[Lennox’s POV]
"Welcome back," Trixie called as I burst into the apartment we shared later that evening. "Why are you back so soon?"
Grumbling to myself, I collapsed on the couch while Trixie kept her oceanic gaze on me.
Why was I back so soon? Because that damned Silas ruined all of my plans! If I continued to try to get closer to Alphonze, I knew he would continue to stop me with that irritating draw of his. So, what did I do? I gave up and came back here to plan my next move.
"Well?" Trixie chirped, not giving up.
Letting out a groan, I turned my attention towards the tiny blonde with curiosity written all over her face.
"A pest got in my way."
"Pest?" Trixie repeated, furrowing her delicate brows. "What do you mean, pest?"
"Do you remember the one I told you about?" I asked, recalling the time I told Trixie my story of escaping my stepmother’s grasp. "The man that helped me hide from my stepmother’s men?"
"Vaguely."
"Well, I ran into him this evening."
At my words, Trixie’s eyes grew wide with excitement.
"Sounds like a divine intervention." She beamed, waggling her brows at me. "You two keep running into each other. Maybe that means...
"It can’t." I sighed, stopping her before she could work herself into a frenzy. "I don’t have the luxury of worrying about something like destiny or love right now."
Frowning, Trixie let out a breath while flopping back on the couch.
"There are other ways to take down Melanie and Stacy, you know?" Trixie tried, seeming to not want to drop the topic of Silas. "You don’t have to use Alphonze."
"No," I huffed. "If I don’t get to him before Stacy, it will become much more difficult. He has the power that I need to kick them both out of Caelum, and without it I may not be able to do what I came back to this fucking city to do. "
"So you’re going to continue on with this ridiculous charade no matter what I say?" Trixie sighed.
"That’s right. Since I didn’t get to get near him tonight, the next attempt will be at the Luna games. "
Trixie’s eyes grew wide at my mention of the luna games. Everyone in the inner circles of any pack within a hundred miles of Caelum knew about these games. They were only meant for those born into high rank. Anyone below a delta wasn’t allowed to participate. That meant that my chances of winning were pretty high since I was aware of what those who would most likely be participating were capable of.
As the daughter of a beta, I possessed the strength and abilities needed to win. All I needed was to get my name on the list of participants and I was guaranteed my chance. Once I was out on the field and my cover was blown, it would be too late to stop me.
"You can’t be serious!" Trixie gasped. "Won’t that blow your cover entirely?"
"No. The rules require all participants to wear masks in order to hide their identities. It is the only way to avoid bias. "
"Then how do you plan to get in, hm?" Trixie continued to push.
Sitting up, I let a broad smile begin to spread across my lips as I kept my gaze fixed on Trixie.
"That’s where you come in." I giggled. "My amazing friend who can tap into even the most secure databases. You simply have to add my name. "
I let out a laugh as Trixie’s curious expression turned to one of exasperation.
"And what exactly do I get out of this?" She asked.
"If I win, you get access to new playthings."
"Sold."
Laughing louder, I watched as Trixie jumped up and skipped to her computer. Keeping my eyes fixed on her back, I waited as she began rapidly tapping the keys while whistling the latest craze all over the radio.
"And done." She announced, swiveling her chair so she could look at me. "You better not make me regret helping you."
"Do I ever?" I giggled.
Rolling her eyes, Trixie got up and made her way towards me.
"Just be careful, alright?" She murmured, clamping a hand on my shoulder. "When you play with fire, you’re bound to get burned."
"A few burns are worth taking those bitches down." I responded. "Don’t worry, I have no intention of losing.
The next three days went by in a blur, and now I found myself standing in front of Caelum’s battle arena.
"Lennox Haney." One of the referees called, motioning for me to come forward. "Don’t just dilly-dally."
"Sorry," I huffed, beginning to move while attempting to calm my racing heart.
Even though I was determined to take my rightful place as beta of the Caelum pack, that didn’t mean that being back here didn’t get to me. After six years of hiding, it was quite surreal to willingly come back here.
"Take this." The referee grumbled once I reached him. "The changing rooms are to the left and the waiting rooms are to the right. You will be called when it is your turn. If you attempt to roam or take someone else’s place, you will be disqualified. "
Nodding, I took the bag that contained my shirt and mask before making my way past the referee and towards the changing rooms.
Once I was changed, I made my way to the waiting area. Inside was full of many hopeful women yearning for the chance to stand by Alphonze’s side. Most I recognized from formal events before my father’s death, but others were new. But the one that drew my attention the most was Stacy. Even with her mask, I recognized her a mile away.
Her overly filled lips were turned up in a cocky smile as her lackeys gathered around her, gushing about how she had nothing to worry about. Ha, they were in for quite the surprise. If I was here, she didn’t have a fucking chance.
As if feeling my eyes on her, Stacy’s gaze found its way to me as her lips turned down in disgust.
"What are you looking at?" She demanded.
"Not quite sure." I admitted with a smirk. "I was trying to figure it out, but even now I just can’t."
"What did you just..."
Before any other words could leave her lips, the referee barged into the room with a clipboard in hand.
"Lennox Haney and Stacey Haney, you’re up."
"Lennox!" Stacy gasped, jumping up from her seat. "Did he just say..."
"Surprise." I giggled, getting to my feet. "It’s been a while, sister. I hope you’ve been well. "
"Let’s go, ladies." The referee snapped impatiently. "If you came here only to socialize, then get the hell out."
"Lead the way, ref." I beamed, making my way across the room. "We’ll catch up later once I'm done kicking your ass."
