The brilliant light from the chandelier cast a brilliant glow over Valerie's lavishly furnished room. The walls were adorned with deep crimson silk, the bed draped in expensive black sheets that smelled faintly of lavender. The scent would have been calming if Valerie weren't seething with fury.
She paced the room, digging her nails into her palms. The rage in her chest was almost unbearable, like a slow burning fire threatening to consume her. Sabrina. That weak little thing. The girl had done nothing but cause problems since she arrived, and yet Zuca continued to tolerate her, protect her even. It made Valerie sick.
A knock on the door pulled her from her storming thoughts. She turned toward it, inhaling deeply to steady herself. There was only one person who knocked like that.
"Come in," she said, her voice tight.
The door swung open and Zuca stepped in. His dark gaze swept over the room before finally settling on her, he had a blank expression on his deadly looking face. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, arms crossed. His presence filled the space, commanding as always.
"You wanted to see me?" he asked, his voice deep and laced with impatience.
Valerie narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, I did. Because we have a problem, Zuca."
He raised a brow, waiting.
"It's that girl," she spat. "Sabrina. She's been causing nothing but trouble. This is the second time she's tried to run, and it won't be the last. She's weak, she's pathetic and she has no place here. She should've been torn to pieces already if only you'd let me."
Zuca's jaw tensed, but he said nothing.
Valerie took a step forward, her tone turning sharper. "I don't understand why you're keeping her. Why do you tolerate her when she's nothing but a child compared to the rest of us? Why do you let her stay as if she belongs here when she's clearly not fit for this pack?"
Still, Zuca remained silent.
Her frustration boiled over. "You're the Alpha! You don't have to justify your decisions, but this… this is insane. She is nothing. She's weak Zuca, you should let me deal with her. I could break her in minutes. You know I could."
The air in the room shifted instantly.
Valerie didn't even have the time to process it before Zuca moved. One second, he was standing near the door, and the next, he was right in front of her, towering over her with his dark eyes blazing dangerously.
"Do not test me Valerie," he warned, his voice low and sharp like a hot blade slicing through butter.
She inhaled sharply, her heart pounding.
"You don't get to question my decision," he continued, his tone unwavering. "You don't get to demand answers from me. I brought her here and I will decide if she is useful to me or not. Not you."
Valerie frowned, but spoke cautiously. "You've never had a reason to raise your voice at me before," her voice was filled with bitterness. "But now, because of that little wolf you are."
Zuca's eyes darkened even further.
"Do you have any idea what that feels like?" she continued, her voice rising. "Do you know how infuriating it is to watch you protect someone so worthless while I… while your entire pack have done nothing but dedicate our lives to you?"
He let out a slow breath, shaking his head in disappointment. "You sound ridiculous."
Valerie's eyes flashed with hurt. "I sound ridiculous?"
"Yes," he snapped. "Childish. Dramatic. And it disgusts me."
Her breath froze at his words, and for the first time in a long time she felt something close to humiliation. Zuca had always been cold and ruthless, always been a force to be reckoned with, but he had never spoken to her like this.
He suddenly reached forward, grabbing her by the shoulders in a firm grip. His fingers pressed just hard enough to send a shiver down her spine.
"Listen to me Valerie," he said, his voice controlled but undeniably rough. "I don't need your jealousy. I don't need your petty insecurities. All I need from you is to do what I tell you. Watch Sabrina. But do not bully her, do not harass her and most importantly do not waste my time with your childish outbursts over a girl you just called weak."
Valerie swallowed, her throat dry.
"You will never ask me again why I brought her here," Zuca continued, his voice dropping to a near growl. "Because that is none of your business."
Then without another word, he shoved her back slightly and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Valerie stood there, breathing heavily, her hands shaking at her sides.
She had never seen Zuca like that before. Never.
And it only made her hatred for Sabrina grow.
Long after Zuca's departure, Valerie sat motionless on the edge of the bed. Her fingers curled against the sheets, gripping the silk like it could somehow tether her to the moment, keep him from slipping further away. But he was already gone.
Slowly she exhaled and leaned back, her eyes shifting to the bedside table. The small wooden box sat there, waiting. She reached for it, flipping the lid open with a practiced movement of her wrist. The sharp, earthy scent of freshly cut weed filled the air, wrapping around her like an old lover.
She rolled the joint with steady hands, lit the tip and brought it to her lips. The first inhale was deep, the familiar burn in her lungs calming her. As she exhaled, the smoke curled toward the ceiling, dancing in the dim glow of her lamp. A smile played at the corner of her lips.
"Fuck Sabrina." She muttered in a voice low and filled with amusement. "I see you hold more importance to Zuca than I expected. This should be interesting."
Leaning back into the pillows, she twirled a strand of her dark hair between her fingers. She had known Zuca all her life. He was hers. No one could take him away from her… not now, not ever.
The thought of Sabrina made her jaw tighten. She could already picture the girl, wide eyed and naive, thinking she had something special. It was almost laughable.
Almost.
Valerie took another drag, her lips curling as she reached for the intercom beside her bed. Pressing the button, she let the silence stretch before speaking.
"Send Baboo to my room."
She released the button, sinking deeper into the mattress.