Victoria stepped out from behind the bushes, her eyes narrowed and her lips curved into a smirk. Everyone immediately fell silent, shocked by her sudden appearance.
“You’re right, how can a weakling like her lead us?” Victoria’s voice cut through the tension. She glanced at Shirley before continuing, “Is the new guest defending our enemy?”
Shirley turned to her, her expression composed despite the sudden interruption. “The enemy?”
The pack members exchanged glances, some stepping back as Victoria moved closer to Shirley.
“You’re new, so you don’t know her... history,” Victoria said, circling Shirley like a predator. “Seems like she already has you wrapped around her finger.” fre.ewebnov el.com
Shirley crossed her arms defensively. “No one has fooled me. I form my own opinions based on what I see.”
“What you see?” Victoria laughed, shaking her head. “You’ve known her for what, a few hours? Days? We’ve suffered for years because of her family.”
The pack members nodded in agreement, emboldened by Victoria’s presence.
“That’s right,” one woman stepped forward. “Her father tortured our people. Made us slaves in our own territory.”
Shirley looked at each of them. “You said it yourself, that was her father. What did Lily do? Was she holding the whip? Was she giving the orders?”
“She’s Alpha Grayson’s daughter,” Victoria spat. “The same blood runs through her veins.”
“Blood doesn’t determine character,” Shirley countered. “I’ve spent time with Lily. She’s kind, attentive, and eager to learn. She shows no signs of cruelty or malice.”
Victoria’s eyes flashed with anger. She yanked up her sleeve, revealing a long, jagged scar that ran from her wrist to her elbow.
“See this?” Victoria held her arm toward Shirley. “This is what her father did to me when I refused to dance for his entertainment.”
The pack members murmured, some showing their own scars.
“He branded my back,” one man said quietly.
“He had my sister whipped until she couldn’t stand,” added another.
Victoria’s voice grew louder. “We all carry the marks of what the Brightpaws did to us. And now we’re supposed to bow to one of them?”
Shirley’s eyes softened as she looked at the scars, but her resolve didn’t waver.
“I’m truly sorry for what you all suffered,” she said sincerely. “What happened to you was unforgivable. But you cannot pin the sins of her family on her. It’s not fair.”
“How can you be so sure?” Victoria challenged.
“Because I observe people,” Shirley said firmly, “The longer you spend with someone, the clearer you’ll see. I see the way she flinches when someone moves too quickly. How she always positions herself near an exit. The way she holds her breath when something goes wrong, as if expecting punishment at any moment.”
The pack members shifted uncomfortably.
“If anything,” Shirley continued, “I’m almost certain Lily was a victim of her father’s cruelty too. Not his accomplice.”
Victoria’s face twisted with fury. “Hah! She had you fooled through and through. Don’t you see? It’s all an act, you’re being deceived! She’s playing you, playing all of us. She’s manipulating Zayn, turning him against his own people!”
“Is that what this is about?” Shirley asked sternly. “You’re afraid of losing favor with Alpha Zayn? Is that why you’ve been painting Lily as the villain?” .com
The pack members’ eyes widened at Shirley’s boldness. Victoria stepped closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
“Watch yourself, Shirley. You’re a guest in our pack. You don’t know anything about us or what we’ve been through.”
Shirley stood her ground. “I know enough to question why you’re all so eager to punish someone who’s innocent. Why target Lily when the real perpetrator, her father, is already dead?”
The pack members looked at one another, unable to answer.
“Let me ask you this,” Shirley addressed the group. “Has Lily ever personally harmed any of you?”
Silence. The perfect answer.
“Has she ever given orders to hurt anyone? Has she denied anyone food or medical care? Has she shown any sign that she’s like her father?”
More uncomfortable silence.
Victoria hissed, “She’s good at playing the victim.”
Shirley shook her head. “I trust in my own judgment. And what I see is a young woman trying to survive in a hostile environment.”
She turned to leave, but paused to look back at the group.
“If you want to direct your anger at someone, direct it at those who actually hurt you. Not at someone whose only crime is being born to the wrong father.”
With that, Shirley walked away, leaving Victoria seething with rage.
“She doesn’t understand,” one of the pack members said after Shirley was gone.
“Of course she doesn’t,” Victoria snapped. “She wasn’t here. She didn’t suffer like we did.”
The pack members gathered closer around Victoria, drawn to her anger like moths to flame. Victoria knew the power she had. She knew how to use them to her advantage.
“Too many people are supporting that Brightpaw bitch,” Victoria muttered. “First Zayn, then that healer Talia, now this teacher.”
“What do we do?” one of them asked.
Victoria’s eyes glinted with determination. “We need to discredit her. Show everyone what she really is.”
“But how?” someone asked. “Alpha Zayn has made it clear that he won’t tolerate anyone harming her.”
Victoria paced, her mind racing with possibilities. “We don’t need to harm her physically.”
The pack members looked at one another, uncertain.
“She is our enemy,” Victoria declared, “not our Luna.”
A sudden sound cut through the night air – a haunting, unearthly howl that made the hair on the back of their necks stand. It echoed through the forest, causing birds to take flight and smaller animals to scurry for cover.
The pack members froze, their faces pale. .com
“What was that?” one whispered fearfully.
“That didn’t sound like a normal wolf howl,” another said, voice trembling.
Victoria’s eyes widened as an idea formed in her mind. She turned to the group, her expression grave.
“Haven’t you noticed how strange Alpha Zayn has been acting lately? How his moods have become more unpredictable?”
The pack members murmured in agreement.
“It’s because of her,” Victoria whispered dramatically. “Lily’s union with Zayn has angered our ancestors. They’ve cursed him, causing him to lose control of his wolf.”
Some looked skeptical, but others nodded, already convinced.
“Haven’t you noticed? He hasn’t made his usual rounds on the packgrounds today,” Victoria waved her perfect lie.
“Miss Victoria is right!”
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him today at all!”
“How do you know all this?” one of the braver wolves questioned.
Victoria smiled thinly. “I’ve been with Zayn longer than anyone. I know things about him that no one else does.”
The skepticism remained on some faces.
“You don’t believe me?” Victoria challenged. “Just wait. Tomorrow, the truth will prevail.”