My Alpha's Seven-Night Betrayal

Upon hearing what I said, everyone’s expressions shifted, the air in the room growing heavy with unspoken judgment. Leonard Warren, ever the dutiful Delta of the Lycan Prince’s guard, waved his hand dismissively. "Since Gracelynn isn’t feeling her best, let’s wrap it up early and skip dinner."

Alpha Russell Simmons, his towering frame exuding an air of dominance, frowned and grabbed my arm, his grip firm. "You’re not some delicate flower, so don’t act like one. Go cook dinner."

He shoved me toward the kitchen, closing the door behind me with a deliberate thud. The sound echoed in my ears, a reminder of my place in his world.

Outside, laughter and cheerful chatter resumed, cutting through the silence like a blade.

"Alpha Russell, you’ve got her well-trained," someone teased.

"Absolutely," he boasted, his voice carrying a smug edge. "Her family practically begged my mother to let her mate with me. She wouldn’t dare go against me."

Sunny Parker, the Gamma from the Silver Fang Pack, chimed in softly, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Talking like that isn’t nice. You sound like you’re pushing her around. I think I’ll go lend Gracelynn a hand in the kitchen."

Alpha Russell quickly stopped her, his tone softening as it always did when he spoke to her. "No need. You’ve got such gentle hands, not suited for kitchen work. What if you get hurt? You wouldn’t be able to look after me."

"Oh, you’re impossible," she replied playfully, her laughter light and melodic.

I could hear the sound of Alpha Russell giving her a loud peck on the cheek, the intimacy of it twisting something deep inside me.

"Sunny, remember? On my eighteenth birthday, you kept me company all night with those hands. No one else has been close like that."

The memory hit me like a punch, and I felt my wolf whimper in the back of my mind, a quiet ache of betrayal. That day, I had spent all my savings on a gift for him, and he kissed my forehead for the first time. I had thought it was the beginning of something real.

I never imagined that on the same night, he had done something so vile with Sunny Parker. Yet he always insisted they were just childhood friends, nothing more. Only someone as naive as me would have believed him.

Once dinner was ready—ravioli, pulled pork, and spiced honey cake—I tried to slip away to my room, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere. But Sunny Parker, her movements graceful and deliberate, grabbed my arm, her grip surprisingly strong for someone who claimed to have "gentle hands."

"Gracelynn," she said, her voice sweet but laced with something darker, "don’t run off. We’re all here to enjoy the evening. You wouldn’t want to ruin it for everyone, would you?"

I forced a smile, my wolf stirring uneasily as I nodded. "Of course not, Sunny."

But inside, the cracks were spreading, and I knew it was only a matter of time before everything shattered.