CHAPTER 55: TRUTH

The cafe owner stared blankly at the collapsed washroom building outside the cafe, his mouth dry and his hands trembling at his sides. His thoughts spun in circles, but then his fingers brushed against the fat wad of cash still stuffed deep in his pocket. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. So... the money had been compensation for this? For the destruction that the Alpha had been about to cause?

He gulped again, sweat forming on the back of his neck. He should not have ignored his first instinct. That strange feeling he had when the man first smiled at him- he had pushed it away, due to the lure of money.

But he had been right all along. Now, he was caught in the middle of something far beyond his control. His once lively cafe was now emptied of customers, the tables overturned, and the entire place was crawling with the Royal Police guards.

He dared not even breathe too loudly as he stood frozen. Who had called them here? He certainly hadn’t. But they had appeared and taken three of the people away. He didn’t even know if those people were alive or dead... And he was sure he’d caught a glimpse of more people in the van that the Police guards had taken away.

He stole a quick and fearful glance at the man sitting in the corner booth again. The stranger was seated with his back straight, his eyes closed as if he were resting, but the cafe owner knew better than to be deceived by the calmness this time. No sirrah! This man was too dangerous.

If he could sit like this before an entire building collapsed then what could he do when he was really angry.

Across from him, the Omega was kneeling on the floor, her face hidden beneath a curtain of tangled hair. She hadn’t lifted her head once.

Curiosity pricked at him despite his fear. What kind of Omega could provoke this? What kind of creature could drive an Alpha to bring such ruin, to crush walls? There was no sense in it. He had seen many Alphas before, powerful ones too, but none of them had ever destroyed a building over an Omega.

Just then, the man spoke, his voice low and steady, carrying across the silent cafe.

"The fourth wall is still standing."

The owner frowned at the words, confused. Fourth wall? What was he talking about? His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of it, but then the meaning struck him all at once. His eyes widened in dawning horror.

The fourth wall is still standing.

He realized the words were not some strange riddle. They were a warning. If he kept staring—if he continued to let his eyes linger on things he had no business watching—then the fourth wall of his bathroom would be the next to collapse, reduced to rubble just like the rest with him probably being thrown into it!

A shiver ran down his spine.

Hurriedly, he snatched the napkin from the table in front of him, lowering his head in a show of respect. He bowed deeply, his voice trembling as he stammered, "I–I’ll go get some burgers from the kitchen..."

He scurried away at once, clutching the napkin as if it were a shield, eager to put distance between them.

Once the cafe owner hurried away, Emira finally dared to lift her eyes and glance at the man seated at the table. She had been kneeling there for what felt like forever, her knees pressed into the hard floor until they had gone completely numb. The ache was spreading through her legs, but she did not dare to shift her position. She had no idea what to do or what to say.

Yet the silence weighed heavily on her. It was clear he was waiting. He expected something from her. A word. A gesture. Anything.

Emira clenched her hands together tightly in her lap, her nails biting into her skin. If only Prince Zen were here, she thought desperately, things would have been so much easier. He would have known what to say, what to do, how to face this man. But Zen was not here. He was nowhere in sight. There was only her—and the Alpha who sat before her with his unreadable expression.

So, forcing herself to gather what little courage she had left, Emira raised her head just enough to meet his eyes. Her voice trembled, but she spoke anyway.

"Thank you... thank you for saving me."

As soon as the words left her lips, she hurriedly lowered her gaze again, her cheeks heating. Her voice grew softer, rushed.

"If you had not come in time, me and the other Omegas..."

A sudden crash echoed through the cafe. Emira flinched violently, her body jerking as she looked up in alarm. One of the chairs had been shoved aside, splintering against the wall and falling near her. Prince Kael’s golden eyes were burning into her, his glare sharp enough to freeze her in place.

"Those men," he said, his tone cold and heavy, "were professional Omega hunters. They have been doing this for years. You were lucky tonight. Very lucky. If they had been fully prepared, you would already be gone. Do you know where they would have sent you?"

His voice dropped lower, rougher.

"To the mountains. Sold like livestock. Forced to breed with rogue wolves until your body broke."

Emira’s stomach twisted. She gulped hard, her throat painfully dry, and nodded quickly. "I—I know," she whispered slowly as she looked up, "But I... I just went to the bathroom. I didn’t think... I didn’t think they would try to take me from there. I wasn’t careless on purpose, I—" Her words caught in her throat. "But I am thankful. The five other Omegas... they’re safe now because of you."

She tried to focus on that, on the small comfort of it, but she never got to finish.

Without warning, she was yanked forward, her body jolting violently. A startled cry escaped her lips as the floor disappeared beneath her. Before she could even blink, she found herself sprawled across Prince Kael’s lap, her stomach pressed down against his thighs, her face turned toward the floor.

Her backside was raised helplessly in the air, completely exposed to him.

Emira’s breath caught, panic surging through her chest. "W–wait—" she gasped, twisting to free herself. But her struggles were useless. His hand pressed firmly against the small of her back, holding her pinned as if she weighed nothing.

The next moment, the sharp sound of impact rang out.

A hard smack landed squarely on her bottom. The sting burned instantly, spreading like fire through her skin. Her eyes flew wide open in shock, horror rushing through her veins.

"N–no-!" Emira’s voice broke as she tried to push herself up, her arms trembling with effort. But it was useless. Kael’s grip did not falter. His hand stayed heavy and unyielding on her lower back, keeping her bent forward and unable to escape.

Another strike followed. The sound cracked through the air, making her flinch as tears pricked in her eyes. She could not comprehend why he was doing this until he growled," Truth. Now."