The door slammed behind them.
Zayn barely got two steps into the room before Victoria spun around to face him, her eyes blazing.
“You’re not serious,” she snapped. “Tell me you didn’t mean it.”
He said nothing. Just ran a hand through his hair and kept walking toward the hearth. The fire hadn’t been lit, but the tension in the room burned hot enough.
“Zayn!” Her voice cracked.
“She’s going to be your Luna?” Victoria hissed. “Her? That half-starved mutt? That girl who can’t even speak?”
Zayn’s jaw tightened. “The vault can only be opened by an Alpha, or someone who has an Alpha’s bloodline. Lily is a Thunder Paw, she is Grayson’s daughter.”
Victoria let out a bitter laugh. “That’s what matters now? Blood? Not loyalty? Not love?”
Zayn turned to face her, his voice low. “There you go again. This isn’t about love, Victoria. It never was.”
Her mouth opened, then closed. For a second, she looked like she couldn’t breathe.
“I see,” she whispered. “So what we had meant nothing.”
“You didn’t have to.” Her arms wrapped around herself, like she was trying to hold everything together. “You’re going to make her your Luna. Do you know how that sounds? To everyone? To me?”
Zayn looked down. “It’s the only way.”
“The only way?” Her voice shook. “You really want to know what I believed?”
She took a shaky step forward. “I thought I was the one.”
Zayn’s eyes lifted, stunned.
“I thought,” she said, voice thick with emotion, “after everything we’ve been through—after all I’ve done for you—you’d choose me.”
He didn’t know what to say.
Victoria laughed softly, but there was no joy in it. Just pain. “You remember the night you escaped? When were they going to kill you in the pit? Who risked everything to hide you? Who brought you food when the others wouldn’t even look at you?”
Zayn’s eyes closed. He remembered.
“And after you became Alpha,” she continued, voice rising, “who defended you when they called you weak? Who stood beside you when you couldn’t sleep for weeks because of the screams in your head?”
Zayn swallowed, guilt crawling into his throat.
Her eyes were red now, tears slipping down her cheeks. “And now... now you look at me like I’m nothing.”
He took a step toward her, but she pulled back.
“Do you even love me?” she asked quietly. “Even a little?”
The question cut through the room like a blade.
Zayn opened his mouth. Closed it.
Victoria gave a broken smile. She turned away, wiping her face with trembling fingers.
“I gave you everything, Zayn, everything Even when you had nothing.”
And now she had nothing left to give.
Victoria dropped to her knees in front of him, eyes glistening, makeup smudged by her tears.
“I don’t need you to love me,” she whispered, her voice raw. “I just need you to need me.”
Zayn stared at her—his once unshakable, composed mistress—now broken, begging.
“I never asked for anything. Just let me be yours. Let me matter.”
He looked down at her hand on his, and something in his chest twisted. Not guilt. Not pity. .com
Just a deep, weary kind of sadness.
“Victoria,” he said gently, pulling his hand away, Please. Just... ”
She froze, then slowly rose to her feet, jaw clenched, rage and heartbreak flickering across her face. But before she could say another word—
The sound was soft, almost hesitant.
Zayn turned toward the door with a frown.
Victoria’s face darkened the moment the door creaked open.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” she snapped, her voice sharp with fury.
Bianca stood in the doorway, hand gripping Lily’s arm. “I’m sorry, Alpha, but this couldn’t wait.”
Lily’s head was down, hair covering her face. Her body trembled, and her lips moved, but no sound came out. She shook her head over and over, pleading with her eyes.
Victoria scoffed. “What now?”
Bianca ignored her and gave Zayn a sharp look. “There’s been accusations. Again. A few of the field workers claimed she’s been stealing.”
Lily immediately shook her head, eyes wide, silently mouthing no, no, as she clutched her chest like it might help her breathe.
Zayn stood. “Stealing?”
Bianca nodded. “She’s been digging in places others marked, collecting more totems than allowed.”
Bianca added quickly, glancing at Lily. “The others are furious. Someone even tried to attack her.”
Lily stepped forward and sank to her knees, eyes pleading. Wordlessly, she took Zayn’s hand and traced in his palm:
I didn’t steal. free.w e bn.ov(e)l(.)com
Still holding his hand, she placed it on her own heart. She asking him to trust her. If she was lying, her heart would be pounding. He would be able to tell. But her rhythmic, steady heartbeat revealed the truth.
Zayn stared down at her, silent and unreadable.
Victoria let out a bitter laugh. “You can’t seriously be falling for this. She plays you like a fiddle.”
“Enough,” Zayn snapped, not taking his eyes off Lily.
But Victoria stepped forward like a woman unleashed.
“Oh, how convenient,” she sneered. “Another misunderstanding. Another lie, I’m sure.”
“Victoria—” Zayn warned quietly.
“She’s nothing but a parasite,” Victoria snapped. “Feeding off our kindness. Off your name. And now she’s stealing from real workers to get her little belly filled?”
Lily took a step back, terrified.
Victoria didn’t stop. “You want quiet, Zayn? Let me deal with this. Let me punish her—publicly. I’ll handle it, clean and simple. It’ll settle things in the field and give you the peace you wanted.”
Zayn’s gaze sharpened. “You’ll do no such thing.”
Victoria blinked, stunned. “Excuse me?”
He stood slowly. “You heard me.”
“Why?” she said, almost laughing in disbelief. “You believe her? You’re defending her??”
Zayn’s voice was low but hard. “I said leave. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
The air went still. Even Bianca looked between them, uncertain.
Victoria stared at Zayn, chest rising and falling with rage. “You’re making a mistake.”
Zayn raised a brow. “Out.”
Victoria turned sharply, heels clicking hard against the floor as she stormed out.
Zayn looked at Bianca next. “You too. I’ll handle this.”
Bianca nodded slowly and stepped out, closing the door behind her, leaving Lily alone with him.