Nina sat in the little room Lady Gina had kept her in, as she waited to bid farewell to her parents.
Thankfully she got to have alone time before the...
She shut her eyes, breathing in deeply. She didn't even want to think about it.
What was she going to do?
Was the Alpha really going to sleep with her?
She would have been sure the answer was in the negative, but after the stunt he pulled at the wedding, she didn't know anymore.
What if he decided to sleep with her?
Nina's skin crawled at the thought. She shut her eyes tightly.
Suddenly there was the movement of keys in the lock and the doors were pushed open.
Nina stood up as Marjorie and Jonathan walked in, accompanied by a guard.
"You have thirty minutes."
The guard said before walking out and shutting the doors.
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Nina stared at her parents.
Marjorie watched her, her eyes scanning her up and down with that familiar cold assessment.
"This would most likely be the last time I see you alive," she was smiling, as though she couldn't wait for Nina to be finally gone.
"At least, there wouldn't be anyone to trouble my little girl anymore." she sighed, shaking her head.
Nina's jaw tightened but she didn't say a word.
Marjorie closed the gap between them, her finger raised in warning. "Make sure no one finds out who you are until you're dead, do you hear me?"
"That's enough, Marie." Jonathan's voice cut in. "She already sacrificed her life. You don't need to be cruel even at the end."
Marjorie whirled on her husband, eyes flashing. "Well, I wouldn't have needed to be cruel at all if you kept your thing in your pants."
Jonathan gritted his teeth. "This is not what we are here for, Marjorie. Can you not—"
"I would like you both to leave."
Nina's voice was soft, but it sliced through their bickering like a blade.
Jonathan and Marjorie turned to look at her, confused expressions on their faces.
"You don't need to pretend to care about me," she continued, going to sit down on the couch.
"No one here is fooled by your little show. They already know you sacrificed your child for wealth, so being here doesn't save your faces."
Marjorie's face flushed red with rage. "How dare you speak to us in that manner?"
She started forward, closing the gap between them in three sharp strides, her hand rising to strike—
But Nina suddenly burst out laughing.
She laughed so hard her head tilted back, and for a moment something flickered in her eyes—something dark and wild that made Marjorie's hand freeze mid-air.
The laughter died as abruptly as it had begun.
Nina's gaze locked onto Marjorie's, her voice laced with bitterness.
"Mother," she dragged the name out slowly, savoring each syllable. "You seem to be forgetting who you are speaking to."
She drew in a breath, and a cold smile curved her lips.
"You dare to touch the Luna of the Vermont Pack? Are you courting death?"
The color drained from Marjorie's face. Her hand dropped slowly, trembling now.
"At my command," Nina continued softly, standing up and taking a step forward, "I can have your fingers crushed into pieces and fed to you. Do you know that?"
Marjorie stumbled backward, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. "You... you..."
"Foolish woman." Nina's smile widened. "You didn't think clearly before making your enemy lord over you, did you? I can have you and your precious little girl skinned alive if even the slightest breath of your stinking air touches my skin."
"Nina." Jonathan's voice was sharp now, a warning. He stepped forward, positioning himself slightly between them. "That's enough."
But Nina's eyes never left Marjorie's face.
She wanted to drink in this moment—to see the fear, the realization dawning in those cruel eyes that had looked at her with nothing but contempt for twenty years.
Marjorie turned to Jonathan, her voice rising with panic. "Did you hear what she just said to me? To me?"
Jonathan's jaw worked, but he said nothing. What could he say? Nina was right. She was the Luna now. Second only to the Alpha. And for these ten days—or however long she survived—she held power over all of them.
Marjorie's hands trembled as she looked between her husband and Nina. The reality was sinking in now, settling like ice in her chest. But then she drew in a breath, gathering her composure.
"You'll die in ten days anyway," Marjorie finally spat, though her voice shook. "You can go be the Luna in the grave!"
Nina tilted her head to the side, that dark smile still playing on her lips. "Hmm? What if by some sheer twist of fate, I don't die? Have you thought about that?"
The question hung in the air.
Marjorie went completely still. Her heart was beating so loudly Nina could almost hear it.
If Nina survived—if she actually became the Luna—then Marjorie had just handed absolute power to someone who had every reason to destroy her.
"That would nevr happen," Marjorie said with a shaky voice.
"Now, won't it?" Nina's eyes gleamed. ″But what if I survive, Mother? What are you going to do then?"
"Don't call me that," Marjorie hissed.
"Why not? You've called yourself my mother publicly for years. Surely you can bear to hear it now."
Jonathan cleared his throat. "Marjorie, we should go."
But Marjorie wasn't done. She drew herself up, trying to reclaim some dignity, some authority. "You've grown sharp-tongued, I see. I hope you can keep this up as your life is being snuffed out of you very soon."
She squinted, forcing a smile. "Make sure you survive, or else I'll be laughing over your grave. But oh, you'll get to meet your mother, so it's not a bad idea after all."
The mention of her real mother made something flicker across Nina's face. But she held her ground.
Marjorie turned toward the door, then paused and barked over her shoulder, "This is what I get for taking in a servant's child. Pathetic!"
With that, she stormed out of the room.
Jonathan lingered for a moment, his eyes meeting Nina's. There was something there—regret, maybe, or guilt—but it was gone too quickly to name.
His jaw tightened and without a word he followed his wife, shutting the door with a soft click behind him.
The moment the lock turned, Nina's knees buckled.
She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until it all came rushing out in a gasp. Her hands found the chair and she gripped it, knuckles white, as her legs gave way beneath her.
She sank to the floor, trembling violently.
Tears spilled over, hot and fast, streaming down her cheeks in torrents. She pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs that wanted to tear free.
She had done it.
She had finally stood up to Marjorie. Had seen that woman—that cruel, vicious woman—actually afraid of her.
For the first time in her entire life, Marjorie had feared her.
Nina laughed through her tears, the sound half-broken, half-triumphant. It was enough. Whatever happened to her now, whether she died tomorrow or in ten days, she had won this moment.
The doors opened just then, and Lady Gina walked in, accompanied by the girls from the day before. This time there were more of them, at least a dozen, all carrying various items.
"What are you doing on the floor?"
Lady Gina's voice was sharp but not unkind. When she saw Nina's tear-streaked face, understanding flickered across her features.
"Get up," she said, more gently now. "Wipe your eyes."
Nina scrambled upright, hastily brushing at her cheeks with the back of her hand.
Lady Gina shook her head, a wry expression on her face. "You shouldn't cry yet, child. Save your tears for later."
She paused, her eyes meeting Nina's directly.
"Because you might be killed tonight."