Heidi stares at Sierra with trembling lips, the dried tears tight and crusted under her eyes. Her knees are stiff from crouching and begging Sierra all evening. Her palms smell floor cleaner as she rubs them together. But none of that matters now. The hunger, the stinging humiliation, the tight knot in her throat that refuses to let her breathe properly... none of them matters now.
What matters is the video.
Sierra’s phone is raised like a loaded gun, the camera focused on Heidi’s hunched frame as she clutches a feather duster like a sword of shame. Her voice rings out, cloying and full of meanness. "Smile, Heidi! Let’s show the world how obedient the little mongrel is!"
"No, please," Heidi whispers, scrambling to her feet with her palms outstretched. "Please don’t post it. I—I’ll do anything, Sierra. Just don’t post that. Please."
Frankly, Heidi has an ambition. She wants to rise in the ranks. She has a knack for conquering all challenges. She knows being publicly humiliated by Sierra would only hurt her goal.
Hence, she has no issue with a few begging and kneeling in front of Sierra. Later, the tables would turn. She would make sure of it. It would be Sierra on her knees and her on a queen-sized bed with her fancy phone in hand.
The largest part of her also knows that being fated to the four Alphas, even if she isn’t well acquainted with the concept yet, means not working against it.
It will be easier to use it. Darien had kissed her. An Alpha son had kissed her because the mate bond had nudged him to. That’s how powerful it is. It can also mean... how powerful she can be.
’Oh, Sierra, you bitch. You just wait and see...’ She internally swears.
Sierra arches a sculpted brow. "Anything?" she purrs, twirling a lock of her hair like a vengeful debutante.
Heidi nods quickly, too desperate to care how stupid she must look, begging her bully like a damsel with a collar.
Sierra pauses dramatically and in her eyes, Heidi sees the thrill of control. Then she lowers her phone just an inch and says, "Alright, but you’ll owe me. Big time."
"I’ll owe you," Heidi repeats without thinking. Her voice cracks around the words like dry twigs.
"Perfect." Sierra smiles like a queen receiving tribute.
She turns away, sprawling on her bed with zero grace and dialing her friend. She tosses her phone camera to the side so her friends can see her.
"Val! Girl, you will not believe what happened today. Amias looked at me... I swear he looked at me with that, you know... the ’I want you’ look? You know the way he does that slow blink thing? Like a cat about to pounce? Ugh. So hot."
Amias? Heidi’s ears perk up. She bites her lip so hard it tastes like iron. Then, she ducks her head and returns to cleaning, her ears burning.
Val squeals through the speaker, "No way! Tell me everything!"
And they do. Loudly. With dramatic gasps, moans, and speculation that makes Heidi’s stomach twist in knots, she can’t untangle. They talk about the Alphas like they’re collectibles; shiny, dangerous, and exclusive. Heidi wants to scream.
Because they’re not yours, her mind hisses. They’re mine.
A chorus of giggles and exaggerated ’ooohs’ bursts from the other side of the call. The girls coo and swoon, their voices full of girlish excitement. "You totally got him wrapped around your finger, Sierra!"
Heidi feels a heat spike behind her ears. The jealousy twisting in her gut annoys her.. She clenches her fists tight enough to make her knuckles pale. Why should they have that? Why should she feel this ridiculous possessiveness over four arrogant Alphas who’ve done nothing but bully her?
They’re not worth it, she repeats over and over in her head like a mantra. Not worth the heartbreak. Not worth the humiliation.
However, something inside of her doesn’t agree with that. It just keeps whispering that those three Alphas are hers. And it makes her hate herself.
She jabs the mop into the floor harder than necessary.
Sierra doesn’t even notice. She’s too busy fantasizing about Amias pulling her into a broom closet and ravishing her. Heidi wants to laugh bitterly. If only Sierra knew what Heidi had done with the Alphas already.
But no one can know for now... especially not her.
When she’s finally done wiping down the last perfume bottle—Sierra had at least twenty, and Heidi’s nose is now permanently confused, she excuses herself quickly.
"Don’t forget," Sierra sings as Heidi backs out the door, "you owe me!"
Heidi manages a forced nod before speed-walking down the hallway like the video might chase her.
Next up is Lucan’s room.
The moment she steps into the hallway, an electric pulse of nervous energy shoots through her veins. Lucan. Quiet, brooding Lucan. The older brother who barely speaks more than a few words at a time, and whose eyes seem to hold worlds she’ll never understand.
Heading to his room, for the first time at that, makes her heartbeat accelerate and her palms sweat. Still, this is her life now, Heidi reminds herself. Upon getting to the door, she knocks.
There’s no answer, so she knocks again. "Lucan? I’m coming in to clean."
Still no response. Frowning, she tries the handle, but it doesn’t budge. Great. A locked door. Not wanting to cause trouble, but needing to get the chores done, Heidi presses her strength into the door, her werewolf muscles flexing without thinking... and the lock snaps off with a sharp click.
Her stomach drops. Oh no. She’s not supposed to break things. Especially not the door of someone like Lucan. Mrs. Castell can’t know, she gulps. Oh, shit.
What will she do? What excuse does she give? She has no idea if Lucan will cover for her. He didn’t appear particularly friendly either. Yet, she wouldn’t know unless she asks.
Hence, she pushes the door open cautiously, stepping into the dim room. However, what she sees stops her dead.
What. The. Fuck?