“Is it fuck,” I said without thinking. Alpha Declan raised an eyebrow and Beta Gregg coughed again to hide a chuckle. Shit, try again Erica.
"Alpha, I didn't start it," I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady. "Heidi attacked me."
"Of course you'd say that," Heidi retorted, her facade slipping just a bit. She turned her attention to Damon, batting her eyelashes as if he would be swayed by such a pathetic attempt at flirtation.
"Damon saw everything. He will tell you what she did." All eyes fell on Damon, who seemed to shrink under the pressure.
“Damon?” Heidi’s voice was sickly sweet. “Tell them.” She looked back at the Alpha. “I had to spend the night in the cells,” she sniffled. I looked at her in disbelief. She even had a fake tear rolling down one cheek. I could tell that Damon was struggling. Torn between loyalty to the pack and his growing feelings for me, he hesitated before finally speaking.
"I... I saw it, Alpha," he stuttered, avoiding eye contact with both Heidi and me. "Heidi started it." Heidi's face contorted with rage as she pointed an accusing finger at me.
"You're lying!" she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "You're just trying to protect your little girlfriend!" I fought the urge to snap back at her, knowing it would only escalate an already tense situation. Not that it needed any escalation. Heidi's snarl sent a shiver down my spine as she spun towards me, all pretence of innocence gone. Her eyes blazed with fury, and I could practically feel the heat of her anger radiating off her.
My instincts screamed at me to back away, so I did, trying to put some distance, and maybe a couple of chairs, between us.
"Look at you," Heidi sneered, stalking forward like a predator closing in on its prey. "So pathetic and weak." I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest as I continued to retreat. The air in the room seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on me and making it difficult to breathe. Damon and Gregg were watching, but neither of them stepped in to intervene, they seemed as shocked as I was about Heidi’s fury.
"Enough, Heidi," Alpha Declan warned, his voice low and dangerous. But it was clear that Heidi had no intention of heeding his command.
In an instant, Heidi lunged at me, shifting into her wolf mid-air. The transformation was fluid and terrifying, her body contorting as fur sprouted from her skin and her bones cracked and rearranged themselves. She became a massive, snarling beast, and I was her target. I screamed, throwing my arms up to shield myself as I braced for the impact. My body tensed, waiting for the inevitable pain of claws and teeth tearing into my flesh. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to watch my own demise.
Chapter 29
Erica
Thesoundofmyown scream ripped through the air, a desperate cry for help that I knew wouldn't come. My hands flew up to shield my eyes, heart pounding in my chest as I braced myself for the pain of being torn apart.
A gust of wind whooshed past me, followed by a crash that shook the room. With trembling hands, I lowered my arms and found Gregg had shifted into his wolf form. His massive body had slammed into Heidi, stopping her attack just inches from where I stood. They were both on the floor, snarling and snapping at each other like rabid beasts.
"Submit!" Alpha Declan's command boomed through the room, powerful and unyielding. "Shift back, Heidi!" I knew all too well how much more painful a commanded shift was compared to a voluntary one. It was a forced submission, an assault on the very essence of our kind. But Heidi had brought it upon herself, and I couldn't find it in me to feel sorry for her.
Her screams echoed in my ears as she convulsed and writhed on the floor, her body contorting painfully as she returned to her human form. She was naked now, her dress having been shredded during her transformation. Gregg remained in his wolf form, standing guard over her shivering body.
"Erica," Damon whispered urgently, drawing my attention away from the scene. His dark eyes were filled with concern, but I saw something else there too, a flicker of admiration for my resilience.
My eyes fell upon a blanket draped across a sofa nearby. As much as I despised Heidi for what she had done, I couldn't let her suffer like that. I grabbed the blanket and approached her cautiously.
"Here," I said, offering it to her. But the hatred in her amber eyes was palpable and she growled at me, making Gregg snarl back in response.
"Fine!" I snapped, my own anger bubbling up inside me. "Freeze, for all I care!" Damon stepped forward then, placing a calming hand on my shoulder. He gently took the blanket from me and draped it over Heidi's trembling form, his eyes never leaving mine as he did so.
"Thank you," I whispered, feeling a mix of gratitude and shame for letting my emotions get the better of me.
The air was heavy with tension, and I could feel the anger simmering beneath the surface of everyone in the room. My heart raced as I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to keep my composure. A loud knock shattered the uneasy silence, and without waiting for an invitation, two men stormed into the office. One was older, heavyset, with a scowl that matched his imposing stature. The other was younger, fitter, a younger version of the first man. Their eyes, filled with rage, bore a striking resemblance to Heidi's.
"Who do you think you are, barging in like this?" Alpha Declan demanded, his voice booming across the room.
"Save your formalities, Declan," the older man spat back. "When I hear my daughter has spent the night in your cells, I don't wait for an invitation."
“This is Alpha to you,” the Alpha snarled. “And I don’t care what has happened, you still show me respect, Elder Aldrich.” My heart skipped a beat as I realised these were Heidi's family members. I braced myself for the storm that was about to unfold.
Meanwhile, the younger man had knelt down beside Heidi, concern etching deep lines on his face.
"What have you done to her?" he demanded, glaring at Alpha Declan. Heidi continued to rock back and forth, a pitiful sight wrapped in the blanket. But as she caught my gaze, a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. My stomach churned with disgust, she was playing them all like puppets.
"Pathetic," I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes.
"Excuse me?" Elder Aldrich snapped, his gaze fixed on me. "Do you find my daughter's pain funny?" I wanted to scream the truth at him, to expose Heidi's deceit, but something held me back. Instead, I bit my tongue, my hands shaking with frustration. As the room continued to spiral out of control, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, trapped in a nightmare that refused to end.
