"The Senior Alpha demands your presence, Alpha Rania," one of the warriors said to Rania who just rolled her eyes at him. If the alpha wanted her, then he could come to her himself, not use the warriors when he clearly had failed to be a good father.
Dalrae looked at her best friend, and she could tell a snarky response was about to come out of her mouth, from the way she was looking at the warrior as if he had been the one who called her.
"Te—"
"I'll bring her myself, you're dismissed," Dalrae said in her beta tone and her friend pouted at her.
"What?" Dalrae asked.
"You're mean, is all," Rania said as she continued pouting at her.
"But Rani, you know you have to go. As your best friend and beta, it is important to remind you that we have a whole pack depending on you—"
"I've never failed them. It was them who failed me and kept failing me. Why the fuck would anyone tell me that I'm not good enough to be their mate just because I am an alpha wolf? What kind of bitch ass fuckery is that?" Rania complained.
She had realized that someone was intentionally sabotaging her mate bonds. The supernatural world knew of her, but since she'd been rejected more than once, Rania had decided to formally announce that she wasn't interested in a mate.
It was only then that she stopped receiving proposals. It was weird really, how they had shown up, and disappeared like a plague. At first, Rania suspected her parents of being involved in her rejection.
However, her mother's pained face, each time she heard that her daughter had been rejected was enough to remind Rania that her parents had nothing to do with that, which could only leave one person.
Park Ji-hoon, her rival alpha.
Of course, anyone would think she was crazy to think an alpha from another pack would be so determined to make Rania's life miserable, but it wasn't something they could put past Jihoon. The man hated Rania with all of his being.
Kim Rania had killed his mate five years ago, and had never once apologized. Instead, she called him a weak man for having such a mate. She never gave him a reason as to why she killed his mate in cold blood.
Jihoon had tried to live past the pain, but everyone knew it was impossible to heal after a mate died, unless the goddess gave them a new mate. And Jihoon had refused to be mated to anyone just to get over his pain.
This is what made him the perfect puppeteer. He no longer had anyone to lose. He had lost his love and had remained a shell. So, what better way to have fun other than making Kim Rani miserable?
Rania had told Dalrae about her suspicions and her best friend, of course, wanted to go after Park Jihoon, but Rania had told her not to. Maybe they would find a consensus, but then it had been five years since the murder, and nothing happened.
"Rani— I lost you again," Dalrae sighed.
"Tell me, what should I do, Dalrae. Everything is just messing with me, to make me even more miserable and it doesn't even seem to affect them much—"
"You need an escape, Rani. Go to the alpha camp, and try not to kill anyone, unless you kill them with your beauty. Maybe you'll finally be able to break the cycle, my love. It's worth a try, yeah?" Dalrae said to Rania.
"But—"
"No buts, Rania. You are an excellent warrior, and a good alpha. Don't undermine yourself. Get up, let's go listen to what your papa has to say, so we can get this over and done with.
"At best, he will probably tell you to behave yourself, and be nice to Jihoon, but I say if Jihoon triggers you, punch that punk-ass to next month, and I'll back you up. Do me a favor Rania," Dalrae said.
"What is it now?"
"Promise me."
"Fine, but what am I even promising? Please let it be me murdering Jihoon once and for all,"
"Rania."
"Alright fine, I promise. I don't know if I'm about to sell my soul but yeah, I promise, so what did I just promise this time?"
"Be calm when alpha Kim tells you whatever he has to say. It's the only way to assure him that you really wanna go to the camp so he can't send warriors to keep an eye on you, love. For once, just listen to him"
"You're asking me for too much Dalrae. You know he hates me. He's probably hoping I die in the alpha camp because apparently to him, I'm an irrational child who needs discipline. Funny how he hates what I've become when he turned me into this.
"Tell me Dalrae, do you think my papa has ever been proud of me?" Rania asked, her voice breaking for a moment.
"I know he's proud of you. He's a stubborn ass like you, but he cares for you. Each time you guys have a fight, he always leaves you the green apples, to make you happy. I never knew who was leaving them there, till I caught him red-handed.
"I'm not sure why he treats you publicly like that, but somehow, I keep hoping that he truly loves you," Dalrae said to Rania.
Rania wanted answers but had already known she would never get them, so she had learned to not ask anymore. No matter how desperate she was, she would always try to keep it all in. Besides, it wasn't the first time they showed her disappointment.
And Rania knew it wasn't going to be the last.
"Fine, I'll go see him, but if he tries something, I'm allowed to forget he's my father for a moment, yeah?"
"Absolutely, I'll even help you myself."
"Okay."
Rania wanted to take the easy way out of Incayon and sadly for her, the easy way out involved a couple of people she didn't want to meet. However, she had to think straight and fast this time. She only had three days to strategize.
She was currently headed to the packhouse with Dalrae.
Her best friend was somehow sure Rania would never make it to the packhouse alone, and given that the alpha had been calling her for the past few weeks, and she hadn't gone, Dalrae had taken it upon herself as Rania's beta, to get her alpha to alpha Kim.
So much happened in the past few weeks, with Rania having come up with twelve concrete plans to put an end to Park Jihoon. She was filled with hate and spite in her system for the man, and she had accomplished her first when she murdered Yanna.
It should have made her feel some kind of remorse, considering the pain Jihoon had gone through, but Rania felt nothing. Instead, it was almost like she had scored a beautiful tender from the palace and had to work towards it.
"I still think this is a bad idea, Dalrae. We can always go back," Rania suggested, but Dalrae had already had enough of the chaos.
"No, my love. We're going to walk in there, with your head held high. My Rania is not a coward and she's not going to start today," Dalrae said and Rania pulled her friend into a hug.
Dalrae had always supported her. They showed up for each other. Whatever happened, they would go on together, besides, surely the alpha wouldn't try to kill his daughter just three days to the annual camp, would he?
"Don't leave me, okay," Rania pleaded with Dalrae.
She knew she could face her father alone, but if she went alone, she would do something to her father, something that would make the world hate her. And while she wasn't opposed to the hatred, she knew it would negatively affect her mother.
She needed Dalrae with her, for humanity's sake and the sake of her mother's self-respect among the packs in their werewolf kingdom.
"I won't. I'll always be here for you. Always."
"Here goes nothing," Rania sighed as they approached the packhouse. Quietly the two girls walked up the staircase, pretending to not see the hundreds of eyes they were receiving.