Chapter 40

Sienna’s POV

I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the meeting with the Elder’s. It sat in my mind like a stone, sinking into every nook and cranny.

This is your final warning before we seriously pursue a replacement, they’d said. It repeated over and over and over and over.

I was supposed to have more time — and really, what had I done so wrong? It was never my fault that Nightwind caught fire.

It was Julian’s — not that we could prove it at all.

Beyond that, I’d scored one of the best partnerships known around the packs - Robin. How could they not see that as an accomplishment?

Because Mia painted you in a very different light, I thought with bitterness. A very dark one.

She was out to get me because I was with Asher, wasn’t she?

Well, I was going to come at her with an angle she wouldn’t expect.

Kindness.

I ventured out the next morning, walking towards the place she was posted at, a small cabin a few blocks from the main square.

It wasn’t hard to find her — she was at the little cafe almost directly across the street from her place, sipping an iced coffee.

“Mia,” I said evenly, sitting at the table with her, not bothering to wait for any invitation.

She certainly wouldn’t have waited for one. After all, she’d waltzed right into the Alpha house and stuck her nose all in my own business.

“Quite the surprise this fine morning,” she cooed, setting her coffee down on the table, slipping her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose.

“I’d like to talk.” I set my hands on the table, placing one atop the other, not letting my eyes break from hers.

“Is this about my report for the Elder’s meeting?” she smirked at me, obviously holding back a laugh. “Must not have been a good meeting then.”

“I assume that’s because you trashed me in your report. So why don’t you tell me what your problem is?” My voice was entirely calm, and I was proud of myself for not letting her get to me.

“There is no problem,” Mia shrugged, taking another dainty sip of her coffee.

“That is a terrible lie.” I waited patiently for her to keep going, though she didn’t at first. She just stared at me with her piercing emerald green eyes.

“My job is to evaluate your leadership — I told you that from day one.” Her glass clunked down on the table as she leaned forward. “Not to be your friend.”

“I didn’t ask to be your friend.” She had some real nerve. “And neither did Asher.”

“I’m just here to provide an honest report.” There was a nonchalance to her words that was quickly irritating me.

Don’t let her get to you, Sienna, I warned myself.

“Whatever you said about me can’t have been fully true,” I said back, leaning into my chair. “Because I’m not butchering this pack the way the Elder’s made it seem like I was.”

“But you are butchering it,” Mia said with a sickly sweet smile. “All the proof is in my report.”

“No.” I shook my head. “My parent’s death caused a lot of problems in Nightwind. I take this seriously, Mia — it’s their legacy.”

“A legacy that you’re not treating correctly.” Her gaze stayed locked on me, the intensity in her eyes making me squirm.

Jeez, she really hates me, doesn’t she?

“What is your problem with me? And don’t say there isn’t one… speak up.” I couldn’t help but feel smug at the way her eyes widened.

That’s right, bitch, I’m challenging you.

“Everything.” Mia’s eyes had gone cold.

“Everything,” I scoffed. “What kind of answer is that?”

“A perfectly fine one.”

“I wouldn’t say so, but I can actually have an adult conversation, unlike you.” Oh, that one was good.

She visibly twitched, my words hitting their mark.

“Careful what you say. It might just end up in my report.” Her lips curved up in a cruel smile as she took her final sip of coffee.

I sensed our time was ending.

“That sounds like a threat,” I frowned. “You wouldn’t threaten me, would you Mia?” It was all I could do not to smirk at her.

“Never ever ever,” she winked at me, blowing me a kiss.

Ugh.

The urge to bring up Asher ate away at me, because I knew it would be a sore point for her. But something in my told me not to, to leave that part out of our beef together.

In the end, it would be a lot more satisfying if she were the one to bring him up, not me. To her, Asher and I were happily married, set to be mated for life.

“You wrote things that weren’t true,” I pressed instead, my eyes narrowing. “Just admit it.”

“All I did was write the truth. And the truth is, you shouldn’t be leading this pack.” She thrummed her fingers on the metal table.

“How about you explain your reasoning?” I honestly couldn’t believe this girl was older than me.

“I’m not obligated to explain anything to you.”

She was absolutely infuriating.

“You really wanna start a war like this? You don’t even know me.” I raised my brows at her.

“I know enough,” she said cooly. “I’d prefer not to know anything else, thanks.”

What is her deal?

“I thought I could come here and have a civil conversation with you as my inspector, but I was very wrong.” I let out a disappointed sigh, pushing the chair back to stand up.

I wanted to say a lot more, but I had to look like the person taking the higher road, and now I absolutely would.

“Have a good one,” she waved me off, and I almost balked.

She was so ridiculously rude — how was she ever hired as an inspector? Was this her true self, and she used a fake version to get places in life?

I gave her a lazy wave, turning away and strolling back to the main square.

I’d made it through a conversation with her, and I hadn’t snapped. It was a real and true miracle.

The devastation in the square had been mostly cleared up, the skeletons of buildings now being laid out on the ground. Though two of the shop owners had died, the family members still wanted to rebuild what had been lost, in honor of them.

Tears prickled my eyes, because if I thought about it for too long, I would think about the fact that this was my fault.

Julian had sent those guards for me.

He’d started that fire to get to me.

So those people died because of me.

It wasn’t fair to think that way, but it’s how I thought anyway. I was always going to blame myself for any tragedies in Nightwind.

Once I got back home, I smirked to myself, placing my phone on the table and hitting the stop record.

I’d recorded Mia’s entire conversation with me, and now I had proof that her attitude was undeniably bad. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d do this, either.

My smile widened.

Checkmate, Mia.