“The fuck it is—”
“You won’t agree right now because you’re obsessed with being right. Where did being right ever get you?” Lyric looked around pointedly. “How many Pack members have you already gone through since you became high ranking here? How settled are you? Your job as a high rank wolf is to bring a Pack closer, and bond them, and make them care about each other, and grow together. All you’ve done is point your Pack of strangers to wars they weren’t invested in. There are some people who are born to be leaders. You are not one of them. You won’t believe me now that you are the reason your mate was killed, but there will be a night where you are lying in bed, and you’ll question it, and you’ll see things for how they really are, and who knows? You might even put yourself in Vic’s shoes, or Liam’s, or mine, and realize how destructive you have been. You retrieved your dead, right?”
Eden had gone surprisingly quiet. She held the awkward silence between them for a few seconds more before she nodded once. “Yes.”
“You are filling up your cemetery here, Eden. Not your territory. You’re doing this wrong.”
“Oh and you could do better?”
“With my eyes closed. I want my car back.”
Eden huffed a laugh. “You have some nerve.”
“Aro co-signed on it years ago, but it is also in my name too, and I made every payment on that car. I paid it off myself. I’ve taken care of it, I’ve kept it for years, it is mine.”
“My father owes you nothing.”
“Your father didn’t pay for the car, and he absolutely owes me. Was he the one who stole me from my parents?” she asked.
Eden’s lips thinned and she didn’t answer.
“Was he?”
“How would I know?” Eden snapped. “You were seven and I was ten. That was a long time ago. Get over it.”
Lyric huffed a sad laugh and hung her head. “I’m so happy you don’t have to question your identity, or your life, or question if everything you know is a lie, Eden. I can assure you though, it isn’t a simple thing to just get over it. I wish it was. Please give me my keys.”
“Or what?”
“Or I will Challenge you for this Pack.”
Eden froze, and the cockiness on her face faded in an instant. “You wouldn’t. You don’t know how to lead.”
“You’re right. But from you, I’ve learned how not to lead. I’ll just think to myself, ‘what would Eden do?’ And then do the opposite.” Lyric shrugged. “Honestly, I can’t do any worse than you. You know it too.”
Eden canted her head, and Lyric could see it in her eyes. She was thinking about it. “If you Challenge me for this territory, it will be to the death.”
“That works for me,” Lyric said in a cold tone.
“You’re different now,” Eden said.
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
Lyric plastered on an empty smile and waited.
Eden clenched her teeth, and Lyric could see it in her eyes. She didn’t want this fight with her. For the first time ever, Eden was showing her fear. She knew she could lose to Lyric.
Eden disappeared inside and returned, tossed Lyric the keys to her Outback. “Take the stupid car and never come back here,” Eden growled.
Lyric ran her thumb over the little black bottle opener key chain beside her car key. “You took parts of Vic away from me.”
“Good.”
“So, there’s your vengeance. The rest of my life is affected, the rest of his is ruined. You did it, Eden. You did just enough bad that I never want to speak to you again. If you see me in town, cross the street and I’ll do the same for you.” She offered a sad smile and then turned to leave.
“Wait,” Eden said softly.
