117

Diana

The moment those words left my husband’s lips, my world shattered all over again.

Lucy.

My sweet, brave Lucy.

The truth of her death hit me so hard that, suddenly, I was transported back in time to when we were young, and the world seemed full of possibility despite its cruelties. I was just a low-pack member until I met her.

I remember the first time I saw her as if it were yesterday. I was sixteen, the awkward daughter of a low-ranking pack member, always an easy target for the others.

That day, a group of girls had cornered me behind the pack school, their taunts cutting deeper than I had imagined.

They weren’t just bullies – they were architects of misery, experts at finding the hairline cracks in someone’s confidence and splitting them wide open. Their wickedness went beyond simple meanness.

“Look at her! Can’t even shift properly yet. What kind of wolf are you?”

“My grandmother shifts faster than you, and she’s practically dead!”

Their laughter rang in my ears as I pressed myself against the wall, willing myself to disappear.

“Are you crazy?” one of them yelled, attacking. “Cat got your tongue, lowlife?”

I wished I could disappear. No, I prayed to the Moon Goddess to make me disappear right there. They bullied me every second, every chance they got.

“Pathetic,” the leader sneered, her lip curling in disgust. As one of her lackeys raised a calloused fist, I squeezed my eyes shut, shoulders tensing in anticipation of the familiar pain.

The ritual of torment had become as routine as sunrise. The bruises would fade, as they always did, and I would endure. I would survive.

But the expected blow never landed. Seconds stretched into an eternity of waiting, until curiosity forced my eyes open.

That’s when I saw her, Lucy Ravencroft, the Alpha’s daughter, the most powerful young wolf in our pack.

I expected her to join in the mockery. Instead, she did something that changed my life forever.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Her voice cut through their jeers like a sword through silk.

The bullies froze, their faces drained of color as they realized who had caught them.

“We were just…” one of them began.

“Just what?” she roared. Her roar was so powerful that it made me want to kneel. “Tell me. NOW?”

Lucy’s voice commanded the very air around us.

“We... we apologize,” they stammered, their earlier bravado evaporating like morning dew. “Please, have mercy.”

I was mesmerized as my tormentors turned into trembling leaves in her presence. It was surreal to see these people, who had made my life miserable, now cowering like frightened children.

This was true power. Not the cheap imitation of strength they’d used against me, but real, undeniable authority that commanded respect without raising a hand. This was what it meant to be powerful.

Lucy stood there, radiating an aura of absolute control, and I couldn’t help but stare in astonishment. Something deep within me ached to possess that kind of strength.

“Kneel,” she commanded.

They crashed to their knees in perfect unison, faces pale with fear.

“How dare you bully her?” Lucy’s voice dripped with cold fury.

“We didn’t, ma’am,” one foolishly protested, drawing a bitter laugh from my throat.

The evidence of their cruelty was written all over my body in fading bruises and fresh welts.

“Do you take me for a fool?” Lucy’s words were filled with anger. “Answer me.”

Watching her command the scene with such effortless authority, I understood why everyone called her an Alpha.

I had watched her from afar for so long, but seeing her power up close left me breathless.

“We are sorry. We promise never to do that again.”

“You’re sorry,” she repeated.

They nodded their heads frantically.

“Yes. Please forgive us.”

“It seems you are forgetting something,” Lucy sneered, her gaze shifting to me with calculated intent. “You don’t have to say sorry to me, say it to her.”

She emphasized the last word, turning what should have been a simple command into something that made my heart skip.

For the first time in my life, I wasn’t the one being forced to apologize. I wasn’t the one feeling small.

I stood straighter, feeling Lucy’s presence behind me like a shield, like wings of protection I’d never known I needed. Or perhaps, wings I’d always known I needed but never dared to hope for.

They all looked at me in shock, but beneath their feigned remorse, I saw something darker.

Their eyes burned with barely concealed hatred, promising future retribution.

Even on their knees, they were imagining my death.

“It seems you want to be punished,” Lucy’s voice sliced through the tension, making them flinch.

“We... we’re sorry,” they choked out, voices trembling. The words I’d dreamed of hearing, now falling from their lips like desperate prayers. “We’re so sorry for everything.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as their desperate apologies continued. No one had ever said sorry to me before – not for the bruises, not for the cruel words, not for any of it. The novelty of it made my heart flutter, even knowing their sincerity was forced.

“Forgive us, please,” they kept apologizing until I spoke.

“I forgive you,” I muttered. “Please stand up.”

They rose slowly, their movements stiff with suppressed rage.

“Leave. Now.”

The power in Lucy’s voice made even me shiver, and I wasn’t even the target of her anger. They scattered like leaves in the wind, leaving me alone with the Alpha’s daughter.

I waited for her judgment, but instead, she smiled, the warmest, most genuine smile I had ever seen.

“I’m Lucy,” she said, extending her hand. “And you’re Diana, right? I’ve seen you in combat training. You have excellent form, you know. You just need more confidence.”

That was Lucy, she could see the best in people, even when they couldn’t see it themselves. While others saw the weak daughter of a low-ranking wolf, she saw potential.

She became my protector, my friend, my sister in all but blood.

We were inseparable after that. Lucy taught me to fight, to stand up for myself. She showed me how to channel my inner wolf, how to embrace my strength rather than fear it.

“Being an Alpha’s daughter doesn’t make me any better than you,” she used to say. “It just means I have more responsibility to help others.”

The memories flooded back now, both bitter and sweet, the nights we spent under the stars, sharing our dreams and fears.

The way she confided in me about the pressure of being the future Alpha, how sometimes she wished she could just be normal.

I was the only one she trusted with her vulnerabilities, the only one who saw past the perfect exterior she maintained for everyone else.

When she met Alaric, her mate, I saw the change in her immediately. She glowed with happiness, and oh, how I celebrated with her!

But there was something in his eyes that always made me uneasy, a hunger that went beyond love, a calculating gleam that appeared when he thought no one was watching.

I tried to voice my concerns once, but Lucy was so in love, so certain he was her destiny.

“He completes me, Diana,” she had said, her eyes shining. “When I’m with him, I feel like I can be both strong and vulnerable. You understand that, don’t you?”

And I did understand, or thought I did. I pushed aside my misgivings because she was happy, and that was all I ever wanted for her. If only I had trusted my instincts. If only I had fought harder to make her see.

Not long after she met her mate, I met mine as well, during the pack celebration. Neighboring packs had been invited, and that was how I met the son of the Beta, my fated mate.

I remembered the day I was called and informed of her death. Lucy had been battling a sickness even before the rogue attack.

I used to visit her pack, which was now run by her mate. I remembered holding her hand in those moments, watching helplessly as she grew weaker day by day.

We had all believed it was a mysterious illness, and then came the rogue attack...

But it was him. It was all him, working with our Alpha to destroy not only my best friend but an entire pack.

“Take care of my little girl,” she always whispered to me whenever I visited. “Promise me, Diana. Promise me you’ll watch over Scarlett.”

I had promised. Goddess help me, I had promised, but I failed her.

I tried to bring Scarlett to live with us, to protect her from Alaric’s influence, but he blocked every attempt. He knew, I know he knew, that I suspected something.

He kept Scarlett away from me, ensuring I could never fulfill my promise to my best friend.

And now? Now my son, my beloved Jack, was mated to Alaric’s daughter. The cruel irony of it tore at my soul.

Nina, who carried Alaric’s blood in her veins, had tried to kill my son. What did I expect from Alaric’s daughter?

Thinking of Alaric made my blood boil. I had promised to make his daughter suffer.

I slammed my head against the floor, welcoming the physical pain as a distraction from the agony in my heart.

Lucy’s face flashed before my eyes, her kind smile, her fierce protection, her unwavering loyalty.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I failed you. I failed to protect you. I failed to protect your daughter.”

The rage built inside me, a tidal wave of fury and grief too powerful to contain.

As my husband held me, trying to calm my fury, I made a silent vow. I would have justice, for Lucy, for Jack, for all the lives Alaric had destroyed.

I would make him pay for everything. I would make him bleed and suffer worse than death.

Lucy, my friend, my sister... I couldn’t save you. But I swore on everything I held dear, I would avenge you.

The memories of our friendship would give me strength for what had to be done. Lucy had always said I was stronger than I knew.

Now, finally, I would prove her right.

“Mom, are you feeling better?” I heard my son ask me. I turned to look at him, and I could see everything in his eyes, his worries.

I tried to smile, hiding my pain behind it.

“I am feeling better, honey. You don’t have to worry about me.”

He moved closer before holding my hand. “You don’t have to say that. Why wouldn’t I be worried about you, Mom? You are my everything.”

I coughed slightly. “I want you to promise me something, son,” I muttered, staring deep into his eyes.

“What is it, Mother? I promise to do everything you wish for.”

“Good. I want you to reject that bitch,” I stated. “She isn’t good for you.” I had to get rid of her before I could start my punishment on her.

“Mom, you don’t have to tell me that. I already rejected her the moment I knew she was the one who poisoned me.”

“Haha.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Good. Good, son.”

We were still talking when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” I answered.

A guard entered, his head bowed low in deference. “Beta, she is here,” he announced.

“Who?” Jack asked.

“Your mate,” the guard replied. “She is here, in the pack. The Alpha requested I inform you immediately.”

A slow smile spread across my face, dark satisfaction blooming in my heart as I rose to my feet.

Finally, the moment had arrived.

The daughter of the one who had betrayed and killed my friend was now within our grasp.

“Let’s go, son,” I said, savoring the words. “The game starts now.”