CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64: SNAKE TO SNAKE

MAEVE’S POV

I matched it nonetheless with a sneaky smirk of my own.

"And ruin the suspense? Not a chance."

Her pale white lips stretched even further, pulling across her paper-thin wrinkles.

"I wasn’t expecting you to confess that easily anyway. Though I have my theories. Last time, you told me you intended to settle your petty grudges against my family. But tell me—" she leaned forward, eyes glinting in childlike wonder, "aren’t you afraid I might... share your little plans? With the council, maybe? Let everyone know you’re plotting to burn Ash Creek from the inside out?"

Ah.

"Afraid of a lunatic Luna?" I laughed. "Not really. If it comes to that, I’ll just up your dosage until your tongue’s too heavy to wag."

For a heartbeat, something flashed in her gaze—fear, maybe—but she smothered it with a smile.

"Serena believes me, lunatic or not."

She told Serena? Well, fuck.

My nonchalance stayed intact.

"You two have always been birds of the same hideous feather. Fortunately for me, Serena holds no power. She’s only a failed breeder—last I checked."

Lydia’s laugh was unexpected—low, genuinely amused.

"Do you forget whose daughter she is? What lineage she comes from? This pack runs on hierarchy, Maeve. Ivan’s ear might not be hers, but her father’s is. Vance Montrose is known to favor his only daughter. I hear he will be voted High Chief of the pack council soon. Ah, my little naïve prey... you’d be surprised what powerful people do to protect their own."

I turned to face her fully, tilting my head.

"Is that a threat, Lydia?"

She shrugged lightly. "Merely a warning. From one failed Luna to another—you really shouldn’t tell your enemies all your plans. It is, as they love to say, foolish. They just might... bite."

Her words dug deeper than I wanted to admit, but I kept my smile fixed.

"Then take your own advice, Lydia. Don’t dangle threats at the one person holding your life in their hands. I’d hate for Ivan to bury both his parents."

"I don’t fear death anymore," she said simply. "Death would reunite me with my beloved mate. I have missed him so dearly I’d willingly shake hands with death if it means seeing his beautiful face one more time. But truly..." Her expression hardened. "I would hate to leave this world unfulfilled."

The Alpha King used to be Lydia’s biggest enabler—if she was the guillotine, he was the executioner who approved of her every evil.

I arched a brow. "And what could possibly fulfill a wretched woman like you?"

"Your downfall," she said without hesitation.

Her movements were shaky, but she rose to her feet, stepping closer until the scent of her nauseating perfume wrapped its poisoned claws around my neck.

"As a parting gift, I’d love nothing more than to see you destroyed. To see your grave rotting right beside mine. I believe I’ve grown soft, Maeve. But Serena reminded me exactly who I am—goddess bless her. She made me understand that if you want a job done right, you do it yourself." She chuckled. "You should really watch your back, Maeve."

Chills ran down my spine, but not once did I look away from Lydia’s beady eyes.

"Likewise, Luna."

Her eyes narrowed, but there was a glint of... admiration?

"Oh, dear, I wish I’d met this side of you five years ago," she mused. "I’d have made your suffering so much more... delicious. This Maeve standing before me might be a worthy opponent after all."

I smirked. "Careful. I don’t consider you that highly."

She chuckled again, then tilted her head.

"Still curious, though—did you really think you’d find something useful in my room? Some incriminating record, maybe? A weapon to destroy Ash Creek? How foolish do you think I am?"

My breath stilled, heart almost stopping, but I kept quiet, letting her fill the silence.

"A little advice from one snake to another," she went on. "Lie in wait, sweet child. Be patient. Don’t fight blind without knowing the weakest spots first. That’s how you get your prey exactly where you want them."

"Thank you," I said with a faux hand to my chest. "But Lydia, make no mistake—I’m no snake. That’s an insult. Snakes are destined to die crushed at the bottom, no matter how aggressive they present. I prefer to be the very thing that strikes down the head of the snake."

"Ah," she murmured, amused. "An avenging angel."

"Exactly."

"Lovely," she purred.

I packed my things and slung the satchel over my shoulder.

"As much as I adore breathing the same toxic air as you, I have better places to be. Don’t forget to take your medicine."

"Of course, of course. I’d hate to disappoint, healer. And ah, yes..." she paused, smiled, "do extend my regards to my grandson—Asha, is it?"

I froze, but just for a moment, before getting to the door.

"Keep his name out of your mouth."

With that, I shut the door behind me.

Immediately, the mask dropped from my face, replaced by the cold kiss of fear. My heart pounded—faster and faster—almost sending me into a panic attack.

What was Lydia planning? What was Serena planning? Would they touch Asha? Fuck, of course they would! What do I do? I’d never let him out of my sight—I’d never let anyone hurt him.

If they thought I was cruel, oh goddess, they had no idea what I would do for my son. I’d die for him. No—better. I would kill for him.

As I walked down the length of the hallway, only one thought played in my mind:

I needed a way to get into the Alpha King’s study without being detected.

Lydia was a lot of things—cunning, irritating, wicked—but she was not the tactful enemy she believed herself to be.

If anything, her little rant told me two things: she had a strong attachment to her rotten corpse of a husband, and if he carried the black book with him, out of reverence and sentiment, she wouldn’t move it from his safe place.

And she had already been too smug for me not to know the incriminating things weren’t in her room. So they had to be in the Alpha King’s—most likely in his study.

This would all be over once I found it.