Revenge on Alpha Damien

Chapter Three- Shock

I was in complete and utter shock at the revelation: he was coming here. That monster was coming to this pack to celebrate. I was right; he was living his best life while I was left to deal with the aftermath of his cruelty. He truly deserved to die. But why would he come here in the first place? After everything he had done, he should have been killed. Yet, no one wanted to punish him because he was feared, and my words had meant nothing to Dixon and the rest of the council. I remembered crying to them, explaining what had happened, but they said I was crazy, delusional—that Alpha Damien had no connection to my parents and that it had all been rogue wolves who attacked and killed them.

But I was not crazy. It was so hard to forget his face. It was the last thing that crossed my mind when I was about to sleep, the image that plagued my dreams. Even when I woke up, it was the first thing on my mind.

"Mia, promise me you won't do anything rash. Even if you want revenge, now is not the time. You will be killed. Remember what happened today; it wouldn’t take Alpha Damien a second to end you. Think of your brother, Zane. He would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to you," Aunt Mary reasoned, her voice filled with concern. But I was beyond reasoning. This was my chance, my opportunity to take revenge. I was thinking of Zane—that’s why I had to do this. What kind of sister would I be if he grew up knowing I let our parents' killer live?

"I—I," I stuttered. It was hard to say it. It was hard to admit that I wouldn’t act when I knew I would. I might not be physically strong enough to defeat Alpha Damien, but maybe I didn’t need physical strength. All I needed was a good plan. "I won't," I lied easily, sensing her skepticism in the air.

"Mia, please, I’m begging you. I care about you, and I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you," she said, her eyes filled with fright and despair. I didn’t wish for her to feel this way, but this was my duty as a daughter. It was a duty I had to fulfill.

"I promise, Aunt Mary. I won’t do anything. I’ll wait until I’m strong enough," I conjured more lies to please her.

She sighed deeply. "Thank you, Mia. Will you be attending the ceremony?" she asked eagerly, trying to gauge my feelings.

This was it. This was how I would solidify my lies. If I said yes, she might become suspicious. "I don’t think I will. I can’t stay in the same hall with that man. It would be best if I stayed in my room. Seeing his face might trigger me," I said, hoping my words sounded convincing.

She sighed again, her expression heavy with understanding. "I get it, Mia. This is just as difficult for you as it is for me. That man murdered my sister, and now I have to comply with all these requests throughout the ceremony. I wish I could avenge my sister’s death, but I know my limits. I’m certain that one day we will get our justice."

We would get our justice soon enough, Aunt Mary, soon enough, I thought internally. It wasn’t in her destiny to avenge my parents’ death; it was mine.

"But I wish you would attend this dance, Mia. Love might be what you need at this moment."

"I have you and Zane; that’s enough love for me," I reasoned back.

She shook her head, her features morphing into a look of defeat. "Maybe next year," I quickly said. I knew she meant well, and if I could carry out my revenge on Damien successfully, I would think about getting mated next year. I would most likely attend the mate dance then.

"Okay then, I have to leave. I still have more preparations for the dance. I’ll talk to you later," she said, getting up from my bed. She offered me a small smile before exiting my room.

I sat back on my bed, the revelation of Damien attending the mate dance swirling in my mind. This had to be a sign from the Moon Goddess. She was truly on my side; they wanted me to do this.

But how would I go about it? I was clearly not physically strong enough, and the mate dance ceremony would be in three days. I wished Aunt Mary had informed me earlier, but I understood her intentions. It was her way of protecting me, but the only help I truly needed right now was how to kill Alpha Damien. Just three days stood between me and the moment I would set my eyes on him.

Would he recognize me? I shared features with both of my parents. I had my mother’s brown hair but my father’s green eyes and lip shape. Zane had inherited our father’s complete features, and even though he was not fully grown, I could see it clearly.

If Alpha Damien saw me, would he be reminded of my parents? Would he remember how brutally and wickedly he had killed them?

I wanted him to remember. I wanted him to see my face and know who I was as he breathed his last breath. All I had to do was figure out how to carry out my plan for revenge. No matter what, I had to succeed—even if it meant soiling my hands.

---

I couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn’t come. Alpha Damien plagued my mind, and I struggled to find a way to take him down. I spent the time since Aunt Mary left until nightfall thinking of a plan.

I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. I had to do this; it was a chance I couldn’t waste. I should have trained more, should have pushed myself harder. If I had, maybe I’d have a better chance of defeating Alpha Damien. If I were stronger, I could stand before him and challenge him to death for his position. But I couldn't do that yet. Still, I wouldn’t give up. I could not miss this chance.

I got up from my bed and paced around the room, my mind racing. Then a plan struck me. "Wolfsbane. I will poison him." That was it! This mate dance ceremony might actually be a blessing. It would be difficult to get close to Damien otherwise, but now he was coming to me—coming to his own death.

I would poison him. It was the perfect plan: I’d work with the caterer. Wolfsbane was the only thing that could kill a werewolf without a physical confrontation. We often used it to practice resistance during training, and with the right dosage, it could take down even the strongest wolf. I needed to get my hands on it.

I quickly changed into jeans and a blouse and exited my room through the window. I had to reach the storage room where the training materials were kept to get the wolfsbane.

The storage room was located behind the pack house, where most of the unmated wolves stayed. That was where I should have been, but I chose not to. I didn’t want to be around those people who could care less about me. Apart from Betty, there was no one my age who cared about me or wanted to be my friend, just like Caleb. They all thought I had it good, that the only reason I cared about my parents' death was that I missed the pampering of my former life. How clueless and stupid they were! What kind of person would only be affected by their parents' death because they missed luxury? Though I missed my former life, it wasn’t all that luxurious. I wasn’t spoiled, but I was deeply cherished.

As I approached the storage room, I noticed a few unmated wolves hanging outside the building, chatting and drinking. A bonfire was lit, and they appeared to be having a great time. All I had to do was avoid them and make my way to the back side of the building.

Just as I was quietly making my way, I heard my name. "Mia, hey!" It was Caleb's voice. I groaned. What did he want now?

He jogged over to me, a cocky grin on his face. "Princess, what are you doing here? You came to join the party?" he asked, his tone dripping with arrogance.

A frown settled on my face. Clearly, there was something wrong with this guy. Why couldn’t he just take a break? There were far prettier girls for him to flaunt himself at. I was least interested in his antics. "What do you want, Caleb?" I gritted between my teeth. This fool was delaying me. I had better things to do than accommodate his presence. Getting that wolfsbane was my priority.

"Chill out, Princess. It’s not that deep," he smirked. "You know I’m trying to help you, Mia. I could show you a few moves to help you fight better, and maybe in a year or two, you’d be good enough to defeat me," he added, accompanied by another smirk.

How was it possible for someone to be so full of himself, so out of touch with reality? Caleb was a handsome man—extremely handsome—and he was clearly aware of it. It had gone to his head, making him think everything and everyone should revolve around him.

"Thank you, but I’m good. I don’t need your help," I replied swiftly and boldly.

"You don’t have to be proud about it, you know. Everyone saw how you flopped today. I’m just trying to be a good person here, Mia. If you’re not my mate, that doesn’t mean we can’t be close," he said blankly.

Proud? How was he the one acting proud? I screamed internally. Talk about someone being delusional. "Caleb, I have to go. You’re clearly busy with the party, and I’m certain everyone is waiting for you. So if you would excuse me..." I said as politely as I could. I wouldn’t let this brute and cocky man anger me.

He chuckled. "You know, someday you will have to get off your high horse. People can't always treat you like a princess in distress. Your parents have been gone for a while now, but—"

"Don’t talk about my parents!" I warned, cutting him off. How dare he? He was really trying to infuriate me.

"You don’t have to get all defensive, Mia. That’s your problem; you’re too uptight," he replied casually.

"And you’re too pompous, Caleb. It would be best if you stopped interfering in anything that concerns me," I said sternly. He might be taking this lightly, but I wasn’t.

"And what will you do, Mia? You can’t take me on; you’re not strong enough, Princess," he smirked. I balled my hands into fists in anger. He was right; I wasn’t strong enough to take him on, even though I craved to. "You know it’s a good thing the Moon Goddess didn’t pair me with you. I finally see the bright side of it all. I would have had a lot to deal with. Hopefully, she will pair you with a man who helps you fix your attitude. You clearly need that. Bye, Princess!" he snorted. Before I could respond, he walked away, leaving me seething.

My attitude didn’t need fixing; it was his that needed work. His mate would have a lot to deal with, not me. I would have loved to give him a piece of my mind, but I needed to stay focused.

I had to complete my mission: getting the wolfsbane from the storage room. I threw one final glance at his retreating figure before I made my way to the storage room.