THE ALPHA NEEDS ME

The following day, I decided to leave the office earlier than usual, despite it being my day off. I had come to work just to unwind, hoping to clear my mind after the disaster of yesterday. At exactly 4 p.m., I headed to my scooter, letting the cool evening air seep into my skin, trying to shake off the heaviness in my chest.

Just as I reached for my helmet, I froze—an all-too-familiar scent hit me. Skyler.

My gaze shifted, and there it was—his sleek black Audi R8 parked across the street. My heart sank as I saw him leaning casually against it, his piercing eyes locked onto me. His intense gaze used to send shivers down my spine in a good way. Now, it only made my blood boil.

How dare he show up after what he did? My so-called boyfriend had ditched me on my birthday for a romantic date with Tia. The betrayal stung, anger bubbling inside me. The last thing I wanted was to face him.

Pretending I hadn't seen him, I quickly climbed onto my scooter. I strapped on my helmet, hands shaking with anger. Just as I was about to rev the engine, I heard his voice, tinged with irritation.

"Raya! Are you seriously ignoring me right now?"

I avoided his gaze, noticing the surprise in his eyes as I started the scooter. He took a few determined steps toward me, but I didn’t care. I twisted the throttle and sped off.

His audacity, acting as if nothing had happened, fueled my rage. How could he show up here like yesterday meant nothing?

I glanced in my mirror and saw him following me, his car gaining speed. A moment later, he pulled up beside me, his window rolled down, yelling.

“Raya, what the hell? I’m talking to you!”

I ignored him, my heart pounding, my pulse roaring in my ears.

“Stop this childishness,” he snapped, impatient. “I don’t know why you’re overreacting. Stop the bike. I want to talk to you.”

Childishness? My jaw clenched. Without a word, I sped up, pushing past him.

The frustration in his voice, the lack of remorse—it added to the storm inside me. He hadn’t even apologized, just sent a few half-hearted texts, expecting me to return to him. Like I owed him that.

Suddenly, Skyler’s car zoomed ahead, tires screeching as he swerved recklessly in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, my scooter stopping inches from his car. My heart raced as I glared at him.

He stepped out, his face twisted with anger as he marched toward me, frustration rolling off him in waves.

“Raya,” he growled, “we need to talk. Now.”

I got off the scooter, my heart pounding with anger I could barely contain. "Why stop me, Skyler? I don't want to talk to you."

His eyes narrowed. "I won’t tolerate you disrespecting me."

Disrespect? My blood boiled hotter. "What about the disrespect and hurt you caused me yesterday?"

He raised a brow, unfazed. "What did I do?" His tone was indifferent, and his eyes lacked remorse. Talking about it was pointless. He wasn’t sorry.

Skyler took a step closer, his intoxicating scent filling the space between us. Normally, his closeness would have made my knees weak. Now? Nothing. I was numb.

"What do you want?" I demanded, my voice cold.

He exhaled sharply, annoyed. "You said we’re done, but I don’t accept that. You’ve been ignoring my calls and texts all day. That’s unacceptable."

"Really?" I shot back, incredulous.

"Yes." He stared at me like I was being unreasonable. "I’m going to let it slide and take it as your way of getting back at me for not celebrating your birthday with you. Which, by the way, is so stupid of you. But we’re even now."

I blinked in disbelief. His face, stern and devoid of understanding, was the same face that had been lit up with joy in the video yesterday—with Tia. The contrast infuriated me. How could he act like none of it mattered?

His expression softened just a little, and he rolled his eyes as if he were the one being patient. "I’m sorry about yesterday," he said curtly. "Just forget about it. We’ll celebrate next year when your birthday comes around again."

My heart clenched. ‘Next year?’ To heck with him. "What do you want, Skyler?”

"My friend, Amira, it’s her birthday today. You ought to know. We’ve got to attend the party tonight."

I looked away, trying to calm myself. "I don’t want to—"

"You can’t refuse," he interrupted, his tone demanding. "You’re coming with me. I thought Amira was your friend too."

"I thought she was your ex," I said, the bitterness slipping out before I could stop it.

He scoffed. "So? Does that mean I should cut ties with her? We’re friends. I can’t disregard her by not attending her party."

I stared at him in disbelief. Yesterday, he had no issue shoving me aside for Tia, and now he was adamant about attending his ex’s party out of respect. The hypocrisy was suffocating.

He sensed my frustration but continued, oblivious to how his words stabbed at me. "I’m going to treat you well tonight to make up for yesterday," he said as if that would fix everything. "I’ve pushed aside some work for the day because of that, so you have to attend."

"I don’t—"

"Try to look your best," he cut in again, dismissing my words. "I’ll come pick you up by 7 p.m."

I clenched my jaw, and he smirked—a half smile I didn’t return. He turned to his car, rummaged around, and came back with a small bag. "Here," he said, handing it to me. "A little present for your birthday."

I took the bag hesitantly, opening it to find a scarf—delicate, with soft fabric and intricate designs. It was beautiful, but all I could feel was the weight of his manipulation.

"Please, wear it tonight," he said, his eyes gleaming. "I want all my friends to admire you."

It’s always about him. I bit back a sharp retort. He wanted me to impress his friends, the same ones who barely acknowledged me. I was just another accessory to him.

I sighed, my patience running thin. "I’m sure Tia won’t mind since they already like her, right?"

Skyler’s brows furrowed. "Tia? Why bring her up now?"

"You were with her yesterday—"

"Yes, yes," he said, cutting me off. "She invited me to the Maldives to celebrate an accomplishment of hers. You know we haven’t shared good moments for ages. I couldn’t turn her down."

"You did it at the expense of my happiness and lied—"

"I didn’t lie," he snapped. "Forget about it. I apologized already." Without another word, he pecked my cheek, a gesture so empty it made my skin crawl and walked back to his car.

Later that night, we stepped into the hall, and the sight hit me like a wave. The chandeliers sparkled like starlight, and people were dressed in the finest attire. I glanced down at my simple outfit—a modest dress that Skyler didn’t even bother to notice when he picked me up earlier. He, of course, looked impeccable, wearing a sleek black suit that clung to his muscular frame like it was made for him, the Alpha everyone admired. His hair was perfectly styled, his jaw sharp as ever. He looked every bit the powerful leader they saw him as.

As we walked in, heads snapped in our direction, but no one saw me. It was as if I wasn’t there. I felt small and out of place. How had I believed they would ever accept me?

“Hey, Skyler, love.” The sudden voice cut through my thoughts like a blade. I turned my gaze to find Tia, rushing up to Skyler with her perfect, elegant stride. My chest tightened.

His face lit up, and I loosened my grip on his hand, expecting him to notice. But he dropped my hand first as if he’d forgotten I was even there. His arms wrapped around her in a hug, while I stood there like a lost soul, watching them. They separated and she leaned in, pecking his lips before wiping the smudge of her lipstick away, oblivious to me.

“Oh, how lovely,” Amira’s voice cut in. She waved at us, giving Skyler a side hug before glancing at me with cold indifference.

“Thank you for gracing my party, Skyler,” she said, her eyes flicking between him and Tia.

“Welcome, Raya,” she muttered as an afterthought. I forced a smile that felt unnatural.

“Belated happy birthday, Raya!” Tia’s voice was sweet, mocking. Before I could respond, she locked arms with Skyler. “I reserved your seat, Sky,” she said, pulling him closer.

“Thanks, Tia,” he replied, his tone casual, almost grateful, as he gestured for me to follow. I bit down on my lip, trying to suppress the hurt.

I arranged my scarf as if it could hide the rawness inside. Amira watched me from the corner of her eye, that knowing smile playing on her lips. She was waiting for me to break, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

Skyler settled next to Tia and Amira. He glanced at me briefly, then down at the table, and I realized there wasn’t a chair for me.

Amira walked up, pretending to be the most gracious host. “Um, Raya, I’ll get a chair for you,” she said, her voice dripping with false concern. She grabbed a chair and breezed past me, placing it far from Skyler. “It’s better here,” she announced.

“You can sit there, Raya,” Skyler said, his eyes barely meeting mine as he flashed that cool smile—the one meant for Tia. The indifference in his voice pierced through me. I stood there, frozen, while everything inside screamed to run.