It was nearly midnight, and the sky was picturesque. The sky was so clear, that you could see every crater of the gibbous moon. As if to look even more scenic, an ethereal glow wrapped around the moon with millions of stars sprinkled around it.

Isla sat on the wooden bench, waiting for any signs of a human - footsteps, grass rustling, or even a silhouette. 

She hugged herself to shield herself from the cold that was sticking to her skin. 

Everything was set.

Well, except for the kingpin that was. She couldn't make a move, not when the queen of the board wasn't present to back her up.

If Valerie didn't by tomorrow, Hayden would be at a higher advantage for it was the last day of the waxing gibbous moon.

Tomorrow was the only day Isla could turn into a wolf herself, unlike Hayden who could turn whenever and now had the power of the alpha.

Slowly, Isla got up from the bench and walked silently into her house. There was a lot left undone and she was going to change that.

She was oblivious to most of what was happening but she did know one, crucial detail.

Valerie wasn't to be trusted.

 She's always back and forth with her words, Valerie thought as she put down a mug of water into the tiny microwave. 

She was staring at the mug rotate inside subconsciously as her mind wandered elsewhere. Her heart almost skipped a beat because of the knock on the door and the microwave's wailing.

Instantly, her mind drifted back to her house as she scampered towards the door.

The moonlight outlined the silhouette of a woman who stood looking poised but drowsy at the same time.

"What took you so long?" Isla asked as she glanced at the clock that showed quarter past twelve.

"I had some hiccups on my way here." Valerie answered as she invited herself in.

"Care to elaborate?" Isla asked.

"That's not part of the deal." Valerie replied nonchalantly as she stretched onto the bed. Isla stood and stared as Valerie shut her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

She's being very suspicious, Isla thought as she grabbed the mug of warm water from the microwave. She held it in her hands, seeping in all the heat as her eyes darted to Valerie again.

She longed to know what was in Valerie's head because she knew all too well that she was the liability to her own plan.

Just a tiny hint and I'll be able to counter whatever Valerie plans to do once Hayden is gone, Isla thought as she bit her nails furiously.

She was taught to never cheat, to be fair and diligent but none of that mattered anymore.

The only unfair fight is the one I lose, she thought as she spread a blanket on the floor and drifted into a restless slumber

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

Isla woke up to the clattering of utensils. The noise they made as they made contact with the wooden floor was enough to wake her up and give her a ringing ear.

She rubbed her eyes groggily and looked at Valerie who was hurriedly putting them back in place.

"That was worse than an alarm." Isla said with a hoarse voice.

"Maybe you should try and keep things neat." Valerie said as she took a sip from the cup of coffee she had just prepared.

"I don't know if you realized, but we have less than twenty-four hours." Isla said as she bit her lips.

"It doesn't take that long to off someone. Besides what's the rush?" Valerie asked, cocking her eyebrow.

"Tonight is the only night I can turn into a wolf." Isla reminded her, still biting her lips.

"You don't need to become one. I am going to be doing everything." Valerie said as she walked closer to her, "Unless you were planning something else?" she asked with a grin.

At this, Isla was taken aback. It wasn't her intention of alerting Valerie of her motives but that was a mistake she couldn't resolve.

"If things go south you need backup, don't you?" Isla asked, trying to patch up what she blurted out.

"I never asked for it, did I?" Valerie asked with the same, knowing grin.

"I'm not obliged to answer you." Isla said. She knew that this was suspicious but anything else she said would only worsen the situation.

"You need not worry. It all ends tonight." Valerie reassured her and walked out the house for a breath of fresh air.

Valerie was right.

It all would end tonight

Although Isla's sleep was restless, everything fell into place in her head.

All night she was tossing and turning, ripping her hair off at the thought that she was at a disadvantage, at the thought that she had no real ally when really, she was forgetting something.

If she couldn't rely on a person, she would rely on their emotions.

After all, she didn't call herself the master manipulator for no reason.

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

 The sound of a leaking tap echoed in the dark, empty room. People say that silence is louder than words and this could be considered an example of it.

The only other sound, other than the water droplets was the crinkling of paper and the huffing of a girl.

She licked the sweat off of her face as she went back to what she was doing before; scribbling on a piece of paper.

A lot can change in a week and she knew exactly what that felt like. She was robbed off her old life and now, she was going to make them pay.

There's no such thing as karma, she told herself as she remembered the words of her mother. What you sow, you reap, she would say but that was nothing but bullshit.

She didn't trust the universe. Not anymore. But she knew she could always count on herself.

And that's why she was here, in a dark and abandoned hut hidden by the thorny bushes around it with only the bare minimum.

She hated looking at herself in the mirror. Her chubby cheeks had shrunk, highlighting every bone and vein. Her bright eyes were covered with dark circles and her charismatic smile was something she knew she'd never see again.

Her soul existed in her body, but not the way she'd want it to.

All-day long she tried to make herself feel something, even sorrow but it all lead to nothingness. 

The only reason she still considered herself human was her rage, which boiled in her veins at the thought of her sister.

She was never the nicest to her, but nobody deserved this. Nobody deserved to live amongst a cold, heartless person who only looked out for herself.

Which is how she'd made up her mind. She was going to sit around, waiting for the world to punish her when she knew she could do it herself.

She took everything from me and now, she's going to know what that feels like.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HEY! I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER! VOTE AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKED IT OR SOMETHING! I'll SEE Y'ALL NEXT SUNDAY! BYEEEEEEEE!