Chapter 71 071
ZURI
I didn’t believe Morgan.
At least, that was what I told myself.
But the way she looked at me...steady, unflinching, almost amused...made something twist uncomfortably in my chest. She wasn’t playing. There was no mockery in her tone this time, no careless exaggeration. She meant every single word she said, and that was what unsettled me the most.
Still, I refused to show it.
Why didn’t I know?
That question echoed loudly in my mind, louder than anything else she had said. How could something this important...this dangerous...happen right under my nose without me catching a single hint? I prided myself on knowing everything that went on in this pack, every whisper, every glance, every hidden intention… yet this?
This slipped through me like water.
I clenched my fists slowly, my nails digging into my palms as the realization began to take shape.
“She came to the pack…” I started, but my voice trailed off as fragments of memory rushed back all at once.
Derrick’s behavior.
The way he always defended her without hesitation.
That scent… that unmistakable scent that lingered on her the other day.
My breath hitched. No…
No, that couldn’t be...
“What?!” The word escaped me in a sharp whisper as my eyes widened in disbelief. “Have they been sleeping together?”
The thought hit me like a blow to the chest, and suddenly everything felt suffocating. My vision blurred slightly as a surge of anger rushed through me, hot and uncontrollable. My eyes burned, a deep shade of red threatening to consume whatever composure I had left.
How could he?
How dare he?
And more importantly… how did I not see it?
My gaze snapped back to Morgan, suspicion rising immediately to the surface.
“How did you know about that?” I demanded, my voice low but laced with tension.
Morgan was not someone who stumbled upon information by accident. Everything she knew, she knew for a reason. Everything she said, she said with intent. There was always a motive behind her actions, always a hidden blade behind her words.
Which meant...
She either went looking for this information…
Or she wanted me to know.
“I don’t think that’s what you should be worried about,” she replied smoothly, brushing off my question as though it held no weight. “What matters is that if you don’t act fast, Derrick is going to make her his Luna… and you’ll be left with nothing.”
My heart stilled.
Nothing.
The word echoed louder than it should have.
Because deep down…
I knew she wasn’t wrong.
If I hesitated...if I allowed things to unfold at their own pace...history would repeat itself. I had lost before because I underestimated the situation, because I thought I had time, because I believed I was in control.
I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
I couldn’t.
“What are you going to do, Zuri?” Morgan asked, her voice almost curious, but I could hear it...the subtle push behind her words, the manipulation carefully woven into her tone.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm.
Of course she wanted a reaction.
Of course she was trying to corner me.
But I wasn’t that easy to play with.
“Why are you so eager to use me?” I asked instead, walking over to my bed and sitting down slowly, crossing one leg over the other as I fixed my gaze on her.
For a brief second, her eyes widened.
Just a flicker.
But I saw it.
Good.
She didn’t expect that.
Did she really think I was going to jump at her suggestion without questioning her motives? That I would blindly follow her lead like some desperate fool?
No.
If anything…
She needed me.
And that made this far more interesting.
“You already know why you should get rid of that girl,” she said with a faint smile, quickly regaining her composure. “Yet you’re asking questions that don’t really matter.”
I scoffed inwardly.
“Why don’t we just do nothing?” I said casually, leaning back slightly. “We can sit here, wait for fate to take its course, and hope everything works out on its own. No schemes, no blood, no drama. Sounds peaceful, doesn’t it?”
Her smile faltered.
Just a little.
And that was enough.
Did she really think I would fall for her bait so easily?
“Are you sure you want to wait for fate?” she asked, her tone sharpening slightly. “Or are you pretending you’ve suddenly forgotten how to get your hands dirty?”
My body stiffened.
My eyes widened ever so slightly before I could stop myself.
That was… unexpected.
“What are you saying?” I snapped, rising to my feet abruptly. “Why do you keep bringing that up? Are you trying to threaten me?”
A low growl escaped my throat, raw and dangerous, but Morgan didn’t flinch. If anything, she looked amused.
“Threaten you?” she repeated, tilting her head slightly. “No, Zuri. Those aren’t threats.”
She took a step closer, her gaze locking onto mine with unsettling intensity.
“But if you really want to understand what a threat feels like…” she continued softly, “then go ahead. Act careless. Act arrogant. I wouldn’t mind reminding everyone of what I saw that night.”
My blood ran cold.
That night.
She knew.
Of course she knew.
Damn it.
That girl…
She always knew exactly where to strike.
“Do you know why I don’t like you, Morgan?” I said through clenched teeth, forcing myself to hold back the urge to lunge at her. “It’s because you make it incredibly easy.”
And it was true.
Everything about her...her arrogance, her calmness, her confidence...it all grated on my nerves in ways I couldn’t explain.
“Even though you look like you want to rip my heart out right now,” she said casually, waving a hand dismissively, “you should focus on removing that rogue first. Then maybe… just maybe, I’ll consider you worth my time.”
My anger spiked.
Who did she think she was?
“I don’t need your approval,” I shot back coldly. “And let’s be clear...you’re not after the same thing I am.”
That much was obvious.
Morgan wasn’t driven by love, jealousy, or attachment.
She was driven by ambition. Power. Control.
And that made her far more dangerous than anyone else.
“I just hope you don’t disappoint me,” she said lightly, turning toward the door as though our conversation meant nothing.
The moment she stepped out...
Crash!
The sharp sound of shattering glass filled the room, vases hitting the floor and breaking into countless pieces as if they had been thrown deliberately.
“That evil witch!” I snapped, glaring at the mess she left behind.
Of course she wouldn’t leave quietly.
Of course she had to get the last word somehow.
“My lady… was that Lady Morgan I just saw, and...” my maid’s voice trailed off into a gasp as she stepped into the room, her eyes widening at the sight of the shattered glass scattered across the floor.
She didn’t need an explanation.
The scene spoke for itself.
“She came to propose a deal,” I said, sitting down again and rubbing my forehead in frustration.
“A deal?” my maid repeated, clearly confused. “But… didn’t you instruct us to treat her badly? And she still came here for that?”
I let out a dry chuckle.
“For people like us,” I said slowly, “liking each other is irrelevant. When predators need each other, they cooperate… regardless of how much they despise one another.”
She frowned slightly. “So… is she a friend or an enemy?”
I laughed.
A real laugh this time, though it carried no warmth.
“Did you forget who we’re talking about?” I said, looking at her. “That’s Morgan. She’s never been anyone’s friend.”
Her eyes widened in realization.
“Then how does that work?” she asked hesitantly.
A smirk curved my lips.
“You don’t need to be friends to deal with people like her,” I replied calmly. “You use them when they’re useful… and discard them when they’re not.”
Simple. Efficient. Necessary.
I stood up slowly, my mind already racing ahead.
“But before anything else…” I said, turning to face her fully, “we need to set things in motion.”
She blinked. “What do you mean?”
“A rumor,” I said, my smile widening into something far more sinister. “A very believable one.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “A rumor?”
“Yes,” I nodded, my eyes gleaming with anticipation. “And not just any rumor. It has to be irresistible… something no one can ignore.”
Something that would spread like wildfire.
Something that would shake the entire pack.
Something that would destroy reputations… and create chaos.
“It has to be the juiciest scandal this pack has ever heard,” I added softly, my voice dripping with satisfaction.
Because if there was one thing I knew how to do well…
It was turning whispers into weapons.