Distractions

Startled, Velia's eyes flew open, her body trembling. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... please don't be mad," she begged, her voice shaky.

Venom’s expression remained unreadable, but a trace of amusement laced his voice. "What are you doing in my bed?"

Velia’s face flushed with embarrassment as she stammered, "I-I wasn’t tired... but you didn’t come... it wasn’t intentional..."

His gaze moved up and down her body before he spoke again, his voice cold and controlled. "Don't let it happen again. Leave."

Velia hastily obeyed, her heart racing as she approached the door. Just as she was about to exit, Venom’s voice called out.

"Stop."

She turned back, her eyes wide with fear. "Y-yes?"

His expression was still unreadable, but there was a hint of curiosity in his voice. "I’m hungry. Can you cook?"

Relief and nervousness flickered across Venom’s face. "Y-yes. W-what do you want me to cook?"

His gaze seemed to pierce her soul. "Something light and quick. And, Lupetta, don’t poison it."

Fear surged through Velia as she nodded frantically, making her way to the kitchen. The weight of Venom’s presence felt like a constant test, one that pushed her limits.

As she prepared the meal, her mind raced with thoughts of escape and defiance. But for now, she was trapped in this gilded cage, forced to cater to Alpha Venom's every whim.

She placed the food on the dining room table, but Venom wasn’t there. She found him lounging on the bed, absorbed in his laptop. He looked up when he noticed her standing there.

"Your food’s ready," she whispered.

Venom stood and walked down the hall toward the dining room with Harmony following closely behind. Once he sat down, she arranged the food in front of him, her hands trembling slightly.

As they sat down to eat, Velia held her breath, waiting for the Alpha to speak, but he remained silent, his face inscrutable.

"You need to try it first," he said, his voice firm.

"Pardon?" Velia asked, confusion furrowing her brow.

"Didn’t the other maid tell you?" Venom’s tone was flat. "You have to taste the food you prepare first, in case you poisoned it."

Velia’s eyes widened in horror. "What? I would never!" she protested.

His gaze turned cold. "Who knows, Lupetta?" he said, skepticism dripping from his voice.

After a long hesitation, Velia took a small bite of the noodles. Velia watched her without expression.

"More," he commanded.

Velia ate almost half of the food, anxiety bubbling up with every bite.

Once they finished, Venom spoke. "You’ll be the one cleaning my room in the evenings. Only you. Don't be late."

Velia nodded sadly, tears brimming in her eyes. The room was vast, and the task ahead seemed impossible.

"Okay, you can go," he said dismissively.

Velia bowed and quickly left the room, her heart heavy with emotion. The dark, lonely hallways felt oppressive as she made her way back to her room. Star was already asleep, so Velia quietly lay beside her, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

 

***

 

 

The Syndicate

The air was thick with tension, everyone aware that the boss was in a foul mood. No one dared speak out, knowing the consequences would be severe.

The twins, Rico and Rica, knelt before their father, who was puffing on his pipe. Two girls stood beside him, their gazes lowered. He took a long, angry drag from his pipe and suddenly threw it at Rico, striking him on the head. Blood began to drip from the wound.

Rico clenched his fists in anger but kept his head bowed. "You both are useless, utterly useless!" their father yelled, kicking Rico again. Rico fell to the floor, his lip swollen and bleeding.

"Dad!" Rica shouted, but he silenced her with a sharp glare. "Shut up, you little bitch!"

"I can't believe you let that boy take the money! How could you? It's only been two years since Godfather Marco promoted him, and now their pack is growing faster than mine! You're both worthless! Get out—now!"

The twins quickly scrambled to their feet and exited the room, Rica trailing behind her brother as they headed to his room. "Don't let what he said bother you..." she started, but the door slammed shut before she could finish. With a sigh, she went to her own room.

As she showered, Rica couldn’t stop thinking about Venom, his image of fighting etched in her mind. She smiled, finding him undeniably attractive. But then her thoughts shifted to Virus, and her expression darkened. "That jerk," she muttered under her breath.

The Reapers

The pack was busy in the training room, each focused on their tasks. Ghost was shooting targets, Stalker practiced archery, Hacker was jogging on the treadmill, and Blade was delivering powerful punches to a bag. Butcher stood silently by, observing them all.

The mood was light, the team high-spirited due to a recent cash windfall. Godfather Marco had even promised a party that evening, which everyone eagerly anticipated.

Suddenly, Hardin entered the room, and the energy shifted. Silence fell as everyone turned their attention to him. He ignored them, heading straight for a punching bag, unleashing his fury on it.

Stalker approached him with a grin. "Hey," she said, introducing herself. "I'm Stalker."

Ghost and Hacker introduced themselves next. Hardin couldn’t help but wonder what a young guy like Hacker was doing in a dangerous place like this.

Just then, Sniper and Mauler entered the room, identical twins with strikingly different personalities. Sniper was cold and stoic, while Mauler was lively and fun-loving.

"Nice to meet you all," Hardin said, his gaze briefly meeting Butcher’s before looking away.

Virus invited Hardin to his personal training room. "So, what do you think?" he asked, curious about Hardin’s impressions.

Hardin shrugged. "I thought it would be better. Thanks for letting me try it out."

Virus smiled, intrigued by Hardin’s fighting skills. "Are you in a gang or something? How did you learn to fight?" he asked, moving closer.

Hardin quickly replied, "I just love training," before exiting the room.

Virus muttered to himself, "Why can’t I just believe that?"

As Virus resumed his training, a random thought of Rica crossed his mind. He chuckled darkly. "She’s hot despite being the daughter of a psycho," he smiled, recalling the anger in her face when he teased her.

Hacker beamed with excitement as he entered the boss's office. He had been summoned by Venom and was eager to assist.

"You called for me?" Hacker asked, taking a seat across from his Alpha.

Venom handed him a USB drive. "Take a look at this. See if you can identify anyone. No questions."

Hacker popped the drive in his laptop, his eyes widening as he watched the video. "Those five people behind Anthonio Argento... I can recognize them."

"Tell me," Venom urged, leaning forward.

Hacker grinned, pleased to be helpful. "One is the Don of The Black Mambas. I recognize the tattoo on his shoulder. The second one is the boss of The Syndicate, Pedro."

Venom’s eyes narrowed. "Yeah. I got that."

Hacker continued, "I can’t identify the two on the right, but the person in the center is Alpha Rosario."

"And who's that?" Venom asked, his curiosity piqued.

Hacker’s expression grew serious. "He’s the overlord of all the packs clans in southern Italy. Feared throughout the country. His members are ruthless and dangerous."

Hacker's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "But why are you needing to identify them?"

Venom's expression turned stern. "I told you, no questions."

Hacker nodded enthusiastically. "I'm happy to help, Alpha, and I promise I'll find out who those two people are."

"No one should know about this. Keep it sealed." Venom's gaze locked on his.

Hacker grinned mischievously. "My lips are sealed." He quickly exited the room, leaving Venom to ponder the revelations.

He couldn't believe Pedro was among the people in the video, and he hadn't noticed it all this time. That put Pedro on a whole new level of revenge.

 

***

 

 

Velia smiled as she walked down the hall. She heard through the grapevine that Hardin had been moved to a private room so she knew he must be doing well. She decided to rest before starting her cleaning duties in Venom's rooms for the night. But, suddenly, Hacker touched her arm, and she turned to see his wide grin.

Hey!" he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Hey, Hacker!" Velia replied, returning the smile.

"What are you doing now?" Hacker asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Going to grab a nap," Velia said, her eyelids drooping slightly.

Hacker's face lit up. "But I'm bored right now! Let's do something together, big sis. Can I call you that?"

Velia giggled and nodded. "Fine. What did you have in mind?"

Hacker led her to his room where Velia's eyes widened in amazement. The room was filled with computers and gaming equipment. "This is awesome!" she exclaimed, her smile brightening up the space.

"Let's have fun, big sis!" Hacker said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. They sat together, and soon their cheers and laughter filled the room as they battled each other in games.

As they played, Velia completely lost herself in the fun of the games. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she'd smiled so much. Hacker's enthusiasm was infectious, and she found herself laughing and cheering along with him. The games brought out a competitive streak in her, and she was determined to win.

Hacker, on the other hand, was thrilled to have Velia to play with. He loved showing off his gaming skills, and Velia was a great sport. It had been a long time since he's had someone close to his own age to hang out with.

As the night wore on, Velia forgot all about her cleaning duties. She was having too much fun with Hacker to worry about anything else. And Hacker, well, he was just happy to have someone to share his passions with.