"Is that supposed to excuse his aggressiveness?" I asked, my voice laced with skepticism.
"Maybe not," Damon conceded, "but it does explain it. Deep down, he has a good heart. You'll see." I chewed thoughtfully, considering Damon's words. Despite the turmoil and confusion I felt, there was something about Liam that had undeniably captured my attention. But could I open myself up to the possibility of trusting an Alpha again, especially one who seemed so volatile? I was still wary of the Alpha Heir but couldn't deny the spark that had ignited between us during our dance. It was Damon's words, however, that made me truly consider giving Liam a chance.
"Hey there, handsome" Heidi's sultry voice interrupted my thoughts, causing me to tense. She sauntered over to our table, completely ignoring my presence, and slid onto Damon's lap, her amber eyes locked onto his.
"Having fun?" she purred, running her fingers through Damon's hair and pressing herself against him. The overt flirtation and suggestive language left no room for doubt about her intentions.
"Um, I'll just go..." I muttered, pushing back my chair and standing up. Damon looked up at me with concern.
"Where are you going, Erica?" he asked, his dark eyes searching my face.
"Back to the party," I responded sarcastically. "I was enjoying my food, and I'd hate to throw it up."
"Erica, don't-" Damon began, but Heidi cut him off.
"Let her go, Damon. It's not like she'll be missed," she sneered, but Damon had already pushed her off his lap and was on his feet.
"Erica, wait!" he called, hurrying after me. Heidi's face twisted with fury.
"First, you steal my job, and now you're trying to steal my man? You really are a dirty rogue slut, aren't you?" she spat, her voice venomous.
"Excuse me?" I whirled around to face her, anger pulsing through my veins. "I'm not stealing anything from you, Heidi. Maybe if you weren't such a psycho bitch, people would actually want to be around you."
"Bring it on, rogue," she snarled, lunging at me. Her body collided with mine, sending us both sprawling to the ground. The air whooshed out of my lungs as we tumbled together, snarling and clawing at one another.
"Get off me, you crazy bitch!" I shouted, struggling to free myself from Heidi's grasp. But despite my best efforts, her grip only tightened, and I could see the malicious intent in her eyes. Heidi's nails dug into my skin, drawing blood as she tried to claw at my eyes. I dodged her attack and managed to land a punch on her jaw, momentarily stunning her. The pain and anger fuelled me, driving me to fight back with everything I had.
"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, ducking beneath her wild swing. "You're pathetic!"
"Shut up, rogue!" she snarled, lunging at me again. This time, I sidestepped her and grabbed her arm, using her momentum to send her crashing into a nearby table. Plates shattered, and food splattered everywhere.
"Leave me alone, Heidi. This isn't worth it," I warned her, trying to catch my breath. But she refused to listen, stubbornly advancing towards me once more.
"Like hell it isn't!" she spat, grabbing a handful of my hair and yanking my head back. Pain shot through my scalp, making my vision blur for a moment. Desperate, I slammed my elbow into her ribs, forcing her to release her grip.
"Enough!" Damon roared, finally tackling Heidi around the waist and pulling her away from me. She thrashed and kicked, still hurling insults at me.
"Get off me, Damon!" she screamed, but he held her firm, his dark eyes filled with disappointment and anger.
"Maybe if you stopped acting like a rabid animal, people would give a damn about you!" I snapped, feeling blood trickle down my face from a scratch near my eye.
"Erica, are you okay?" Gen and Kaitlyn rushed to my side, their concerned gazes taking in my injuries. Despite the pain and humiliation, I nodded, accepting their help as they guided me to my feet.
"Look what you've done, Heidi," Kaitlyn scolded, her eyes blazing with anger. "You've gone too far this time."
"Shut up, you Alpha brat!" Heidi spat back, still struggling to break free from Damon's grasp. "Enough of this!" a deep, commanding voice bellowed from across the room. All attention turned to the older, imposing man who strode towards us, fury etched on his face. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realised this was Grayson Thompson, the Warrior Commander of the pack and Verity's father. I felt a mix of awe and fear. Despite my resentment towards authority figures, I couldn't help but be struck by the sheer power that radiated from him.
"Explain yourselves!" Grayson stormed over, his voice a growl that sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes bore into each of us in turn, demanding the truth. Heidi, still caught in Damon's grip, sneered and refused to speak.
In that moment, I knew it was up to me to set things straight. Taking a deep breath, I recounted the events leading up to the confrontation with as much composure as I could muster.
"Enough!" Grayson barked once I'd finished. He turned on Heidi, fury etched on his face.
"You should be ashamed of yourself! As a pack warrior and of higher rank, you ought to know better!" His gaze then shifted to me, and I could feel him trying to force me into submission with just the intensity of his stare. But I refused to bow down for something I hadn't done wrong. Something inside me snapped, and I met his gaze with a determination I hadn't felt in years. To my surprise, Grayson's expression softened ever so slightly.
"Impressive," he muttered under his breath. "I expect to see you in Warrior training. With some work, we might be able to clean up your fighting technique."
As if on cue, Grant appeared by Grayson's side, wearing a look of concern.
