Chapter 13: I’ll Just Cause Trouble!

Ellenor shakily did. She placed her hands on the floor, tears spilling down her eyes.

"Good." And with a cruel smile on her face, Meris tipped the kettle and watched as the hot liquid poured over, spilling painfully onto her hands.

The pain was too excruciating. Ellenor pulled her hands back. She wanted to run, but Meris ordered the maids, "Hold her down!"

They had no choice. The three of them hurried over.

"No, no, please don’t do this to me!" Ellenor begged. "Please don’t do this to me, I’m begging you!"

But they held her down and spread out her hands for Meris to pour the rest of the hot water on.

Ellenor could only cry, unable to fight off three beta women.

"Please! Please have mercy!"

But Meris never stopped, not until the kettle was empty. She squatted down and grabbed her by the chin. Then she warned, "Next time, you keep your mouth shut. When I ask you to do something, do exactly as I said, otherwise, you will suffer."

She stood up and walked out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind her.

She arrived at the foyer and shook her head rapidly, screaming out the second she remembered how Dante had carried Selene away.

Her face twitched in overwhelming rage.

She reached into her pocket and grasped her phone. She called him.

Mavros.

[Why are you calling me at this time, Meris?]

"Things have gone wrong."

[What do you mean?]

Meris clenched her hand. "I tried to get rid of her just like you asked, but things went downhill. We got into an altercation, and Dante found us. But now I’m the one that looks bad! He thinks I hurt her! Dante believed her over me!"

[What?]

"That bitch is psychotic," Meris spat.

[What are you talking about?]

"She tried to kill me! She almost killed me! And then Dante came and he took her away. He didn’t believe me. He was angry with me! He thinks I hurt her."

[Well, you did]

"Mavros! You asked me to. How can you say this?"

[Yes, I asked you to get rid of her, but does that mean you should be stupid? Don’t you know how to handle situations like this? Is this how you’re going to push forward until you become his Luna and hold power in this pack?]

He sighed on the other side of the phone.

[You are hopeless sometimes. What’s so hard about killing that woman, an outsider that barely knows a thing about our pack? When you want to kill off someone, you do it quietly!]

"You!..."

[I have things to do. Handle this. And be careful next time. Mess up and our entire goal falls apart. Don’t think you have the luxury to make a misstep]

"Are you—"

The phone beeped. The man had hung up on her.

Meris froze. Her body shook terribly, her face growing red the angrier she got. She puffed out every breath and clenched her hands until her knuckles turned paper white.

Storming around, she stumped her way up the stairs.

...

Atop the hospital bed, Selene sat, awake. A bandage was carefully wrapped around her head and her hand. She looked cleaned up, now dressed in a hospital uniform.

[Give the phone to me. I want to talk to her, Papa!]

Someone spoke on the other side of the phone she held.

[Selene!]

"What is it, Solyn?"

[Papa told me, You got hurt. You’re in the hospital]

"I am."

[I never should have allowed Papa to substitute you in my place. Now you’re hurt]

"Do you think you could handle it any better, sister?"

[Why do you always think I’m so weak?!]

"Because you are. And you’re very naive and weak-hearted. If you came here, you’d be dead by now."

[Selene! You’re being disrespectful right now]

"No. I’m being honest, Solyn. I care for you."

Her sister scoffed on the other side of the phone. "You’re my little sister. I’m supposed to protect you."

"Well, I’m tougher than you," Selene ate off the fruit plate on the small table on her bed. "Give the phone to Papa."

[Won’t you say you love me?]

"Are you a child?"

[Say you love me. I’m your big sister]

Selene made a face. "I love you. Can you hand the phone over now?"

Her sister’s chuckle resounded before she heard the phone being handed over. A deeper male voice came through. [Do you want me to bring you back?]

"And ruin the peace treaty, Papa?"

[You almost got poisoned! You could have died, Selene!

"But I’m fine. You know I’m not that weak to die just because I was hit in the head. I’m tougher than that. Besides, I already agreed to do this. I knew it would be dangerous, yet I’m here. Why would I come back now? Or do you want to go back on your word on doing anything I ask for?"

[This is no joke, Selene. I’m your father, and I am worried! I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want to risk your death. I think you need to come back]

"No."

[No?]

"Not like this. I can’t return like this."

[What do you mean?]

"It is true that if I stay, my life is going to be in danger if not every day I spend here. But, if you just take me back, Dante will have a hold on you, after all, you breached the deal first. Who knows what his requirement of compensation will be?"

[But you almost died]

"Yes, but I’m not dead at the end of the day, Papa." She explained, "Instead of taking me back, why don’t I simply make Dante be willing to send me back on his terms? That way neither party breaches the deal. Another form of solution can be discussed between you and Dante. I am safe, you are safe, he is safe, and my sister is safe, a win-win for everyone. Don’t you think that is much smarter? The pack is at risk, Papa and you don’t have the luxury to be impulsive."

Mr. Tobias was quiet for a few seconds. Then he asked, [How do you plan to make Dante Baris send you back?"

"Simple!" She shrugged. "I’ll just cause trouble!"

[Huh?]