"The plan is very simple, my darling daughter," Fuchsia said with a glint in her eyes that spread to her face highlighting every malevolent thought of her mind. 

Bernice narrowed her eyes. "And what is the plan?"

Fuchsia sheathed the knife back and tucked it inside her gown's pocket with care. "When Kaizan and Olivia will come here tomorrow, I will ask your father to take Kaizan around our gardens. When Olivia is alone, I will use this knife to kill her. All I have to do is nick her flesh a little. I will do that while serving her fruits on the dining table and she wouldn't even come to know what happened. Captain Samuel will be visiting us for the first time. When Olivia dies, we will shift the whole blame to him." 

Bernice stared at her mother with shock. For a moment her mind went numb, and then a smile came on her lips. "You are brilliant, mother!" she said. "The blame will go on Captain Samuel, because I will act as a witness!"

Fuchsia tittered. "Yes, Bernice. I can see that you have started thinking like me." 

"And when Olivia is dead, Kaizan will be left without a mate. He will be forced to marry me!" Bernice exclaimed, jumping off the couch. She could imagine the broad chest of the General, his strong column of neck and those pillar-like legs. She drooled at just the imagination of touching that soft velvety skin and dream of the muscles rippling beneath them. 

"And with no Olivia in the scene," said Fuchsia, blowing her nails, "I will push Kaizan to make your father the beta of the pack." 

Now Bernice was stunned. She knelt before her mother and looked into her eyes. She couldn't believe that her mother was so great with her planning. She had saved herself from Murtagh, and now she was going to make her father the beta of the pack and even get her married to Kaizan. Finally, her dream was going to come true. "Mother, you are so intelligent. I could never think of that plan." 

Fuchsia chortled as she placed a hand on her cheek. "Anything for you, my dear. Just make sure that you are near Olivia when I am fussing around her." 

"Of course!" Bernice replied. "I will be there."

"And don't act cold towards her. I remember that you were glaring at her when we went to meet her," Fuchsia warned. "You have to mask your hatred with love and manners. We have to put an act in front of Captain Samuel too." 

"Yes Mother," Bernice said. From what she had heard about Captain Samuel, he was a short, stout and fat. Her friends had said that he was shorter than her in height. Bernice seethed inside when she heard how the captain looked. Her jealousy against Olivia was at an all-time high. How could Olivia get a man as handsome as Kaizan while all she got was a bloody fat captain? Suddenly, she had a doubt. "Mother, even if I marry Kaizan, how are we going to get ourselves free of the vow?" 

Fuchsia shook her head. "Bernice, sometimes I feel you have dropped your brains in my womb." 

"Motherrr?" she whined. 

"Once you are married to Kaizan, we will ask Ileus to free you of your vow. He will be compelled to do so, because he would want Kaizan's wife in the capital, isn't it?" 

"Ohhh!" Bernice smacked her forehead. "Gods, why couldn't I think of it." 

"Because you dropped your brains in my womb, remember?"  Bernice let out a loud laughter and Fuchsia joined her. The two women were excited about their plan for the next day. It was such a simple plan that there was no chance of it not being executed well. A simple nick in her flesh was all it would take to kill her. As for Kaizan, Bernice knew how she was going to use all her charms to keep him in control. 

--- 

Kaizan was too tired to meet the councilmen in the evening and so he postponed the meeting to the next day in the morning. Right now, he was sitting in the meeting chamber along with Vaarin and other councilmen. They were eager to know about their Alpha. They all had gathered in the meeting chamber to meet the General, their eyes rolling in fear. Kaizan could see how they lowered their eyes when he looked at them and how silent and attentive they were. 

One of them spoke, "It has been quite a long time since Murtagh was taken prisoner by the king. We have signed the peace treaty and we are strong enough together. With Murtagh free, think what all we can do if you set him free. You are the General of Silver Vales, greater than Murtagh himself, but this can only happen if you wish and report to the king about our intentions." 

Kaizan smiled. "What are you talking about?" he said. "The trade has opened up very well. All you have to do now is join hands with the Silver Vales army and take care of the rogues. Once they are gone, the Whiteclaw pack is going to prosper just like other packs in Silver Vales." 

The councilmen shifted in their chairs. The message was loud and clear. The king wasn't going to set Murtagh free anytime soon. The men rubbed their hands and looked nervously at Vaarin. Before they could speak more, Kaizan said, "The king wishes to remove Murtagh from the position of the Alpha and give that position to Vaarin." 

"What?" said two of them collectively. 

"That is preposterous!" a man on the left blurted as he looked at Vaarin, who looked too stunned at the revelation. Even he heard it for the first time. 

Kaizan raised his eyebrow. "Is it then?" He crossed his arms across his chest and gave them a pointed glare as if to say 'are you challenging the king's decision?' 

The councilman who blurted out of turn winced in fear. Kaizan's aura was… menacing. He snapped his mouth shut. In a low voice he said, "But usually in order to become the Alpha of the pack, one has to challenge the current Alpha in a battle to the death. You just can't claim the title like that." 

"I see," Kaizan replied. "And you thought I didn't know it?"

"I am not saying you don't know…" the man shifted in his chair, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "But…" Kaizan raised his hand up and he stopped speaking. 

"If the king has passed that order, it will happen. Vaarin will be made the Alpha of the Whiteclaw pack, and as for Murtagh, we will see what to do with him. The formal ceremony will take place before I leave and you will give Vaarin your blood oath." 

Everyone fell silent. They all looked at Vaarin—some with jealousy and some with reverence. 

"Those who don't want to be with Vaarin, can step down. Those who want to challenge his position, they will be directly challenging the king. And I am here to fight for the king." Those words from Kaizan sealed everyone's fate. No one wanted to challenge the General. 

---

Bernice was humming a song while arranging flowers in a vase on the dining table in the morning.

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