Free Web NovelChapter 67: Chapter 67
Vanessa’s Schemes
The next day
I walked into Knight Industries with my head high, ready to dive into the post-acquisition integration work. Diana, my executive assistant, was waiting at my desk with an expression that screamed, "We have a problem."
"Vanessa Blackwood arrived an hour ago," Diana said quietly. "She didn’t have an appointment. She just told security she needed to speak with Christian immediately."
My wolf bristled before my brain caught up. Vanessa. Who’d been MIA since before my mating ceremony. Who suddenly decided to show up right when Harold was escalating.
"Where is she?" I asked, already moving.
"Christian’s office."
I headed down the hallway, my heels clicking against the polished concrete. The executive floor was always quiet, but today it felt suffocatingly silent. Like everyone was holding their breath.
I paused outside Christian’s office door, which was slightly ajar. I could see her before she saw me—Vanessa, all dark hair and curves, perched on the edge of Christian’s desk like she owned it. Her blouse was cut low enough to make a statement, and she was leaning forward with the kind of deliberate body language that screamed seduction.
Christian stood by the window, arms crossed, his entire body screaming discomfort.
"I’ve been hearing such interesting stories about your little Luna," Vanessa said, her voice dripping with false concern. "Did you know she’s been the subject of quite a bit of pack gossip lately? Some Alphas are starting to wonder if she’s strong enough for the position."
I felt my jaw clench.
"She’s doubting herself," Vanessa continued, standing and moving closer to Christian. "Which is understandable, given that she’s never really belonged anywhere. Rejected, cast aside, searching for acceptance. It’s quite sad, actually."
"Vanessa," Christian said, his voice flat. "I’m not interested in whatever this is."
"I’m only trying to help," Vanessa said, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. "We have history, Christian. I’ve known you since we were children. I’ve always supported you, even when Harold was—" She paused, letting the implication hang. "Even when others doubted. And I still do support you. I’ve always cared for you."
She moved closer, and my wolf literally growled under my skin.
"If you ever realize this mating was a mistake," Vanessa continued softly, "if you ever want someone who actually understands pack politics, someone who won’t embarrass you in front of the other Alphas... I’m here."
She stood on her tiptoes and reached up to touch his face. Her fingers grazed his cheek, and I felt something hot and possessive surge through me.
That’s when I stepped through the doorway.
My presence filled the space like a physical thing. Luna power, barely leashed, radiating from every inch of my body. Vanessa’s hand dropped immediately.
She turned with a false smile plastered across her face. "Sophie! I was just leaving. I’m sure Christian will fill you in."
"I heard enough," I said, my voice cold in a way I didn’t know I could achieve. "Let me be clear about something, Vanessa. Christian is my mate. Bonded through supernatural law and personal choice. Whatever history you think you have with him, whatever schemes you’re planning—they won’t work."
I stepped closer, and she stepped back. Good. She should step back.
"Now get out of our office before I forget that Lunas are supposed to be diplomatic," I said. "And Vanessa? If you ever come back here trying to manipulate my mate again, I won’t just have security escort you out. I’ll have you escorted out of this pack. Permanently."
Her face went pale. She knew I meant it.
The mask she’d been wearing slipped for just a moment, revealing genuine hatred underneath. Then she smoothed it back into place with effort. "Of course. I wouldn’t dream of coming between true mates." Her tone made it crystal clear she didn’t believe we were truly anything.
She left, pausing at the door to throw one more poison dart: "Oh, and Sophie? You might want to check the pack gossip channels. There are some fascinating discussions about Luna qualifications happening. Enjoy your day."
Then she was gone.
Christian immediately pulled me into his arms, and I let him. His heartbeat was thundering against my ear, his arms solid around me. Through our bond, I felt his anger, his protectiveness, and his absolute certainty that Vanessa meant nothing to him.
But I could also feel something else. Something darker. Doubt. Doubt that was coming from me, seeping through the bond like poison.
"She’s full of shit," Christian said firmly, tilting my face up. "Every word out of her mouth was manipulation."
"I know," I said, and I did know. Intellectually, I knew she was playing games.
But knowing something intellectually and feeling it in your bones are two different things.
I spent the afternoon doing something I’d hoped I was past—checking social media channels, reading the pack’s private gossip boards, and seeing what people were saying about me. About us.
The posts were careful. They never directly attacked me. Instead, they posed "concerned questions."
*"Has anyone noticed that our new Luna comes from a questionable background? I’m just asking if we should be more selective about our leadership positions."*
*"I’m not saying she’s weak, but has anyone actually verified her experience? Where did she come from before Shadow Ridge?"*
*"The corporate expansion is impressive, but are we sacrificing traditional values? Lunas are supposed to be symbols of stability and tradition. Is she really the right choice?"*
The comments were all vague insinuations, nothing concrete enough to argue against. But the message was clear: I didn’t belong here.
Vanessa had planted those seeds. She’d made sure everyone was asking questions about my legitimacy, my strength, and my worthiness.
By the time Christian found me that evening, I was sitting in our quarters in the dark, fully clothed, staring at nothing.
He turned on the light and sat beside me without saying anything. Just sat there, letting me feel his presence through the bond.
"She’s been trying to get into my life for years," he said eventually. "Vanessa. She sees the Luna position as a status symbol, not as a calling. She sees it as a prize to win rather than a responsibility to carry."
I didn’t respond.
"Her coming to my office now isn’t random," Christian continued. "It’s connected to Harold. It has to be."
"She said I’m weak," I heard myself say. "She implied that I’m damaging your reputation."
"She’s a liar," Christian said flatly. "And she’s terrified of you."
I turned to look at him. "What?"
"Vanessa has never had to work for anything," Christian said, his jaw tight. "She’s been handed everything her entire life. Status, wealth, position. She doesn’t understand what it means to actually earn something. To rebuild yourself from nothing. To walk through fire and come out stronger."
He tilted my face up with one hand, forcing me to meet his eyes.
"You are the strongest person I know," he said fiercely. "Not despite your past, but because of it. You were rejected by a mate who didn’t deserve you, and you didn’t crumble. You didn’t hide. You rebuilt yourself into someone magnificent. Someone the entire pack respects. Someone I’m proud to stand beside."
His hand found the mating mark on my neck, his thumb brushing against it gently.
"Vanessa has never faced real adversity in her life," he continued. "She doesn’t understand what true strength looks like. But I do. The entire pack does. Don’t let her take away what you’ve earned."
Something broke inside me then. All the old doubts, all the insecurity I thought I’d buried, came pouring out. I was crying before I could stop myself, tears running down my face while Christian held me like I was something precious.
"I’m sorry," I whispered.
"Don’t apologize," he said. "Not to me. Never to me."
We lay in bed later that night, Christian’s arms around me, his heartbeat steady and sure beneath my ear. I made a decision as I lay there.
I was going to prove Vanessa wrong.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Christian reached for it, checking the message in the dark. I felt him go rigid.
"What?" I asked, lifting my head.
He pulled up the message from Marcus and the attached surveillance photos. My stomach dropped as I saw them—Vanessa, meeting with Harold, in some private location I didn’t recognize. And not just a casual meeting. They were clearly coordinating something, heads bent close together, exchanging documents.
But there was more. Marcus had attached a second series of photos. Vanessa and Harold are meeting with other Alphas. Vanessa is coordinating with people in Harold’s coalition. Vanessa is clearly orchestrating something alongside Harold’s political moves.
Christian’s phone buzzed again. Another message from Marcus.
*"It’s worse than we thought. She’s been in contact with Harold for months. They’re not just coordinating the review process. They’re planning something bigger. And Vanessa’s involvement means they have access to pack resources we didn’t account for. This isn’t just a political coup anymore. This is a full-scale operation."*
I watched Christian’s face harden as he read it, watched him process the implications.
"They’re working together," I whispered.
"Yes," Christian said quietly. "And we just found out Vanessa’s been involved this entire time."
He set the phone down and pulled me closer, and I realized the stakes had just gotten exponentially higher than any of us had anticipated.
