Reyna’s POV
The warm water had done little to wash away the exhaustion clinging to my bones, but at least I no longer felt like a walking pile of dirt. Stepping out of the bathroom, I wrapped a towel around myself and ran a hand through my damp hair.
Just as I reached for a fresh set of clothes, the door swung open.
Diane.
I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes. “You’re the last person I want to see right now. Get the hell out of my room.”
She smirked, leaning against the doorframe like she had all the time in the world. “Too bad. You don’t get to order me around.”
I turned my back on her, picking up my clothes. “Fine. Sit there and watch me dress up, then. You seem to have a talent for babysitting.”
That got under her skin. I heard her sharp intake of breath before she moved.
A hand swung toward my face, but I caught her wrist mid-air, gripping it tightly. Slowly, I turned to face her, my expression blank, but my eyes burning with warning.
“What do you think Damon would say?” I asked softly. “You’re about to hit his wife. I don’t think he’d like that.”
I watched the flicker of hesitation cross her face, the slightest shift of fear. And I smiled.
That’s right. As long as I knew my worth, as long as I stood my ground, Diane wouldn’t dare try her usual tactics on me.
I let go of her hand, watching her take a small step back.
“You’re so sure John, Jake, and Stephanie will come for you,” she said, crossing her arms, trying to regain control of the moment.
I laughed, shaking my head. “Oh, I don’t just think they will. I know they will. And when that happens, I’ll be the one putting a dagger in your heart.”
Her eyes widened just slightly before she masked it with another smirk.
“But until then?” I continued, striding over to the door. I threw it open and gestured dramatically. “Get out.”
For a moment, she stood there, defiant, as if debating whether to challenge me again. But then, with an irritated huff, she walked past me, brushing against my shoulder.
I waited until she was gone before shutting the door, pressing my back against it, and exhaling.
Let her try. Let Damon try.
I was done playing weak.
Just as I reached for my clothes, a sharp knock sounded at the door. I groaned, already assuming it was Diane coming back for another round of pointless intimidation.
Yanking the door open, I was ready to tell her off only to find a maid standing there, eyes lowered.
“What?” I snapped, still irritated from my earlier encounter.
She bowed slightly. “Alpha Damon requests your presence in his office. You must come now.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course, he did. He never missed an opportunity to remind me who was in charge.
Without another word, I turned away, shutting the door in the maid’s face as I quickly dressed. Once done, I made my way down the hall toward Damon’s office, ignoring the way the guards stationed outside straightened as I passed.
Pushing the heavy doors open, I stepped inside and immediately felt the shift in the air.
Diane was there, standing beside Damon, her arms crossed smugly.
I didn’t need to hear a word to know she had just fed him more poison.
Damon leaned back in his chair, studying me with a lazy smirk. “Diane tells me you’re still clinging to that little fantasy that Jake and John will come for you.” His voice was mocking, filled with amusement at my expense. “You should let that go, Reyna. No one is coming.”
I didn’t flinch. I met his gaze head-on, saying nothing.
His smirk widened. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You’ll be on the next boat out of this country in a few days.” He tilted his head. “So, get ready for it.”
A flicker of alarm sparked inside me, but I swallowed it down. I wouldn’t let them see it.
I turned sharply on my heel, ready to leave.
But his voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Damon added casually. “Your stepfather says hi.”
My body went rigid.
Slowly, I turned back to face him. “What the hell does that mean?”
He just laughed, a cruel, knowing sound that sent a chill down my spine.
“Guards,” he called, waving a hand. “Take her back to her room.”
Two men stepped forward, and I clenched my fists as they escorted me out. My heart pounded in my chest, but not from fear.
From fury.
Something was happening. Something I wasn’t seeing yet.
And I needed to figure out what before it was too late.
____
Stephanie’s POV
The persistent knocking on my door yanked me out of sleep. My heart pounded for a moment before I realized where I was. Blinking the drowsiness away, I turned to see Sarah sitting up, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
“Why didn’t you answer?” I muttered, stretching my sore limbs.
She scoffed. “And give Jake a reason to slam me into the wall? No thanks.”
I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Sarah, don’t take it personally. You can’t blame him for acting this way.”
She huffed, shaking her head. “I don’t care about Jake’s attitude, Steph. But you and I both know I’m not the only one he doesn’t trust right now.”
Her words made my chest tighten. She was right. I’d lied to all of them. That was how I’d managed to stay here for so long-how I had kept my past buried. But what hurt the most was lying to Reyna. My best friend. She had trusted me, and I had betrayed that trust.
“I know,” I whispered. “And I hate it.”
Sarah studied me for a moment, then rolled her eyes. “Go check on Jake. I know it’s him, and if you keep ignoring him, he might just break down the damn door.”
I sighed again and swung my legs off the bed, my body still heavy with exhaustion. With a deep breath, I walked over and pulled open the door.
Jake stood there, arms folded, his face unreadable. His eyes flickered between Sarah and me before he finally spoke.
“Downstairs. Right now.”
Then, without another word, he turned and stalked off.
A shiver ran down my spine. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.