Love And Betrayal | ✔️

45. The Grandmaster's game

With a wave of his hand, she is dismissed. Melissa nods in my direction as she leaves the room.

With heavy footsteps and an aggressive door slam, Jared follows suit.

"Part Two: Max and Nick, I want you to assemble all the Deltas and Kappas of our pack. Bring me the blueprints and the electric wiring layouts of our pack house from our vault and the finest workmen you can find in the next one hour. The blueprints and the layouts are confidential so no one must know you are accessing the vault, not even the guard themselves. Trick him if you must, but do no harm. Can I trust with this, boys?"

For once, I see no glimpse of their boyish smiles and teasing eyes. They salute in union. "Yes, Alpha."

In a flash, they too are gone.

Lastly, Ashton turns to us. The air around us seems to thicken into a mist. His eyes narrow on Stella even as he extends his hand towards me. I hand him the map and he unfolds it and places it down on the round table.

The  final part three.

The italicised names have faded over the years. The frayed edges of the yellowing parchment, smudged by fingerprints seem to flutter in the mildest breeze.

"It hasn't changed much, has it?" Ashton murmurs as he studies the map, low enough for only me to hear.

My gaze skims over it. "Not at all."

It was the same - dreary and haunting as ever.

I repress a shudder as I recall the perpetual gloom that cloaked the castle; a place where even the littlest happiness was sucked right out of you, leaving you cold and empty.

Ashton clears his throat and straightens up. "Come on, closer."

Ariana prods Stella in the back, compelling her to move forward, but Stella doesn't budge.

She tilts her head, subtly glancing toward the door. Wonders if she can make a break for it this instant. Three to one - worth a shot. Her training her a Luna of the Dark Wolves hadn't rendered her so helpless...

"Don't even think about it." I warn, watching her shift from one foot to the other uneasily. "I will drag you down to the dungeons and lock you in myself. Piss us off and food and water will be a luxury you can only dream of."

Her chin juts out, miffed. "Don't use that tone on me. I'm still a Luna."

Ariana scoffs in contempt. "A Luna who nearly got her pack killed because of her stupidity. What?" She snaps, feeling our collective gazes on her. "We're all thinking it. I got the balls to say it loud. Bitch deserves to know."

Stella rolls her eyes as she approaches the round table. "Whatever. Now, what the hell is this?" She asks, peering down at the map.

She traces the lines of the sketched cliffs, before her fingers halt at the flag on the castle. A frown mars her features as she studies the outlines and names of the buildings.

"Well, are you guys gonna start explaining or waste more time glowering at me like I'm some kind of dumb dodo for not knowing?"

"Well, at least you accept what you are." My sister pats her hair comfortingly. "Acceptance is the key to recovery, sweetie."

"Shut up." Stella growls.

"You shut up." Ariana growls back.

Real mature.

Ashton looks at Stella suspiciously. "Don't you recognise this?"

A bored glance. "Was I supposed to?"