Well, wasn't this just the best way to wake up.
Let me paint the scene for you: after spending the better part of the night dodging the five alphas, crawling around, trying to stay out of sight and out of their grasp, I finally thought I had a moment of peace. I'd checked into a little inn on the border of the neutral zone, hoping to get some rest and lay low. I locked the doors, secured the windows, and gave the old receptionist a nice tip to make sure she kept her mouth shut about my whereabouts.
Yeah, well, apparently, my tips weren't as good as the alphas' tips, or maybe they just scared the poor man into letting them in with their alpha mojo—because when I woke up, it wasn't just the silence of the night that greeted me. It was the feeling that something was wrong. Like, really, really wrong.
So, I opened my eyes.
And there they were.
Three of them. Three.
You know, waking up to an attack on your bed isn't exactly what I'd call "restful." It's not even on the list of things I consider a good start to the day, but there I was, staring at three alphas, just lounging around like they owned the damn place.
Michael, the blond, probably from the East Region, was lying next to me on the bed like it was perfectly normal. And before you even say anything—no, we weren't cuddling. But he might as well have been, given how close he was, staring down at me with that unnerving, creepy-ass smile. His gaze was fixed on me like he'd been waiting for me to wake up.
I swear, I could've just died right there. The only thing I could think of was, "What the hell, another one?" The worst part? I was too shocked to move for a second.
Karl, the silent, brooding wolf from the West, was casually sitting at the edge of the bed, watching me like I was some new toy. And no, I'm not exaggerating. He just sat there. Like he was having a casual conversation in his head about the best way to break me. The bastard.
And then, there's Travis—the obnoxious wolf from the South. Guess what he was doing? He was ransacking my drawers. Like a thief. Not even trying to be subtle about it. Throwing my things around like they were just stuff he'd bought at a yard sale.
I swear, this was beyond messed up. I didn't know whether to scream, fight, or just lay there and pretend this wasn't happening. But, one thing I did know was this:
I was NOT going to let these assholes get away with this.
So, I did the only thing anyone would do in that situation.
I screamed.
I kicked Michael right off the bed.
And he didn't even see it coming. You'd think they would've been more graceful about it, considering they were supposed to be these all-powerful alphas, right? But no, Michael flailed like a drunk kangaroo, and before I knew it, he was on the floor, staring up at me with those ridiculous blue eyes of his, blinking like I'd just slapped him in the face with a two-by-four.
One second, he was all smug and staring at me, and the next—bam. He was on the floor, flailing like a fish out of water, trying to get his balance while I scrambled back against the headboard, trying to get some space between me and these assholes.
Michael finally managed to sit up and rub the back of his head, looking at me like I was the one who had lost it. "What the hell is wrong with you? You know, it's a little rude to kick an alpha out of bed like that."
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt your precious ego, Alpha?" I snapped back. "Maybe I should've asked first if you wanted to invade my room uninvited."
"You sure about that?" Michael took a slow step closer to the bed, his gaze never leaving mine.
His mouth dropped open. "You're lucky I don't—"
"Lucky?" I interrupted, cutting him off. "I'm not the one who's lucky. I'm the one who woke up with you three assholes in my room. Don't talk to me about luck."
Karl, the ever-so-charming wolf, let out a small, low laugh, clearly enjoying my frustration. Of course he was enjoying this. He probably liked seeing me squirm, watching me get riled up. I shot him a glare, but he just shrugged it off and leaned back, arms crossed, his legs stretched out casually.
"Get off my bed!" I shouted, voice hoarse and probably a little higher than I'd like, but honestly? I didn't care. This was my space, and these assholes had no right to be here.
Karl chuckled—CHUCKLED, the audacity—and leaned back on his hands, the perfect picture of laid-back confidence. "Guess she doesn't like waking up to company," he said with a grin.
I shot him the most withering glare I could muster, though I'm sure it was more panic and annoyance than actual intimidation.
"What the fuck are you guys doing in here?" I demanded. "And how did you get in? The doors were locked."
Travis, still rifling through my drawers, glanced up without stopping his search. "Isn't it obvious, sweetheart?" He looked at me like I was the one who was an idiot.
I gritted my teeth. Of course the receptionist had ratted me out. I'd been too naïve to think I could actually lay low in this damn town, with the alphas lurking around like a bunch of bloodhounds on a hunt.
"Yeah, well, most people don't wake up to find three alphas in their room trying to look like they own the place." I glared at him, heart still racing like I'd just run a marathon. "I don't care how much of your precious alpha mojo you have. You're not welcome."
"You sure about that?" Michael took a slow step closer to the bed, his gaze never leaving mine. "Because it looks like we do care, sweetheart."
I ground my teeth. "Call me sweetheart again, and I'll give you a reason to remember why you should never underestimate me."
Travis gave a soft, exaggerated whistle from across the room. "Ooh, looks like we've got a firecracker on our hands, huh?"
Karl snorted. "Can't say I blame her, though. I'm surprised she hasn't had enough of all of us by now."
I took a step back, pushing myself against the headboard as if that little sliver of wood could protect me from them. But hey, if it wasn't working against their combined alpha power, at least I'd get to keep my pride intact.
"What do you want?" I asked, my voice a little less steady than I wanted, but I wasn't going to show them fear. I wasn't going to let them see how much they rattled me. I was tired of being treated like a fragile little thing that they could control.
Michael raised an eyebrow and gave me that smile. The one that was way too smug for comfort. "Don't act like you don't know why we're here." He stepped closer, leaning down until he was almost nose-to-nose with me. "But the thing is, sweetheart, we don't like being made fools of."
My stomach twisted. "You're not fooling anyone. You think I'm just going to roll over and let you take me back? You've got another thing coming."
Karl's smirk was predatory as he tapped the side of his head. "That's the problem with you, darling. You think we're all here to force you into anything. But that's not how it works. You belong to us now. All of us. The sooner you realize that, the easier your life will be."
My gut twisted at his words, and my heart pounded in my chest. I was not about to fall into that trap again. I had to think. I had to move. I wasn't going to be their prisoner.
I glanced at Travis, who was still rifling through my things as if he was at some kind of garage sale. He was way too calm. Like he'd done this before, hunting down a supposed "prey" who didn't want to be found.
I had to keep them talking. I had to keep them distracted long enough to figure out how to get out of here before they realized I wasn't going to fall for their intimidation tactics.
"What?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "You think you're all just gonna stand around, claiming me like I'm some kind of trophy?"
Travis, who was still enjoying his rummaging, finally found what he was looking for. He pulled out the empty money pouch I'd "borrowed" earlier and waved it in front of me like it was a prize. "Well, someone's been very naughty. A thief, huh? And here I thought you were just an innocent little girl, running from the big, bad wolves."
"You should be careful, Travis," I warned. "Because you might be the one getting caught."
Karl chuckled, standing and stretching. "She's got fire, I'll give her that."
I wanted to punch him. Really, I did. But I held back. Right now, my best weapon was my mouth. And I was damn good at using it.
I forced my voice to remain steady. "What do you think will happen next, huh? You think I'm going to willingly come with you?"
Michael raised an eyebrow and stepped back, looking at Karl and Travis like he was debating something. I took a breath, trying to keep myself calm.
"Because if you think you've got me now," I continued, "you're wrong. I'm not going back with you, not this time."
Karl's smile only widened. "We'll see about that."