TBMA [Complete ✔️]

14. Plan

Knox's P.O.V

One year later...

I skilfully slipped out of my bedroom, knowing Rose would soon come into the hallway. Once into view, I put my hand over her mouth to silence her, her body freezing in fear before she realized it was me, then I dragged her into my bedroom and shut the door, locking it.

My sister was glaring at me, silently demanding an explanation, but father would only be in the shower for so long and if I wanted to act, it was now or never.

"I need you to listen and not ask questions until after I'm done!" I demanded, Rose's eyes now wide and fearful. Her heart rate picked up, beating in frantic rhythms I ignored, focusing on the task at hand. As long as wolves feared, they did as they were told, so I had learned.

"I've been working hard this past year and a half," I began, both of us taking a seat on my bed while I talked. "I started training in secret and I've learned most of the pack laws by now. I'm ready to challenge Esteban for the Alpha position."

I waited until I was sure father was engrossed in his meeting, carefully creeping up to his office. It was locked, as usual, but It was nothing I couldn't get past. I took a look around, sniffed the area, and made sure I didn't hear anyone coming up before fumbling with the lock until the door popped open.

Once inside, I closed the door and quickly went through his personal library, taking two important books about pack laws and finances, making sure to cover their absence by spreading the other books on the shelf a bit further apart. Then, I found a few more that could be useful and ripped apart the pages I needed, knowing it would cause suspicion if all of Esteban's books on leading a pack disappeared at the same time.

When I was content with everything I had stolen from his office, I ran back to my room and into my en-suite bathroom, placing the books and pages under a tile I had previously made sure to remove.

After that day, I barely slept. At night, I would read and study about our ancestors, traditions, Alpha challenge duels, laws, and finances, then create quizzes to ensure I didn't forget anything. I would sleep for two hours only, going on a run as soon as the clock hit four.

A lot of the time, I had to run in complete darkness, relying only on my wolf senses and night vision. After my run in human form, I'd continue in wolf form and run to a cave far enough that the few supporting my father wouldn't find me, where I had made sure to install a punching bag I made from sand near the lake, and a few other things I could use as equipment.

I'd work out until my muscles screamed and begged for me to stop, until sweat littered my entire body from head to toe, then I'd jump in the freezing water to ease the tension, only to get dressed and make my way to my seven o'clock practice with the rest of the warriors in my group, where I'd purposely not improve, so when the time came, father would underestimate my endurance and strength.

I'd then go to school and do my best to stay on top of the class, so I could avoid unnecessary punishments that would only slow my body, and plan, down. After school, I'd once again join the rest for my second training session, which was often more about the wolves than the human, Kane having a bit of an easier task as Alpha wolves were meant to be strong and no one would question him. Still, he made no effort to flex what he knew he had, staying low as I had asked of him.

Rose's fear was more prominent now, her hands trembling, jaw clenched as she desperately held back from showering me with millions of questions until she could no longer hold her tongue.

"You actually plan on taking over?" She asked, picking at her fingers, her doe green eyes staring at me.

"Why, have a better idea?" I snapped, there being no time for her stupid fears and dumb questions I had already answered. "You should be thanking me, you'd end up dead one day if we don't go through with this." She tightened her jaw further, fingers digging into her palm, so she wouldn't answer me. I was right whether she'd choose to agree or not.

"Wait!" Her gaze suddenly snapped to mine, eyes bulging out of their sockets. "You said we?" She questioned, making me nod.

"I'll need your help." She nodded, once, twice, her head bobbing up and down as she took the information in.

"What do you need me to do?"

I spent the next couple of minutes going through my plan and telling her step by step why and how I needed everything to happen. She remained quiet, not asking questions, for once doing as she'd been told, nodding every once in a while to reassure me, or herself, that she was listening, that this really was happening.

I heard Esteban's shower be shut off, now on high alert. He'd ask questions if he saw the two of us together, having not been on speaking words for a while. Though being on speaking terms with someone, who could barely speak out of exhaustion, wasn't very easy. I turned to Rose, gesturing to her to get up, a loud exhale leaving her lips as she did so.

"Got it?" I asked as we headed to the door, my hand around the knob when I received no answer. Keeping my hand in place, I turned to glare at my younger sister, anger pulsating through my veins at the thought of her ruining everything. With her or not, I'd win that challenge, though it was only with her that I'd have the support of the rest, and leading a pack without members didn't sound like a possibility.

"I asked you a question!" I snapped, making her gulp. She took a breath then glanced back up at me. "Don't screw this up, Rosalie! If you don't wanna participate, go on, have some rest before you, no doubt, pass out because if we do nothing to stop this your fate would be exactly that. Until you die, that is."

"I'm ready." She replied after a few seconds, the hesitation gone from her voice, replaced by the realization and fear of the new weight on her shoulders.

I pushed the door open, ushering her away, but she stopped me just before I managed to close it back up.

"You'll win, right?" I scoffed.

"Of course, now go!" With that, I closed the door, hearing the noise of her footsteps paddling against the floor, then the faint sound of a door thudding closed.

I took my clothes off and ran the shower, letting the cold water hit my back and trickle down my skin. I stared at my abs and muscles, having been sure they'd be enough to beat him, but as the time grew closer, I wondered about many things, one being whether or not I was skilled enough in combat to not get killed.

I stayed in the shower for a while, teeth clattering under the cold even with my werewolf heat. I wondered whether I was good enough to lead a pack, whether I could be better to the wolves than he was, or if I would just turn into the same cold-hearted monster. After all, all my life, I was repeatedly told my fate was sealed, that I too, was born only to hurt and destroy, and after a while, you have no choice but to wonder if what they say is true, even if only to some extent.

I shook my head, tilting it back a bit so the water streamed directly onto it. I made rules I shouldn't break. Feelings weren't something I let myself live with, not when I was told who I'd be, not now when I was about to make my first kill if all goes according to plan.

It would be an eye for an eye, a life for a life. You either lose and die, or you win and kill. I either make my sister an orphan or leave her without a brother. If I let myself feel and try to sort through my feelings, I'd realize many of my decisions weren't right, I'd become scared and I'd be held back by that fear.

Cold. I had to be as cold as ice if I wanted to survive in a world like this one.

I dropped my head and stared at the tiles, letting the image of my mother's pained expression as she took her final breath, I forced myself to remember her screams, forced myself to endure all cruelty and blame all over again, by the time I was done, I knew exactly why I was doing what I was.

"I'll avenge you, mom! I'll get revenge on all who hurt you!" I mumbled as I shut the water off, immediately missing the calm the freezing stream brought.

Night came, the moon rose from its slumber, and the hours painfully dragged by, one by one, minute by minute. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, often glancing at the clock to make sure time hadn't for some reason stopped passing.

I tuned everything out, listening for Rose and trying to figure out her emotions. She wasn't sleeping if I judged by her breathing. She was probably consumed by thoughts, same as I was.

I knew she drifted off after a while, getting an hour of sleep before waking up from what seemed to be a nightmare. I didn't even shut my eyes for a second, planning my moves as the clock hit four.

The time had come.

A/N

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