"Ahh!" Vera Turner screamed her frustration into the air when she received the news that their attack on the North pack had been foiled.
She stormed over to the small bar where bottles and glasses still sat from their earlier celebration of "inevitable victory." In one furious sweep, she cleared the counter, shards exploding as glass shattered across the floor, startling everyone present.
"Vera, calm down," Moira urged, but Vera whirled on her, eyes flashing.
"No! Donāt tell me to fucking calm down! Iāve had enough of this bullshit! Everything would have gone according to plan if he had eliminated all of those freaks of nature from the start!"
Her voice rose, mocking with venom.
"But no. Leave Violet Purple alive. Sheās special. Thereās something about her, I want her..."
She twisted Patrickās words in a cruel imitation, her tone dripping scorn.
Vera strode to where Patrick sat slouched in his chair, head bowed, hands limp in his lap like a chastised child.
"Well, look what your mistake cost us!" she snapped in his face. "I lost half my forces, and the North pack is still standing. Those men trusted me, and I let them die uselessly, all because of some little girl you should have squashed when you had the chance!"
Vera straightened, chest heaving, her glare fixed on him. But Patrick didnāt look up. It was as if he had been dragged back to his miserable childhood, where his siblings were praised for their effortless strength while he was berated for his weakness, and failure to measure up to them.
This was why he had left in the first place and chosen the way of scienceāthe only thing he was ever truly good at. Everything he had done since then was not only to fulfill the vision of his ancestors but also to shove it in the faces of his family, to prove he had turned out far better than they ever believed.
And it worked. They had been impressed with his creation of Ignis. With Ignis, Patrick believed at last that he would be accepted, that his mother would finally deem him worthyālike his other siblings.
But while Patrick was brilliant at innovation, he was not battle-wise. The recent failure of his plan exposed that weakness clearly. That was the difference between him and his family: they only dreamed of cleansing the world of werewolves, but Patrick was a scientist.
Science was all about discovery.
And Violet Purple was an anomaly he couldnāt wait to get his hands on.
He had seen the footage of the attack. Violet Purple was far more powerful than he ever imagined. Even more than the cardinal alphas. What was she? She couldnāt be just a werewolf. If she was, then what made her special? What blasphemous ritual had been done to forge her into this?
Even in defeat, Patrick was filled with anticipation. He couldnāt wait to cut her open and uncover what made her tick. With her power as raw material, he would create wonders. He would be unstoppable.
Unlike the cardinal alphas, he had always been wary of their parents, and most of all, the Alpha King. In the past, he had to operate under Elijahās instruction, and thanks to that, secretly birthed Ignis. But now? Nothing bound him anymore. Once Violet was in his hands, there would be no ceiling to what he could do.
"We should have known better than to trust this mission to you," Vera raged on.
She took a deep breath, lifted her head, her decision clear. "Iām taking over this operation."
Patrickās head snapped up. "What?!"
"Youāve had your chance, Elias," she hissed. "We wonāt let another opportunity slip away because of your pathetic strategy and failures."
Patrick shot to his feet at once, anger creeping into his voice. "This mission is my hard work! My sweat! I brought it to life!"
Vera didnāt flinch and told him flatly, "The only thing you brought to life is Ignis, and thatās the only game changer in this mission. But might I remind you Elias that youāve lost everything. And without our help, Ignis is useless in your hands."
Patrickās jaw ticked. "Then Iāll find someone else to sell it to. I know people who can give me the resources I need."
"Really?" Vera scoffed. "People who share our familyās mission? People who understand why the werewolves must go?" She stepped closer, brushing invisible dirt off her brotherās shirt with calculated disdain. "Or people willing to do business with you while the Alpha King breathes down your neck?" She smirked, savoring the way she pierced through his bravado.
Patrick let out an annoyed huff. That damn bitch, always with the upper hand.
Joseph finally spoke, his voice dripping with mockery. "You should listen to her, little Elias. Right now, the only thing youāre good for is making Ignis."
Patrickās face flushed hot, fury burning beneath his skin. That piece of shit, he cursed under his breath.
"Thatās not the way to talk to your brother," Moira chided him. But her voice held no bite, and Josephās grin only widened at the lack of consequence.
This time Veraās hands closed on her brotherās collar and yanked him forward so fast he was nose-to-nose with her. "So, do you agree, or are we going to have a problem?"
Her grip was so tight Patrick could barely breathe; his face flushed red. He spat, "If I say no, what will you do, kill me?"
Vera lifted a brow. "Trust me, you donāt want to find out."
As always, Patrick didnāt have the balls to stand up to her.
"Fine. Take over," he said, sourly. "Thatās what youāre good at anyway."
Before he could blink, Vera kicked him in the groin. He fell to the floor, the pain folding him in half.
Vera muttered with contempt, "One-upmanshipās also my specialty, if you hadnāt noticed."
Patrick said nothing, wallowing in pain on the ground.
Joseph applauded, smirking. "Now that youāve been promoted, General, whatās the plan?"
Vera smiled, eyes alive. "Anarchy."
"What?" Moira snapped, confused.
"Look at us, weāve been staging careful strikes and failing every time. Why not let others do the dirty work?" Veraās grin widened.
"And how, exactly?" Joseph asked, intrigued.
"Give Ignis to every racist human who wants it," Vera said, delight bubbling in her voice. "Why should we keep doing their fighting for them? Let them unleash chaos themselves."
Patrick groaned from the floor. "Thatās not a plan, youāll just create a war."
Veraās eyes glittered. "Exactly. The Second Great War." She almost laughed. "Gerald will be proud."
Moira and Joseph exchanged looks, and shrugged. It didnāt sound so bad to them.
"But first," Vera said, eyes narrowing, "the cardinal alphas have to go."
"We tried and failed," Joseph reminded her.
"Because we followed Eliasā plan," Vera said coldly. "The three cardinals are mated to Violet. Thatās our target. Kill the queen and the knights fall."