LEVI EDELMAN. The magazine in my hand had been stuck on the same page for what felt like hours. My eyes scanned the words, but nothing stayed long enough to make sense. Every line blurred together, every picture looked the same.And it’s because my mind wasn’t on the pages. It was on Gia. I leaned back against the chair, letting the magazine fall loosely onto my lap.I didn’t know why it kept replaying in my head, the way tears fall from her eyes without so much effort amazes me. And now, thinking about it, I didn’t even understand why it made me laugh.I let out a low, dry chuckle, shaking my head at myself.I rubbed a hand over my face, pressing the heel of my palm into my eyes until the sting faded.A soft knock tapped against the door, pulling me out of my thoughts.“Sir,” a voice called, I know it’s a maid so I didn’t bother to reply. “Dinner’s ready.”I didn’t answer right away. My hand dropped from my face, falling back onto the magazine, still open to the same page I had
GIA O'LEARY I stood there, frozen. My mind couldn’t understand what I just heard.For a moment, I couldn’t even speak. My lips parted, but no words came out. I looked at Levi, hoping maybe I had heard wrong. But his face was serious.“Is that… is that even possible?” My voice sounded small, almost like it wasn’t mine.Levi’s hand reached for mine, warm and steady. His thumb brushed lightly over my skin as he gave me a small shake of his head.“Yes, so don’t worry yourself about it,” he said. His voice was calm, but I could feel the tension under it.My stomach tightened. I lowered my eyes, feeling the guilt that had been sitting heavy on me from the start. I had caused too much trouble, more than I ever meant to. I didn’t even know how to fix it, or how things had gotten this messy. It felt like every time I tried to breathe, the weight on my chest only got heavier.“I’m sorry, Levi,” I whispered. My throat tightened as I spoke. “I really am. I didn’t want to cause any of this.”His
LEVI EDELMANI knew Alan was watching out for me. His eyes kept moving between me and Gia, but I didn’t care. Whether he was worried or not wasn’t my concern. The only thing I cared about was the way Gia sat beside me, looking like her mind wasn’t even here.Ever since we sat down for dinner, I’d noticed the way her hands kept shaking. It wasn’t much at first, just small, soft movements but the longer it went on, the more it started to bother me. I hated it. I hated the way she looked right now.I watched her pick up her fork, her fingers barely steady enough to hold it. She didn’t even lift the food to her mouth. She just stared at the plate, like she was too lost in her own thoughts to even remember where she was
MADDISON SNOWThe moment I heard Mia’s voice say those words, my whole body jumped. My heart skipped so hard I thought it would burst through my chest.She found the herbs? How?I stood up without thinking, the chair screeching behind me, my legs moving on their own. My mind was racing too fast, trying to catch up with the shock. I clearly remembered what Alan told me before. He said the herbs were properly kept, hidden, and safe. No one should’ve found them. No one.But here we were, Mia testifying she had come across the herbs while cleaning.I turned my head slowly toward Alan, search
GIA O’LEARYI couldn’t sit still.I paced back and forth across the room like a caged animal, my mind spinning faster with each step. No matter how many times I tried to make sense of it, I couldn’t. My thoughts kept chasing each other in circles.Mia found the herbs. That should’ve been good news. It should’ve been a relief. But all it did was make my stomach twist tighter. If she could find them, did that mean she wasn’t the one who took them in the first place? Or was she smart enough to return them without raising suspicion? Maybe that was her plan all along. Maybe showing them now was just her way of clearing her name.The more I thought about it, the more lost I felt. None of it added up.My chest ached from the weight of it all. Someone had to be lying. Someone had to have tampered with those herbs, which means the person’s main intention is either to tamper with Levi’s heart or trying to lay Levi’s suspicion on me. I stopped pacing for a second, standing in the middle of the
LEVI EDELMAN I watched her face closely, the way her brows pulled together, the way her fingers twisted the loose thread of her sleeve like her thoughts were stuck in knots she couldn’t untangle.She had asked me if I thought the maid was the one behind it. If I believed the herbs had really been found just like that, without some deeper plan hiding underneath it all.I leaned back a little, stretching my legs out with a deep sigh. “It’s not the maid,” I said simply. “She was set up.”Gia’s head lifted slowly, her eyes finding mine. I could see the question in her face even before she opened her mouth.“If the maid was really the one who stole the herbs, like I have said,” I went on, “she wouldn’t have meddled with them. She would’ve left them alone and waited for someone else to find them naturally.”Her lips parted, but no words came right away. She was quiet for a while, almost like she was replaying everything in her head, fitting the pieces together, trying to make sense of it
GIA O’LEARYI stared at him for a moment, waiting for the joke to land. But it didn’t.When he told me he wanted Alan to be Alpha, I had laughed, not because I found it funny, but because I couldn’t believe it. The words sounded so strange coming out of his mouth, like they belonged in someone else’s world, not his.But Levi didn’t even crack a smile. His face stayed the same, calm, distant, and sure.That was when the laughter died in my throat.“You’re serious?” I asked, my voice low, searching for even the smallest hint that he was teasing.
LEVI EDELMANThe moment I saw her step outside, my breath stalled for a second.Gia walked down the steps with her chin held high, dressed so simple yet so beautiful it almost felt like the world slowed around her. The soft breeze caught strands of her hair, brushing them gently against her cheek, and for a second, I forgot about everything.All I could think about was how I’d let my temper get the best of me last night.I hadn’t meant to leave her room like that. I only wanted her to understand, but the more I tried to explain, the more it felt like I was losing her. I knew she didn’t trust Alan, and maybe I was a fool for believing she could see him the way I did.&n
GIA O’LEARYI stared at her for a long time, trying to understand what she was doing.Something was wrong. I could feel it deep in my gut.“Stand up,” I said firmly.She looked up at me with wide, nervous eyes, but she didn’t argue.She got up slowly, dusting her palms against her dress like it could hide her guilt.I turned sharply and started walking toward my room, not even checking if she was following, even though I already knew she would.Inside my room, I shut the door behind us and turned to face her.“Talk,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “What are you up to?”Mia bit her bottom lip hard, her hands twisting together in front of her like she was barely holding herself together.For a second, she didn’t say anything. She just looked at me, her eyes filling up with something that almost looked like regret.“I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” she said, her voice shaking. “I swear.” Her voice cracked. I stared at her, my heart beating harder. I refused to reply to her
GIA O’LEARY The way Alan reacted when the herbs fell… it didn’t match. He got so angry, like he couldn’t control it. But when my herbs went missing, he barely reacted. He was too calm.I wasn’t a fool. I could feel it; something was wrong.Maybe Alan wasn’t as clean as everyone thought.I didn’t know what exactly he was hiding yet, but one thing was clear to me now.I couldn’t let Levi hand over his position to Alan.No matter what, he seems suspicious, and something must be wrong somewhere. That thought stayed in my mind the whole night.Even when I lay down, pulled the blanket over myself, and tried to close my eyes, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.I turned on the bed again and again, my pillow feeling too hard under my head. My heart kept beating fast, almost painfully, like it was warning me.You have to stop it, I told myself. No matter what it takes.I stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours.Sometimes I closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep, but the moment I did, Al
ALAN WOODS I walked straight toward her and grabbed her arm, pulling her close before she could even think to run.She gasped and tried to pull back, but I didn’t let her. I tightened my grip, pulling her body harder against mine. I didn’t care how much she fought.I pressed her closer, grinding her soft ass against me.Her body stiffened right away, like she couldn’t believe what I was doing.“Let go,” she snapped, pushing against me with both hands, her voice sharp and angry.I loosened my hold just a little… but I didn’t really let go.I kept my hand wrapped around her wrist, feeling her pulse race under my fingers.She glared up at me, her chest rising and falling fast.I could see the fire in her eyes, the wildness that always drove me crazy.“You need to hear this,” I said, my voice low and rough. “Gia is up to something.” Her eyes narrowed, sharp like a blade.“You’re just noticing that now?” she said, almost laughing but with no humor in her voice. “That girl is a witch.” I
ALAN WOODSI could feel it. Gia was up to something.Either her sweet, innocent face, I could tell she was up to something. But I wasn’t going to confront her just yet. I needed to figure out what exactly she was planning.What really bothered me, though, was Levi, he was defending her, and that… pissed me off.“Are you really doing this?” I questioned, my eyes held his. “Just accept the fact that you’re wrong.” He replied coldly. I couldn’t recall the last time Levi pulled this cold attitude toward me. Was all this because of that Gia of a girl? My eyes darted to her, still crawling beside the broken cup, blinking eyes repeatedly. How I wish this little thing would not get on my tail? It won’t take more than a slip of a finger to get rid of her. But now, let's just go with the flow. “I need to speak with you,” I said, the words calm but firm, as I turned to face Levi. “Alone.”I could feel Gia's gaze on me, but I wasn’t ready to give her the satisfaction of what she wanted.
GIA O’LEARYAlan’s eyes flickered when I spoke. He didn’t expect me to say such, I could tell by the flicker in his eyes. But he quickly masked it up, clearing his throat. “The herbs are working,” he said. Calm. Too calm, which tells me something is wrong. “You’re just not paying attention.”I stared at him, so that was all he could come up with?I tilted my head slightly, watching him. He was avoiding eye contact now, his eyes darting to the back of me like he was looking for something. But I wasn’t fooled. My gut was screaming. Something wasn’t right. The herbs hadn’t changed a thing, and I wasn’t the one who was blind here.Still, I didn’t argue. I could’ve called him out, could’ve pushed, asked questions, demanded answers. But I didn’t. Because Alan was lying, and when someone lies, it means there’s something worth hiding. I just needed to wait. So instead of pressing, I gave a soft nod, playing along. “Maybe you’re right,” I said quietly, forcing a smile. “Maybe I just didn’t
GIA O'LEARY I was pacing the length of my room, my fists clenched, my jaw tight, the heat in my chest refusing to cool down, not even for a bit minutes. I wasn’t angry at Levi. Not really, it was Alan.How dare he? How dare he talk to me like that in front of everyone? How dare he talk to me like I was the one causing trouble?I let out a frustrated breath and threw the nearest pillow at the wall. It hit with a soft thud and dropped to the floor.The sound of it was followed by a gentle knock on the door. “Come in.” My voice was barely above a whisper. The door creaked open, and Maddison walked in like she owned the room, closing the door behind her as if that would trap me inside with her nonsense.“Not now,” I said sharply. “I’m not in the mood.”She didn’t move. She just stood with her arms folded, eyes fixed on me.“I won’t take long,” she said. “I just want to ask you something.”“Maddison, I said not now.” I rolled my eyes.“Respect yourself when I’m being respectful,” she
ALAN I didn’t understand it either.The ring… I saw Maddison wearing it just yesterday. It was on her finger the whole time. I remember because she kept fidgeting with it while we were talking. So how the hell did it end up inside the storeroom?I stood there for a moment, stunned. The pieces weren’t adding up. My heart was still pounding from everything. And Maddison? I turned slowly to her, already seeing the fire in her eyes.“You planned this?” she yelled, her voice shaking. “Did you plant it there? Did you do this to me on purpose?!”“What? No!” I said quickly, my hands up. “Maddison, I swear….I have no idea how that ring got there.”She was breathing hard now, her chest rising and falling like she was about to explode. “Don’t lie to me! Maybe this is your way of finally getting rid of me!”“For Goddess’ sake, listen to yourself….” “I am listening!” she shouted. “And everything sounds like a trap!”Her voice was too loud. Loud enough for anyone outside to hear.“Shut up,” I
MADDISONRedrine looked like she’d seen a ghost immediately she stepped inside. She hesitated before moving closer, like she was being dragged forward by some invisible force. She stood in the middle of the room, her eyes wide, hands clutched together. Her gaze flicked from Mia to Levi… then to me. And when her eyes finally met mine, I knew she was scared. Good. She should be. Because I was scared too.“Redrine,” Levi said, holding up the ring. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough to grasp. “Have you ever seen this ring?” He questioned. Redrine shook her head quickly, like her life depended on it. “No, Alpha. I’ve never seen it before.”If Redrine hadn’t seen the ring, then who could’ve put it in the Storeroom? I know for sure I wasn’t the one. I didn’t go to the storeroom with the ring. Levi’s face darkened. He took one step closer to her and lowered his voice, but somehow made it feel even colder. “If you’re lying to me, Redrine… I will not hesitate to kill you. Is th
GIA O'LEARY“Why are you asking such a question? I just told you I clearly don’t know what you’re talking about!” Maddison denies again. “I’m asking because this ring… It’s yours?” Levi’s voice was calm, but I could feel the tension in his shoulders. He was trying not to jump to conclusions, but even he looked like he already had one.Maddison didn’t answer. She just stared at the ring in his hand, frozen like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.I stepped forward. “Don’t waste your breath, Levi,” I snapped, not even bothering to hide the heat in my voice. “She’s the one who stole the herbs. That ring is proof.”“Gia, calm down. Let her speak.” He frowned at me, his voice soft but firm. I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to breathe through the anger rising in my chest. Maddison had played us all for fools. I knew it in my gut. She stood there, pretending like she didn’t understand anything. Pretending like the ring wasn’t hers.“Let me see the ring clearly,” Maddison final