Chapter 89

Sabrina POV

As Soren and I watched the live interview with Nathan as it was broadcast on television, I couldn’t help but laugh.

And congratulate myself on yet another plan successfully put into motion.

All it had taken was a quick call to the editor of The Star.

Then all I had to do was wait.

Nathan and his disgusting Omega may have stopped me from taking over the Silverfang pack, and they probably thought they had me beat.

I bet they thought I was running scared, hiding somewhere with my tail between my legs.

They were wrong.

Dead wrong.

The frustration and rage at being thwarted from seizing the pack had quickly frozen into a hard, sharp dagger in my heart.

A dagger I fully intended to use to kill both of them.

Neither Nathan nor Claire had seen the last of me. I was going to make them pay for what they’d taken away from me.

One way or another.

I watched Nathan squirm under the rapid-fire questions The Star reporter threw at him, and touched a hand to my stomach.

What would it feel like to carry a child?

Would I feel weak and miserable, like so many women I’d observed as they waddled along like a swollen penguin?

Or would I feel strong and vibrant, growing an entirely new life inside of my own body?

Would I feel powerful?

It was interesting how much the idea was beginning to appeal to me.

I knew Nathan would never believe that I could be carrying his child, not if his memories had returned the way I expected.

Unfortunately, manipulating his mind without the tea to help me influence him was no longer an option

But that didn’t matter.

It wasn’t his mind I needed to manipulate, anyway. Not really.

All I had to do was spread a few well-planned rumors, at the right places and at the right times.

Then I could get people to believe anything I wanted.

After all, I knew all too well how easy it could be to create fake DNA test results, or to somehow mess with the test.

In fact, all I had to do was get a piece of that brat Andy’s hair and send it in.

Then any test Nathan decided to run would show absolutely that the test subject was a child of the Alpha’s.

As the interview came to an abrupt end - with Nathan clearly struggling to control his temper - I turned off the television and turned to Soren.

“I think that went well, don’t you?” I asked him.

He nodded. “Using your friend at The Star to make sure that reporter had plenty of ammunition to throw at Nathan was smart.

“And incredibly mean,” he added with a grin.

I couldn’t help but smile back. “That was just a side benefit. What’s most important is that the members of the Silverfang pack continue to have reason to mistrust what Nathan says and does.

“Because a pack that doesn’t trust its Alpha is a pack just ripe for the picking.”

I thought about how delicious it would be to take Silverfang from Nathan after all, to have his people all come to me willingly.

Begging me to be their Luna.

And abandoning their Alpha.

Then I shrugged, putting that thought away.

I was going to continue to make Nathan’s life as miserable as possible. That included stealing his pack right out of his hands.

But neither of those things were my main priority.

Not anymore.

What I wanted most of all was the Royal throne.

And I wanted it now.

“Taking control of Silverfang will have to wait, though,” I said. “Right now the throne is what I want us to focus on.”

He raised an eyebrow. “The plan we had before, of using your father’s madness as an excuse to claim the throne, isn’t going to work now, darling.

“By now everyone in the realm knows who’s really been behind the attacks on the Royal territory.”

I huffed out a breath, annoyed at his tone. How dare he question me!

“Then we’ll just have to take it by force!

“It shouldn’t be hard. Their forces are weak from all this fighting, and by all reports my father is a complete vegetable.”

“And what of the true princess?” he asked, pressing again. Why wouldn’t he just listen to me?

Why did he always have to act like he knew something I didn’t know??

It was enraging.

“Surely Claire will make an attempt to rule,” he continued.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of Claire actually sitting on the throne.

Actually trying to rule the Royal pack.

“That idiot Omega doesn’t have the first clue about how to run a pack,” I said. “She’s been a lowly wolfless her entire life. She knows how to follow orders, not give them.

“I’m the one who was raised to lead. I’m the one who actually deserves to sit on the throne.”

Soren laughed. “You’re certainly devious enough to hold a throne once you have it, I believe. No doubt you’ll counter any potential plots against you with ease.”

He sat back in his chair and stretched out his legs, crossing one ankle over the other.

“You’re not the only one capable of planning ahead, however. In fact, our minds seem to have been running along the very same track.”

I eyed him suspiciously.

“What do you mean? What have you done?”

“Relax, darling. I haven’t double crossed you. Though I am well aware that double crossing me is probably at the top of your to-do list.”

I narrowed my eyes.

He wasn’t wrong.

“Just tell me what you’re up to.”

He smiled at my annoyance. “After conferring with our allies, I sent a message to your dear sister.

“A message that demanded she surrender the Royal pack, and the Royal territory. Or else we’ll kill every single one of them.”

I exploded out of the chair. “You did what?! Why would you do that without telling me??

“How dare you!” I cried, stomping over to get in his face.

He stared back at me coolly. “Because I could, darling. And I’d take a step back if I were you, Princess.”

He snarled at me.

“You forget yourself. You are a guest in my home. You are an ally.

“But you are not the leader here.”

A servant brought Soren a message while I was still absorbing what he’d said.

I hadn’t liked the cold hard look in his eye as he stared at me.

Or the quiet promise of violence I saw in his gaze.

I took a step back and attempted to calm my temper as he read the message.

He was right - I was still in his home, in his territory. I was just a guest here, and I needed to be careful about how far I pushed things.

For now, anyway.

Soren finished reading the message and smiled as if he’d forgotten all about the tenseness between us just a moment ago.

“It seems you were right about Claire not being strong enough to lead the Royal pack, darling.

“She’s folding to our demands.”

He handed me the message.

“She wants to meet!” I cried, reading it. “She’s agreeing to discuss terms of surrender!

“This is amazing.”

My anger faded immediately.

Yes, Soren was a problem I would need to deal with sooner or later - probably much sooner than later - but right now I could feel victory in my grasp.

I could all but feel the crown on my head.

Claire was going to surrender.

The Royal pack would be mine.

At last.