Mona sat on a plush, velvet armchair in the dimly lit living room, the flickering light from the fireplace casting shadows across her stern face.
Her fingers drumd rhythmically on the armrest as she awaited a report.
The sudden sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence, and one of her most trusted loyalists burst into the room.
His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, and his eyes darted nervously around.
Mona’s frown deepened as she sat upright. "What is going on, and why are you acting tensed?" she demanded, her tone sharp and unforgiving.
The man hesitated, his hands fidgeting nervously. "I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s just that... things have taken an unexpected turn," he said, his voice shaky.
"What do you an by your words?" Mona asked, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward. Her gaze bore into him, making the man shift uneasily.
He swallowed hard. "We were keeping a close watch on Kimberly as you instructed, waiting for the right mont to attack.
The plan was to take out her friend first while Kimberly was inside the physician’s chamber. But... sothing went wrong."
Mona’s eyes widened slightly, though her composure remained icy. "What went wrong?" she demanded.
The man took a deep breath, his voice dropping to a whisper. "As one of our n approached the girl—Kimberly’s friend—he was shot.
We don’t know by whom. The shot ca out of nowhere, and it was too precise to be random."
Mona stood abruptly, her towering figure casting a long shadow that seed to swallow the man whole. "Shot? By whom? Was it Derrick’s n?"
"No, ma’am," he replied quickly, shaking his head. "We don’t think it was them.
The shot ca from the forest, and there was no sign of their patrols in the area. Whoever it was, they’re not one of alpha Derrick’s guards."
Mona’s brows furrowed in thought. "Then who?" she muttered, more to herself than to him. "Who else could be watching Kimberly? And why?"
The man hesitated, as if debating whether to speak further. "Ma’am," he finally said, "there’s sothing else.
After the shot, we tried to locate the shooter, but we couldn’t find anyone. It was as if they disappeared into thin air. And..."
"And what?" Mona snapped, her patience wearing thin.
"And we noticed strange markings in the area. Symbols carved into the trees near where the shot ca from.
I don’t know what they an, but they didn’t look... natural."
Mona’s eyes narrowed. "Symbols?" she repeated, her mind racing.
"Yes, ma’am. I think... I think whoever is protecting Kimberly might be using sothing more than just physical strength."
Mona’s expression darkened. Her mind imdiately went to the old tales she’d dismissed for years—stories of ancient forces, guardians unseen by mortal eyes.
But could those tales hold any truth? She clenched her fists, unwilling to show any sign of weakness or fear.
"You’re telling ," she said slowly, her voice dangerously calm, "that not only did you fail to eliminate Kimberly’s friend, but you also allowed an unknown entity to intervene and leave traces behind?"
The man’s head dipped lower. "Yes, ma’am. I take full responsibility. But we barely escaped with our lives.
One of our n is severely injured from the shot. We’ve taken him to a discreet hospital where no questions will be asked."
Mona took a step closer, her presence looming over him like a storm cloud.
"Do you have any idea what you’ve jeopardized tonight? Do you understand the risk you’ve brought to my plans?"
The man nodded quickly. "I do, ma’am. I’m sorry. We’ll do better next ti. I promise."
"Next ti?" Mona let out a bitter laugh. "If there is a next ti, you will ensure there are no mistakes. None. Do you hear ?"
"Yes, ma’am," he stamred.
She turned her back to him, her mind a whirlwind of frustration and calculation.
"This changes everything," she muttered under her breath. "Kimberly isn’t just so clueless girl anymore.
She’s being protected, and I need to find out who’s behind it."
The man, sensing her growing agitation, shifted uneasily. "Ma’am, should we pull back for now? Regroup and co up with a new plan?"
Mona turned to face him again, her expression cold and unyielding. "No," she said firmly.
"If we pull back, we give them ti to gain the upper hand. No. We press forward, but with more precision. I need answers, and I need them now."
She paused, then added, "I want you to return to the site. Study those markings you ntioned.
Take pictures, docunt everything. Bring it to by dawn."
The man hesitated. "Ma’am, what if the shooter is still out there? It could be dangerous."
Mona’s eyes narrowed. "You’re afraid?"
He straightened imdiately. "No, ma’am. I’ll do as you say."
"Good," she said, her voice icy. "Because if you fail again, you’ll wish you hadn’t co back at all. Now go."
The man bowed quickly. "Yes, ma’am. I’ll leave right away."
As he turned to leave, the heavy sound of the front door opening echoed through the house.
Both Mona and the man turned their heads toward the source of the noise. Monts later, Alpha Derrick strode into the room, his presence commanding and intense.
The loyalist froze, his face pale. He quickly bowed his head. "Alpha," he stamred, his voice barely audible.
Derrick’s sharp eyes flicked to him briefly before landing on Mona. "What’s going on here?" he asked, his tone calm but laced with suspicion.
Mona, ever the master of composure, smiled smoothly. "Just discussing so matters of importance," she said, her voice sweet but firm.
The loyalist seized the opportunity to make his exit. "Alpha," he muttered, bowing quickly before rushing past Derrick and out the door, his footsteps fading into the night.
Derrick watched him go, then turned his gaze back to Mona. "Matters of importance, huh?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Care to share?"
Mona’s smile didn’t waver, but her mind was already calculating her next move.
"Of course, my love," she said smoothly, gesturing for him to sit. "Let explain everything."
And as Derrick took a seat, the fire crackled, casting shadows that danced ominously on the walls.
★★★
Alpha Derrick settled into the armchair, his sharp eyes fixed on Mona, waiting for her to speak.
But before she could utter a word, his phone rang, the sharp tone cutting through the tense silence.
He pulled the device from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and answered with a curt, "Speak."
Mona watched his expression shift slightly, his jaw tightening as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.
"When did this happen?" he asked, his voice low but dangerous.
Mona’s heart skipped a beat, though her face remained calm.
"I’ll handle it," Derrick said finally, ending the call and slipping the phone back into his pocket.
He turned his piercing gaze toward Mona, leaning slightly forward.
"Mona," he began, his tone sharp and accusatory, "tell you don’t have anything to do with the shooting that happened tonight at the pack physician’s chamber."
The weight of his stare was almost unbearable, but Mona was a master of control.
She allowed herself a brief look of confusion, then widened her eyes dramatically.
"Shooting? At the physician’s chamber? By who? ?" she asked, her voice laced with feigned innocence and just the right touch of offense.
She leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. "Co on, Derrick, you should know better than to think I’d be involved in sothing like that."
Derrick didn’t buy her performance. He let out a low, humorless chuckle, his eyes narrowing.
"You expect to believe you had nothing to do with this? After all your sches, you think you can fool ?"
Mona kept her composure, but the coldness in Derrick’s voice sent a chill down her spine.
She shook her head slowly, feigning disappointnt. "I can’t believe you’d accuse without proof. I’ve done nothing, Derrick."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a nacing whisper.
"Be assured, Mona, if I find out you had even the slightest hand in what happened tonight, you’ll have to deal with. And trust , it will be more than what you can handle."
For a brief mont, the mask slipped, and Mona felt a pang of fear. But she quickly recovered, raising her chin defiantly.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Derrick. You’ll see I had no part in this when you get the truth."
Derrick stared at her, his gaze unwavering, as though he could see through her lies.
Without another word, he stood, his movents slow and deliberate, like a predator sizing up its prey.
His eyes never left hers as he walked past her, his body tense with controlled rage.
Mona waited until the sound of his footsteps faded before exhaling the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "He’ll never know," she whispered to herself. "He’ll never prove it."
But even as she tried to convince herself, the look in Derrick’s eyes lingered in her mind...
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