Lucas's POV
As dessert is brought in; a massive pavlova topped with a tower of fresh fruit, I glance around the table. The boys, along with Zahra, are all looking drained. They’ve had a long, emotional day, and it’s starting to show. I check my watch and see it’s already 9:30 p.m. Time has slipped by quicker than I realized.
I link Xander.
‘You guys all look shattered. Why don’t you head upstairs once desserts finished. Don’t worry about cleaning up tonight. You’ve all got an early start tomorrow.’ I can sense his surprise—this is unusual for a royal visit. But I know James won’t mind.‘Thanks, Dad. I’ll tell the others.’‘Take Sebastian, Max, and the princes with you. They won’t want to sit around with us. We
Lincoln's POVAs we enter English, I notice Sam sitting at a desk across the aisle from mine.Curiosity gets the better of me, and I lean over, extending a hand. “Hello, Sam, is it? I’m Lincoln Grey, future Alpha of the Shadow Pack. It’s nice to meet you.”He shakes me hand “Sam, Sam Williamson”He pauses, looking at me appraisingly, a small smile playing at his lips as he shakes my hand. “I didn’t think that squirt with the chip on his shoulder I met just now was the future Alpha I’d heard about.”His words catch me off guard, and I raise an eyebrow at him, intrigued. “What have you heard?”“This and that,” he says with a casual shrug. Goddess, that sounds ominous. I decide to steer the conversation to safer ground. “Where have you transferred from?”“My
Lincoln's POVI pull into the school parking lot with a heavy sigh, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. Another day in this hellhole. I fucking hate school. Don’t get me wrong—my grades are good, and as the future Alpha, I’m popular. Too popular. Everyone practically worships the ground I walk on, and it makes my skin crawl.Dad encourages it, of course. He thrives on the idea of the Alpha being untouchable, a god among wolves. Logan, my little brother, eats that shit up like candy. He hangs on every word Dad spits out, soaking it all in like a sponge. But me? I hate it.An Alpha shouldn’t be worshipped. The way I see it, an Alpha is responsible for the pack. It’s our duty to protect, defend, support, and nurture them. We’re supposed to lead by example, not from a gilded throne while weaker members fawn over us and get stomped into th
Zahra's POVAfter dinner, the guys head upstairs to their floor, and once I’ve helped Alison clean up, I flop onto the couch in the living room, pulling a blanket over myself. I turn on the TV, letting the familiar theme song of some sitcom hum through the room. I’m not really watching it; the noise is just a distraction from the endless loop of thoughts swirling in my head.‘You need to talk to them,’ Zanthe’s voice cuts through, soft but firm.‘Not now, Z. I’m not ready,’ I argue, pulling the blanket tighter around me like it’s some sort of armour.‘They’re your family, Zahra. If you keep running, it’s only going to hurt more—for all of you.’I sigh, her words cutting through my defences. ‘What if they don’t actually mean it, Z? What if it’s just guilt, and once this blows over, they go right back to ignoring me?’‘And what if they don’t? What if this is the start of something new?’ Her voice is steady, resolute. ‘You’ve already proven you’re strong enough to stand alone, but you do
Zahra's POVWell, that was a fucking joke. I can’t believe the audacity of that bitch. And then the guys using me to help negotiate new ranked members? Unbelievable.‘At least it was Max who asked... he is so hot!’ Zanthe’s voice is a dreamy purr in my mind. I roll my eyes, trying not to groan out loud. ‘Goddess, Zanthe, seriously? Can you not?’ She snickers, unbothered by my annoyance.I trudge up the stairs to my room, still simmering. I know I haven’t exactly made it easy for them to apologize, but they could’ve tried harder. Well, to be fair, they have apologized more than once... but texts don’t count.Slamming my door behind me, I sigh heavily. The world is officially on my last nerve today. I just want to curl up and revise for the rest of the day, ignore everyone, and maybe hope the ground swallows Christine and Bianca.I head straight for my shower. Even though I didn’t break a sweat annihilating those two pathetic excuses for warriors, there’s blood and dust all over me, a
Max's POVBianca stands, and she and Christine head over to their dads on the lawn. Seb gets up and stalks toward the front of the house, clearly waiting for Noah and Ralph to arrive.Quietly, I lean toward Zahra. “Zahra, I’m sorry this is happening. I know you’re going to wipe the floor with them, but can I ask you a favour?”She glances up at me from her bacon, her expression flat. “I am not throwing this fight. You can forget that right now.”I can’t help but smile. “I would never ask that. Honestly, I’m looking forward to watching you demolish them.” Her lips twitch slightly, but I press on. “Here’s the thing. We’ve been having trouble with those two for a while. Seb has two alternatives for Gamma and Delta, and we’ve been trying to find a way to replace Christine an
Max's POVI hear Christine snicker softly, and my stomach tightens. Zahra’s head snaps in her direction, her eyes sharp and murderous. I silently pray Christine keeps her mouth shut because if Zahra decides to unleash herself, it’s going to be a scene.Zach sits scowling into his plate, and I can feel Oscar’s hostility radiating from where he sits. His gaze is locked on Seb, who, of course, is staring at Zahra like a lovesick idiot. I can practically hear the wheels turning in his head, like he’s trying to figure out what to say. I clench my jaw, bracing for whatever drama is about to unfold.‘This is a powder keg waiting to blow,’Medus mutters darkly.‘No kidding,’I reply. All I can do now is watch and hope no one decides to light the match.