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Lia's POV

The chaos outside was deafening. Shouts echoed through the halls, and the tension in the air was so thick it felt like I could cut it with a knife. Finn’s injury had thrown the entire pack into disarray, and the sight of Alina’s cold, accusing eyes earlier kept replaying in my mind.

I forced myself to move, my feet carrying me to Benedicta, who stood near the staircase, trying to make sense of the chaos. She turned the moment she saw me, her face a mix of worry and determination.

“Benedicta,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I need to talk to you. Now.”

Without waiting for a response, I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward my bedroom. I shut the door behind us and locked it, leaning against it as I tried to steady my racing heart.

“This is bad,” I muttered, pacing the room. “This is really bad.”

Benedicta watched me with a calmness I envied. “Take a breath, Lia,” she said gently. “Tell me what happened.”

I stopped pacing and faced her. “Alina… she’s going to blame me. I know it. She as much as said it downstairs.”

Benedicta’s brows knitted together. “She said that?”

I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself. “She told me to ‘get ready to die’ if Finn doesn’t make it. And now the whole pack is in chaos, and I—”

I broke off as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out with trembling hands and saw Luca’s name on the screen. Relief flooded through me as I answered.

“Luca,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“What’s going on?” he asked immediately. His voice was calm but laced with concern.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my free hand gripping the bedsheet. “It’s Finn,” I said, my words tumbling out in a rush. “Someone stabbed him. He’s… he’s alive, but barely. And Alina is going to put the blame on me. She’s already—”

“Lia,” Luca interrupted, his voice firm. “Calm down. Just tell me everything.”

I took a shaky breath and recounted what had happened, from finding Finn injured to Alina’s cold threats. When I finished, there was silence on the other end of the line.

“Luca?”

“I’ve heard something,” he said finally. “I just got the news that Alpha Dean might be in town.”

“Dean?” I repeated my voice barely above a whisper. My stomach twisted at the mention of Luca’s brother. “Are you sure?”

“No,” he admitted. “There haven’t been any confirmed sightings, but there are whispers. If he’s here, he’s keeping a low profile.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. “Do you think he did this? Do you think Dean stabbed Finn?”

“It’s possible,” Luca said, his tone grim. “Dean has always had his own agenda. And if he’s involved, this is just the beginning.”

My heart sank at his words. “What do we do?”

“For now, you need to stay calm and stay safe,” he said. “Don’t confront Alina or anyone else. Let them speculate all they want, but don’t give them any reason to turn their suspicions into accusations. I’ll handle things on my end.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Okay.”

“And Lia,” he added, his voice softening, “don’t lose hope. We’ll figure this out.”

“Thank you, Luca,” I whispered.

After the call ended, I sat there for a moment, staring at the phone in my hand. The weight of everything felt crushing, but I couldn’t afford to fall apart now.

Benedicta sat beside me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “What did he say?”

I told her about Dean and Luca’s suspicions. Her expression darkened, but she didn’t let the worry show for long.

“Lia,” she said firmly, “you need to trust that everything will fall into place. Luca is right. Don’t confront anyone. Just focus on staying strong.”

I looked at her, searching for reassurance in her steady gaze. “But what if Alina…”

“She won’t,” Benedicta said, cutting me off. “Because we won’t let her. You’re not alone in this, Lia.”

Her words were a small comfort, but the dread in my chest refused to dissipate. As Benedicta helped me calm down and began going over plans to ensure my safety, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get worse.

And if Dean was really here, then chaos was only just beginning.

____

Alina’s POV

I stormed into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. My heart pounded as I headed straight for the closet, throwing the door open. There he was, seated on a small stool like he had all the time in the world, his black cloak draped over his shoulders and a smug grin playing on his lips.

“Dean,” I said sharply, stepping inside and closing the closet door behind me.

His piercing eyes lifted to meet mine, his grin widening. “Ah, sister dear,” he said mockingly, “to what do I owe the pleasure of this late-night visit?”

I folded my arms, glaring at him. “We need to talk. Finn’s been attacked.”

His grin faltered for a moment, replaced by a curious tilt of his head. “Oh? And how is the great Alpha Finn faring?”

“He’s alive,” I snapped, my voice trembling with frustration. “But barely. He’s unconscious, and no one knows who’s responsible. I came here because I need your help.”

Dean leaned back, his expression unreadable. “My condolences,” he said with a feigned solemnity that made my blood boil.

I took a step forward, clenching my fists. “Don’t you dare,” I hissed. “My brother is not dead, and he won’t be. I need you to use your connections, your resources, whatever it takes to find out who did this.”

For a moment, Dean said nothing. Then he stood, towering over me, his cloak brushing the floor. “And why, dear sister, should I involve myself in this pack drama? What’s in it for me?”

I swallowed hard, pushing down my fear. “Because if Finn dies, this pack will fall apart. And if it falls apart, your little plans for Lia will crumble with it. You said it yourself—you need this pack stable for your schemes to work.”

His grin returned, sharp and predatory. “Ah, so you do listen.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Very well, Alina. I’ll help you find this mystery culprit. But I expect something in return.”

“Anything,” I said quickly, desperation seeping into my tone.

“Good,” he said, his grin widening. “Now, about Lia…”

I cut him off, shaking my head. “You can’t take her. Not now. This attack changes everything. If you try to abduct her now, it will only draw suspicion. You’ll have to wait for a better opportunity.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he stepped back, his grin fading into a thoughtful expression. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “I’ll wait. But don’t keep me waiting too long, Alina. My patience is not infinite.”

With that, he turned and sat back down, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. I took a deep breath, my hands trembling as I opened the closet door and stepped back into my bedroom.

As I walked out into the hallway, I spotted Bianca and Jenny skulking near Finn’s bedroom door. My blood boiled at the sight of them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped, striding toward them.

They turned to face me, their expressions a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

“We just wanted to check on him,” Bianca said, her tone overly sweet.

“Don’t play innocent with me,” I hissed, stepping closer. “I know what you two are up to. You’ve been scheming against Lia since the beginning, and now my brother is lying unconscious because of your incompetence. Did you plan to kill her and end up harming him instead? Or was this just collateral damage?”

Jenny’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, but Bianca held her ground, her jaw tightening.

“We had nothing to do with this,” Bianca said, her voice cold.

“I don’t believe you,” I shot back. “You can deny it all you want, but I’ll get to the truth. And if I find out you’re behind this, I swear I’ll make you pay. Both of you.”

Jenny grabbed Bianca’s arm, pulling her back. “Come on, let’s go,” she muttered, clearly shaken.

Bianca hesitated, glaring at me, but eventually allowed Jenny to lead her away.

I watched them disappear down the hallway, my hands clenched into fists. I turned back toward Finn’s room, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

The pack was in chaos, my brother’s life hung by a thread, and danger lurked around every corner. But one thing was clear—I wouldn’t rest until I uncovered the truth. And when I did, whoever was responsible would regret crossing me.