Hayley
"Those bastards! Traitors, all of them!" I heard Damian scream on top of his lungs. He was clearly pissed, and although the walls of the study were meant to prevent sound from leaking outside, they failed to keep Damian's voice in check.
My heartbeat escalated just by hearing those words. Why was he upset? Who were the traitors?! Questions were swirling through my head, and while I wanted to know the answers to them, I didn't think it was a good idea to enter the room at that moment.
I had brought Damian and Ethan some cake and tea for their break. Since Miranda didn't show up today, I had decided to keep myself busy by entering the kitchen for today. Although all the maids had been strictly against it, they still offered me assistance when I asked for it. I had baked some cake, and prepared tea as well. My intention had been to serve Damian and Ethan, but clearly now wasn't the best time.
I remained outside the study, tray in hand while I wrestled with the urge to knock. Maybe Damian needed to calm down, and a sweet distraction could help. But something in his tone, the sheer fury, warned me against intruding.
My hand wavered in the air, inches from the door. Before I could make a decision, Ethan's voice, softer yet commanding, drifted through the heavy wooden barrier.
"Diamond pack is a small pack, I doubt their allegiance to Conrad would make any difference."
I felt my blood run cold. Surely it wasn't what I was thinking, it must be another Diamond pack, there was no way it was the same Diamond pack that I was taken away from, they had nothing to gain from joining Conrad.
Damian's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He still seemed enraged, but his voice was a lot softer than it was the first time.
"Even dust can pile into mountains, Ethan. Underestimating the contributions a little pack can make would be the start of our loss. Nevertheless it's probably best to keep this a secret from Hay—"
Damian's voice fell when he finally noticed me standing right behind the barely open door.
His eyes widened in surprise, then quickly narrowed in suspicion. Ethan turned too, his expression a mix of concern and frustration.
"Hayley," Damian called out, his tone trying to regain some semblance of calm. "What are you doing here?"
I tightened my grip on the tray and drew in a steadying breath. I felt like losing my head, but I knew breaking down now would not help in any way. "I brought you both some cake and tea. Thought you could use a break."
Ethan stepped forward, and with a smile he relieved me of the tray's weight. "Thank you, Hayley. We appreciate it."
I didn't move even after I was done with what I had come from. The hate inside of me was overwhelming, and I felt like moving even a muscle would force me to burst with emotions. I desperately wanted to believe that what I heard was false, but the truth was very obvious before me. The look on Ethan and Damian's faces confirmed every suspicion I had, and I didn't need to question them to know that they were both speaking of the pack that I had just been saved from.
"D..diamond pack joined forces with Conrad, didn't it?" I stammered through clenched teeth. My whole body was shaking with fury, and the realization that I really couldn't do anything made me even angrier. Even when I no longer had any relation to them, they were still out to ruin my happiness. Their sins had become unforgivable, and the only right to do was to punish them for it.
"We're not certain yet." Damian answered sharply before reaching out to hold me. He could tell I was on the verge of losing my mind, and he did well to sooth my rage with gentle rubs and a soft tone. "We've sent out letters to Alpha Zion and his father, I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding."
"It won't help you, Zion won't yield to you through letters. You need to destroy them all before they have the chance to help your enemy—" I paused abruptly after realizing my own tone. Both Damian and Ethan had a shocked expression on their faces, and I could tell it was because of my suggestion. They hadn't expected me to say something as dark as this, and while I had surprised myself as well, I meant every single word I had just said.
"You're tired Hayley, I'll take you back to your chambers—"
"I'm not tired! I'm not tired!" I screamed out before breaking down in tears. "They won't let me have a moment of happiness. All Zion and Emily want is to see me suffer, can't you see that?! You'll crush my enemies for me, won't you, Damian?"
Damian's eyes darted from Ethan to me, and finally they came to a rest on my teary eyes. He seemed concerned for me, but at the same time scared. "Your happiness is my priority, and I'll do whatever I can to make you smile, I promise."
Hearing those words brought a brightness to my gloomy heart, and finally, a smile cracked through my teary eyes. "Thank you.." I whispered before taking his outstretched hand. Damian flashed me a warm smile before pulling me into his embrace.
"Don't worry about Zion and the others, leave them to me." He whispered before giving me a gentle kiss on the neck.
"I want to help you, what can I do to help?" I replied with a newly found eagerness. There was no way I was going to sit still and watch Damian do everything alone, especially when it came to Diamond pack. They had wronged me, and I wanted to pay them back in full.
"I said not to worry about it, Hayley. Leave everything to me, I promise it will be alright." Damian reassured me, and although the urge to help wasn't settled, I knew better to continue arguing. I would let him take the reins for now, and I would provide support from the shadows. One way or another, I was going to get back at Zion and the entirety of Diamond pack for what they had done, and I didn't care what I had to do to achieve that goal.