Chapter 6

Desperate Measures

Amber's POV

I paced the length of my bedroom, fury coursing through my veins like liquid fire. Three days. Three days since that interfering Alpha had swooped in and ruined everything. Grace should have been expelled by now, banished and forgotten. Instead, she was sitting pretty in the pack house under "protection" while Connor and his security team dismantled my carefully constructed lies piece by piece.

My phone buzzed with a text from Marcus: *They found the burner phones. Connor's asking questions about Electronics Plus. We need to lay low.*

I threw my phone across the room, watching it crash against the wall. Lay low? I'd been planning this for weeks, and now everything was falling apart because Alpha Storm had a soft spot for pathetic orphans.

But I wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

If I couldn't get Grace removed through official channels, then I'd have to get creative. I'd have to hit her where it would hurt most—right in her precious virtue. Jace might be fighting the mate bond now, but even he had limits. Catch his "pure" little mate in bed with another man? That would shatter whatever hold she had on him permanently.

The plan formed in my mind like a poisonous flower blooming. It was risky, dangerous, and would require perfect timing. But if it worked, Grace would be gone forever, and Jace would finally see that I was the only one who truly deserved him.

I picked up my broken phone, relieved to see it still worked. I had calls to make and supplies to gather. Time was running out—Grace's birthday was only ten weeks away.

Two Days Later - Amber's POV

I found Kyle washing dishes in the pack house kitchen, his thin shoulders hunched as he scrubbed the same plate for the third time. Perfect. Kyle Morrison was exactly what I needed—weak, desperate for acceptance, and stupid enough to be manipulated.

As the pack's designated omega, Kyle was barely tolerated by most members. He did the menial jobs no one else wanted, lived in the basement quarters, and generally tried to stay invisible. Most importantly, he'd do anything for a chance to improve his standing.

"Kyle," I said sweetly, sliding up beside him at the sink. "Just the person I was looking for."

He jumped, nearly dropping the plate. "A-Amber. I didn't hear you come in. Do you need something? I can make you a sandwich, or—"

"Relax," I laughed, placing a hand on his arm. He flinched at the contact, and I had to suppress my disgust. "I actually wanted to talk to you about an opportunity."

His pale eyes widened with hope. "An opportunity?"

"You know how hard it's been for you here," I said, injecting sympathy into my voice. "The way people treat you, the jobs you're stuck with. But what if I told you that could change?"

Kyle set down the plate with shaking hands. "I don't understand."

"There's going to be a party tomorrow night. Private, exclusive. Just a few of us celebrating the weekend." I leaned closer, lowering my voice conspiratorially. "I could get you invited. Introduce you to some influential people. Help you make connections."

"Really?" The hope in his voice was pathetic.

"Really. But I need a favor in return." I pulled a small vial from my pocket, the clear liquid inside barely visible. "I need you to slip this into someone's drink at the party."

Kyle's face went white. "What is it?"

"Nothing dangerous," I lied smoothly. "Just something to help a shy girl relax a little. You know how some people get nervous at parties."

"I... I don't know. If I got caught—"

"You won't get caught," I said firmly. "And Kyle? This is your chance. Your one shot at finally being accepted. Don't you want that?"

I watched the war play out on his face—fear versus desperation, moral uncertainty versus the crushing need to belong. Finally, desperation won.

"What do I have to do?"

That Evening - Amber's POV

Everything was falling into place perfectly. I'd convinced Alpha Storm to let Grace attend a small "pack bonding" gathering—nothing formal, just young adults getting to know each other better. After being cooped up for days, Grace had jumped at the chance for some normalcy.

What she didn't know was that the gathering was specifically designed to destroy her.

I'd chosen the location carefully—one of the abandoned cabins near the lake, far enough from the main pack house that screams wouldn't carry. I'd invited just the right mix of people: Marcus and a few other loyal friends who would serve as witnesses, Kyle to do the dirty work, and most importantly, Jace.

Getting Jace to come had been the trickiest part. He'd been avoiding me since the school incident, probably on his father's orders. But a carefully worded text about Grace "acting strange" and needing someone to watch over her had done the trick. His protective instincts—twisted as they were—wouldn't let him stay away.

The drug in the vial was something I'd acquired through less-than-legal channels. Odorless, tasteless, and fast-acting. It would leave Grace conscious but compliant, aware of what was happening but unable to resist. And when Jace walked in to find his precious mate in a compromising position with the pack omega...

Well, some betrayals were unforgivable.

Grace's POV

The cabin felt warm and welcoming after days of being confined to the pack house. A fire crackled in the stone fireplace, and someone had strung fairy lights around the windows. For the first time since my parents died, I felt almost normal.

"Grace!" Amber called out as I entered, her smile bright and friendly. "I'm so glad you could make it. You must be going stir-crazy after being locked up."

I nodded, still suspicious but grateful for the invitation. "Thank you for including me. I know we haven't always..."

"Water under the bridge," Amber waved dismissively. "Tonight's about pack unity. Here, let me get you something to drink."

She pressed a red solo cup into my hands before I could protest. The contents smelled fruity and harmless—probably just punch. I took a small sip, more out of politeness than thirst.

"Grace." Kyle appeared at my elbow, looking nervous and twitchy. "Can I... can I talk to you for a minute?"

I was surprised. Kyle and I had barely spoken two words to each other in all the years we'd been in the same pack. But he looked so anxious that I couldn't refuse.

"Of course," I said, following him to a quieter corner of the cabin.

"I need to tell you something," he whispered, glancing around nervously. "About tonight. About what Amber—"

"Kyle!" Amber's sharp voice cut through the air. "Could you help me in the kitchen for a moment?"

Kyle's face went white, and he stumbled backward. "I... I have to go. Just... be careful, Grace. Please."

He scurried away before I could ask what he meant, leaving me confused and increasingly uneasy. I took another sip of my drink, trying to calm my nerves.

That's when I noticed Jace standing in the doorway.

He looked different tonight—tense, almost predatory. His dark eyes scanned the room before settling on me, and something in his expression made my stomach clench with fear.

"Grace," he said, approaching with that lazy confidence that had always intimidated me. "Enjoying the party?"

"It's... nice," I managed, taking another sip from my cup. The world was starting to feel slightly fuzzy around the edges, but I attributed it to nerves.

"You know," Jace continued, moving closer, "I've been thinking about our conversation after the funeral. About you knowing your place."

"Jace," I said weakly, "I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do I," he said, but his eyes said otherwise. "That's why I think it's time we settled things between us once and for all."

The room was starting to spin gently, and I had to grip the back of a chair to stay upright. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

"I don't feel well," I whispered.

Jace's smile was cold and terrible. "Don't worry, Grace. You will soon."

Kyle's POV

I watched from the kitchen doorway as Grace swayed on her feet, the drug taking effect exactly as Amber had promised. Horror filled my chest as I realized what I'd done—what I'd helped set in motion.

"She's ready," Amber whispered beside me, her voice filled with cruel satisfaction. "Go to her. Help her to the back bedroom. And remember—if anyone asks, she came on to you."

"I can't," I said, my voice breaking. "This is wrong. She doesn't deserve this."

Amber's hand closed around my wrist like a vise. "You're already in this, Kyle. If you back out now, I'll make sure everyone knows you drugged her. How do you think the Alpha will react to that?"

I looked at Grace, who was now slumped against the wall, her eyes unfocused and confused. Then I looked at Jace, who was watching everything with an expression that chilled me to the bone.

I'd always been weak. Always been a coward. But looking at Grace—orphaned, friendless, and now drugged because of my desperation to belong—I finally found something worth being brave for.

"No," I said, pulling away from Amber. "I won't do this. I won't hurt her."

Amber's face contorted with rage. "You pathetic little—"

But I was already moving, rushing toward Grace as she began to slide down the wall. Whatever Amber had planned, whatever trap she'd set, I wasn't going to be part of it.

Even if it cost me everything.