Chapter 62
I kept expecting to hear the knock. Even after I’d showered, changed into something soft, and stared at my board for twenty straight minutes pretending to read. I expected it like I expected morning–quiet and inevitable.
But it never came.
Not at midnight, not at one. Not even when I left my door slightly open, Just in case.
I told myself he probably couldn’t. That he wasn’t in his room, or he got caught in a late briefing. Or maybe he was being good. Careful. Distant.
But none of that changed the way my body responded just thinking about him.
The way his voice had dipped when he said good night. The way he’d looked at me like the door between us wasn’t the only thing he wanted to cross.
I didn’t sleep. I laid there too warm, too wired, turned on and turned over. Every sound in the hallway made my heart lurch and then sink again.
By morning, I hated myself a little for it. I pulled my hair back tight, splashed cold water on my face until my skin tingled, and buttoned up a blazer I didn’t usually wear.
Professional. Composed. Unbothered.
The security briefing was already underway when I strode into the room. Beta stood at the head of the table, motioning to a projection. Two guards hovered beside him.
“Private wing breach,” he said. “Two attempted card swipes, both flagged. No access granted.”
“Which wings?” I asked, stepping in beside him.
“Yours and the upper guest floor.”
My jaw clenched. “Any security footage?”
“Scrambled. Someone used an interference pulse. We’re working to restore the backup feed.”
“Get me a list of attempted IDs and timestamps. I want Emma cross–referencing them with internal comms.”
Beta didn’t question me. He just nodded and started issuing orders.
I crossed my arms, eyes fixed on the timestamp overlay, already thinking about Adam.
The forum chamber buzzed when I walked in–papers shuffled, voices dropped. Mid–tier Alphas flanked the table, their faces tight with control. Some wore expressions that wanted me to view them as amused. Others didn’t bother hiding their disdain.
We barely made it through the opening statements before Vexen cut in.
“He’s grooming her to replace him,” he said, no preamble, just straight accusation. “Isn’t that what this is?”
The silence afterward wasn’t quiet. It was coiled.
I set my notepad down with a deliberate thump.
“I assume you’re talking about me?” I said, standing slowly. “What you’re accusing me of is ambition. And the problem isn’t that I have it. The problem is that I’m a young woman and you don’t know where to file that in your heads unless it’s next to scandal.”
Vexen raised a brow, smug and dismissive.
1/2
Chapter 62
+25 BONUS
“You’re assuming, Richard’s giving me power. But what’s really threatening you is that I might take it–on my own.”
I turned slightly, scanning the room.
“Let’s talk about grooming. Alpha Rowan, your son has been sitting in on summit prep sessions since he was fifteen. Alpha Marek, your niece holds two advisory roles despite having zero experience in governance. But no one questions those choices. Why? Because you see them as extensions of yourselves.”
I let that sink in.
“Me? I wasn’t born into this. I clawed my way in. I wasn’t handed power–I earned influence by doing the work none of you wanted to do. I’ve sat through every forum. I’ve facilitated outreach with territories most of you couldn’t find on a map. I’ve drafted more legislation in six weeks than most of you have in six years.”
I stepped forward, voice steady.
“So no, I’m not being groomed. I’m being noticed. And if that scares you, it’s because somewhere deep down, you know I’m good at this.”
Another Alpha shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Someone coughed.
