Playing The Alphas

SAMANTHA

Jayce’s grip on my arm was iron as he dragged me through the dimly lit corridors of the palace. My bare feet slapped against the cold stone floor, and I stumbled to keep up with his relentless pace. The air was thick with tension, and distant screams echoed through the walls like the cries of the damned.

"Jayce, slow down!" I gasped, trying to pull free. "Where are we going?"

He didn’t stop, didn’t even glance back. "Finnian escaped the dungeon," he said, his voice tight with barely controlled panic. "He’s tearing through the palace. Guards are down. Servants are fleeing. If we don’t find him soon, there’s no telling what he’ll do."

My heart lurched. "What do you mean he escaped? I thought the elders—"

"The elders underestimated him," Jayce cut me off, his jaw clenched. "Whatever woke up inside him... it’s more powerful than anything we’ve ever seen. The chains couldn’t hold him. The binding ritual failed." He finally stopped, turning to face me. His eyes were wild, desperate. "He’s responding to something, Samantha. Something that’s pulling him. And I think it’s you."

I stared at him, my mind reeling. "Me? How could it be me?"

Jayce shook his head. "I don’t know. But every time you’re near, he calms. Even in that state, even when he’s lost to the beast, he seems to recognize you." He grabbed my shoulders, his grip almost painful. "You’re the only hope we have. Please. I know you have every reason to hate me, to hate all of us, but—"

"I’ll do it," I said, cutting him off. My voice was steady, even though my heart was racing. "Where do we start?"

Jayce released me, relief flickering across his features. "The east wing. That’s where he was last seen."

We ran. The palace was a nightmare of destruction. Broken furniture littered the corridors, and deep claw marks raked across the walls like the fury of a mad beast. Tapestries hung in tatters, and the air was thick with dust and the metallic tang of blood. Servants huddled in corners, their faces pale with terror.

I tried not to look at the bodies. I tried not to think about who they were, what they had been before Finnian’s rampage.

"This way," Jayce said, veering left. I followed, my lungs burning, my legs screaming in protest.

Then we heard it. A voice, soft and sweet, cutting through the chaos.

"Your Highness! Wait, please!"

We skidded to a halt. Vera emerged from the shadows, her face flushed, her hands clasped together as if in prayer. She looked frazzled, desperate, nothing like the composed librarian who had framed me hours earlier.

"Vera," I snarled, stepping forward. "You have some nerve showing your face here."

"Samantha, please!" Vera cried, her voice trembling. "I know you don’t trust me, but I can help. I know a ritual—a way to calm Prince Finnian’s beast. Please, let me try."

Jayce’s eyes flickered with hope, but I saw through her act. Her hands were shaking, but not from fear. From nervousness. She was lying.

"Don’t listen to her," I said, grabbing Jayce’s arm. "She’s playing you. She’s the one who set me up. She’s the reason Finnian is like this!"

"Samantha, I—" Vera started.

"Shut up!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the corridor. "You planted those things in my room! You poisoned Finnian’s mind against me! And now you want to ’help’? You’re nothing but a liar and a traitor!"

Vera’s mask cracked. Her eyes narrowed, and a cold smile spread across her face. "You think you know everything, don’t you? You think you’re so clever." She laughed, a hollow, mocking sound. "But you have no idea what’s really going on. No idea who I’m working for."

"Then tell me," I demanded, stepping closer. "Who sent you?"

Vera took a step back, her eyes darting toward the exit. "I’m not afraid of you, Samantha. You’re nothing. You’ve always been nothing."

"Then why are you running?" I shot back.

She turned and fled.

"After her!" Jayce shouted, and we took off, chasing Vera through the winding corridors. She was fast, faster than I expected, but desperation fueled my steps. I couldn’t let her escape. I needed answers.

We cornered her in the library. She was breathless, her chest heaving, her back pressed against the towering shelves of ancient books. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape that didn’t exist.

"Nowhere to run," Jayce said, his voice cold. "Tell us the truth, Vera. Who are you working for?"

Vera’s face contorted with fury. "You want the truth? Fine. I’m working for someone who wants to see this entire family crumble. Someone who knows exactly where your weaknesses lie." Her eyes flickered to me. "And it’s all connected to you, Samantha. Your past. Your precious ex-fiancé. Your dear cousin, Amanda."

My blood ran cold. "John and Amanda? They put you up to this?"

Vera laughed again, manic and wild. "They didn’t need to. They just had to point me in the right direction. Your pain is what made you vulnerable. Your anger is what made you a perfect target. And now, with Finnian lost to the beast, the kingdom is one step closer to ruin."

Jayce stepped forward, his hand raised as if to strike her, but Vera was faster. She reached behind her, grabbing a heavy book and hurling it at us. We ducked, and she bolted, disappearing through a hidden door in the shelves.

Jayce cursed, slamming his fist against the bookshelf. "She’s gone."

I barely heard him. My mind was spinning. John and Amanda were behind this. They had found a way to reach me even from outside the palace. They had manipulated Vera into destroying me, and they had used Finnian’s curse as a weapon.

But then, a realization struck me. A gut feeling, deep and undeniable.

"Jayce," I said, my voice trembling. "I know where Finnian is."

He turned to me, his eyes narrowing. "Where?"

The garden. It was the only place that made sense. The garden was where we had first truly spoken. Where I had seen past his cold exterior and glimpsed the vulnerable man beneath. If Finnian was lost, if he was drowning in the darkness of his beast, he would go somewhere that brought him peace. Somewhere he felt safe.

"I need to go alone," I said, heading for the door. "Stay here."

"Samantha, wait—"

"Trust me."

I ran. Through the corridors, past the broken walls and terrified servants. I burst through the palace doors and into the night air. The garden lay before me, bathed in pale moonlight. It was beautiful, serene, a stark contrast to the chaos I had left behind.

And there, in the center of the garden, was Finnian.

He was monstrous. His body was twisted and huge, covered in dark, glistening scales. Shadows coiled around him like living smoke, and his eyes glowed with an eerie, golden light. Ancient chains wrapped around his form, binding him to the ground, but they were cracking, falling apart.

I approached slowly, my heart pounding. "Finnian," I whispered.

His head snapped toward me, and for a moment, I saw something human in his eyes. Recognition. Relief.

"Samantha," he said, his voice broken and raw, barely more than a growl. "Vera was right. I am weak."

I stepped closer, shaking my head. "No, Finnian. You’re not weak. You’re one of the strongest people I know."

He let out a guttural roar, the chains straining. "Stay back! I can’t control it. I’ll hurt you."

"I’m not afraid of you," I said firmly, stepping even closer.

"Samantha, please—"

The chains shattered. Finnian lunged, his claws extended, his beast fully unleashed. But instead of running, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his massive, twisted form.

"I’m not afraid of you," I repeated, my voice fierce.

His claws dug into my back, sharp and searing. Pain exploded through me, hot and blinding. I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat. But at the same time, something else coursed through me. A warmth. A connection. A bond that had been waiting to be forged.

Finnian’s beast roared, but this time, it wasn’t a sound of rage. It was a sound of agony. Of longing. Of surrender.

I held on, even as the pain threatened to overwhelm me. I held on, because deep down, I knew this was the only way to save him.