Victoria POV
I've been watching Callum Ashford for weeks.
The problem started small. A distraction here. A moment of lost focus there. But now it's obvious. The boy is obsessed. And obsession makes people stupid. Obsession makes people weak. Obsession makes them into weapons that can be pointed at whoever you want destroyed.
I sit at my desk in my private chambers reviewing financial documents. My husband thinks he runs the Ashford family. He thinks his decisions matter. In reality, I've been running everything for thirty years while he takes credit and plays Alpha. He signs papers I write. He makes announcements I prepare. He's a figurehead and he's never figured it out.
That's the kind of intelligence I'm working with.
Callum is nowhere near as oblivious as my husband but he's young. Young people make mistakes. Young people let feelings override logic. Young people like Callum can be manipulated if you understand what they want.
And I understand what Callum wants.
He wants Sophia Monroe.
The realization came to me three days ago when I saw him watching her leave my study. His eyes followed her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. His jaw was clenched. His hands were in fists. Every part of his body was vibrating with want and conflict and something darker that I recognize from my own youth.
Obsession.
Sophia Monroe is a problem that I've already been planning to solve. The girl comes from a merchant family. No old blood. No real power. No connections to the ancient dynasties that keep this world running properly. If she mates with James and they have children, the bloodline gets diluted. The power gets weakened. The Ashford legacy becomes contaminated.
I can't allow that.
The poison is already prepared. The plan is already in motion. Elena is already being positioned as the deliverer. James is already being conditioned to accept what's coming. In four months and seventeen days, Sophia Monroe will die at her coronation ceremony and no one will suspect murder.
But Callum's obsession creates a complication.
If Callum decides to protect her, he could interfere. He has enough power and position to ask questions that might unravel everything. He has enough loyalty to make people listen to him. He could become a problem.
So I'm going to turn him into a solution instead.
I hear the knock on my chamber door right on time. Callum is nothing if not obedient when summoned by someone with authority over him.
"Come in," I call out.
He enters with that careful respect that young soldiers always have. His eyes don't quite meet mine. His posture is controlled. But underneath all that discipline, I can see the turmoil. I can see the conflict eating him alive.
Good.
"Callum," I say warmly, standing to greet him. "Thank you for coming so quickly. I wanted to discuss something that's been concerning me."
I move closer to him. I use my voice the way I've learned to over the years. Soft. Concerned. Like I'm confiding in him. Like we're allies.
"I've noticed you've been distracted lately," I say carefully. "And I'm worried about you."
His jaw tightens. "I'm fine, Victoria."
I smile like I don't believe him. "Are you? Because it seems like something is consuming your thoughts. Something that's pulling your attention away from what matters."
He doesn't answer but his hands clench.
I sit down and gesture for him to do the same. He sits rigidly on the edge of the chair like he might need to escape at any moment.
"I also noticed that Sophia Monroe visited you recently," I continue, watching his face carefully. "In your private estate. Late at night. Alone."
Something flickers across his expression. Guilt. Possessiveness. Jealousy that he's trying to hide.
"Pack business," he says.
"I'm sure," I respond smoothly. "But I'm wondering if you understand what Sophia really is."
He looks at me now. His eyes are guarded but interested.
"What do you mean?" he asks.
I lean forward like I'm about to tell him a secret that matters.
"The girl is manipulating you, Callum. She's deliberately getting close to you. She's been visiting you because she wants something from you. She wants to use you."
"You don't know that," he says but there's doubt in his voice now. I can hear it.
"Don't I?" I ask gently. "Haven't you noticed how she suddenly became interesting after years of being invisible? Haven't you noticed how she appeared at your estate uninvited? Haven you noticed how she's been positioned herself to be alone with you multiple times?"
His hands clench tighter.
"Why would she do that?" he asks and the question is almost broken.
"Because you're powerful," I say simply. "Because you have access and position. Because she's planning something and she needs you to help her do it."
I watch doubt and jealousy war with his obsession. I watch him try to argue with what I'm saying even though part of him already knows it's true. He's been sensing that Sophia has hidden depths. He's been feeling that she's not what she appears to be.
I'm just confirming his suspicions.
"There's something else," I add quietly. "I've seen her meeting with people outside the pack. Men who don't belong to our world. Don't you wonder what that means? Don't you wonder who she really is?"
Callum stands up abruptly. He walks to the window like he needs distance from me. From the truth I'm feeding him.
"You should be careful with your loyalty," I say softly from where I'm sitting. "Especially if that loyalty is being used against you."
He doesn't respond. But he doesn't argue either.
By the time Callum leaves my chambers, I'm certain I've successfully planted enough doubt to turn him into a weapon. He'll question Sophia now. He'll look for signs of manipulation. And when he finds them (and he will, because I'll make sure he does), his obsession will turn to anger.
And angry obsession is far more useful than the gentle kind.
I wait exactly thirty minutes before I summon Elena.
She arrives looking nervous and excited the way young wolves always do when someone important summons them. She's wearing her pack clothes. She's combed her hair. She thinks this is some kind of honor.
I smile warmly and watch her relax.
"Elena, thank you for coming," I say gesturing for her to sit. "I have a special opportunity for you. Something that requires discretion and trust."
Elena sits on the edge of the chair with her eyes bright.
"Of course, Victoria," she says eagerly. "Anything for the pack."
"I know," I respond. "That's why I'm coming to you with this."
I stand and walk to the window, looking out at the pack grounds below us like I'm contemplating something important.
"Your family has been having some financial difficulties," I say casually. "Your mother's medical expenses have been mounting. Your father has been struggling to keep up with payments."
Elena's face goes pale. "How did you..."
"The pack takes care of its own," I interrupt smoothly. "And I want to help your family. But I need you to do something for me first."
I turn to face her and I can see the moment she realizes this isn't an honor. This is a transaction.
"What do you need?" she asks quietly.
I smile because I've just caught another piece of my game.
"There's going to be a coronation ceremony in a few months," I say. "And I need you to deliver something for me. Something very important. Something that will change everything."
Elena's hands are shaking now.
"What do you want me to deliver?" she whispers.
I walk closer to her and lower my voice like we're conspirators.
"Your family's debt will be forgiven," I say. "Your mother will receive the best medical care. Your father will be given a position in the pack hierarchy. All you have to do is listen to my instructions and follow them exactly."
Elena looks trapped and she should. Because she is.
"I'll do it," she says finally. "Whatever you need."
And just like that, I've got another weapon in place.