EIGHTY TWO

EIGHTY TWO
EVA'S POV

"A woman should never look towards just one future." Adele's words echoed in my mind, a reminder of her cunning and resilience. She wielded her plans like weapons, manipulating outcomes with an almost otherworldly finesse.

I had learned from her, crafting my own strategies to navigate the complexities of our world. Plan A, Plan B - I always had contingencies in place, ensuring my survival in a cutthroat society where betrayal was commonplace.

But standing here, accused and vulnerable, I realized the flaw in my designs. Camille's finger pointed at me, her accusations slicing through my defenses like a dagger. Had my own schemes backfired, leading me to this precipice?

It was absurd. Camille, the one who had cornered me with threats, now dared to cast blame upon me. The audacity was staggering. I never intended harm to Dimitri, I only sought to secure my own position.

Tears welled in my eyes, a facade of innocence masking the turmoil within. What evidence did she possess? Merely memories she had dredged from my mind, twisted to suit her narrative. But I was no stranger to manipulation, and I had cultivated my reputation well.

Yet, as I faced Camille's accusatory gaze, I realized the precariousness of my situation. Her words held power, threatening to unravel the carefully constructed facade I had built over the years. It was her word against mine, but in this world, reputation often trumped truth.

I was not without allies, but their loyalty was fleeting in the face of such damning allegations. My survival depended on my ability to navigate this treacherous landscape, to outmaneuver my accusers and emerge unscathed.

But as the weight of Camille's accusations bore down upon me, I feared that even my best-laid plans might not be enough to save me from the consequences of my actions.

"What are you talking about, sister?"

"Don't fucking call me that!" She retorted, visibly disgusted.

An emotional and verbal response. Her first big mistake in a situation like this. Now, I could spin this on some mental breakdown that she was having. Cut the cancer before it grew.

But before I could even talk, Dorian Legrand faced Camille and demanded. "I talked to your sister on the phone. Whatever enmity you have with each other, do not dare bring my daughter into it."

"I have no enmity for my sister. I simply speak the truth." Camille continued. "Eva here poisoned your daughter to get a violent response like this. If you go ahead with this duel, you will only be playing into her hand."

"It just sounds to me like you would do anything to protect your mate." Dorian scoffed before his lips twisted into a smile. "When I kill him, you can have his head."

"Your daughter loved Dimitri too." Camille retorted, causing Dorian to seize her throat.

"I recommend you watch your tongue, bitch!"

What happened next was shocking. Dimitri reached for the man's arm, ripping it out of his body and away from Camille's throat. It was quick. So quick that it almost looked painless and without violence.

"Get your hands off my mate," Dimitri snarled with bloodshot eyes.

The air crackled with tension as Dimitri's sudden intervention stunned everyone into silence. Dorian stumbled back, his eyes widening in shock at the sheer force of Dimitri's response.

His regeneration was surprisingly fast. As quickly as his entire hand had been torn apart, his body fixed itself up.

The man had done horrible things to his body. It made me wonder how bad things could have gone for me if Milana was anything like him.

"Camille, leave. I have accepted the duel. There is no stopping it now."

Camille, however, refused to move. The bitch was actually crying now as she faced Dorian again.

"For a better part of my life, I've witnessed villains triumph. I refuse to stand idly by while another injustice unfolds. I understand your grief, and I know the circumstances seem damning for my mate. You received a text message from your daughter, didn't you? Then, she supposedly hung herself. All signs point to Dimitri for choosing me. But consider your daughter. Was she the type to disregard your care and end her life over a five-year relationship? If you think so, you're mistaken. She planned to leave after Dimitri truthfully told her they couldn't work. It was painful, but she wouldn't end her life over it. She just wanted to mourn with a friend she trusted, only to have that trust betrayed."

"By your sister?" Dorian chuckled. He didn't believe her.

But the look on Dimitri's face was entirely different. He looked horrified. I had to fix this. I had to fix this somehow.

"Yes. Silvermist." Camille replied.

"And what is to say that you did not poison and desecrate my daughter's body to get away with your wickedness?" Dorian demanded. "Did your mate get you to do this?"

"No... What?!" Camille was disgusted by his response. "You are a man of science yourself. Take the body and try to find any foul play on our side."

"I will do that, after I kill your mate."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Dorian didn't believe them. His vendetta against Dimitri was ironclad, and while it was not what I wanted. It would do. I believed Dimitri would survive.

"Then, is that what this is about?" Camille inquired. "The throne?"

"What?"

"You heard me," Camille continued, boldly stepping into his space as if her own safety held no importance. And why wouldn't she be emboldened? In mere seconds, she could mend any harm inflicted upon herself. "Any rational, grieving father would prioritize seeing his daughter first. But here you are, focused on Dimitri. Why is that? Is it because your chance to ascend the throne has been thwarted? How much time did you spend scouring through ancient laws and archives to uncover the loophole for this duel? Dorian Legrand, do you truly have any concern for your daughter's well-being?"

Dorian tried to reach for Camille again, and I prayed to the goddess that this time he actually broke something so fast that the whore didn't have enough time to stitch herself up. "You insidious bitch!"

But Dimitri shielded Camille from his rage. I noticed Dimitri's eyes were red as he faced my direction.

"Eva, tell me this isn't true. It is just some big misunderstanding, right?"

Something bled in my heart. Did he believe her? Over me! Men would always disappoint.

But there was no time to let pride or anger rule over me. If the entire realm gathered against me, there would be no salvation.

I had to rely on my feminity, at least.

I stepped forward, my voice trembling. "Of course not. I don't understand why Camille would say this. Sister, I promise I didn't do this."

I expected Camille to react violently to me calling her sister, but when I looked, I saw a smile creep up Camille's mouth, and an unsettling feeling consumed me. What other card did she have on her sleeve?

"Luna Eva Dumont lies!" Came the familiar voice.

My eyes circled for where the voice originated from, and the pits of my stomach twisted when I saw Amity in chains and escorted by Neal, looking at me.

"I am Amity Debble. Omega of the Lily of the Valley pack and serving maid to Luna Eva."

No... No...

I approached the girl. How was she in chains? Why did she look so defeated? Why did she want to sell me out? I was the only one who took care of a runt like her. She owed me. She fucking owed me!

"She lies!" I screamed as my legs quickened. "She is a fucking liar!"

I didn't get to reach her. Two sentinels blocked my path.

"She hasn't even spoken yet," Neal mocked. "I implore you to shut it and let your canary sing."

Amity's gaze met mine, and there was a hardness in her eyes that I hadn't seen before. It sent a shiver down my spine.

"Why are you doing this, Amity?" I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice.

But she didn't respond. Instead, she turned away from me, her expression unreadable.

I was trapped, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Camille's accusation, coupled with Amity's betrayal, left me defenseless. And Dimitri... Dimitri's faith in me wavered, his trust shattered by doubts planted by those I once considered allies.

I glanced around, searching for a way out, but all I saw were cold, indifferent faces judging me without mercy.

At that moment, I realized the depth of my solitude. No one was coming to save me. No one believed in me. All those years and all that work was for nothing.

I was alone.

I didn't like that.

"Speak, girl," Dimitri ordered, his voice firm and commanding.

"Luna Eva had always been a callous monster," Amity began, her voice trembling slightly. "It was not Hector Menard who was Luna Adele's accomplice. It was Eva. She conspired with Adele to hurt you, not enough to kill you, but enough for you to be grateful to her for saving your life. It didn't matter who died for that to happen. The Alpha's death and all those diseases are simply collateral damage. It worked, too. We were welcomed into the Lycan kingdom with open arms and branded as heroes. But getting away with her crime was not enough for Eva Dumont. She wanted more. She wanted the Lycan king for herself. Her one-sided affection is what caused Lady Milana's death. When her sister's existence was revealed to the numinous world, coupled with the revelation that she was his mate, it dented her plans. So, to punish both you and Camille, she poisoned Lady Milana to wreck your relationship. She then staged the murder as a suicide with my help."

Amity's words hung heavy in the air, sending shockwaves through the gathered crowd. I felt a chill run down my spine as the weight of her accusations settled over me like a suffocating blanket.

I turned to face Dimitri, my heart pounding in my chest. His eyes bore into mine, searching for any hint of truth or deception. I wanted to speak, to deny the allegations, but the words caught in my throat like thorns.

"Dimitri, please, you have to believe me," I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice. "Amity is lying. She's trying to frame me. You know me, you know I would never—"

But Dimitri's expression remained unreadable, his features hardened by a mixture of anger and betrayal. He took a step back, his gaze flickering between me and Amity.

Five years of hard work shattered so easily. Was that how weak his belief in me was?

What was I to do now?

"Why would your maid want to frame you?" Dimitri finally asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"She is an Omega. Her kind are hungry for power. Camille must have promised her something. Some position. Now that she is your mate and bound to be the Queen of the Lycans. She is a conniving bitch. Trust me, Dimitri, I know."

"You killed my daughter?" Dorian chuckled. Hollow but with enough girth to terrify a girl. The man seemed to be tethering towards insanity. "You killed my baby girl and called me to gloat?!"

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath as the two men locked eyes on me—the intensity of their gaze sparking with unspoken animosity and a hint of primal challenge.

But before the standoff could escalate further, I stepped forward, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and desperation. "Please, stop!" I pleaded, my eyes darting between Dimitri and Dorian. "I am innocent. I swear."

Dimitri's gaze softened slightly as he turned to me, his expression haunted by pain and uncertainty. "Eva," he whispered, his voice tinged with anguish. "What have you done?"

Fuck. He didn't believe me. Nobody believed me. Was this it? Was I done for?

For a split second, I shifted my eyes to Camille. She had this winning smile on her face. She was happy to have finally put me in her place. She was happy to be the victor of the five-year-long war.

Plan B. It was a poorly crafted one at that.

I forced tears to well in my eyes to sell the scene that the weight of my actions bore down on me with crushing force. "I... I didn't mean for any of this to happen," I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper.

But Dimitri's eyes were filled with betrayal as he took a step back, his trust shattered by the revelation of my deceit. "I trusted you," he murmured, his voice heavy with disappointment.

What? Everything I did was for him. Even now, I was going to confess for him.

I reached out to him, my hand trembling as I desperately tried to bridge the growing chasm between us. "Dimitri, please," I begged, my heart breaking at the thought of losing him.

But he pulled away, his gaze hardening as he turned to face Dorian once more. "I cannot accept your challenge," he declared, his voice firm and resolute. "Your business is not with me but with her. Do what you must. Then face punishment for the innocent Lycans you murdered in cold blood."

Dorian Legrand was crying when Dimitri gave me up as an offering. Yet his mouth twisted into a grin.

Dimitri's words echoed in the tense air. A bitter taste filled my mouth, and anger surged through me like a lightning storm. How dare he betray me like this, throwing me to the wolves to save his own skin? I had done everything for him, sacrificed everything, and this was how he repaid me?

With a trembling hand, I wiped away the fake tears, forcing a trembling smile onto my lips as I turned to face Dimitri. "How could you do this to me?" I whispered, my voice trembling with feigned hurt. "After everything we've been through, after all the love I've given you..."

But Dimitri's gaze remained cold and distant, his resolve unyielding as he turned his back on me.

"Love? You do not love me, Eva! If you did, you wouldn't have killed all those innocent people!" he said, his voice heavy with regret. He regretted me. "You brought this upon yourself."

The words struck me like a physical blow, and for a moment, I felt like crumbling under the weight of his condemnation. But then, a dark, insidious thought crept into my mind, whispering words of vengeance and retribution.

If Dimitri wanted to throw me to the wolves, then so be it. But I would not go down without a fight. Oh no, I would make him regret ever crossing me, make him pay for his betrayal in ways he could never imagine.

With a calculated smile, I turned to face Dorian, my eyes gleaming with malice.

"Ready, girl?" The man's stance exuded confidence, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within me. Accepting the duel meant facing certain death, but refusal was not an option. I was now the sworn enemy of both the Lycans and the Lily of the Valley pack.

Plan C materialized in my mind, a desperate gambit born of necessity.

With practiced stealth, I reached into my pockets, fingers searching for the coin intended for the morgue later that night. But that plan was no longer viable now that my deception had been exposed.

Turning to Camille one last time, I uttered words dripping with venom. "I will take you to hell with me, sister."

My mind raced as I painted my room in the Lycan castle in my thoughts, and with a determined grip, I broke the first seal pressed into the coin.

The second the seal crumbled beneath my touch, energy surged through the air, crackling with latent power.

Blinding light enveloped me, twisting and contorting reality around me as if I were caught in a maelstrom of pure energy.

For an instant, time seemed to freeze, the air thick with matter. Shadows danced wildly, fleeing from the brilliant aura radiating from my epicenter.

Then, in a finale of brilliance, the light collapsed in on itself, folding reality upon reality in a dizzying display of shifting dimensions.

The world in front of me distorted, forcing me to blink. When I opened them, I found myself in my bedroom.

I had one seal left on the magic coin, and that was my ticket out of here. But I was not leaving without my pound of flesh.

I raced out of my quarters and headed straight for Camille's quarters. Those kids of hers were my pound of flesh.