It had been two days since Mona received the mysterious note, the one signed by Derrick himself.
The words *"Alpha Derrick saw you in the black beautiful dress"* still echoed in her mind like a chant.
The backside had held even more weight: *"I will soon be back!"*
Since that moment, Mona had barely slept.
Her nights were haunted by flashes of Derrick's cold glare, the tone of his voice when he last warned her about power, and the possibility of him returning to rip everything from her hands.
She had tried to keep up appearances. She smiled at meetings, gave commands with her usual authority, and even joined the warriors during early training sessions.
But behind all that, a storm brewed inside her.
On this new morning, the sun was warm, yet the wind carried a chill.
Mona sat in her private lounge, eyes lost in thought, until a soft knock broke her train of anxiety.
"Come in," she said quietly, already suspecting who it was.
