Playing The Alphas

SAMANTHA

"Samantha Samuels! What on earth possessed you to set John and me up like that?" Amanda’s voice erupted the moment Finnian was out of earshot, her anger blazing as she glared at me. Her face was twisted with rage, her perfectly manicured hands clenched into fists at her sides.

John’s eyes matched hers in fury, as though I had committed some unpardonable sin. He stepped forward, his posture menacing, but I stood my ground. Despite knowing full well how shameless they both could be, I couldn’t suppress the laughter bubbling up from within. I was too furious to hold it back. The absurdity of their accusations was almost too much to bear.

"You two are being punished for your own stupidity. Quit pointing fingers at everyone else for your blunders."

"Is that right? You think you’re so smug, don’t you?" Amanda’s anger flared even hotter, her hand shooting up as if to strike me. Her eyes blazed with hatred, and I could see the desperation in her movements. She wanted to hurt me, to make me pay for her humiliation.

But I was quicker, catching her wrist before she could make contact. My grip was firm, unyielding. With a cold smile, I warned her, "You might want to save that slap for yourself. Unless you fancy facing something far worse when Prince Finnian gets wind of this." I let go of her hand with a forceful shove.

Amanda yelped in pain, stumbling back until she landed in John’s arms. Her face contorted with a mixture of fury and shock. I was in no mood to tangle with them any further. After throwing them a final, indifferent glance, I turned to leave. I had wasted enough time on them.

Amanda’s voice still rang out behind me, dripping with venom. "Who do you think you are to act all high and mighty? Let go of me, John! I’m going to teach her a lesson she’ll never forget."

I could hear John trying to calm her down, his voice low and urgent, but I paid them no mind. I exhaled a long, steadying breath. The encounter had drained what little energy I had left. After collecting myself, I returned to the training room, only to find it empty. The silence was almost eerie after the chaos of the morning.

Just then, a servant passed by. I halted her, asking, "Excuse me, where are the sex slaves training today?"

She informed me that the training had moved to the gym. I rushed over, my legs aching with each step, but by the time I arrived, the session had already ended, and everyone was being dismissed. Women filed out in small groups, their chatter filling the air. As I stepped into the room, several women shot me looks of surprise and curiosity.

Alicia, one of the top sex slaves, was huddled with her friends, smirking and gossiping among themselves. Their heads were bent together, and I could hear snippets of their conversation. "Did you hear what happened with Molly?" "I heard she got humiliated in front of the king." "Samantha was involved, apparently."

After the morning ordeal, I was completely drained and in no mood to deal with their nonsense. Since training was over, I turned to leave. I just wanted to go back to my room and collapse.

"Samantha Samuels!" Alicia’s voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned to her, my patience wearing thin. She sauntered over, her hips swaying, a cruel smirk plastered on her face. With a sneer, Alicia added, "Consider yourself lucky. You missed out on physical training today. With how faint your wolf scent is, I wouldn’t be surprised if a light breeze could knock you over."

Her words sent the others into fits of laughter. The sound echoed off the walls, sharp and mocking. I’d been mocked for my weak wolf scent for as long as I could remember, so her jab didn’t sting like it once might have. I had heard it all before, countless times, from countless people. It had lost its power over me.

I met her gaze, calm and collected, and shot back, "Better than being overlooked by the princes."

I didn’t care about winning the princes’ favor, but my retort hit the mark. Alicia’s face flushed with anger. Her eyes narrowed, and I could see the fury building behind them. Her voice rose as she challenged me, "Stop showing off. Are you brave enough to compete with me? Let’s see if you’re worthy of the princes’ attention."

The other sex slaves quickly chimed in, urging me to accept. Their voices rose in a chorus of excitement and malice. Daisy, who had been on her way out, paused to throw a gleeful glance my way. Pretending to be impartial, she said, "I’m glad to see such enthusiasm. Samantha, will you accept the challenge?"

Daisy had always disliked me, always hoping to see me in a bind. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, already imagining my defeat. But I didn’t hesitate. I had been pushed around long enough. It was time to show them what I was made of.

"Of course. What’s the challenge?"

Alicia pointed to the climbing wall. "Climbing."

I glanced at the wall and smiled. It was tall, challenging, but not impossible. "Fine. When?"

Alicia seemed taken aback, her eyes scanning me as if she suspected I was bluffing. She had expected me to back down, to make excuses. My acceptance had caught her off guard. Finally, she raised her chin and said, "Tomorrow, I’m too drained from today’s training to make it a fair competition now."

I shrugged. "Tomorrow it is."

"Don’t think you can back out," Alicia spat before storming off. The other women shot me disdainful looks. One muttered, "Alicia has such a strong wolf scent. She’s definitely strong."

"Yeah, Samantha’s biting off more than she can chew. She’ll regret this tomorrow," another added with a snicker.

Ignoring their chatter, I arched an eyebrow, smiled to myself, and left the training room. Let them talk. Let them doubt. Tomorrow, I would prove them all wrong. I had survived worse than a climbing competition. I had survived John’s betrayal, Amanda’s cruelty, Molly’s schemes, and the triplets’ dangerous attention.

This was nothing.