Elena's mind was calculating and acute, and she walked the corridors of Barduff Castle with a sense of experienced grace. She had a single goal in mind for every look she gave and every word she muttered: to sour relations between Jacob and Leah and recapture what she felt was hers.
She began modestly, sowing uncertainty in the minds of the council members of the castle. There were clues that Leah, an Omega, wasn't suitable to be Luna—a cunning remark here, a made-up tale there. Uncertainty that was already building inside Jacob's heart was fueled by the growing whispers of dissatisfaction.
She then turned to Serafina, approaching the young girl in the castle garden with a warm, honeyed voice. "You must miss your mother terribly," Elena whispered, kneeling next to Serafina. "I knew her well, you know. She would have wanted you to be raised by someone strong, someone who understands the ways of the pack." Serafina, wise beyond her years, narrowed her eyes. "Leah is strong," she said firmly. "She loves me, and my father loves her." Elena smiled, but deep down, saying, "Of course," she said sweetly. "But love isn't always enough to lead a pack, dear one".
She intensified her plan as the days went by. She had papers falsified, "evidence" of Leah's alleged clandestine interactions with other packs, accusing her of treason. While preserving her innocent façade, she made sure these untrue allegations reached powerful wolves in the court.
She cornered Jacob in his study one evening. "Jacob," she sighed, a false sadness shining in her eyes. "I'm worried about you and the pack. Leah—she's not what she seems."
Jacob's jaw tightened. "I don't have time for your games, Elena."
Faking vulnerability, she put a hand over her stomach and said, "I only want what's best. And I fear Leah may bring ruin to Barduff." Jacob hesitated, the whispers having reached him, Leah's pain and silence weighing heavily on his soul, Could Elena be telling the truth? Elena hid her smirk as she saw the doubt flicker in his eyes, and the web was tightening, and soon Leah would be ensnared.