The moonlight scattered itself into the room, illuminating the silhouette of a woman in a rocking chair. It was a quiet and peaceful night, with the only source of sound impending from the crickets.

Seated on the chair was Valerie sipping a glass of lemon soda with a stoic expression.

From the beginning, all she did was play the role of the helper, hoping to gain something that benefitted her.

And now, here she was. Going back on her deals, manipulating people into helping her with the promise of assistance in return.

She'd be lying if she said that her change in morals meant nothing to her.

She got up from her chair and her footsteps echoed in the room. She had everything she could have dreamed of, but at what cost?

She'd lost everyone she'd ever known and had no plans on what to do.

I'm not even interested in finishing college anymore, she thought as she stared out the window at the dying dahlias. Everywhere that she turned, she felt the coldness of death. 

She was trapped in a mansion that no longer felt like home and she had nothing to look forward to. The thrill of getting something, the thrill of outsmarting someone, it was no longer there.

There was no thrill anymore because she was guaranteed a victory.

I have nothing left to look forward to, she thought as she continued to stare at the moon. The only thing she could do was stand by the deals she'd made.

But now, that was impossible, for the deals she made were against the very people she promised to help.

She looked at the rocking and plastered a weak smile on her face as she remembered the days her mother would tuck her hair behind her ears and tie it into a ponytail and read out stories for her.

I can't complain now, I brought it onto myself, Valerie thought and walked out of the room in absolute silence.

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

The sun rose on the horizon and outlined the empty bed that sat alone in the corner. Valerie had been long awake as she had made up her mind.

The hunger for satisfaction hadn't ended and she knew this because she wanted more.

She looked at herself in the mirror and stared at her bloodshot eyes and hair that resembled a bird's nest. She could have easily fixed them with magic but something always swayed her away from it.

But today she had things to do.

She twirled her fingers in the air causing her hair to straighten and her face to look brighter than ever.

She picked up her phone from her jeans and dialed the number which she now knew by heart. 

"Hello!" she greeted as soon as the receiver attended the call.

"What is it?" Isla asked in a sour tone.

"I realized that I haven't really held my side of the deal." Valerie said casually.

"Is that so?" Isla asked skeptically.

"I always stick to them." Valerie said.

"That means you're willing to do what I asked?" Isla asked.

"Hayden will not see the sun rise tomorrow." Valerie assured.

"Then I'm going to have to warn you that she has the pack now." Isla informed.

"You know that's not going to stop me." Valerie said.

"Glad to hear that." Isla said as she hung up. 

Isla felt herself relax as she tucked her phone in her pocket. She continued marching up the forest, making sure she was way out of the peripheral vision of the pack. 

There was a lot she had wanted to ask from Valerie but none of it was important presently.

Everything that happened seemed to be back and forth. When she needed Valerie to end Hayden, she wasn't there and now that she didn't Valerie offered to help herself.

Everything seemed to be a blur and the only person who understood it fully seemed to be a changed person. 

It's better if I ignore it for now, Isla told herself as she stopped abruptly in front of her house.  

She turned the doorknob revealing the small interiors of her house. She walked in and it felt foreign to her.

She no longer felt the attachment she had with it, after all, she'd already made up her mind that pack's house was to be hers soon. 

Isla sat on the wooden bed and rubbed her temples as she tried to calm herself down. She could see all the alternatives of what could happen and no matter how high her odds of winning were, she could still lose.

She had dreamed of this day for the longest time and she wasn't going to let it slip away because of her pride.

She'd known enough about pride to know that it caused nothing but downfall.

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

The morning hadn't started well for Hayden. She had craved a cup of coffee but no one was willing to bring it for her. Of course, she could have made some for herself but she knew that wasn't the problem.

The problem was that no one saw her with the same respect they saw her father and Cameron.

That was two hours ago. Now she was sitting on her so-called throne as she watched the others walking around aimlessly. 

All she wanted was some respect and loyalty but all they could think about was last night's showdown.

Hayden heard them whispering about it when they assumed she couldn't hear.

She needed to prove herself to her pack and for that she needed them. She couldn't face Isla alone, not after knowing that Valerie was probably on her side.

Hayden cleared her throat and clapped her hands to grab their attention. All eyes turned on her as she stood up to start her sermon.

"There has been a lack of respect within this pack. While most of you don't want me as your alpha, it doesn't change the fact that I am." Hayden began while Noah resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"As long as I am the alpha, you must respect and stay loyal to me. So if you even as much as think about looking at me as the lesser alpha, you will be making a huge mistake." Hayden finished with fierce eyes.

"You will never be equal to our previous alphas." Noah said with the newfound confidence that Isla's words gave him.

"You're right. Because I am a hundred times better." Hayden said, her golden eyes sparkling with pride.

She straightened her shoulders and rose her chest, making Noah back down.

"With that said and done, I'd get back to work." Hayden said, motioning them out.

She sat once again on her throne, her legs crossed as she took a sip of water, her eyes closed as she tried to find the taste of water.

Her ego was fuelled up again as the future played in front of her eyes. The future where she held all the power, where no one questioned her, where she was the alpha who brought their pack into the front line.

Her future was all she could think about, forgetting the happenings of yesterday, the threat she thought the Isla was no longer seemed to be a problem.

It felt as though she no longer lacked anything, which is where she was gravely mistaken.

If only she knew that sometimes, even the mighty fall.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: SO HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER! WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? I WAS GOING TO MAKE THIS CHAPTER SOLELY FROM VALERIE'S PERSPECTIVE BUT I CHANGED MY MIND 😅. ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! IF YOU DID COTE AND COMMENT AND STUFF AND ADD BOOK TO LIBRARY FOR UPDATES. THAT'S IT! BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!