Chapter 5

Jun Pov 

Oh my goodness! No, no! Not now in a public setting such as the gathering of the entire pack.

My family especially. As my Father was looking at me with a disappointed look on his face like he knew what I had done.

What if they expose what had happened between us in the presence of the pack members? Elias would definitely distribute the nudes like he had threatened he would.

"Please, act like you don't know me," I whispered, smiling as I looked around to see the whole pack's eyes glued on me.

"Why? Why would you think you would be able to get away from us after clutching our hearts like a god-damned burglar!" Soren said, not reducing the tone of his voice like I had pleaded.

I stumbled back when Elias snapped his head up, his expression shocked and his hands shivering like he had been dipped into a pool of ice water.

"Hello, sirs. I'm sorry, I could guide you to the party. Your presence was required," Elias said, laughing nervously as his fingers couldn't leave his cuffs. A habit of his that he always does whenever he is pissed or extremely nervous.

Soren tilted his head towards Elias with a scowl on his face. I turned and started to leave, trying to use the distraction to slip away unnoticed, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Stop right there," Ronan's voice cut through the murmur of the crowd. I froze mid-step, my breath catching. "You don't get to walk away from this conversation, Jun."

I turned slowly, keeping my expression neutral even as panic clawed at my throat. "I really should go. Elias is waiting, and I have responsibilities."

"Your responsibilities can wait," Soren interrupted, stepping closer. The crowd around us had grown quiet, watching with barely concealed interest. "We need to talk about last night."

My stomach dropped. "Not here," I hissed, glancing at my father whose frown had deepened. "Please, not in front of everyone."

Ronan crossed his arms, his muscular frame somehow taking up more space than seemed possible. "Then where? You've been avoiding our calls all day."

"I haven't been avoiding anything," I lied, smoothing down my dress with trembling hands. "I've been preparing for the gathering. Unlike some people, I take my pack duties seriously."

"Is that so?" Soren's eyebrow arched. "Because it seemed like you took us pretty seriously last night when you were—"

"Don't!" I cut him off sharply, heat flooding my cheeks. Several pack members nearby had definitely heard that, their eyes widening with curiosity. "Don't finish that sentence."

Elias was watching the exchange with growing interest, his nervous fidgeting forgotten. "Jun, what exactly is going on here? Do you know these alphas?"

Before I could answer, Ronan spoke. "We're friends. Very close friends. Isn't that right, Jun?"

The way he said "friends" made it clear to anyone listening that we were far more than that. I could feel my father's gaze burning into the side of my face.

"We met once." I said carefully, trying to salvage what I could of this disaster. "It was brief. Meaningless."

"Meaningless?" Soren's voice dropped dangerously low. "That's not what you said when I was deep in your clit." 

"When I was drunk and not thinking clearly," I interrupted desperately. "Look, can we please discuss this somewhere private? Anywhere but here?"

The three alphas exchanged glances, seeming to communicate silently. Finally, Ronan nodded. "Fine. But you're not running off again. We'll wait right here while you make your excuses to your father."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then we'll have a very interesting conversation with him ourselves," Soren said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sure he'd love to hear about how his daughter spent her evening."

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. They had me cornered and they knew it. "You're despicable."

"You seemed to like that about us last night," Ronan remarked, and I saw Elias's eyes go wide.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to walk toward my father with as much dignity as I could muster. Each step felt like walking through quicksand.

"Father," I said quietly when I reached him. "I need to step out for a moment. There's something I need to handle."

His weathered face was unreadable. "With them?"

"It's complicated."

"I'm sure it is." He was quiet for a long moment, studying my face. "Jun, whatever you've gotten yourself into."

"I can handle it," I said, more confidently than I felt.

"Can you?" His gaze drifted past me to where the three alphas stood waiting, their presence commanding attention from everyone in the hall. "Those aren't ordinary pack members. Do you know who they are?"

My blood ran cold. "Should I?"

He lowered his voice. "They're here as part of the alliance negotiations. Any scandal involving them could jeopardize everything our pack has worked for."

Oh goddess. This was so much worse than I thought.

"I'll be careful," I managed to say.

"Too late for that, I think," Ivy chipped in, kindly. "Go. Deal with whatever this is. But Jun—" she caught my arm gently. "Don't let them make you feel small.

Her words steadied me somewhat as I walked back to where the brothers waited. They watched me approach with expressions ranging from amused to intrigued.

"Well?" Ronan asked. "Ready to talk?"

"Not here," I repeated firmly. "There's a garden terrace on the east side. We can speak there without an audience."

"Lead the way," Soren gestured.

As we moved through the crowd, I was acutely aware of the whispers following us, the speculative glances. Tomorrow, everyone would be talking about this. About me.

I'd made a mistake crossing paths with the Crimson brothers. A mistake that was about to cost me everything I'd worked so hard to build.

But as we stepped out into the cool night air of the terrace, I straightened my spine and turned to face them.

If I was going down, I'd do it on my own terms.