Framed

VIRELLE’S POV

“Little wolf? Did he just call me little wolf?” I questioned my thoughts before crashing into my bed as the echo of paws fades into the distance, and suddenly the Alpha wing feels too big and scary, like the walls are closing in on me. I stared at the ceiling for a long moment, arms wrapped around myself, and breathing in air that no longer smells like either of them.

How on earth will I possibly decide on who to be with?

“Nyzarelle!” I yelled. “You ain’t gonna be quiet now are you?” But of course she’s only been trouble since she showed up.

I let out a heavy breath, and turned my face to the bed—it still smells like Ric—warm, and safe but a faint smell of Kai’s scent still lingered on my skin like smoke and it makes my chest ache.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I whisper, my voice shaken.

“You already are,” Nyzarelle suddenly replies, her voice felt calm inside my head. “But you can change that, you can follow your heart and the moon goddess will guide you.”

“But I don't know what I want Nyzarelle, i have never been confused my whole life, i love Kai but Ric cares for me.”

I shake my head. “Ric is good to me. He chose me without shame. He didn’t judge me for my past.”

“And Kai?” she asks gently.

I swallow hard. “Kai hurts me, but I love him—tell me what to do.”

I press my lips together, fighting the sting behind my eyes. “I hate that he affects me.”

“You don’t hate it,” she counters. “You fear it.”

Before I can respond, the door slams open and I jerk upright, heart hurdling into my throat.

Alicia strides in like she owns the room.

Her beautiful dark hair cascaded down her back, dressed in silk that clung to her curves. Her eyes flick over me with open disgust, her lips curling.

“So,” she says coolly. “You’re the whore that mated with the alpha hun?”

My shoulders tense but I stayed silent.

She scoffed and smirked before circling around me. “Don’t flatter yourself darling, You’re just a guest, don't ever think that the alpha will fall for a slave like you,”

I rise slowly to my feet. “What do you want, Alicia?” I said, clenching my fist. I could hear Nyzarelle growling like she was about to pounce.

She steps closer until we were just a few inches away from each other. “I want to know why you think you can just show up and steal what belongs to me.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Kai,” she snaps. “I saw the way he looked at you today? But trust me you are way out of Kai’s league he's just gonna use you like a slave that you are,”

My stomach knots. “The only slave I see here is you, Alicia,” I snapped.

“How dare you!” she sneered and chuckled. “You must really think highly of yourself darling, to think you will just appear out of nowhere and suddenly the Alpha forgets everything else?”

“I didn’t ask for his attention.”

“But you enjoy it,” she accuses. “You enjoy knowing he has a thing for you, I’ll never understand what he sees in you.”

Her words hit harder than I expected, and I tried so hard to keep my anger in.

“I didn’t choose any of this,” I say quietly. “And he didn’t choose me. He rejected me.”

Alicia’s eyes flash. “Liar.”

She steps closer again, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “He chose me. He beds me. He promised me a future and you will back the fuck up.”

I lift my chin. “Then why are you here?”

Her hand trembles at her side—her face twisted in a fury.

“Because you don’t get to exist where I am,” she hisses. “You don’t get to walk into his life and take what's mine. You should have stayed with your master where you belong.”

The room feels suddenly too small. I swallowed hard as my breathing increased.

“Leave,” I said, my voice tight. “I don’t want trouble.”

“Oh, you brought trouble with you,” she snaps.

She shoves me and I stumble back, catching myself on the bed. “Stop it!”

She advances again, her eyes now wild. “You think being his mate makes you special? He will never love you as much as he loves me. You’ll always be a mistake he regrets.”

Something snapped inside me and I pushed her.

“Get out,” I yelled louder. “Get out before I do what we’ll both regret. Her lips curve into a cruel smirk.

“Oh, there's no need for that darling.”

Before I could react, I suddenly pick up Kai’s scent, and it got stronger as he approaches the room, she noticed my reaction and screamed sharply ripping through the Alpha wing. Then, she threw herself backward, crashing into the glass table, shattering it over the floor. She collapses to the floor, clutching her side.

“You tried to kill me!” she sobs loudly. “Help! Someone help me!”

My blood runs cold, as I stood frozen and confused.

“No, no, no, no, no… stop! Please,” I rush toward her, panic flooding me. “I didn’t even touch you! You did this to yourself—she”

The door bursts open and Kai walked in before Ric rushed in behind him.

Their eyes took in the scene in a single second—Alicia rolling on the floor, crying—blood smeared across her arm from the broken glass, and I just stood over her, frozen.

Kai’s face burned as he glared deep in my soul. His face was unreadable but deadly that it made my stomach flutter. I tried to defend myself but somehow, every word I could possibly use faded off.

“Kai, oh my god Help me—She attacked me,” Alicia cries, reaching for him likeshe was about to die, it was just a scratch from the bottles. A part of me wanted to scoff, roll my eyes, and scratch those tears off her face, but i knew I was in a bigger mess already.

“She… she said if she couldn’t have you, no one would. She was jealous… because you chose me.”

“Those are your words, Alicia, that’s not true!” I choke. “She pushed me—she did this herself!”

Ric steps forward instantly, pulling me into his embrace before checking my body like a worried mother. “Kai, Alicia is lying. Virelle wouldn’t—”

“Enough,” Kai snaps.

His gaze locked on me, cold and furious.

“You expect me to believe this?” he demands. “Youre barely a month into this park and you're already nothing but trouble” he snapped.

Tears burned my eyes, and I felt betrayed “I know you've never believed anything i say but just this once… believe me, she did this to herself.”

Alicia whimpers, curling into herself. “It hurts… she wanted me dead…”

Kai’s fists clenched, his eyes blazed like thunder, it was nothing I’ve seen before, and I least expected what happened next.

“Guards,” he growls.

My heart plummeted.

I watched two hefty men stride in and walked to my side.

“Take Virelle to the dungeon.” he ordered, his voice—brutal.

Ric quickly spins between me and the guards, pulling me behind him. “You will do no such thing,” he snapped, returning his gaze back tk Kai. “Are you insane? You didn’t even investigate! Or try to get your facts right! Is that how a true alpha behaves?”

“Are you blind Ric? She attacked my Alicia,” Kai roars. “And I will not tolerate that.”

“I did not attack her!” I shouted. “She did this to herself!”

His jaw tightens. “How do you expect me to believe what is obviously visible before me? you have always caused chaos since you arrived here.”

Ric grabs his arm. “Stop it, Kai! We both know that Alicia is the real trouble here, why punish an innocent woman?” he muttered.

Kai jerks his arm free. “You’re dismissed, Beta.”

“Not until you investigate this properly,”

“Stand down!” Kai commands, his voice resounded like it was getting impatient. But Ric stiffened, rage burning in his eyes as the two guards stepped towards me, grabbing my two arms in place.

I shake my head, backing away. “Please… please don’t do this.”

Kai’s gaze flickers for half a second.

Then it harshens.

“Three days,” he said coldly. “No food. No water. Let the dungeon teach you restraint.”

Something inside me broke completely as they dragged me off.

Ric struggles to hold his rage but i understoor his restraint—he’s got the Alpha’s hold on him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

I didn't bother looking back, all eyes were fixed on me like I was a criminal. My eyes narrowed to where Alicia was standing and i could swear i saw a smirk on her ugly face.

The dungeon door slammed shut with a sound that echoed through my bones as I collapse to the floor. My throat tightened, and tears rolled down my cheek before I could stop it.

“This is what he thinks of me,” I whispered.

I curled into myself, hugging my shaking knees.

“I hate him,” I breathe. “I hate that I ever wanted him.”

“Then lean into the bond that protects you” Nyzarelle answered softly.