Chapter 13 Plans in the Dark
Simone Pov
Night had fallen over campus. Most students were in their dorms. Studying. Sleeping. Living their boring little lives. But I had more important things to do. More important people to see.
I walked across the empty grounds toward the administration building. My heels clicked against the stone path. The moon was full overhead. Bright. Too bright. I preferred the dark.
The building was locked but I had a key. Perks of being the beta's daughter. I let myself in. Walked down the hallway to the last office. The one with my father's name on the door.
I didn't knock. Just opened it. Stepped inside.
The office was dark except for one candle on the desk. My father sat behind it. Shadows dancing across his face. He looked up when I entered. Smiled.
"Simone," he said. "Right on time."
I closed the door behind me. Locked it. Walked over to the desk. Sat in the chair across from him.
"We have a problem," I said.
"The wolfless girl," my father said. Not a question. A statement.
"You heard."
"I hear everything," he said. He leaned back in his chair. Steepled his fingers together. "Calix defended her. Made quite a scene."
Anger flared in my chest. I'd heard about it too. Everyone had. How Calix stepped between me and that pathetic new girl. How he threatened me. Embarrassed me in front of the whole school.
"She's a problem," I said. "She's getting in the way."
"Of what exactly?" my father asked. But he knew. He always knew.
"Of my place beside him," I said. "Of our deal. Of everything we've worked toward."
My father nodded slowly. "And what do you propose we do about it?"
"Remove her," I said. Simple. Clean. "Before she becomes a bigger threat."
"Remove her how?" my father asked. "We can't just make a student disappear. People would ask questions."
"Then we make it look like an accident," I said. "A training incident. A shift gone wrong. Something believable."
My father was quiet for a moment. Thinking. His fingers tapped against the desk. One. Two. Three times.
"This girl means something to Calix," he said finally. "More than he's willing to admit. If something happens to her he'll know it wasn't an accident."
"Let him know," I said. "Let him suspect. What's he going to do? He has no proof. No evidence. Just paranoia."
"Paranoia can be dangerous," my father said.
"So can competition," I shot back. "That girl is competition. She's threatening everything we've planned. Everything you promised me."
My father sighed. Rubbed his temples. "You're certain about this? There's no other way?"
"I'm certain," I said. "Calix is mine. He always has been. Some random wolfless nobody isn't going to take him from me."
"Even if he doesn't want you?"
The words stung but I didn't let it show. "He does want me. He's just confused right now. Once she's gone he'll see clearly again. He'll remember our deal. Our future."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then we make him remember," I said. "One way or another."
My father looked at me for a long moment. His eyes were dark. Calculating. This was why I came to him. Why I trusted him. He understood ambition. Understood power. Understood that sometimes you had to do ugly things to get what you wanted.
"Alright," he said finally. "We'll handle it. Quietly. Carefully. But if this goes wrong Simone. If anyone finds out what we've done. It won't just be you who suffers. It'll be me too. Our whole family."
"It won't go wrong," I said confidently. "I'll make sure of it."
"How?"
I smiled. Slow. Dangerous. "Leave that to me. I have ideas."
My father studied me. Then nodded. "Fine. But be smart about this. Don't rush. Don't get sloppy. Good plans take time."
"I know," I said. "Don't worry. By the time we're done that girl will wish she never came here. Will wish she never looked at Calix. Will wish she stayed wherever she came from."
"What exactly are you planning?" my father asked.
"Better you don't know all the details," I said. "Plausible deniability. If anyone asks you can honestly say you weren't involved in the specifics."
My father smiled. "Smart girl."
I stood up. Smoothed down my skirt. "I should go. People will notice if I'm gone too long."
"Simone," my father said. I stopped at the door. Turned back. "Don't underestimate this girl. She might seem weak but there's something off about her. Something that doesn't add up."
"Like what?"
"I don't know yet," my father admitted. "But I've been doing this a long time. I can sense when someone's hiding something. And that girl is definitely hiding something."
"She's wolfless," I said. "What could she possibly be hiding?"
"That's what we need to find out," my father said. "Before we make our move. Know your enemy. That's rule one."
I nodded. "I'll dig around. Ask questions. See what I can find."
"Good," my father said. "And Simone? Be careful. If she really does matter to Calix the way I think she does. If she's his mate or something equally complicated. Then this becomes much more dangerous."
"She's not his mate," I said firmly. "She can't be. He would have told me. We had a deal."
"Deals mean nothing to the mate bond," my father said. "You know that."
Fear flickered through me but I pushed it down. Buried it. "Even if she is his mate it doesn't matter. He won't act on it. He's too scared of his curse. Too afraid of hurting people."
"Fear can be overcome," my father warned. "Especially when it comes to mates."
"Then we act fast," I said. "Before he overcomes it. Before he claims her. Before any of that becomes a problem."
My father nodded slowly. "Alright. Keep me updated. Let me know what you find out about her."
"I will," I said.
I left the office. Locked the door behind me. Walked back down the dark hallway. My heels echoed in the silence. Each step felt purposeful. Powerful.
That wolfless girl thought she could just show up here. Thought she could catch Calix's attention. Thought she could take what was mine.
She was wrong.