Semua Bab Alpha Santa : Bab 41 - Bab 50

Piper The metallic tang of blood lingers in the air, thick and suffocating. My hands tremble as I clutch the fabric of Elijah's shirt like it’s the only thing tethering me to reality. My chest rises and falls erratically, and I can’t seem to catch my breath. I don’t know which was more terrifying: watching Elijah’s massive black wolf emerge from him in a grotesque, violent transformation or the way that same wolf shredded my ex like a piece of paper, tearing him apart with a ferocity that will haunt my dreams and Christmas forever.I swallow hard, my throat dry. I can’t tear my eyes away from the blood-soaked ground where Adam’s body—or what’s left of it—lays in ruin. My knees feel weak, and the world tilts slightly, but I force myself to stay upright.He deserved it. I tell myself over and over again, like a mantra. Adam deserved this. Not just for what he did to me, but for what he did to Zoe. My gaze shifts to her, limp and pale as her mate carries her away. She’s in safe hands no

Elijah clears his throat, cutting through the lingering tension in the room. He steps forward, his commanding presence drawing everyone’s attention.“Zoe,” he says warmly. “Thank you for saving Piper. I owe you a lot. Whatever you want for your birthday, it’s yours. Just name it.”Zoe blinks at him, clearly surprised. Then, slowly, a mischievous smirk creeps onto her face. “Anything?” she asks, her voice teasing yet calculated.Elijah nods without hesitation. “Anything.”Her smirk widens as she leans back against her pillows. “Give me this hotel,” she says, her tone light, but her eyes challenging. “It’s the least I deserve, seeing as my blood has been shed on this soil not once, but twice.”I gasp so loudly that everyone turns to me. “Zoe!” I sputter, my jaw practically hitting the floor. “You can’t be serious! This hotel is—this place is like something out of a fairytale! It has to be worth billions!”Even Ryder looks a bit stunned, his brow arching as he glances at her. “Baby, that

Piper“What do you mean?” My voice comes out in a whisper, so soft I barely hear it myself, but I know she hears the tremor in it. Her words have pierced me, leaving a cold emptiness in their wake.Her eyes gleam with cruel satisfaction, and her lips curl into a cold smile. “As long as you stand by Elijah’s side without earning our respect, you’ll be seen as his weakness. The pack will turn on him. And you, dear girl, will destroy him.”The air in the room feels like it’s been sucked out. My knees threaten to give way beneath me, but I lock them in place, forcing myself to stay upright. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of her.“So, I have to compete?” My voice is laced with disbelief and bitterness. “Like I’m just another one of them?”She tilts her head, a mockery of sympathy on her face, or was it amusement?. “You are free to walk away like I said. Use your mate bond as an easy out and leave. But if you stay,” her gaze shar

Piper Facing everyone back in the dining room had drained every ounce of my energy. The stares, the whispers, the outright mockery—it clung to me like a second skin. I barely register Luna Serena’s voice as she stops in front of a door.“This will be your room for the duration of your stay. I hope it suits your taste.”I don’t respond, too mentally and physically exhausted to muster even a polite nod. Instead, I push the door open and walk inside, unintentionally letting it slam shut in her face.The moment I see the neatly made bed, I sigh and collapse onto it, my body sinking into the soft mattress. I don’t even bother to admire the room or take in the details. My eyes catch on the wardrobe, though, and I spot normal human clothes neatly folded inside. A faint smile tugs at my lips. At least something here makes sense.I can’t remember when I closed my eyes, but I must’ve fallen asleep instantly because the next thing I hear is the shrill ring of a bell.“Time for your morning run,

PiperThe hall feels stifling, the sheer size of it doing nothing to calm my nerves. Everywhere I turn, there’s a woman stronger, taller, or more confident than me.I can’t stop shifting from one foot to the other, the name tag pinned to my chest feeling more like a mark of humiliation than identification. Piper, it reads in bold, cursive letters.Around me, twenty-nine other women chatter, stretch, and eye the weight racks like predators circling their prey.I glance at the weights and suppress a nervous laugh. Those monstrous hunks of iron look like they could crush a car. What am I doing here? Competing for Elijah’s heart feels ridiculous—like some twisted reality show gone horribly wrong. I bet he feels like a damn celebrity right now. Maybe I should start calling him "Alpha Superstar."Still, there’s no sign of Serena, and that makes me uneasy. Somehow, her presence brought me a strange sense of calm. Trying to shake the discomfort, I twitch my fingers and start stretching, hoping