The Plan

Lila's POV

I threw my coffee cup against the wall so hard it broke into a million pieces.

"That little omega thinks she can steal what's mine?" I snarled at my image in the mirror.

My phone was still buzzing with texts from pack members. Everyone was talking about what happened in Drake's office yesterday. How Maya Stone had burst in during an important meeting. How she'd announced her pregnancy like some kind of success.

How she'd embarrassed me in front of the entire pack.

I was going to marry Drake in two days. Two days! And now everyone was talking about his pregnant omega girlfriend. Some people were even taking bets on whether the wedding would happen.

This was not going according to plan.

I'd spent months working toward this marriage. Months of playing the perfect Alpha's daughter, smiling at boring pack dinners, pretending to care about Drake's stupid troubles. I'd convinced my father that this union would make our pack stronger, richer, more powerful.

And I wasn't about to let some kitchen worker ruin everything.

I grabbed my jacket and headed right for the pack house. If Drake thought he could embarrass me like this, he had another thing coming. And if Maya Stone thought she could come in and steal my future, she was about to learn how wrong she was.

The pack kitchen was busy when I walked in. Several omegas were making lunch, their heads down, working quietly. They all looked up when they saw me, their faces full of fear and respect.

Good. That's how it should be.

"Where is she?" I asked.

An older woman called Beth pointed toward the storage room. "Maya's in the back, getting supplies for tonight's dinner."

I marched to the storage room and threw open the door. Maya was standing on a step stool, reaching for something on a high shelf. When she heard me come in, she turned around.

For a short second, I saw fear flash across her face. But then something strange happened. Her chin went up, and her shoulders straightened. She looked me right in the eyes like she had every right to be there.

Like she was my equal.

"Lila," she said quietly. "What do you want?"

What did I want? I wanted to scratch her eyes out. I wanted to tell her exactly where she belonged in the pack order. I wanted to make her disappear forever.

"We need to talk," I said, walking into the small room and closing the door behind me.

Maya climbed down from the step stool, moving slowly and carefully. Her hand went to her stomach, and I realized she was protecting her growing baby.

Drake's baby.

The thought made me so angry I could barely see straight.

"Talk about what?" Maya asked.

"About you ruining my wedding." I stepped closer, using my height advantage to tower over her. "About you embarrassing me in front of the pack leaders. About you forgetting your place."

"My place?" Maya's voice was quiet, but there was something dangerous in it. "And where exactly is my place, Lila?"

"In the kitchen. In the servants' rooms. Anywhere that isn't in my fiancé's bed."

I expected her to look down, to apologize, to remember that she was just an omega and I was an Alpha's daughter. That's what omegas always did when confronted by their bosses.

But Maya didn't look down. Instead, she smiled.

"Your fiancé?" she said softly. "Is that what you call a man who can't stay away from another woman? Is that what you call someone who comes to me every night because he can't stand being around you?"

The words hit me like a slap. How dare she speak to me like that?

"Drake is marrying me," I growled. "Not you. Me. In two days, I'll be Luna of this pack, and you'll still be nobody."

"Will I?" Maya took a step closer, and suddenly I realized she wasn't backing down at all. "Because from where I'm looking, it looks like the nobody is the one carrying the future Alpha's child. And the somebody is the one he's only marrying because his daddy told him to."

I raised my hand to slap her, but Maya caught my wrist before I could make contact. Her grip was stronger than I expected.

"Don't," she said simply.

For a moment, we stood there frozen, staring at each other. I was shocked by the strength in her hand, by the fire in her eyes. This wasn't the quiet kitchen omega I'd expected to frighten.

This was someone who was ready to fight back.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," I said, pulling my hand free. "You think Drake loves you? You think he's going to throw away everything for some pregnant omega?"

"I think Drake is going to do what's right," Maya said quietly.

I laughed, but there was no fun in it. "Right? You poor, stupid girl. Drake doesn't know what's right. He only knows what's easy and what's hard. And you know what's hard? Breaking a pack relationship. Disappointing his father. Facing the consequences of putting his heart before his job."

"Maybe. Or maybe you don't know Drake as well as you think you do."

"I know him better than you ever will," I shot back. "I know he's weak. I know he'll choose the safe road every time. And I know that when push comes to shove, he'll pick pack loyalty over some kitchen romance."

Maya was quiet for a long moment. When she spoke again, her voice was sad but strong.

"You might be right," she allowed. "Drake might choose duty over love. But you know what, Lila? Even if he does, I'll still have something you'll never have."

"What's that?"

"I'll have his heart. And his child. And the understanding that for a little while, someone loved me for exactly who I am. Not because they had to, not because it was good for politics, but because they couldn't help themselves."

Her words made me angrier than anything else she could have said. Because deep down, I knew she was right. Drake might marry me, but he would never love me the way he loved her.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," I said coldly. "Because it won't last long."

I turned to leave, but Maya's voice stopped me.

"Lila? There's something you should know."

I looked back at her, and the grimace on her face made my blood run cold.

"I'm not giving up without a fight," she said bluntly. "And I'm a lot stronger than you think I am."

As I walked out of that storage room, one thought kept running through my mind: Maya Stone was going to be a bigger problem than I'd expected.

But I had a plan for dealing with problems.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text: "It's time. Make the call."

If Maya wanted a fight, she was about to get one.

And she had no idea what was coming for her.