Chapter 30

Chapter 30


Amelia's POV.

The dining room was filled with the sound of clinking silverware against porcelain plates. 

Everyone was having their fill of the rich delicacies adorning the long mahogany table but I barely noticed them. My mind was elsewhere, my body present only in the sense that I was sitting here, among them.

I frowned at Damien’s seemingly harmless joke, the thought Kaiden visiting a brothel sent a ripple of unease down my spine, my stomach twisting itself into tight knots.

Thoughts of how he’d strolled around with Elara, focusing all his attention to her sent an even deeper sense of dread down my spine.

I knew I had been the cause of the problem, pushing him too far off the edge with my plan to drive Freya mad with jealousy.

He harboured feelings for me, I wasn't unaware of that, and watching me with Damien, even though I disliked him, must drive him mad.

Just like how I'd felt watching him and Elara giggle to themselves yesterday. The sight infuriated me more than I cared to admit.

I had been overcome with jealousy, getting the urge to rip her away from Kaiden and declare him as mine, but he wasn't. So I couldn't say, or do anything but watch them, deeply unsettled within.

The same thing went for Damien’s joke. Sadly, there was nothing I could say to counter it. Kaiden and I had confessed that we had nothing more than a professional relationship, any reaction I gave now would conflict with what we’d said.

I didn't want to give them a chance to question our honesty a second time, so I focused on my food instead.

I chewed for longer than necessary, scared the food would come back up but I forced it down with a gulp of water.

Still, the thought of Kaiden in a brothel stayed like glue, stuck in my mind and wouldn't leave no matter how hard I tried to push it away.

I feigned nonchalance, so neither Bella nor Damien would notice the internal turmoil going on inside.

Just then, Bella cleared her throat with a drink of her fruit juice.

“Oh Damien, I've been meaning to speak to you about something.” She started and Damien turned to her with a mouth full of food.

“The pack members are getting more unsettled by the lack of coordination during their hunting sessions. There's been a lot of fights recently, especially amongst the younger werewolves.” She complained, watching as Damien took a gulp of water to chase down his heavy bite of food.

“What exactly is causing these fights?” He asked her and she sighed, looking exasperated.

“What else but ego. Everyone wants to order others around.” She said, rolling her eyes and the solution came to me, as clear as day.

Before Damien could reply to her I spoke up.

“If I may,” I offered and they all turned to me, Bella nodded slowly in response.

“Well, it seems they lack the ability to carry out teamwork, but we can't say everyone should hunt separately. First of all it's dangerous, especially for the young werewolves because they might wander too far and run into rouges.” I began, and the table fell completely silent, everyone had stopped eating and their eyes stayed fixed on me, wondering where I was going with this.

“So instead, we can improve their coordination. What does every team need? A leader, not to boss them around, but to unite them and be their voice. If someone is chosen by the Alpha himself, the others will have no choice but to respect them.” Bella and Damien were nodding now, a small smile on his face as he threw me looks of admiration.

Freya, who had been sitting quietly until now, tensed beside me. I didn’t need to look at her to know she was bristling.

“Damien can call a meeting with each hunting group and choose the best person for the job instead. It can even become a source of entertainment for the pack. We can make it a sort of game to see who’s more competent. Or if you know their abilities well enough you can just choose. How does that sound?“ I asked with a breath, taking a sip of water.

Bella blinked, momentarily taken aback, then tilted her head. 

"That… actually makes sense," she admitted.

“Wow, Maya. That's a wonderful idea.” Damien exclaimed with a huge grin, looking like a fan meeting their idol for the first time.

Freya on the other hand was sending me death glares and I almost laughed at her reddened face.

I returned Damien's praise with a small smile, blinking through my lashes.

“Indeed, it is. It's a very reasonable idea. Thank you Maya. You're very resourceful, unlike some people who do nothing but cause trouble.” She praised, eyeing Freya with a side glance.

“Thank you Luna, you're too kind.” I replied in a warm voice, watching Freya from the corner of my eye.

Damien, sensing the shift in the Luna’s countenance, leaned forward with a slow smile. 

"You see? Maya thinks ahead. She understands the needs of the Pack." He turned his gaze to Freya, his eyes darkening. 

"Not everyone does.”

Freya stiffened, clenching her fork so hard, if not that it was made of iron it would’ve snapped in half right there.

I caught the way his eyes flicked to Freya as he continued with his food. There was something there—a sliver of contempt, barely restrained, but noticeable enough.

And Freya noticed too.

The table had settled into silent judgement, picking her apart without a single word and we all knew it, even if no one openly acknowledged it.

Her anger was palpable, pressing so heavily on the air that it stifled the air around us all.

The tension emanated from her body like a living breathing thing and it sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine.

‘Serves her right.’ I thought to myself.

I knew how insecure she must’ve been feeling, having both your mate and mother-in-law treat you like an incompetent fool.

Knowing Freya, she must have imagined being treated like a queen for the rest of her life after Damien chose her as his mate, but she was in for a rude awakening.

Damien was a shameless man, unable to keep his eyes fixed on one woman. He was like a little kid, tossing his old toy aside the moment something new and shiny came his way.

Freya was his old toy, and in his eyes, I was the new one. Something fresh and mysterious for him to fuss over.

The less he saw, the more his want grew. My plan had just begun yet, he already favored me over Freya.

I flicked my eyes to her angry form, our eyes meeting. Her emerald green orbs glinted with rage, burning hot and bright like wildfire but I stared back with a smirk.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and though she tried to keep her expression neutral, I saw the telltale signs. The way her fingers twitched, the way her throat bobbed when she swallowed. There was anger, yes, but beneath it… panic.

Good.

I let the moment stretch, watching as realization settled over her. She was losing ground. The power she once held over Damien, over his favor, was slipping through her fingers.

I knew what she was thinking. That she had to act, had to do something before she became irrelevant.

But this was my game now.