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Livia POV


August, 2025 | May Town.


There was nobody capable of convincing me otherwise, this place was definitely a safe haven to all the depravities of May town.


Because what the hell is going on here?


Why am I walking into a man, definitely an alpha and probably in his fifties, huddled to a corner, aggressively making out and fingering the young woman straddled on his thighs.


Why am I walking into this much chaos here and there?


Please do not get me started with the smell of stale whiskey and cheap cologne in the air of Voltage Underground, May Town’s most notorious late-night lounge.


Every second as Shirley led me through the small pathways of jolly people, I had one question in my mind; What on earth were we doing here?


Pink lights flickered over the crowded dance floor, making my head throb.


I smoothed down the hem of my pepper-red bodycon dress, my blood already simmering. I shifted on my heels, scanning the ambient room with rising irritation.


"Shirley, what on earth are we doing at a lounge?" I asked, leaning closer to her over the thumping bass. "I thought we were meeting Taylor at a fancy restaurant, considering all the hype you built around him since he got back. And why isn’t he here yet?"


I crossed my arms over my chest, defensive. "You know I hate places like this. Men around here think every woman is public property. I really don’t want to get into a fight tonight that’s going to land me on my dad’s bad side. Again."


Being a twenty-one-year-old omega in the Silver Moon Pack came with explicit expectations: be submissive, stay quiet, and stay home until an Alpha comes and asks for your hand, carting you away to be bred and turned into a pup making machine. But I had never fit that mold. While my twin sister, Livyana, was the soft-spoken, obedient white sheep who lived to please our parents, I was the undisputed black sheep—rebellious, hot-tempered, and completely unapologetic. And that’s why I am out here by this time of the night, past eleven pm, to see Taylor.


"Relax, Liv," Shirley said, pulling out her phone. "Let me just call him. Just sit down while I dial."


I sighed, spotting a small booth tucked near the main aisle. "Fine. Over there."


As I took a step toward the table, my phone buzzed in my palm. A text from Livyana: Dad called an emergency late-night pack meeting. Where are you? You need to hurry back before he notices you're missing.


I groaned, my thumb flying across the screen: I just got here and Taylor isn't even here yet. Please cover for me for thirty minutes, Livy. I promise I won't take long—


Before I could hit send, the screen flickered black. Dead battery.


"Great," I muttered, slipping the useless phone into my clutch. I looked up at Shirley, who was staring at her own screen with a furrowed brow. "What’s wrong?"


"He’s not picking up," Shirley said, looking worried.
A waiter glided past our table, catching my eye.

"Can I get you ladies something to drink?"


"Two glasses of champagne, please," I said flatly.
I was growing impatient as every second in here made me uncomfortable.


“He is not picking up, Livia” Shirley said again, looking obviously stressed.


I turned back to Shirley, a bitter smile on my lips. "Right. What was I even thinking, expecting Taylor to show up?"


The memory burned fresh in my mind. When Taylor had absconded to medical school overseas using my hard-earned savings—money I had set aside for my own fashion design dreams—I had been devastated. Months later, I confronted him on HiWolf, furious. He claimed everything had happened too fast, swore he still cared, and promised to help me secure a job. But after I sent my CV, he went completely silent.


"If you hadn't convinced me he was just 'busy' and wanted to make it up to me," I continued, "I wouldn't have stepped foot out of the house tonight, only to get stood up."


"Damsels," a thick, raspy masculine voice interrupted.


It was a tall, bald man with a dense beard who walked into our space. He puffed a cloud of pungent cigar smoke straight into my face.
"I guess you both are here for Taylor?" he asked, waving the smoke away lazily.


Shirley coughed, waving her hand. "Yes... and who are you?"


"Awesome," the man said, slowly licking his lips as his eyes dragged up and down my dress. "So let’s get down to business. Private lounge. Thirty minutes."


My jaw tightened. "Wait…What? Private what? Why would we go to a private lounge?"


The man chuckled, rubbing his beard. "Come on, I know your type. You're here for the cash."


Reaching into his leather jacket, he pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills. "That’s fifty thousand dollars. Let’s go have some fun in the back, everyone leaves happy." With a smirk, he tossed the stack straight at my chest.


I caught the blur in my periphery and simply stepped back, letting the bundle smack against my dress and hit the filthy floor.


I stood frozen for a second, totally stunned. I prayed to the moon goddess for self-control as a dark, incredulous laugh bubbled up my throat. I looked at Shirley. "Did this guy just throw a bundle of cash at me?"


"Sir, clearly there’s a massive mix-up here," Shirley said quickly, stepping between us. "We are here to see Taylor. Since he’s not here, we’re leaving. Livia, grab your purse."


The man sneered. "Mix-up? Is that the new language you escorts use now?"


"Escorts?" Shirley and I chorused together.


The waiter arrived, placing the champagne glasses on the table. I didn't hesitate. I picked up my glass, took a deliberate sip, and let the warm liquid sit on my tongue before meeting the man's eyes with deadly calm.


"Get out of my face," I said quietly.


"Feisty. I like it," the man smirked, leaning in until his breath fanned against my skin. "If I were you, I’d save that energy for the room. Put that sweet, sharp mouth to good use sucking my big dick."


He reached out, his fingers tracing invisible lines on my cheek.


That was the last mistake he ever made.


My instinct took over. I emptied the remaining champagne straight into his eyes. Before he could react, my fist cracked hard into his windpipe. As he gagged, stumbling backward, I delivered a thunderous double-slap across both his cheeks that echoed over the lounge music.


"ARE YOU MAD?" I roared, my eyes blazing. "How dare you touch me with your filthy hands!"


Gasping for air and clutching his throat, the man’s face twisted in rage. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life!"


He lunged at me. I dodged seamlessly to the side, my hand sweeping across the adjacent table. My fingers closed around an empty vodka bottle. In one fluid motion, I brought it down hard over his bald head.


CRASH.


Glass shattered everywhere. The man collapsed to his knees, bleeding and dazed. I gripped the jagged neck of the broken bottle, stepping forward and leveling the sharp edge inches from his neck.


"Move an inch and I’ll open your throat!" I snarled, my breath coming in hot, furious hitches. "What kind of pathetic man sees two women trying to have a good time and automatically assumes they're escorts?"


The booming music abruptly cut out. Gasps erupted across the floor as the crowd backed away, forming a wide circle around the scene. Heavy footsteps pounded against the floor as four security guards rushed in to de-escalate the situation.


"Hands off!" I snapped at the head guard before he could touch my arm. "Don't touch me. I was just leaving anyway. Rubbish."


Suddenly, Shirley’s phone rang loudly in her hand.

She answered it on speaker, her hands shaking.
"Shirley?" Taylor's smooth voice came through the speaker. "Hey, did you guys meet my friend Kelvin yet? He should be there. I’ll be joining you guys in like thirty minutes—"


I snatched the phone out of Shirley's hand, bringing it straight to my mouth.


"Go fuck yourself in hell, Taylor!" I screamed into the mic, throwing the phone back at Shirley.


I grabbed Shirley by the wrist, hauling her toward the exit through the staring crowd.


"You have a lot of explaining to do," I snapped, my chest heaving as we burst out into the cool night air. "Why the hell isn't he here, and why did he send us out here to get harassed? Fuck!"