6.

Beta Alaric’s boots thudded against the marble floors as he stormed through Alpha Ronan’s chambers. Every inch of the room had been searched...bed, drawers, even the damn fireplace. Nothing. The bracelet was gone.

He clenched his jaw.

Fuck.

Alpha Ronan wasn’t the kind of man to misplace things...especially not that bracelet. It wasn’t just jewelry.

Alaric ran a hand through his hair, frustration clawing at his chest. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. Ronan would have his head if he didn’t find it soon. The Alpha didn’t tolerate mistakes, especially ones that involved sentimental things...or worse, women.

Just then, laughter echoed from the corridor. Female voices. Somehow annoying high pitched giggling.

Alaric stepped out, his gaze instantly landing on the small group of she-wolves at the far end. Liora. And her little entourage of airheaded followers.

They were leaning against the corridor wall, gossiping and squealing like they owned the damn place.

The sight of them irritated him, but the way Liora stood out among them...her confident smirk, her exposed neck...made something twist in his chest.

He’d heard rumors about last night. About how the Alpha had taken someone new to his bed. And Liora, that sly little viper, had been bragging all morning.

Alaric’s jaw tightened.

"So she’s the one who captured Alpha Ronan’s attention, huh?

He started walking toward them, each step deliberate. His aura filled the corridor, commanding silence. The giggles died.

The girls froze, eyes darting nervously. Liora’s confidence wavered, her lips parting slightly when she realized who was approaching.

“Beta Alaric,” one of the girls whispered, brushing her hair nervously.

“Shut up,” Liora hissed under her breath, but her pulse betrayed her. Even she knew better than to play games with the Beta. His reputation wasn’t built on kindness.

“May I have a word with you?” Alaric’s voice was low, calm...but dangerous.

The girls exchanged glances. They knew what that tone meant. Without a word, they walked away, leaving Liora standing alone in the middle of the corridor, facing the man who could destroy her with one report to the Alpha.

“Of course, Beta,” she said, trying to sound sweet, but her voice cracked slightly.

Alaric stepped closer, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath. “Tell me something, Liora. Did you, by any chance, find Alpha Ronan’s bracelet? Maybe after last night’s… encounter?” His voice dipped with venom at the end.

He wanted her to say yes. Hell, he was praying she’d say yes. Because if she didn’t, he was fucked.

Liora blinked, confusion flickering in her eyes...but only for a second. Her wolf stirred, whispering in her mind. "Play along. This is your chance. Do not fuck this up."

Her lips curled into a weak, strategic smile. “Oh… the bracelet,” she murmured softly, letting her fingers trail along her neck like she was remembering touches that never happened. “I… might’ve seen it. I thought it was just some toy he left on the table.”

Alaric’s eyes narrowed. He could smell her lie. But he was desperate. And she knew it.

“You’re saying you spent the night with the Alpha,” he pressed, watching every flicker in her gaze.

She took a deep breath, forcing her wolf to mask the lie. “Yes,” she whispered. “He… he was rough. My body still aches.” She lowered her lashes, pretending to be shy, pretending to remember something dark and intimate.

Bullshit.

Alaric’s wolf growled inside him. Ronan’s real lovers could barely walk after a night with him. They came out trembling, marked, raw, half-broken. And yet Liora stood there perfectly fine, hair neat, clothes flawless. Not even a scratch.

Still, her act was convincing enough to make him hesitate.

Maybe she’s just stronger than the others, his wolf muttered. Or maybe she’s the crazy kind who enjoys the pain.

Alaric sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Fine,” he said coldly. “Then you won’t mind accepting this.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a blank cheque...Ronan’s signature already scrawled at the bottom.

He handed it to her. “A gift. From the Alpha.”

Liora’s heart stopped. Her eyes widened as the light hit the paper. A blank cheque. Her pulse thundered in her ears. She could write any fucking number on it. Anything.

Her wolf’s mouth watered. Greed flooded her veins like poison.

"Oh goddess…" she thought. "I fucking did it. I made it."

She took the cheque with shaking fingers, pretending to be demure. “Th-thank you,” she stammered.

But inside her mind was chaos...dark, greedy chaos.

"This is what that stupid bitch Scarlet should’ve gotten, she thought bitterly. If only I hadn’t set her out that night…"

A smirk ghosted her lips as the memory flashed. Scarlet, that broken wolfless girl, tied up, begging for freedom. Begging for mercy.

Liora and her mother had beaten her half to death, and planning to sell her to some men for a handful of coins, and left her to rot.

If Scarlet had any sense, she’d be dead by now.

Liora slipped the cheque into her bra, letting the paper press against her skin like a new kind of power. “Tell the Alpha I appreciate it,” she purred, trying to sound like she’d earned it.

Alaric’s eyes darkened. Something about her tone pissed him off. Maybe it was the fake innocence, or maybe it was how easily she talked about Ronan like she owned him. “You’re awfully confident for someone who should be crawling right now,” he said coldly.

Liora’s smirk faltered. “W-what do you mean?”

He stepped closer, his voice a dangerous whisper. “Alpha Ronan doesn’t fuck his women gently. And he sure as hell doesn’t hand out cheques to random sluts who can’t prove they even saw his bed.”

Her face flushed red, fury and fear mixing in her veins. “Watch your mouth, Beta,” she snapped before she could stop herself.

The corridor went dead silent.

Alaric tilted his head, a cruel smile forming on his lips. “What did you just say to me?”

Her wolf whimpered, but it was too late.

Alaric grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. His grip was tight enough to make her jaw ache. “If you’re lying,” he said, voice low and lethal, “I’ll personally make sure you’re fed to the rogues before sunset.”

She swallowed hard, but forced a trembling smile. “I’m not lying… Beta,” she whispered. “He was with me. I swear it.”

Alaric studied her for a long moment. His wolf didn’t buy it...but he couldn’t afford to go back to Ronan empty-handed. The Alpha’s temper was far worse than this woman’s deceit.

He released her chin, stepping back. “Fine,” he muttered. “If the bracelet turns up, bring it to me immediately. And if I find out you’re playing games…” He leaned in until his breath brushed her ear. “I’ll make you scream for mercy.”

Then he turned and walked away.

Liora stayed frozen, heart hammering. When he was finally gone, she exhaled shakily and pressed her hand to her throat. “Fuck…” she whispered. “That was close.”

Her friends peeked around the corner. “Liora?” one of them whispered. “What did he say?”

Liora’s lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. “He said Alpha Ronan might end up making me his queen,” she said. “And I just got paid.”

The girls gasped, crowding around her. “No way! You actually slept with the Alpha?” one asked.

Liora laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. “Of course I did. Who else could handle him?”

But as she strutted down the corridor, her wolf whispered in the back of her mind, uneasy and restless. "You’re walking into fire, Liora."

"Shut up," she snapped inwardly. "I control my fate now. I can live in a more bigger mansion than my parents. "