Lara paced quietly around the room. She was thinking about what Aaron had just said. The news of the Harvest Moon wedding weighed heavily on both of us. My chest ached, not from hunger this time, but from the looming pressure of what was to come.
I had to think fast. They had just decided I was getting married and only told me two days before the ceremony. My fingers bit into the edges of my thoughts. There had to be a way to turn this to my advantage. I could use it to show Elias that his Pack treated me like trash.
I wasn't sure, but no matter what they did, they must be scared of their leader. Right? No pack wants to be disgraced in front of the others.
I clapped my hands, startling Lara out of her pacing.
"My lady?" she asked, looking at me with wide, cautious eyes.
"I have an idea," I said, a devilish smile forming on my lips.
"What is it?" she asked, her excitement bubbling over.
"You know every pack loves to hold its honor and prove it's better than the others," I said, pacing in place now, the idea forming like a fire in my chest.
"Yes…" she replied, a little confused.
"Do you think the Bloodmoon Pack is any different?" I asked, tilting my head, letting the question hang in the air.
"My lady, I don't understand," she admitted.
"At the wedding," I said, gesturing dramatically with one hand, "leaders and representatives from other packs will surely be there."
She nodded slowly.
"And so will the Sect," I continued, my voice dropping a notch for effect, "Father would be here too."
"Yes, my lady," she said, still clearly confused.
"Imagine this," I said, letting my voice drop into a slow, deliberate rhythm. "I fainted in front of everyone because of starvation. Imagine how that would go."
Her eyes widened. "My lady… that would be perfect… but are you going to starve yourself? My lady, please…"
"Of course not, Lara," I said, as if the idea were obvious. "I'm thinking strategic fasting."
She frowned. "You will eat only when necessary?"
"No," I replied. "I will eat only in small bits."
"Uhm… my lady, I don't like the sound of fasting," she said, wringing her hands nervously.
"Come on, Lara," I said, rolling my eyes slightly. "This is totally necessary."
She studied me for a moment, still hesitant. "I don't know, my lady… it's risky."
"I know it's risky," I admitted. "But think about it. The Pack thinks they're in control. They're confident that I am weak, that I will bend to their rules. If I faint, just once, in front of everyone, it will shake their pride. Show them that I'm not to be toyed with."
Lara's lips pressed into a thin line. "And you're sure you can handle it? Just small bits of food… hiding it from them… maintaining the act?"
I smirked. "I have a plan. Morgan and you are my secret weapons. With your help, I'll survive the ordeal and still make my point. Small, calculated risks. That's the key. Not reckless suffering."
Her eyes brightened a little. "Then… I'll help you, my lady. We'll make sure no one finds out. We'll keep the Pack from noticing anything."
I nodded, feeling a surge of satisfaction. "Good. We can't give them the satisfaction of thinking they broke me. But they need to know I won't be an easy target either."
Lara relaxed slightly, though her tension remained. "And the meals?" she asked. "Will you just pretend to eat, or…"
"I'll take tiny bites," I said. "Enough to keep my strength. And only when I have backup food. Not enough for them to notice, just enough to survive. I'll faint dramatically if necessary, but that's the end goal: control the situation without letting them truly have power over me."
She nodded, clearly impressed with my plan. "You're… very clever, my lady."
I smiled faintly, but it was more a strategy mask than an emotion. "Clever, yes. But cautious. I can't afford to underestimate them. They may treat me cruelly, but they will also be watching for signs of weakness. I have to give them just enough, and no more."
Lara's eyes searched mine. "So… you're not just surviving. You're turning this… this starvation, into a strategy?"
"Exactly," I said, tapping my fingers together lightly. "We're taking what they think is control and flipping it. They think they dictate my limits, but I decide the rules. Just once, they'll see that. Just once."
Her lips curved slightly in understanding. "I see now. It's not reckless. It's calculated."
"Always calculated," I said, feeling the surge of my resolve. "And it will pay off. Two days, Lara. Two days until the Harvest Moon. Enough time to set my plan in motion and still maintain my health."
She sighed, the tension slowly leaving her shoulders. "I will do everything to help you, my lady. I won't fail you."
"You won't," I said firmly. "And neither will I. But remember timing is everything. I'll eat when it matters, hide when it's necessary, and make the Pack see that they can't toy with me. One faint, one small spectacle, and they'll remember who's in control."
Lara smiled faintly, more like a shadow of relief than joy. "Understood, my lady. We'll do this together."
I nodded. "Together," I said, feeling the weight of the plan solidify in my mind. The Harvest Moon wedding wasn't just an event, it was a battlefield. And we would use every tool, every ounce of cunning, to turn it into our advantage.
Finally, I sat back on the bed, letting my thoughts settle. The faint taste of the food from earlier lingered in my mouth, and with it, a reminder: I would survive. I would endure. And I would show the Bloodmoon Pack that I was not theirs to control.
Lara settled quietly beside me, keeping watch as I plotted, and for the first time that day, I felt a glimmer of hope. Strategic fasting, careful planning, and secret allies, we had a plan. And in two days, under the light of the Harvest Moon, the Pack would see exactly who I was.