(Gianna's POV)
"Gianna can you answer the phone already. It's been ringing for ages," Giovanni complains.
"No. That annoying Alpha is calling me. He's getting on my nerves. I don't want to talk to him.
"Then silence your phone." I pick up my phone that's been vibrating for hours and blinking the name Arsenio on the screen and place it on silence. "Thank you."
"What's he even calling you for," Gio questions.
"Probably to discuss some arrangements with his pack or something," I lie through my teeth and a chill runs down my spine.
I know exactly what he wants to discuss and I don't want to talk to him about it. It seemed like a good idea at first to keep myself aligned with Arsenio, but now it just seems to be biting me in the ass now and days.
"Then why don't you just discuss it with him. You are the werewolf head of the court." I scoff at Gio's comment.
"You know, for someone who was kicked off of the higher court, you sure do have a lot of suggestions. Look where those got you. You really think I'd listen to you? You're pathetic."
I see his eyes spark with pain and then go cold, but I could care less.
"You think you're all high and mighty? You couldn't even go through with your plan of getting Anne locked up. You're so obsessed with Anne and her down fall, but look at you. You might be on the higher court, but you don't have as much control as you think you do. You'll always be the pathetic, compulsive, rotten bitch you've always been."
Our mom walks in at that exact moment, her mouth agape in horror and pain at everything she's heard.
"Are you guys serious? Bashing each other? Hurting each other? I can't believe this. You all seem to get worse as the days go by."
"Well look in the mirror, mom. You don't look too good yourself," I scowl at her. She breath hitches in pain.
I stand up, rolling my eyes, annoyed by the situation.
"I'm leaving." I collect my stuff and start to head towards the door, but stop once I'm right beside Gio. "And if I were you Gio, I'd be very careful. I may not have gotten my way at that court case, but best believe I will be getting justice for my father. Don't make me take you down with Anne. It won't take much. You're already near rock bottom." And with that I stomp out of the house.
I get into my car and start heading in the direction of the annoying, demanding Alpha. The thought of him makes my skin crawl. Knowing everything there is to know about him, I don't want to be anywhere near him, but I know this meeting is bound to happen one way or another.
Not too much time later, I'm in front of his pack mansion and I already feel like leaving. I get out of the car and walk up the porch and knock on the door.
It doesn't take long for the door to open to an angry Arsenio towering over me.
"Come in," he demands and I follow him into the dark pack house. It seems so quiet and empty. "The whole pack is out training and the younger pups are at school," he informs me.
"Oh," is all I say. He leads me to his office and closes the door behind him. I sit opposite of him at his small desk. "So, what did you want to discuss with me," I play dumb.
"I wanted to discuss your failure to go along with our plan," he growls out. I sigh out.
"Well, Arsenio. Not everything can go your way and what has happened so far has prov-." I'm cut off as Arsenio climbs over his desk to grab me by the neck.
My air supply is cut in half and he places me up against a wall so that I'm trapped.
"Gianna, I'm warning you that my patience is very thin today. We had a plan. A deal. I went through with my part of getting you on that board, but you haven't done your part. Do I need to remind you of what your duty is?"
His nostrils flare as he tightens his grip on my neck.
"No, sir," I choke out and he lets go of my neck and I drop to the floor. I gasp for air trying to regulate my breathing again.
"It's not as easy as you think it is. Anne has a lot of people supporting her now and I can't simply get rid of her in broad day light. Getting her arrested would have been the easiest way to get her out of the way and slowly rot away, but now there's nothing I can hold against her. It's going to be harder to get rid of Anne and Alaric."
"What happened to your determination to get justice for your deceased mate and father? Do you not care for them anymore? Is that what it is," he accuses me.
My heart hurts as I feel the weight of the accusation.
"Of course I still care about them. Everything I do is for them! You really think I don't want to see justice be served? I want nothing but that. Why are you accusing me?! You're the coward that ran out of court when he couldn't defend himself against his worthless son!"
I know I'd riled him up then and he stomps up to me, his hand going up to meet my face with force. He lands it and my head whips to the side, my neck feeling like it'd break.
"You stupid little girl." My eyes meet his, tears briming my eyes. "I'm the only reason you are in the position of power that you are. Since you know all that I'm capable of, I suggest you tread lightly."
I bite my lip as I let out a sinister chuckle.
"Yeah, I know what you're capable of, but I also know how much of a coward you are." I move closer to him. Although he towers over me, I show him I'm not as easy to scare as he believes. "I know how you make people do your dirty work so that your hands stay clean and I know how you've never fully accomplished anything you wanted without throwing someone under the bus. I know your moves, so I'm just making sure that whatever you make me do, that I have a way out. That it won't lead to my death or imprisonment."
He stays straight face, not saying anything and I smile.
"Keep an eye on your pack, Alpha. Don't you realize you have no one to back you. Your own son is off with higher court members solving the issues you caused. Your plans are unraveling. So I suggest you wait patiently for my plans to come into play."
I walk out before he can respond and hop into my car. I pull down the mirror to look at the bruise around my neck and on my cheek. It heals slowly, but it'll be gone by the time I'm back home.
I try to steady my shaky hands as they grab the steering wheel.
I've never felt so weak.
"FUCK," I yell out as I hit my head against to the steering wheel.
Everything is falling apart.