Chapter 124: I want to make a deal

EARLIER THAT NIGHT

Samantha’s mind was torn between meeting the person behind the note and ignoring it entirely. A part of her desperately wanted to pursue vengeance, but another part, the part of her that was slowly changing, warned her to stay away.

When she couldn’t bear the weight of her own thoughts any longer, she made her decision.

She reached the arena an hour early. Guests had already begun to arrive, and the main floor was gradually filling to capacity. Guards patrolled every corner, their eyes alert to every detail.

Appearing as casual as she could manage, Samantha smoothed down her dress and slipped out of the open arena.

Taking the narrow path beside the outer bleachers, she moved toward the edge of the property, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. But when she reached the designated meeting spot, she found no one waiting in the shadows.

She searched the area, scanning the surrounding treeline with narrowed, cautious eyes. Still, the woods remained empty.

Just as she changed her mind and turned to walk away, a hand reached out from the thick foliage, grabbed her arm, and violently yanked her into the brush.

She instinctively thrusted her elbow back to fight off her assailant, until her eyes caught his face in the moonlight. It was Fabian.

"You!" she spat, her eyes widening in disgust. She had been expecting to see Conri or his cocky son, Joffrey. Not Fabian. "You left that note on my bed?"

"Keep your damn voice down!" Fabian snarled, his fingers tightening around her wrist. "You’re going to get us both caught."

Samantha scoffed, shoving his chest with enough force to break his grip. "Coming here was a mistake. Get out of my way."

"I want to make a deal, and I know we can work together," Fabian rushed out, taking a step to block her path.

"There is no we!" Samantha snapped, her voice dropping into a dangerous hiss. "If I had known it was you, I never would have come out here." Her lip curled into a sneer. "Did you honestly think I would align myself with you? You are pathetic. You aren’t important enough for me to risk my life for."

Fabian’s hands curled into tight fists, his jaw working as his ego took the hit. "What if I tell you I can help you avenge your father and brother’s death?"

"I don’t need your bloody help!" Samantha seethed, leaning into his face. "If I want vengeance, I will exact it myself, not rely on a boy like you. Why don’t you focus on the mate you rejected and stay far away from me?"

"I never rejected her," Fabian stated flatly. "It was all a ploy. My cousin, Dorian, would never release her from the dungeons willingly. I plan to bust her out tonight, but I can’t do it alone."

"So you thought I would help you break her out?"

"Yes," Fabian said readily. "Because you harbor the same vendetta against Alyssa that I do."

Samantha regarded him in complete silence for a long beat, a strange expression entering her eyes. Her fingers slipped quietly into the pocket of her dress, brushing against her phone. She pulled the device out, stared down at the screen for a brief second, and then shoved it back into her pocket.

"You have a vendetta against Alyssa?" she repeated. "Remind me again who betrayed her trust, tormented her, and had her sold off in the first place?"

Fabian took a startled step back, his eyes narrowing. "Are you defending her?"

"I am not defending that brat!" Samantha snapped back instantly. "But that doesn’t change the cold, hard truth. What real vendetta do you actually have against her?"

"Look, if you aren’t going to help, then forget it!" Fabian growled, taking a step backward into the shadows. "I thought we could align our interests because I need assistance getting Melinda out of the dungeon."

Samantha went quiet again, her mind racing. After a long pause, she squared her shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. "Fine. What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to create a distraction minutes from now," Fabian began, stepping closer again. "There is an archer hidden up in the trees. When he gets my signal, he will kill Alyssa on the stage. In the chaos that follows, I will slip back to the mansion and break Melinda out of her cell. I need you to be my eyes and ears at the arena, to alert me if Dorian or any of the guards make a move to head back."

"Why me?" Samantha questioned sharply. "Why not find someone who would help you willingly?"

"Because we share common ground," Fabian answered smoothly. "We both want to destroy Alyssa. She is the root cause of your downfall, and mine. And what better way to settle the score than to eliminate her tonight? You get your blood payback, and I get mine."

Samantha let out a slow exhale. Now that she weighed his words, she realized he was right. This could finally be her opportunity to make Alyssa pay for everything that had been destroyed.

But just as the thought settled, Alec’s voice echoed with sudden clarity in her mind: it doesn’t take much to be kind... you can still choose to break this cycle and become a better person. It is not too late... If you choose to remain bitter, heartless, and cruel, you will end up meeting the exact same fate as your family...

Samantha closed her eyes tightly and shoved his voice into the deepest corner of her mind. When she opened her eyes again and looked back at Fabian, her face was a completely unreadable mask.

She pulled out her phone, tapped a particular icon on the screen, and handed the device to him. "Put your number in. I will text you if Dorian or any of the guards show signs of returning to the mansion. But you will need to act fast."

Fabian grinned as he took the phone and typed in his contact details. He and Melinda had meticulously planned everything that morning; from the staged argument, to the fake rejection and his departure. It was all designed to trick Dorian into lowering his guard and leaving the dungeon unguarded during the ceremony.

Once he freed Melinda, they would flee Wintercrest forever. Alyssa would be dead, and their vengeance would be complete.

He handed the phone back to Samantha. "The moment the archer fires, do whatever it takes to cause a scene. I need every second I can get to help Melinda out."

"That won’t be a problem," Samantha muttered, slipping the phone back into her pocket.

"And one last thing," Fabian added, his tone dropping into an icy threat. "Don’t even think about crossing me. If this plan blows up, I will tell Dorian the entire assassination scheme was your idea. You know who he’ll believe, especially after you already tried to kill his wife. So don’t even think about betraying me."

You arrogant bastard, Samantha thought, her jaw tightening. He was using her as a shield for his own plan.

"Just play your part," she stated coldly. "And I will play mine."

She brushed past him, marching back toward the arena. Dorian and Alyssa had already arrived on stage, and the arena was packed full, spilling over into the bleachers.

She moved toward the section where the rest of the servants were stationed. Halfway there, her eyes locked onto Alec who was passing through.

He caught her staring, and for one breathless moment, they simply looked at each other across the crowd.

Then, just as Alec started to turn away to resume his patrol, Samantha made her move. Her mind screamed at her against what she was about to do, but she ignored the panic.

For once in her life, she was going to make her own choice, not let herself be manipulated by anyone else.

She closed the distance and stepped directly into his path. "I need to talk to you," she said.

​Alec turned, his brows pulling into a deep frown. "About what?"

"Can we step away from the crowd?"

"Look, Samantha, I am on duty," he replied coolly. "Whatever it is, it can wait..."

"In less than an hour, someone is going to murder your Luna," she interrupted, her voice steady and low. "I don’t care if she lives or dies, but if you aren’t willing to listen, fine!"

She turned on her heel to walk away, but Alec’s hand shot out, grabbing her upper arm and pulling her back into his space. He swept a sharp glance around them, ensuring no nearby shifters had overheard her words.

He looked down at her, taking in the dead-serious intensity in her emerald eyes. He didn’t dare take her words lightly.

"Come with me," he muttered.