27: I can do it.
**Milly pov**
I’ve been pacing the great hall for hours and I still couldn’t come up with solutions for my problems.
The pack was in shambles - the resources were drying up and quick, and every attempt to restore order felt like screaming at a brick wall.
I let out a long breath and glanced around. My father sat across the room, muttering numbers and potential strategies as he went over the paperwork.
Every now and then, his eyes flickered toward me, but I ignored him.
He wouldn’t understand my struggles, no one would actually.
“I’ve spoken to Killian’s advisors,” he spoke suddenly, raising his voice to get my attention. “I’ve tried every approach, every possible way to convince him to honor the pact-”
I spun on my heel and cut him off before he could finish. “You’ve tried, father? And yet here we are, pack starving, money drying up, and you tell me ‘you’ve tried’? Trying means nothing if the result is the same, nothing!”
He flinched at my words and looked at me as if I slapped him. “Milly, calm-”
“No,” I hissed and walked to him. “Calm isn’t an option anymore!” I screamed and slammed my hand against the table.
He rubbed a hand down his face, sighed and muttered, “there is a way, Milly, but-”
“Don’t start with ‘but,’ father, I’ve had enough of them.” I snarled.
He leaned back into the chair, looking all sorts of defeated. I sort of enjoyed the look on his face simply because now, he understood how desperate and defeated I was too. But, unlike him, I couldn’t give up. I had worked too hard to stand where I was - finally, the pack was mine and mine only, so I would stop at nothing to keep it that way.
Someone cleared their throat behind me and I spun around to see Lucas, as always standing there completely stone faced. He had been loyal to my late husband and now, he offered the same loyalty to me.
“Alpha Milly,” he said carefully, bowing his head ever so slightly. “I don’t mean to disturb you, but I wanted to discuss a course of action for the pack.”
I waved my hand, “speak, but make it quick, my patience is non-existent at this point.”
“The pack is running low on resources, the hunters are returning with less every time and the harvest has been laughable this year and the same downfall is happening to the pack bank accounts. Unfortunately, we can no longer sustain the lavish lifestyle the pack has grown accustomed to. I recommend we cut back, return to basics-”
“Basics?” I snapped and poked a finger against his chest. “Do I look like someone who cares about basics to you?”
Lucas stood here, unmoving as always, and only cleared his throat away. “I suggest we lower the consumption, the pack will survive longer if we simplify.”
I laughed in his face. “So you suggest we hide away like a pack of nobodies and feast on scraps?”
“Alpha, please focus on rebuilding the pack, not the lifestyle. You must think of what you have left before you-”
“No!” I spat, cutting him off again. “My whole life is at jeopardy, not yours! My pack is collapsing, the so-called sister is running around taking left and right and somehow, she always takes exactly what I was about to.. Wait,” I whispered and took a step back as a realization hit me. “Aife. She’s the problem. Hell, she’s always been the very root of my problems.”
“Alpha,” Lucas muttered and cleared his throat again. “I don’t think it’s what you should focus on.”
I stepped closer to him and hissed, “I don’t care what you think!”
He hesitated for a moment then leaned in to whisper, “you could.. you know, do it quietly then?”
Of course, the coward wanted me to act in the shadows. No, that wasn’t me anymore - I was the Alpha of this pack and if I did anything, I would do it out in the open.
As I glanced at Lucas again, I shook my head and whispered, “I want her dead.”
My father cleared his throat behind me so I looked over my shoulder. He had stood up from his seat, his eyes flicking between me and Lucas.
“I can do it,” Lucas suddenly announced.
I looked at him again and smirked at his eagerness to please. “Be discreet.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Lucas nodded.
I hummed, pleased with his agreement and suddenly asked, “do you think she suspects I might be planning against her?”
“She likely suspects nothing,” Lucas hummed. “From what I’ve heard, she hasn’t been seen around Killian’s pack anymore either, but people whisper that a lot is happening behind our backs. I don’t know the details, but I can find out for you.”
“You do that,” I muttered and nodded, turning to look at the windows. “I want every single detail that is relevant to her. Whatever is happening doesn’t matter much, but at one point, I want her in front of me, on her knees so she sees who’s holding the knife that will slit her throat.”
Lucas nodded and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket to scribble notes, his eyes flicking between the paper and me until finally, he found his voice again. “Alpha, this plan is very tricky.. there will be risks in every action you take.”
I laughed but the sound was bitter and cold. “I don’t care about those so-called risks at all. I know my worth and where I’m supposed to be, so nothing will stop me from getting what I want and deserve. Just keep in mind that failure is not acceptable.”
He swallowed again, nodding quickly. “Yes, Alpha.”
Lucas didn’t know it yet, but I knew that I was capable of bringing this pack back to its former glory, with or without his help. I was too determined to stop - whatever or whoever decided to stand in my way, I would deal with them accordingly.
He still stood near, waiting for further commands, so I glanced at him and whispered quietly enough so my father couldn’t overhear my words. “Start immediately and remember - you bring consequences, not mercy or compromises.”
Lucas bowed slightly and stepped back slowly until he left the great hall for good and the only company I still had in here was my father. He tried to talk to me, but I raised my hand to silence the old fool and walked away. I knew that he had overheard at least a part of the conversation and deep down, old man still had warm feelings for that stupid orphan, so sooner or later, he would try to convince me to stop.
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