Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
Trinity
They thought I'd given up.
That was the funniest part, really. All of them, the pack, the town, that pathetic little omega who'd stolen everything from me, they all thought I'd tucked my tail between my legs and run away.
"Visiting family," I'd told the few people nosy enough to ask.
Let them think I was licking my wounds somewhere far away, too broken to fight back.
They had no idea.
I sat in the dim light of my childhood bedroom, surrounded by the remnants of a life that should have been so much more. The wallpaper was peeling at the corners, faded pink roses that had once seemed so elegant now just looked sad. Pathetic. Like everything else in this house.
Like everything else my life had become since she arrived.
Daphne.
Even thinking her name made my stomach churn with hatred. That mousy, unremarkable omega who'd waltzed into town with nothing, no family, no connections, no breeding, and somehow managed to steal the pack that was supposed to be mine.
I'd done everything right. I'd grown up in the bigger town about thirty minutes from Heaven’s Rest, attended all the right events, cultivated all the right relationships.
I'd made myself indispensable to Oliver and his pack, positioning myself as the obvious choice for their omega.
Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they claimed me. Everyone.
And then she came along.
I picked up the photograph from my nightstand—the one from the harvest festival three years ago.
Oliver stood in the center, looking distinguished and powerful, with Garrett's solid presence on his left and Levi's bright smile on his right.
Micah stood slightly apart, as always, but still clearly part of the group.
And there I was, positioned just behind Oliver's shoulder, close enough to suggest intimacy without being presumptuous. I'd worn my best dress that day. I'd smiled until my face ached. I'd laughed at every joke, agreed with every opinion, made myself into exactly what they needed.
It should have worked. It would have worked, if not for her. My fingers tightened on the photograph until the edges crumpled. I forced myself to set it down before I destroyed it completely. I needed to stay calm. Focused. The plan only worked if I kept my head.
The plan.
I'd spent the past few weeks perfecting it, researching, acquiring supplies, mapping out every possible scenario.
The public confrontation at the market had been a mistake, I could admit that now.
I'd let my emotions get the better of me, let everyone see the rage I usually kept so carefully hidden.
This time would be different. This time, I would be smart. I crossed to my desk, where a small vial sat innocuously among my makeup and perfume bottles. Such an innocent-looking thing, clear liquid that could have been water or eye drops or any number of harmless substances.
It wasn't harmless.
The beta who'd sold it to me had called it "omega's bane"—a synthetic compound designed to mimic the symptoms of heat sickness. Fever, disorientation, weakness. In small doses, it would make an omega feel like they were coming down with something. In larger doses...
Well. That was the point, wasn't it? I picked up the vial, rolling it between my fingers.
The plan was elegant in its simplicity. Daphne had been staying at her cabin most nights, only visiting the pack house during the day.
She was alone out there, isolated, vulnerable.
All I had to do was get close enough to dose her water supply or her tea or whatever she kept lying around that trusting little kitchen of hers.
Then I'd wait. The compound took a few hours to fully take effect. By the time she realized something was wrong, she'd be too weak to fight back, too disoriented to call for help. And that's when I'd make my move.
I wasn't going to kill her. That wasn't the plan—not exactly. I just needed her to understand. To see that she didn't belong here, that she never had, that the pack would be so much better off without her dragging them down.
Ff she happened to get hurt in the process... well. She should have thought about that before she stole my future.
A knock at my door made me jump, quickly sliding the vial into my pocket.
"Trinity?" My mother's voice, thin and querulous. "Are you coming down for dinner?"
"In a minute, Mother." I spoke, keeping my voice soft.
"You've been up there for days. People are starting to talk—" She talked through the door, my irritation growing at her words.
"Let them talk." I kept my voice pleasant, controlled. "I'm fine. I just need some time to think."
A pause. Then, "Alright, dear. Don't stay up too late."
Her footsteps retreated down the hall, and I let out a slow breath. My mother meant well, but she'd never understood. She'd accepted her place in the world—a middle-class beta married to a middle-class beta, living a middle-class life. She'd never wanted more.
I'd always wanted more. From the moment I presented as an omega at sixteen, I'd known I was destined for something greater.
Omegas were rare, precious, sought after by the most powerful alphas.
I should have had my pick of packs, should have been courted and cherished and claimed by men who would give me everything I deserved.
Instead, I'd set my sights on Oliver's pack—the most prestigious in the region—and I'd waited. Patiently. Perfectly. For years.
Then Daphne Evens had appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything.I moved to the window, staring out at the darkening sky.
Tomorrow. I would do it tomorrow. The pack had some kind of meeting in the afternoon—I'd overheard enough gossip to know that much—which meant Daphne would likely be alone at her cabin for at least a few hours.
Plenty of time.
I ran through the plan again in my head, looking for weaknesses, for potential problems. The biggest risk was being seen—but I'd already thought of that.
I'd park my car at the old Miller farm, abandoned for years now, and walk through the woods to Daphne's property.
No one would see me coming. No one would know I was there until it was too late.
And afterward?
I smiled at my reflection in the darkened window.
Afterward, I would finally have what I deserved.
The pack would see Daphne for what she really was—weak, pathetic, unable to handle even the slightest challenge.
They'd realize their mistake. They'd come crawling back to me, grateful that I'd shown them the truth.
It was going to be perfect. I turned away from the window and began to prepare. Clothes that wouldn't stand out, shoes I could move quietly in, a bag with everything I might need. The vial went into a small zippered pocket, safe and secure.
As I worked, I let myself imagine how it would feel. Walking into that cabin. Watching Daphne's face when she realized what was happening. Seeing the fear in her eyes when she understood that she'd lost.
She'd taken everything from me. My future. My pack. My place in the world. It was only fair that I take something from her in return.
The night stretched out before me, full of possibility. I lay down on my bed but didn't sleep—couldn't sleep, not with anticipation thrumming through my veins like electricity. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Oliver's face. Garrett's strong hands. Levi's bright smile. Micah's quiet intensity.
They should have been mine.
They would be mine.
I just had to remove one small obstacle first.
Morning came slowly, gray light creeping through my curtains like it was reluctant to witness what the day would bring. I rose before dawn, dressing carefully, checking and rechecking my supplies. The vial sat heavy in my pocket, a promise of what was to come.
I crept downstairs while my parents were still sleeping, leaving a note on the kitchen counter. "Gone for a drive. Need to clear my head. Don't wait up." Vague enough to explain my absence, specific enough that they wouldn't worry.
Not that they ever really worried about me. They'd stopped asking questions years ago, content to let me manage my own life as long as I didn't cause them any embarrassment.
The drive to the Miller farm took twenty minutes. I parked behind the old barn, where my car would be invisible from the road, and sat for a moment, gathering myself.
This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for. I got out of the car and started walking.
The woods were quiet this early, mist hanging low between the trees, muffling sound and softening edges.
I moved carefully, avoiding fallen branches and dry leaves, keeping my footsteps as silent as possible.
I'd walked this route three times already in the past week, memorizing every twist and turn, every potential hazard.
I wasn't going to make any mistakes. Not this time. Daphne's cabin came into view through the trees, and I stopped, pressing myself against a thick oak trunk. Smoke curled from the chimney—she was home. Good. The pack's vehicles were nowhere to be seen, which meant she was alone.
Perfect.
I watched for nearly an hour, waiting for the right moment.
She moved around inside, visible occasionally through the windows—making breakfast, tidying up, doing whatever boring domestic tasks filled her pathetic little life.
At one point she stepped out onto the porch, and I shrank back further into the shadows, heart pounding.
She didn't see me. Of course she didn't. She had no idea what was coming.
Eventually, she went back inside, and I heard the sound of water running.
A shower, probably. This was my chance. I crept closer, staying low, using the overgrown garden beds as cover.
The back door was my target, I'd noticed on previous reconnaissance that she often left it unlocked during the day. Trusting. Naive. Stupid.
The handle turned easily under my fingers, and I slipped inside.
Her kitchen was warm and cluttered, herbs hanging from the ceiling, jars of honey lining the shelves. It smelled like her, that sickly sweet omega scent that made my nose wrinkle in disgust. How the pack could stand it, I had no idea. How they could prefer this to me...
I shoved the thought aside. Focus. I needed to focus.
The water was still running upstairs, buying me time. I scanned the kitchen quickly, looking for the best target. A pitcher of water sat on the counter, half-full. A mug with a tea bag waiting beside the kettle. A water bottle near the door, probably what she took out to the garden.
All of them. I'd dose all of them. My hands were steady as I pulled out the vial, carefully measuring drops into each container.
Not too much—I didn't want to kill her, not yet, not until she understood why this was happening.
Just enough to weaken her, to make her vulnerable, to ensure she couldn't fight back when I returned.
I was just finishing with the water bottle when I heard the water upstairs shut off.
Time to go.
I slipped back out the way I'd come, easing the door closed behind me, and retreated to the treeline. My heart was racing now, adrenaline singing through my blood. I'd done it. The first part was complete.
Now I just had to wait. I found a comfortable spot among the trees, hidden but with a clear view of the cabin, and settled in. The compound would take two to three hours to reach full effect. I could be patient. I'd been patient for years.
A few more hours was nothing.
As I waited, I let myself imagine the future that was finally within reach.
The pack, gathered around me, apologizing for their mistake.
Oliver, pressing a kiss to my forehead, promising to make it up to me.
Garrett, building me a greenhouse even bigger than the one they'd built for her.
Levi, making me laugh with his ridiculous jokes.
Micah, looking at me with that quiet intensity that had always made my heart flutter.
They would love me. They would choose me. They would finally see what they should have seen all along.
I was their omega.
And nothing—not Daphne, not the town, not anyone—was going to stand in my way.
The hours crept by. The sun rose higher, burning off the mist, turning the morning crisp and golden. I watched Daphne move around her cabin, watched her drink from the water pitcher, watched her take her tea out to the garden.
Good girl. Drink up.
By noon, I could see the first signs that the compound was taking effect.
She moved more slowly, pausing to press a hand to her forehead, sitting down heavily on the porch steps like she couldn't quite keep her balance.
At one point, she pulled out her phone—probably to text the pack—but then seemed to think better of it, sliding it back into her pocket with a shake of her head.
Pride. That would be her downfall. Too proud to admit she was feeling weak, too stubborn to call for help.
It was almost too easy.
I waited another hour, watching her symptoms worsen. She'd retreated inside now, probably lying down, probably telling herself she just needed rest and she'd feel better soon.
She wasn't going to feel better. I rose from my hiding spot, brushing leaves and dirt from my clothes. My heart was pounding again, but not from fear—from anticipation. This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for.
Time to finish what I'd started.
I walked toward the cabin, not bothering to hide anymore. Let her see me coming. Let her understand, in those final moments of clarity, exactly who had beaten her. The back door was still unlocked. I pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Hello, Daphne," I said, my voice sweet as poison. "Did you miss me?"