The room was hidden deep in the east tower.
No windows. No servants. The kind of place where conversations happened that could never be repeated. Seraphina had chosen it specifically, far from the Alpha's chambers, far from his spies, far from the ears of anyone loyal to him.
Not that there were many of those left.
She sat at the head of the long table, her posture perfect, her expression carved from ice. The vampire delegates flanked her — Lord Marchetti on her left, Lady Vance on her right. Old blood. Old money. Old grudges.
Across from them sat the wolves. Not many. Just three council members who had been brave enough or desperate enough to answer her summons. Elder Thorne, whose family had served the Volkov line for generations but never forgiven being passed over for beta. Councilwoman Reid, who had lost two sons in the Culling and blamed Damien's father for sending them to die. And Elder Cross, who simply hated witches with a purity that bordered on religious.
Six conspirators in total.
"Thank you for coming," Seraphina said. Her voice was smooth as silk over a blade. "I know the risks you're taking."
"Risks." Elder Thorne snorted. "If the Alpha finds out about this meeting, he'll gut us all."
"Then we ensure he doesn't find out."
Lady Vance leaned forward, her pale fingers steepled beneath her chin.
"The situation is untenable. Damien has taken a witch as his mate , a witch, after everything his father did to eliminate them. The vampire alliance was built on his engagement to Seraphina. That engagement is now void."
"The alliance isn't void," Lord Marchetti corrected. "But it's... strained. My people are asking questions. Why should we honor treaties with a pack whose Alpha beds our enemies?"
"She's not your enemy," Councilwoman Reid said. "She's a girl. A human girl with a bit of magic—"
"A Valdris." Elder Cross spat the name like a curse. "The most powerful bloodline. The ones who nearly enslaved us all before the Culling put them down. And now their last daughter is sleeping in the Alpha's bed."
Seraphina let the argument flow around her. This was good. Let them air their grievances, their fears, their hatred. It made them easier to direct.
"The question," she said, cutting through the noise, "is what we do about it."
Silence fell.
"We can't kill her," Elder Thorne said. "Damien would know.And then he'd kill us all. Slowly."
"I'm not suggesting we kill her. Not yet."
Seraphina rose from her chair. She moved to the window a narrow slit in the stone that looked out over the forest below. The moonlight painted her features silver.
"Damien is powerful. Perhaps the most powerful Alpha in three centuries. But he's not invulnerable. He has one weakness now that he didn't have before."
"The girl," Lady Vance said.
"The girl." Seraphina turned back to face them. "He's obsessed with her. Protective to the point of madness. But that obsession is also his blind spot. He can't see her clearly. Can't see what she really is."
"And what is she?" Councilwoman Reid asked.
"Untrained. Unstable. A witch who grew up among humans, with no understanding of her power, no control over it." Seraphina's lips curved. "She's a disaster waiting to happen. All we need to do is... help it along."
Elder Cross frowned. "You want to make her lose control?"
"I want Damien to see her lose control. Publicly. In front of the pack, the council, everyone who matters." She spread her hands. "If she's dangerous
if she's a threat to the pack's safety, even a besotted Alpha will have to act. He'll have no choice."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then the pack will act for him. A Luna who can't control herself is no Luna at all."
The conspirators exchanged glances.. Weighing risks against rewards.
"How do we trigger her?" Elder Thorne asked. "The Alpha keeps her close. Guarded. We can't get near her without him knowing."
"That's the challenge," Seraphina admitted. "We need someone with access. Someone she trusts or will trust. Someone who can get close enough to push her buttons without raising suspicion."
"One of the servants?" Lady Vance suggested.
"Too risky. Servants talk. And Damien has eyes everywhere."
"Then who—"
The door opened.
Every head turned. Hands went to weapons. Hearts stopped.
Viktor stood in the doorway.
He was dressed casually in dark shirt, sleeves rolled up, that easy smile playing on his lips. As if he'd stumbled into a dinner party instead of a treasonous conspiracy.
"My apologies for the intrusion," he said. "I couldn't help but overhear. You need someone with access to the Luna?" He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Leave that to me."
Seraphina's eyes narrowed.
"Viktor. How long have you been listening?"
"Long enough." He moved to an empty chair and sat, uninvited, making himself comfortable. "You want to destabilize the witch. Make her look unfit. Turn the Alpha against her or at least make him doubt." He shrugged. "I can help with that."
"And why would you?" Elder Cross demanded. "You're one of Damien's wolves. High-ranking. Trusted."
"Trusted." Viktor repeated the word like it amused him. "Yes. That's exactly the point, isn't it? I have access none of you do. The Alpha trusts me. The Luna is beginning to trust me. I can get close in ways you can't."
"What do you want in return?" Seraphina asked. Straight to the point.
Viktor's smile widened. "Let's just say I have my own interests in this matter. The witch is... intriguing. And Damien has had everything handed to him for too long. It might be time for a change."
"You want his position."
"I want options. This alliance gives me options." He leaned back in his chair. "So. Do we have a deal?"
The room was silent for a long moment.
Seraphina studied him. Viktor was a risk — he could be playing them, reporting back to Damien, setting a trap. But he was also an opportunity. Access to Cora that none of them had. A wolf in the Alpha's inner circle, willing to betray him.
"What's your plan?" she asked.
"Simple. I get close to her. Earn her trust. Find out what makes her tick His eyes glinted. "Everyone has something that makes them break. I just need to find hers."
"And then?"
"Then I push. At the right moment, in the right place, I make her lose control. Publicly.." He spread his hands. "She does the rest herself. All I do is light the match."
Elder Thorne grunted. "You make it sound easy."
"It won't be easy. But I'm patient." Viktor's smile turned sharp. "And I'm very, very good at making people trust me."
Seraphina considered. The others watched, waiting for her decision.
Finally, she nodded.
"Fine. You handle the Luna. Find her weakness, and when the time is right, you break her." She held his gaze. "But if you betray us, if you're playing both sides, I will personally ensure your death is slow enough to become a legend."
Viktor laughed. "Understood."
He stood, straightening his shirt. "I'll be in touch. Try not to get caught in the meantime."
He walked out, leaving the conspirators in silence.
Seraphina stared at the closed door.
Viktor was dangerous. Unpredictable. But he was also useful.
For now, that was enough.
The meeting continued for another hour.
They discussed Timing. What to do if Viktor failed. What to do if he succeeded but Damien still refused to act against his mate.
By the end, they had a solid plan.
Viktor would work on the Luna , find her weakness, earn her trust, position himself as an ally. When the moment was right he did do what is needed.
The council members would lay the groundwork politically, whispers about the Luna's instability, concerns about a witch in the Alpha's bed, questions about whether she was fit to lead.
The vampires would apply pressure externally .subtle threats about the alliance, hints that their support was conditional on the witch being dealt with.
And Seraphina... Seraphina would wait. Watch. And when Cora finally fell, she would be there to pick up the pieces.
"One more thing," she said as the meeting broke up. "No one moves without my approval. Viktor may have access, but I'm running this. Understood?"
Nods all around.
They filed out one by one, disappearing into the shadows of the estate, returning to their lives as if nothing had happened.
Seraphina remained.
She stood at the window, looking out at the forest, thinking about the witch who had stolen her future and the Alpha who had let it happen.
They would both pay. In time.
She just had to be patient.