall
Ivonne’s POVWhen I walked back into that suffocating hall, every pair of eyes swung toward me. My face must have been pale, my hands trembling just slightly, but I forced myself to straighten my spine. The letter from Archibald burned in my chest pocket like a live coal. My heart still pounded from what I had just discovered, but no one in this room could ever know.Not yet.I had wanted revenge before, yes. I had wanted to see Lincoln and Alison lose everything. But somewhere along the way, I had let go of that bitterness. I had convinced myself I wanted peace. Now, though, peace wasn’t enough. Justice was. Justice for my mother. And for that, I would take everything Archibald had given me, no matter the cost.I cleared my throat. “I accept the inheritance.”The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.Mr. Briggs adjusted his glasses, nodded once, and scribbled something on his papers. “Very well, Mrs.—or rather, Miss Ivonne. Your acceptance of the inheritance has been no
Ivonne’s POVMy fingers were trembling so badly that I almost dropped the sealed packet when Mr. Briggs slid it across the table toward me.It looked so plain... yellowed paper, worn edges, tied neatly with string. It didn’t look like it should weigh a ton, but in my hands it felt heavier than a boulder. My stomach churned, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was inside was going to change everything.Before I could even blink, Alison darted forward, her heels clacking against the polished floor. She leaned so close I could smell her perfume choking the air between us. Her eyes were wide, desperate, her manicured nails digging into the table.“Ivonne, listen to me,” she hissed, her voice dripping with urgency. “You don’t want this, remember? You said it yourself, you don’t want anything to do with us, with this house, with all of this nonsense. So just… just hand it over. Give everything to me and Lincoln. We’ll take care of it. You’ll be free.”Her tone was almost pleading