Arabella’s POV
I woke up with a skull-splitting headache and fatigue deep in my bones. I wanted to sleep till the next morning and yet I was hungry. I looked down at myself to see I was wearing an expensive purple cocktail dress and heels. On my bed. I couldn’t for the life of me remember what happened yesterday except in bits and pieces.
I remembered Margaret and how I’d collected the dress from her. The large hall with the twinkling lights and the food. Then blurs of memories and Alpha Luciano carrying me. Alpha Luciano carrying me? Yeah, I must have really had something strong.
I placed my hand on my head as though it would keep my brain from leaking out of my ear. I hadn’t taken any alcohol so where was this coming from?
I removed the shoes and the gown. There was a bowl of water by my bedside along with a glass of water and some hangover medicine and pain relief. So I washed my face and took the drugs. I felt better, almost human again.
I grabbed a bathing robe and slowly made my way to the communal bath. As I soaked myself and submerged myself continually until I felt almost alright.
A gaggle of ladies entered and giggled at the sight of me.
What was up with these airheads today?
“How are you, Arabella? I thought you would still be in bed.” Tina said prowling forward naked and unashamed. She had every right to with full high breasts, a flat stomach and an ass that wouldn’t just quit.
“And why would that be?” I deadpanned, not in the mood for any talk. I wanted to tell her to shut up because the sound of her voice was already grating on my eardrums.
“I mean with all the moves you were giving. It was like you were on top of the world.”
The girls behind her giggled and an image of me dancing on the buffet table entered my head.
Oh, Goddess.
I could have sworn I didn’t take anything intoxicating but my memory was patchy and unreliable
I submerged myself in the water wanting to hide my face for an eternity. What exactly had I done last night? If that memory was true, had Alpha Luciano also carried me?
I was still thinking about it while I dressed up in my room. As I tucked in my bed, I remembered the letter. The date, venue and time.
Today was the day.
Should I go to meet my father’s informant here? After all I had found out about him?
The obvious answer was no. Anyone who could do that sort of thing was not a good person. The problem was that it wasn’t just anyone. It was my dad. Deep down I wanted him to redeem himself and tell me I had it wrong. That I was mistaken.
I lifted up my bed hoping I wasn’t making a mistake as I reached for the letter.
Emery’s POV
Yesterday had not gone according to plan. Not at all. I had watched with barely restrained glee as she had made a fool of herself.
Listened as people next to me had murmured about the Bianchi bitch. Nobody really liked her here so it wasn’t long before they were tittering at her hilarious dancing. Until Luciano had stopped it.
I had expected him to shout at her, hit her and send someone to drag her off to her room but he’d caught her in his arms like she weighed nothing and carried her away.
I had gaped like a fool. What exactly was going on? Wasn’t this the same Luciano who had asked Melanie, a woman of the harem to take off her shirt to wipe off the stain from the wine she’d spilt on the table? And me, he’d made me eat off the ground when I newly came into the harem and I’d thrown away my food in anger because I wanted to go home.
But Arabella who’d stumped on the table and fallen numerous dishes had been swooped up like a princess. I had to do something quickly before it was too late.
As though conjured by my thoughts, Arabella breezed by me barely noticing me in her rush. Where was she going? It was almost supper time and I hadn’t seen Margaret summon her for Luciano.
On a hunch, I left my tea on the table and followed her discreetly. Where was she going to?
Arabella’s POV
Thanks to my stint of going around trying to fit into the pack and find something to do, I knew exactly where the meeting place was.
It was actually close to where Alpha Luciano and I had had rough tree sex. I looked around making sure no one was following me before tucking myself into the alcove of the last building before the woods. It was an ancient dilapidated structure and Victor had called it the haunted boardroom.
Apparently, it had been a guest house long ago and it had been burned down during an interpack war with the occupants still inside so it was left alone mostly. The place was quiet apart from the creaking of the floorboards beneath me and I wondered if I had made a mistake.
Then I saw a shadow move and I went after them, only they were gone and I was alone. On the floor where the person had stood was a recorder. I picked it up and my hands were shaking.
This was extremely shady. I shouldn’t listen to it. If I couldn’t have a face-to-face conversation with his spy or him, I shouldn’t play it.
I played it. Dad’s voice came clear and commanding in the audio like he was next to me.
“Arabella.” He began gruffly. “After your stint with the council, I can no longer trust you with the future of our pack. I wanted to save you from that… monster but you didn’t take the opportunity. If you are with him under duress, meet with my agent in exactly two days time after you get this audio with the file containing the formula of Song, his new drug.” He paused.
“And if you really like him just ignore this audio like you never heard it.” Father’s voice became weaker, sadder. “Goodbye, my daughter.”
The audio ended and I felt tears run down my cheeks. Where was the file? How would I even find it when I didn’t know where it was?
And the most important question, did I want to go back home? Or should I tell Alpha Luciano the truth?
Alpha Luciano’s POV
“Vitamin is in a stitch, isn’t he? Too much loss of money and money debt.” I smiled at Mikah who merely bowed humbly. A knock sounded on the door.
“Enter.” I wondered who it was. I hadn’t summoned anyone up. Emery entered and my temper flared. “What are you doing here?” I growled.
She fell to the floor on hands and knees, her head lowered. “Please Alpha spare my life. I have come to report something of grave importance.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
Emery raised her head and met my gaze. “Betrayal.”
*****
It was unbelievable. A traitor in my very own pack. I would smoke the snake out and as for Arabella…
I left my office door open, a fake replica of Song’s formula on the table. Arabella knew better than to steal from me. She knew I would catch her. So Emery, Mikah and I watched the new video of the new CCTV I’d installed outside my office. My meetings were too sensitive to be recorded so only the corridor would do.
And so we waited. I looked at Emery, about to tell her that she was wrong– Arabella appeared on camera. She stood outside the office door as though listening for some noise of conversation then she entered. After a few minutes, she exited with the file.
Twin feelings of rage and betrayal rose in me as I threw my laptop aside growling. She had dared steal from me for Vitalio?
Arabella Bianchi would pay heavily.