Playing The Alphas

SAMANTHA

I had lost track of time. The throne room was dark, lit only by the dim glow of dying torches. My body was a canvas of pain, each lash mark burning like a brand. The chains bit into my raw wrists, and my knees had long gone numb against the cold stone floor. But I refused to break. I refused to give them the satisfaction.

Then I heard footsteps. Heavy, deliberate. Someone was approaching.

I lifted my head, squinting into the shadows. A figure emerged from the darkness, his silhouette tall and imposing. My heart lurched with a desperate, foolish hope.

Jayce.

He walked toward me slowly, his expression unreadable. His clothes were still disheveled, his hair still wild, but there was something different in his eyes. Something cold. Something cruel.

"Jayce," I whispered, my voice hoarse and raw. "Please. You have to believe me. I didn’t do any of this. Vera framed me."

He stopped in front of me, his gaze sweeping over my broken body. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something—regret? Sympathy? But then it was gone, replaced by ice.

"Vera came to see me," he said, his voice flat. "She told me everything."

My blood ran cold. "Everything? Jayce, she’s lying. She’s been lying from the beginning. She’s working with John and Amanda. They want to destroy me, and they’re using the royal family to do it."

Jayce laughed. It was a hollow, bitter sound that sent chills down my spine. "You expect me to believe that? After everything I’ve seen? After everything you’ve done?"

"I haven’t done anything!" I cried out, struggling against my chains. "Please, Jayce. I know you don’t trust me. I know you have no reason to. But I’m telling you the truth. Vera is the enemy. Not me."

He stepped closer, his eyes boring into mine. "She told me how you manipulated us. How you played Darlington with your tears. How you seduced me with your body. How you turned Finnian against his own family." He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "Tell me, Samantha. Was any of it real? Or was it all just a game to you?"

Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the blood and sweat. "None of it was a game, Jayce. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to be here. I never wanted to be a pawn in someone else’s scheme."

His grip tightened, his fingers digging into my jaw. "Then why did you come to me that night? Why did you let me touch you? Why did you let me believe...?" He trailed off, his voice cracking with barely contained emotion.

I shook my head, my heart aching. "I didn’t have a choice. You know I didn’t have a choice. You took what you wanted, and I had to endure it. That’s all it’s ever been. Endurance."

Jayce released me, stepping back as if I had burned him. His chest heaved, and I could see the conflict raging behind his eyes. He wanted to believe me. I could see it. But Vera’s poison had already taken root.

"She showed me evidence," he said, his voice trembling. "Letters. Plans. Proof that you were working with someone outside the palace. Proof that you were planning to escape and take us down with you."

"That’s not true!" I sobbed. "Vera forged everything! She’s been setting me up from the beginning. Please, Jayce. I’m begging you. Look at me. Look at what they’ve done to me. Do you really believe I could have orchestrated all of this?"

He was silent for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. For a heartbeat, I thought I saw a crack in his armor. A flicker of doubt.

Then he turned away.

"I saw you with Darlington," he said, his voice cold and distant. "The way you looked at him. The way you ran to him for comfort. You were using him, just like you were using me."

"That’s not true," I said weakly. "Darlington was kind to me. He showed me compassion when no one else would. I never used him."

"Then why did you go to him?" Jayce demanded, spinning around to face me. "Why did you let him hold you? Why did you let him see you vulnerable?"

"Because I had nowhere else to go!" I screamed, my voice cracking. "Because everyone else in this palace has treated me like garbage. Because I’m alone, Jayce. I’ve always been alone."

His expression flickered again. Pain. Regret. But then his jaw tightened, and I watched him shut down. He closed himself off, walling away the emotions that threatened to consume him.

"Vera is right," he said, his voice hollow. "You’re a manipulator. A seductress. You played on our weaknesses and made us believe we could save you."

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "Please, don’t do this. Don’t let her win."

Jayce stepped closer, his eyes blazing with fury. "I hate you, Samantha. Do you understand that? I hate you for what you’ve done. I hate you for making me care. I hate you for making me weak."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I had expected anger, even cruelty. But hearing him say it aloud broke something inside me.

"I will torment you," he continued, his voice dripping with venom. "I will make you pay for every moment of pain you’ve caused. You will regret ever crossing me."

I stared at him, my hope shattering piece by piece. This was the same man who had held me in his arms. The same man who had whispered my name in the darkness. And now he was looking at me like I was nothing. Like I was less than nothing.

"Jayce, please..." I begged, my voice barely a whisper.

He grabbed my chin again, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You will pay for this, Samantha. I will make sure of it."

And then he was gone. He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the empty hall.