Marcy was reading a book before lunchtime when she heard several quick knocks on the door of her room.
Before Marcy could respond, the door opened, and Nora peeked in.
"Busy?", Nora asked.
Marcy's lips stretched into her well-practiced smile.
Ever since Damon left the Red Moon pack, almost two weeks ago, Marcy is aware that Nora is after Damon.
Normally, Marcy wouldn't care what Nora and Damon are doing in their private time, but Nora was supposed to be her best friend in the Red Moon pack, while Damon was her fiancé-to-be.
How can Marcy not have grievances after finding Nora's panties tucked under the bed in the room Damon was using?
Sure, Alphas have a reputation of leaving a trail of women behind them but what's Nora's excuse?
But Marcy knew better than to spill everything. Since then, Marcy was watching Nora and waiting for the right chance to strike back.
"How can I be busy for you? There are no secrets between us.", Marcy responded. "I assume you are here with a reason."
Nora nodded and handed her phone to Marcy. "Look at this…"
Marcy checked the phone that had a photo open. It was a picture of Damon and someone in his embrace... the two of them are in the crowd... under the tall black clocktower.
"What am I looking at?", Marcy asked.
"Don't you recognize the guy?"
Marcy rolled her eyes. "Of course. That's Alpha Damon." Marcy was about to scroll to the next photo, but Nora snatched her phone away.
"There are a few more photos, but there is no clear one that would show the girl's face. Photos show her as a petite female with light brown hair, but her face is either obstructed by Alpha Damon, or by the people around them.", Nora explained. "I'm trying to find out if any of my contacts were there and if they know who she is."
"Out of all the women swarming around Alpha Damon, why is this one important?"
"Do you really not get it?" Nora gave Marcy a meaningful look. "This was taken last night." She made a dramatic pause before continuing, "When Alpha Damon kicked out Cassie and banned her from coming to his pack, we assumed that he is taking your engagement seriously. He postponed your visit with an excuse how he didn't have time to meet with you, but this photo is the evidence that he had time for some random girl. He is your fiancé. This is blatant disrespect."
Marcy sneered at Nora's hypocrisy. If she didn't know that Nora screwed Damon less than two weeks ago in this same packhouse, Marcy would believe that Nora is actually thinking about her interests.
"He might be handsome and popular, but his behavior is inexcusable.", Nora continued her rant.
Marcy knew that Nora was up to something. "What do you suggest?"
Nora's eyes lit up when she confirmed that Marcy was interested in hearing more.
Nora had a plan ready.
Ever since Damon left the Red Moon pack, Nora can't stop thinking about him and she would do anything to get back into his visual range. She can still feel him pillaging her insides and she really wants to experience that again. Surely, if it was amazing for her, it was good for him also, right?
Unfortunately, Nora is powerless to get in touch with Damon herself, but Marcy is different and Nora plans to use that even if it means that she needs to scheme and suck up to others.
With every passing day, Nora's hate for Marcy is growing. Before Marcy showed up, Nora was the highest-ranking female in the Red Moon pack among the younger generation and everyone looked up to her.
But then Marcy returned and everything is about Marcy now. Whoever talks to Nora, it's about how they are hoping that Nora can put them in touch with Marcy. Marcy-this, Marcy-that... princess Marcy. Hmph!
Nora despises Marcy for many things, but the most hateful thing Marcy did was that because of Marcy's incompetence, Alpha Damon left! If Damon stayed longer, Nora was confident that she would get more chances to interact with him. And he left without prior notice. Nora didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.
Nora's smile didn't falter while looking at Marcy and wishing for a bucket of tar and chicken feathers to fall on her finely combed blonde hair.
"You shouldn't be so calm after seeing this photo, Marcy. Alpha Damon's Luna can't be a pushover.", Nora said matter-of-factly. "Actually, I already showed this to Alpha Edward, and he agrees that you shouldn't wait for another week until you go to see him…"
Marcy's stomach formed knots as the realization sank in; she underestimated Nora. She knew that Nora was scheming, but she didn't think that the blasted backstabber will actually go to the Alpha.
Handling Nora is one thing, but Alpha Edward is a whole new level of difficulty.
Did Nora say that Marcy should go to the Dark Howlers pack earlier?
Alpha Damon is easily irritable and if Marcy pushes again to see him sooner, he might bail out of that engagement completely. Actually, maybe that will be a good thing. As much as being a Luna of the largest pack in North America sounds like a glorious title, a lifetime with a guy like Alpha Damon will be a punishment.
Alpha Damon refused to see her last time. What will they do to change his mind?
Or do they plan for Marcy to just head to the Dark Howlers pack without announcing her visit? What if they don't let her in? That would be embarrassing.
Nora was still talking when Marcy got a message through the mind-link from her father. He was waiting for her in the study.
…
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Marcy noticed that it was only her father in his study.
"Sit, Marcy…", Alpha Edward said while gesturing toward the chair that was on the other side of the desk from him.
"I believe that Nora told you about Alpha Damon being seen with some woman last night at the festival at the Dark Howlers pack."
Marcy nodded at her father's words, unsure how she should react.
Should she be high and dignified as a future Luna, or should she throw a tantrum because her so-called lover was seen with another woman?
"We need to speed up our plans.", Alpha Edward said. "We can't allow him to spend time with random women."
"What's the plan?", Marcy asked reluctantly.
"Beta Caden told me that Alpha Damon is not available today. Tomorrow morning, I will call and tell them that you have another trip planned, to visit your aunt, and the Dark Howlers pack is on the way. You will have dinner with him, make sure it's in public and that someone takes photos…"
Marcy was surprised that her father already planned for all this. He also had a scheme where an incident will happen with her aunt, so Marcy won't continue her journey and will remain in the Dark Howlers pack. Of course, a visit to her aunt is just an excuse. If Marcy says that she is just passing by, Damon won't have a reason to refuse her for a get-together that won't last more than a few hours. When she tells him that her aunt had an accident, Damon will be heartless if he doesn't let her stay longer. He might even comfort her. Smart.
"… If you go on your own it will be suspicious. Nora volunteered to accompany you."
"Did she?", Marcy asked. "How nice of her."
Alpha Edward nodded solemnly. "She is very supportive. You are lucky to have her by your side."
Marcy felt like throwing up. Lucky? It seems that her father doesn't know that Nora slept with his future son-in-law while he tried to negotiate a marriage for his daughter. Marcy wondered if her father would even care about it. Probably not.
The more Marcy thought about this, the more she realized that Nora is behind this push for Marcy to go and visit Damon as soon as possible.
But what's Nora's agenda?
Damon is known for not repeating his hookups, or does Nora think that she is different?
Nora can't be delusional to think that she is a candidate to be Damon's Luna. Or maybe she plans that when Marcy is only one step from the goal, Nora can do something so that Marcy can't attend the wedding and Nora takes her spot? Or maybe she drugs Damon and ends up tricking him into marking her?
Each idea was crazier than the previous one, and Marcy had no way to confirm the truth, but Marcy was certain that Nora was not her friend and that she shouldn't dance according to Nora's tune.
"Can I speak freely?", Marcy asked. When her father nodded, she continued, "What if Alpha Damon is just letting the steam before tying the knot? He should know that once I become his Luna and we complete the mating ceremony, he will lose interest in other women. After all, he didn't reject the arrangement, he only said that he had other priorities currently and he even promised to make it up to me when I visit him one week from now."
Alpha Edward paused. "You think so?"
"I can't be certain, but to be honest, I will prefer if Alpha Damon gets his last kinks out before I show up. What if he has few women with him now? Do I need to compete with those nobodies for his attention? Or will he chase them away and be irritable because his plans were altered due to my unexpected visit?"
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