Another Deal

Olivia POV

Inside the room I would be sharing with Alpha Damien, I went over and sat on the couch. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since I saw them. Lennox. Levi. Louis.

It took everything in me not to run into their arms, to scream that it was me–that I wasn’t dead. That their Olivia was standing right in front of them. That I was here.

Alive.

But I didn’t.

Maybe I was a coward.

Maybe I was just… too scared.

They looked broken. Shattered. The weight of my supposed death was clearly taking a toll on them, and it crushed me.

Across the room, Alpha Damien walked in and sat on the bed directly in front of me. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look at him. I didn’t want to. I hated this man–hated him with every ounce of breath I had left.

And God help me, if someone handed me a knife right now, I wouldn’t hesitate to drive it straight into his chest.

“Impressive,” he said casually. “What you did down there. Keep it up. We’ll be leaving soon.”

I finally looked up at him, my eyes cold, blank–but full of hate.

He frowned. “Why are you acting like I’m the devil?” he muttered, clearly annoyed. “I practically saved your life. If it weren’t for me, your head would’ve been rolling on the floor.”

I met his eyes without flinching. “You didn’t save my life, Damien,” I said, my voice steady. “You just gave me another kind of death.”

His face darkened.

I expected him to lash out, but instead, he simply got to his feet and turned away, walking out without a single word.

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone.

And finally–I exhaled.

I clutched at my chest, the ache inside me growing deeper with each passing second. What was I doing? What was I still waiting for?

Tell them, my mind screamed.

They needed to know. I couldn’t keep this up.

I stood abruptly and stormed to the door. I have to tell them. I don’t care what happens. They have to know I’m alive.

I stepped into the hallway, my heart pounding, feet moving fast as I searched desperately for them.

But before I could go far, I heard footsteps.

Two figures appeared at the end of the hall.

Lady Fiona and an obviously pregnant Anita.

They both smiled as they approached, and I quickly lowered my head, trying to compose myself.

“There you are,” Lady Fiona said warmly. “We were actually coming to see you.”

I froze in place, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.

“This is my would-be daughter-in-law, Anita,” she continued proudly, motioning to Anita beside her. “She’s pregnant–with the triplets’ children.”

My heart stopped.

Would-be daughter-in-law?

Lady Fiona kept smiling. “The men are still mourning Olivia, poor things. But once the funeral is done, they’ll need to move forward. They’ll make Anita their Luna… and their mate.”

I felt like the floor had just vanished under my feet. My vision swam.

Anita gave me a small smile, rubbing her stomach gently, clearly pleased with herself. “Finally, I will be officially theirs,” she said softly.

No.

This couldn’t be happening.

I opened my mouth to say something–anything–but another voice cut through the air.

A voice I now hated.

“Rebecca,” Damien called, suddenly appearing behind me. His expression was unreadable, but his voice left no room for argument. “Come with me. Now.”

I turned, helpless.

And without a choice, I followed him.

He led me back into the room and turned to face me, thrusting a phone into my hands. “Watch this,” he ordered.

I furrowed my brow as I took the phone from him. And immediately, when my eyes saw what was on the screen, I gasped. On the screen was Sofia. I knew it was she… She looked just like the photo–so much like me. But why was she tied to a chair, her lips sealed shut with tape? My stomach twisted painfully as I stared at her on the small screen.

Damien’s voice cut through my shock. “Two days ago, I received this,” he said, his tone surprisingly calm for the kind of situation. “It came from one of the men running the title race. I don’t know who exactly–yet. But they found Sofia. They kidnapped her.”

I tore my eyes away from the video, glaring at him. “How did they find her? You’ve been looking for her for years—”

“I know,” he snapped, pacing in front of me. “I searched everywhere and found nothing. But they found her–so easily. And now they’re using her to get to me. They told me to step down or they’ll kill her.”

My throat went dry. “Then step down, Damien!” I hissed. “For God’s sake, just step down and save her life!”

Damien shook his head, pacing slowly as he spoke. “Of course, I considered that. But I’ve been in this game long enough to know men like that don’t stop. Even if I stepped down, they’d keep her. Use her. Maybe even kill her just to send a message.”

His jaw clenched as he continued. “I’ve searched for her for years, Olivia. Years. And I never found her. Now suddenly, they find her so easily? It’s too calculated. So I responded to them.”

I frowned. “What do you mean you responded?”

He sighed. “I told them I don’t care about Sofia. That I’m married now–that I love my wife.” His eyes locked onto mine, unblinking. “You.”

My mouth fell open. “You what?”

He stepped closer, voice low and urgent. “They’re watching, Olivia. Or Rebecca, or whatever the hell you want to be called now. They’re watching me–us. If they believe I don’t care about Sofia, that she’s of no importance to me anymore, they might let her go.”

The phone in my hand trembled as I looked down at the frozen image of Sofia bound and gagged, her eyes swollen from crying. A pang of something sharp and bitter twisted inside me. Pity? Guilt? I didn’t know. But I felt it.

She didn’t deserve this.

I glanced up at Damien, my voice cracking. “And if I refuse? If I refuse to play your doting wife–what then?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out another phone. He unlocked it, tapped the screen, and shoved it into my hands.

I didn’t want to look.

But I did.

And my heart stopped.

My parents–my mother and father–were tied to chairs, just like Sofia. My mother’s head hung low, her hair covering her face. My father’s eyes were wide open.

My eyes widened… my father… was that really my father…

“No…” I whispered, fear gripping me. “You didn’t…”

Damien moved closer to me, his eyes hard as stone. “I didn’t do it, Olivia. But I have them. And if you do anything stupid–if you try to run, or betray me, or open that pretty mouth of yours to those nephews of mine you claim to love–they’re dead. All of them. I’ll mind link my men to kill them, and you will never reunite with your father ever again and your mother; you will never see her.”

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I forced them back. I wouldn’t cry in front of him. I couldn’t.

He narrowed his eyes, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeves. “So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to be the perfect little wife. You’ll smile at me. You’ll touch me. You’ll convince them that we were in love until I find Sofia.”

I didn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.

“And in return,” he continued, “I will let your parents go, and you will get back your face and be free. Do we understand each other?”

I looked down at the video again. My father–he was truly alive, and my mother was with him. I looked at Damien and spoke. “Why should I trust you? First you told me after a year you will let me go, but now you are saying if I act like a loving wife and Sofia is rescued you will let me go… Which word should I believe?”

Damien frowned, clearly annoyed. “I made the first deal with you when Sofia wasn’t kidnapped, and now she is my main concern… just do what I asked you and once she is rescued you are walking free… so do we have a deal?”

His words hung in the air as I thought about it… Firstly, I thought of my parents. I knew Alpha Damien wasn’t bluffing… this man could actually kill my parents if I do something stupid, and I can’t let that happen… I won’t be able to live with that guilt, and besides I need to see my parents… I need to see my father. I have a lot of questions to ask him… Why was he alive all this time and never reached out to us? Or wait a minute, was he reaching out to mother? Were they together all this while? Why do I feel this might be true?

“We don’t have time. Are you in or out?” Alpha Damien asked impatiently.

I swallowed hard and then nodded. “I’m in.”