bChapter /bb39 /b

bFenna’s /bPOV

I froze when I bsaw /bher standing there. ra. Of ball /bthe people… rab. /bI hadn’t expected this–didn’t even know she bknew /bbI /bbwas /bhere. My pulse quickened. She must bhave /bfound out about the room key, right? She knew about my nb… /band bshe /bknew bexactly /bwhat I was about to do with Alpha Cacl.

Fear curled in my chest. This is it, I thought. ra wasn’t someone you could walk away from. If she caught me, she wouldn’t hesitate to end it. I had no chance.

But then, a thought crossed my mind, and a brief sense of calm washed over me. Why should I be the one to panic?

Alpha Cael gave me the key, I reminded myself. He prefers me, not her. If anyone should be afraid, bit /bshould be rab. /bShe was the one who bwas /byesterday’s news. Not me.

I forced a nervousugh, trying to mask the fear twisting in my gut. “What’s thisb?/bb” /bI demanded, my voice high–pitched. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let me go! Or I swear, I’ll—”

She cut me off with a chuckle, her eyes gleaming. “Surprise me, darling. What are you going to do?”

I red at her, the anger rising. I’ve got this, I thought, even though my breath wasing too fast. “I’ll tell Alpha Cael everything! I’ll tell him how you’ve disrespected me–how you’ve tried to hurt me. You’re done!” I clenched my fists. “You’ll see. He’ll punish you for thisb.” /b

ra’s lips curved up into a slow, knowing smile. “And why do you think he’ll believe you?” she asked, her voice soft, mocking. “Tell me, Fenna. What makes you think he’ll take your side?”

I struggled to breathe under her grip, but I wasn’t backing down. I hissed through clenched teeth, “Because he’s into me now! He gave me his room key! He asked me to spend the night with him. He wants me, ra! Not you!” I stood tall, trying to shove away the tremble in my voice. “You’re ancient history.”

ra’sugh echoed through the room. Loud. Mocking. I flinched, heat spreading across my skin.

“So,” she said between fits ofughter, “what makes you think I won’t end you right here, right now? Before you have a chance to tell Alpha Cael a damn thing?”

Her grip tightened like iron. My vision blurred, breath caught in my throat. I felt my chest constrict. I was suffocating, my body weak, like prey caught in the jaws of a predator.

“Please…” I whispered, choking. “Don’t…”

The words caught, but they didn’t sound like me. My cocky, confident self–the one who thought she had control–was slipping away fast.

“I won’t say anything!” I gasped. “I’ll… I’ll help you! I’ll even tell Alpha Cael you’ve been great. You’ll be his top choice!” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but I said it. I said anything to make it stop.

Without warning, the pressure on my throat vanished. I crumpled to the floor, coughing violently, my hands clutching at my burning chest. I was gasping for air, trying to regain myposure, but ra had already moved behind me.

b“/bGet up,” she ordered coldly. “You’ve got someone to meet.”

I scrambled to my feet, my legs trembling. My head spun, and I didn’t understand what was happening. ra wasn’t acting like herself. What’s going on? I thought, but my thoughts were scattered, fading as she shoved me out of the bathroom and into the room.

bTwo /bpeople stood in the middle of bthe /bbspace/bb. /bbVessa /bwas leaning against the wall, her eyes balready /bstudying bme /blike ba /bspecimen. And then, there bwas /bhim. Alpha bCael/b.

“Alpha-!” I bgasped/b, my heart pounding as Iunched myself at him. b“/bAlpha Cael! Thank God you’re hereb! /bSheb–/bbra/bb–/bbshe /balmost-b” /bMy words choked on a sob as I grabbed bfor /bbhis /bpants, clutching at the fabric like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.

b“/bWhat the hell is wrong with you?” Alpha Cael snapped, bhis /btone irritated. bHe /bjerked his leg, freeing himself from my grip, and my stomach dropped.

“Let go!” he growled, his voice cold and cutting.

bI /bstared at him, confused. What is this? I thought, the panic rising in my chest. This isn’t how he bwas /bsupposed to bact/b.

“What are you doing?b” /bbI /bwhispered, more to myself than him. “Alpha Cael… You asked me toe bhere/b… don’t you remember?b” /b

I spun toward Vessa, anger ring inside me. “You! You gave me the room key! What is this? What game are you ying?b” /b

Vessa nced down at my chest, clearly unimpressed. She rolled her eyes. “You still haven’t figured it out?” she scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain.

I blinked, disoriented. “I… I don’t understand…” I stammered, my mind racing.

Vessa crouched down, her face inches from mine. “I gave you that key,” she said slowly, “on purpose. This wasn’t some gift. It was a setup. A trap, Fenna. For you. For him. For us.”

I froze. A sickening feeling crawled up my spine. A trap? No. It couldn’t be. Alpha Cael called me here…

I shook my head in disbelief, my vision blurring with the sudden rush of tears. “No… no… this can’t be happening… Alpha Cael… he wanted me here. He loves me…”

Cael rubbed his forehead, irritation shing across his face. “Are you serious? Is this really what you think of my taste in women?” He sighed heavily.

I couldn’t hear him. The words didn’t make sense. I could only hear the crashing sound of my world crumbling around me.

“I won’t believe it!” I screamed, my hands tearing at my hair. “NO! You’re all lying! He wants me! I know it!” My voice broke, but I didn’t care anymore. “He just… won’t admit it yet. In front of you. But he will. He has to.”

My sobs turned to screams, a breakdown threatening to consume me. If this was a trap, everything I’d ever dreamed of–my life, my wealth, my future–was gone. Everything.

“I–I’m not crazy!” bI /bscreamed, kicking and iling on the floor like a madwoman. “Alpha Cael loves me! I know he does!”

Cael’s voice cut through my hysteria. “Somebody do something about this woman, please!” His frustration was obvious.

ra stepped forward, her face unreadable. Without warning, she grabbed my shoulder and shoved me hard against the bwall/b. My breath hitched, the sudden pain sharp.

“Shut up. Right now,” ra hissed, her grip tightening as she caught my cheek. “You’re in no position to negotiate. The only way you leave here is by doing exactly what I say. Got it?”

I red at her, fury bubbling inside me. “You’re nothing but a—”

“Enough!” ra’s coldugh sliced through the air. “You still don’t understand. I’m the Gamma of the Blood Moon. I don’t take orders. I give them. And I have ways of getting what I want.” Her grip tightened around my wrist.

bYou /bwant bto /bsee bpain/bb?/bb” /bra smirked. “I could break your fingers one by one, pull your nails bout/bb, /band byou /bbwouldn’t /bbst/bb. /bmore than three minutes before begging for mercy.”

b“/bbStop/b! bPlease/bb!/bb” /bMy voice cracked with fear. My body trembled uncontrobly. bThe /bbsweat /bon my skin was cold band /bmmy.

b“/bbNow /bwe’re talking.” ra’s smile was cruel.

Vessa bstepped /bforward, her gaze fixed on me. “Who sent you here tonightb?/bb” /bbshe /bbsnapped/b.

I couldn’t answer. bI /bwas frozen, bthe /btruth crawling through me like poison.

I finally whisperedb, /bbarely audible, “Mrs. Diazb… /band Lady Mi.”

Vessa raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly did they want you to do?”

“They…” I wiped my nose with a trembling hand. “They wanted me to seduce Alpha bCael/bb… /bIf bI /bcould get him to bforget /babout ra, they’d take her down.” I choked on my words, tears streaming down my face.

b“/bGood. Now you understand.” ra’s voice was bas /bsharp bas /ba de. “But you’ve got a bigger problem now. You can’t go bback /bto them. They won’t let you live.”

I stared at her, unable to breathe.

“Nob… /bthey won’t…” I mumbled, my voice cracking.

ra’s gaze was chilling. “You know how many maids have disappeared over the years? They don’t hesitate. You’re next. Unlessb…/b” She stepped closer, her voice low and dangerous, “Unless you work with us.”

I looked up at her, fear crawling under my skin. “Work with you?” I whispered, unsure of what I was even agreeing to.

ra’s smile bwas /bcold. “You’ll go back to them and tell them you seeded. You’ll say you’ve seduced Alpha Cael… and then, you’ll do exactly as bI /bsay.”