Chapter 5. the Bet

Alice POV

The voice belonged to Ethan.

He didn’t even blink at Liz's feeble attempt to block me. Just reached past her like she wasn’t even there and grabbed me by the collar, lifting me like a little puppy. His grin was pure mischief—cocky, devilish, and way too pleased with himself.

“Miss Bunny,” he purred, “your ass is way too perky to be hiding behind someone else.”

The way he said it—low, teasing—was deliberately flirtatious, and of course, it drew a round of snickers and whispers from the crowd.

‘Don’t call me that,’ I snapped, glaring at him, yanking his hand away. But inside, I was already calculating my odds.

Showing weakness in front of jerk Alphas like these?  That’s suicide.  First rule of survival I learnt growing up in my pack.

Aiden stood just behind his brother, hands in his pockets, throwing Ethan a look that was barely a warning. Ethan took the hint, stepping back with an exaggerated bow, like saying, “Fine, your prey. I don’t need a taste.”

Only then did Aiden speak, voice calm and cold.

‘Looks like you got my token.’

My brain stuttered. “Token? You mean… that sticker?”

I glanced down at my collarbone. Sabrina had stuck a weird sticker on me yesterday, and I’d ripped it off the second they left. That couldn’t be what he meant.

“Check your collarbone,” Ethan chimed in from the side, voice annoyingly gleeful.

I tugged my collar aside—and froze.

There, vivid and unmistakable, was a black-and-red rose mark blooming across my skin. The petals were a dark, bloody velvet, ringed with razor-sharp black thorns that looked like they were sinking into my chest—curling toward my heart like a death grip.

It spread all the way to my chest, almost touching the edge of my nipples, as if it were some kind of dangerous warning.

My cheeks flushed hot with a mixture of rage and shame.

‘What the hell is this?! ’ I growled, scrubbing at it with my palm, desperately trying to wipe it away.  But no matter how hard I rubbed, the mark wouldn’t budge.  It was burned into my skin, and the more I scrubbed, the redder I got—and the brighter that damn rose glowed.

Around us, I could hear gasps, like everyone suddenly knew something I didn’t.

“That,” Aiden said, stepping forward, eyes narrowing like a predator closing in, “is called Alpha’s Hunter’s Mark.”

“You’re officially an Omega marked by me, Aiden Nelson.”

“Everyone who sees it will know you’re claimed—by name. And no one’s gonna touch what’s mine.”

He leaned down, his voice dropping to a whisper that barely brushed my ear. “But they’ll love watching you fall.”

“You’re out of your damn mind,” I gritted out, my fists clenched, my heart pounding in my throat. 

But Aiden didn’t care. He looked at me like a predator watching prey resist.

“You really thought you could slap an Alpha and walk away?” His eyes flashed gold, all cruelty and command. “You’re just an Omega. Don’t be so naive.”

He stepped in closer, close enough I could feel the heat radiating off his body. His scent crashed over me like a tide—cold ocean brine, sharp iron, and something ancient and violent beneath it all.

“Until…” he said, letting the word hang.

“Until what?” I spat back, jaw locked.

Aiden grinned—a sharp, cruel smile that made my skin crawl.  He leaned in so close I could feel the heat of his breath at my jaw, his flame-red curls brushing my cheek, gold eyes glinting.

“Until I fuck you and slap your ass on the bed in return.”

The air sucked right out of the field.

My breath hitched. My mind blanked.

And just like that, he turned away. Like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t just lit a match and dropped it in the middle of my chest.

Ethan finally broke the silence, voice lazy, amused. “Don’t forget—the Moonlight Ball’s next week. You only have a short time to make your choice. Would suck to be the only Omega without a date, huh? Poor little thing with no one to claim and protect her…”

The words landed like knives.

I knew exactly what the Moonlight Ball meant: no date, no entry. You stood outside the gym like a stray mutt, waiting to be pity-picked. It was the most humiliating tradition in the entire school.

And what’s more, for a wolfless girl like me, it basically means I was doomed on any chances of finding a mate. Not after being a leftover on a moonlight ball.

I clenched my fists.

“I’m not agreeing to this!” I shouted, fire rising in my throat. “I’m not getting involved with either of you assholes. I— I already have someone I like!”

The twins stopped.

Ethan turned around and approached me slowly, "Don’t bother hoping for Dean, little Alice.  My cousin doesn't like his girl to be..."  He lowered his head and gently flicked the cardigan I bought at the thrift store with his fingertips: "..."outdated."

“I don’t need your f*cking charity!” I snapped. “I’ll find my own date for the Moonlight Ball without either of you.”

Aiden and Ethan exchanged a glance. The golden eyes met the blue ones, and the same smile appeared on the two similar but strikingly different faces. It seems that some kind of tacit understanding unique to the twins has been reached.

"Then let's make a bet." Ethan said nonchalantly, his blue eyes flashing with a mischievous look. "If you show up with a proper date and walk through those doors, we’ll back off. My brother will leave you alone."

“Then let’s make it interesting,” Ethan said, all fake innocence. “If you show up with a proper date and walk through those doors, we’ll back off. My brother will leave you alone.”

“But if you don’t…” His grin stretched wider. “You become our personal maid. Full-time. Morning, night. Head to toe.”

I gritted my teeth and said coldly, "Not enough."

Ethan raised a brow. “Oh?”

“When I show up with my date,” I said, voice strong and clear, “you’re going to apologize. Publicly. In front of everyone.”

They stared at me.

I didn’t flinch.

“Deal?” I asked, holding their gazes like I wasn’t already falling apart inside.

The air seemed to freeze for a second.

Then—

“Deal,” Aiden said, voice like a knife sliding from its sheath.

“Let’s see how long you last, little Omega.”