Chapter 61 THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Kenna
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”
The scream ripped out of me the instant the door slammed shut behind my back—raw, uncontained. It tore through my throat until it burned, thundering through the stone walls of my chambers.
I staggered forward, my breath rising and falling in heavy gasps. My hands shook like I’d been struck by lightning.
He left me.
Varkos fucking left me at the altar!
I spun, instantly gripped the porcelain vase nearest the door, and hurled it with everything in me. It shattered against the far wall, pieces of it clattering on the polished marble floor with a deafening thud.
“THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF HUMILIATION!” I shrieked, my voice cracking as fury surged hotter, sharper. I swept my arm across any and every breakable piece I could find. Glasses of the perfume bottles soaked into the rug.
“FOR HER! YOU LEFT ME FOR THAT SLUT!”
I grabbed a chair and flung it aside. It crashed into the wardrobe, splintering wood. I tore at the mirrors with my fists until cracks began to deflect across my reflection, fracturing my face into twisted versions of itself. Anything that could break, I broke.
One moment I was standing at the altar, in front of the entire Bleeding Rose. In front of the whole pack, Alphas, dignitaries—wolves who would carry this humiliation back to their territories and whisper it for generations.
And he chose to do this to me?
All because of that little snake!
Ginnie.
That filthy human woman with her soft eyes and trembling voice. The audacity of her existence made bile rise in my throat. Tears poured down my face—not the delicate, strategic tears I used for my manipulations, this one was furious, tasting like acid and rage mixed.
I slammed my palm against the wall, the impact stinging. “I am your Luna, Varkos!” I sobbed. “I am your future! I am the only woman you need in your life!”
My legs finally gave out and I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, my pulse pounding so loudly I swore it was the only thing I could hear. My fingers gripped painfully into the silk sheets as if I could tear reality apart and stitch it back the way it was supposed to be.
And then—
Something cold slid into my thoughts.
This wasn’t how it was meant to unfold…I had planned everything down to the smallest detail. Ginnie was supposed to die quietly—she and the child during the ceremony. And then my plan to poison Varkos on our wedding night would have been very successful.
Not this.
Not Ginnie disappearing before Varkos could put the goddamn ring into my fingers, tearing himself away from the altar like a madman possessed.
My head snapped up.
Someone had moved without my permission. My fingers curled slowly as different thoughts of who it could be ran through my head all at once—
Dante.
Of course, it was Dante.
That reckless, bloodthirsty rogue bastard who always thought he knew better. I rose to my feet abruptly, snatching my phone from the dresser with shaking hands and dialing his number.
The call connected almost instantly.
“What the hell do you think you just did?” I hissed the second he answered. For a moment, he said nothing. Then his voice came out—rough, amused, infuriatingly calm.
“Good afternoon to you too, Luna.”
“Don’t play games with me,” I snapped, pacing violently. “Did you lose your damn mind? I told you to wait for my signal!”
“What are you talking about?” he replied flatly.
“You took her,” I screamed. “You took Ginnie! Look what you’ve done—Varkos left me at the fucking altar! The whole town is in chaos because of your stupidity!”
A humourless laughter escaped through him— a short, incredulous sound that made my blood boil. “I didn’t touch her.”
“Don’t fuckin lie to me.” I hissed, my grip tightening around the phone.
“I’m not lying,” he shot back, irritation creeping into his voice, “I haven’t made a single move inside that villa without your word. You said wait.”
“I did,” I snarled. “Which is why I know this is you going rogue.”
“Kenna,” he said sharply, the humor gone now. “I swear on my pack…it wasn’t us.”
I stopped pacing, dragging a trembling hand through my hair. “Then who did it?” The silence on the line felt heavier this time. Ominous.
“If it wasn’t you,” I continued slowly, terror creeping into every part of me. “Then who else is working behind the scenes to ruin our plans?”
“That’s what it sounds like,” Dante replied grimly. “And whoever it is just screwed both our plans.”
“No,” I said coldly. “They tried to.”
I caught my reflection in the fractured mirror—something feral staring back at me, “Listen to me carefully, Dante.” I continued. “You need to find Ginnie before Varkos does.”
“Find her and do what?” Dante asked.
“Kill her,” I answered without hesitation. “Immediately.”
“And the child?”
“I’ll handle Lily myself,” I said softly, “She’s the least of my problems right now.”
He exhaled over the phone. “Okay boss…I’ll begin the search immediately.” With that, the call ended.
I lowered the phone slowly, thoughts racing through me violently. If it wasn’t Dante… then who? Who inside this villa dared to ruin my plans?
Who hated Ginnie enough to act without consulting me? And who the fuck thought they could interfere with my future?
My fingers trembled as I turned slowly, scanning the room, suddenly aware of every shadow now, every breath of silence.
“I’m the one working behind the scenes to ruin your plans.”
A voice spoke behind me.
Calm.
Cold.
Certain.
My blood froze. Every muscle in my body locked as I spun around, standing near the doorway, hands folded neatly in front of her, an unreadable expression on her face—
Maria.
Miss Maria.
“What the—“
“You?”I whispered, disbelief slicing through my chest. “That’s not funny.”
Her lips curved—not into a smile, but something far darker. “Oh, Lady Kenna,” she replied softly. “ I assure you…”
“…I’m not joking.”