Valerie’s POV
I was a little angry with Karl for stopping that brute from hitting .
If he had actually struck , then my plan would have succeeded.
I would have leverage over the leadership of the pack.
If he had struck, the entire pack leadership would have been forced to react.
The punishnt would have been severe.
And I would have gained political capital overnight.
A smart move, but it was ruined by Karl.
Anyway, it’s okay. I’ll just let it go. Even though he is a scumbag, he was still my friend for years and the only person who brought so light into my dark life.
"Well," I said lightly, breaking the tense atmosphere, "since the drama is over, everyone should get back to training."
The warriors dispersed and ran towards the training grounds.
No one wanted to remain under my gaze and that of two alphas for too long.
Mike stood to the side looking at like an unfaithful wife.
This is one thing I could never understand. We are mates and are expected to be faithful and loyal to each other.
However, Mike has been getting it on with Innocent even before he was forced to acknowledge .
However, he expects to remain loyal to him.
My relationship with Karl makes him uncomfortable and unhappy. It is ridiculous how he wants sothing he can’t offer.
Anyway, Karl and I ignored him and walked together towards the training grounds as well.
Since I wanted to start by running, jogging around the training field would be better.
I will train separately while still having a sense of teamwork.
Not that I care.
Within seconds, the training grounds were filled with the sounds of sparring again.
Karl and I remained standing near the entrance alone as we spoke.
We hadn’t seen each other for a while and had so catching up to do. But I wasn’t interested in that.
The days of lying on the grass together and watching the moon after my duties in the kitchen were over.
I looked at Karl for a long ti, wondering if he had figured out my motive earlier.
Knowing how smart he is, I don’t doubt that he already knew what I was up to.
So, I decided to co clean and gain more trust from him.
"You ruined my plan," I said bluntly.
Karl looked at with an amused look and laughed.
That was all I needed to confirm my guess.
He had indeed found out about my plan.
"So you admit you had one." He asked with a smile.
A smile I used to love because it made my life brighter.
"Of course I did." I didn’t try to hide it and was straightforward.
"That man was about to give exactly what I needed."
"By punching you in the face?" Karl asked. A little more serious than before. I could also feel anger in his voiceit looks like he wasn’t thrilled about my little sche.
"He would have exposed a weakness." I said imdiately making Karl surprised.
"You would have been hurt." He said again.
I wanted to roll my eyes at that statent.
Getting hurt?
What was that?
Haven’t I been hurt countless tis in the past eight years?
I have almost died several tis from beatings and torture.
What is one or two punches?
"He would have been punished publicly. It would send a ssage to the rest of the pack. And also paved way for the won oppressed by these people." I said without thinking but didn’t regret it.
Even if others heard what I said, I wouldn’t care.
"You shouldn’t have stopped him." I added with a pout.
Karl looked at thoughtfully for a while.
I know what he was thinking.
In my situation, most won would have rushed to thank him for his help.
However, I bwas criticizing his involvent.
"You’re welco," Karl said sarcastically.
And I finally couldn’t hold on and rolled my eyes.
Karl smiled at my reaction.
"You didn’t help . You helped him." I said in annoyance.
"Maybe." He said.
Then, he stepped closer to and lowered his head so that his eyes were on the sa level as mine.
"But at least you still have all your teeth."
For a mont, I looked like I wanted to argue again.
I know because I could feel that annoyance rising in my chest, but I eventually took a deep breath.
"Fine. Maybe that’s a small benefit."
I said sourly.
Karl chuckled at my reaction.
"You’re unbelievable."
"And you’re ddleso."
We stared at each other for a few seconds.
Then he spoke again.
"You really weren’t afraid?"
"Of Boris?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes."
I shook my head.
"I have endured worse.
I could see the heartache that flashed quickly in Karl’s eyes.
This was one of the reasons I never truly understood him.
He clearly got close to for a bet and the last three years were spent with him manipulating .
However, so tis, his reaction is so genuine and it says otherwise.
I have beco so conflicted because of this.
I don’t know whether to treat him as a friend of enemy.
I guess, only ti will tell.
"So," Karl said, looking like he was forcing his thoughts back on a different direction, "what exactly are you planning to do next, Luna?"
The way he called Luna was so seductive. I could feel a tingle under my skin.
It was different from the feeling Mike gives when he gets close, but it is still a special feeling.
"I will think about that later. For now, I want to train." I said with a sigh.
My plans for now were not streamlined. I don’t even know what I want to do apart from investigating my father’s set-up.
Everything else is still a blank scoreboard.
"Are you going to train alone?" Karl asked.
"Yes, for now." I replied imdiately.
"Mind if I watch?" He asked again.
"Why?"
"Because I find you interesting." He said bluntly.
"That sounds dangerous." I warned.
"It probably is."
After remaining silent for a while, I finally spoke.
"Fine. Watch if you want."
Mike’s POV
For the past week, sothing in the pack had been changing.
In fact, it was more than a week but I had chosen to ignore it before.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But as ti went by, I realized that it was real. The signs kept showing up.
Warriors whispering in small groups.
Won speaking more boldly than usual.
And an uncomfortable tension lingering in the pack house corridors.
I leaned back in my chair inside my office, rubbing my temple slowly. I could feel a headache coming on
"What exactly is going on..." I muttered under my breath.
Across from , Beta Andrew stood with his usual calm expression.
"Reports have been coming in," he said.
"About what?"
"Your mate."
My hand froze on the desk. And even the air in my lungs seed to have frozen.
Valerie.
Just hearing her na lately seed to trigger sothing unpleasant in my chest.
Annoyance. Irritation. I couldn’t tell what it was.
It was sothing else I refused to examine too closely.
"What about her?" I asked coldly.
Andrew slid a file across my desk.
"She has been interacting with many of the pack’s females."
I scoffed.
"So?"
"She’s encouraging them to train again."
My eyes narrowed in thought.
Actually, I didn’t understand why the females marrying in to our pack were different from the others.
I asked my father about it when I took office and he told about things I should watch out for.
He emphasized the importance of not strengthening people from other packs and I still wonder.
Aren’t these won our pack mbers? Why are they still treated as outsiders?
However, I chose to trust my father.
But now, Valerie seed determined to go against this doctrine.
"Including forr warriors who stopped after finding mates," Andrew continued.
"And the problem?" I asked.
He hesitated for a mont before answering.
"Their mates are unhappy."
I wanted to call those unhappy mates brothers.
After all, I am also an unhappy mate. No one saw complain.
Most of the n in this pack preferred obedient won who stayed inside the house and raised pups.
This was the ntality drilled into them as they grew up.
But now, soone was bringing change. Sothing they couldn’t accept. And honestly, neither could I.
I leaned back again.
"Is she breaking any pack laws?"
"No."
That was the issue there.
Everything that was done was off the books. It was like an unwritten rule that people followed unconsciously.
So, no matter what outrageous things Valerie did, they were all within reason. She didn’t break any rules.
"Then why bring it to ?"
Andrew studied my expression carefully.
"Because the situation could escalate."
I laughed quietly.
"Over won training?"
"That’s not the issue."
Andrew stopped for a while before going on, "it is the influence."
It seems that even Andrew had been taught the sa thing by the forr beta.
Influence.
I understood imdiately what he ant.
Influence inside a pack was power and power brought conflict.
Before I could respond, a knock sounded on the office door.
"Co in," I said.
The door opened and Gamma Leon stepped inside.
His expression looked... amused.
That alone irritated .
"What?" I asked impatiently.
I was in no mood for his gimmicks
"You might want to co to the training grounds."
My eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
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