197 Rooftop

Olivia’s POV

With a racing heart, I climbed the back stairs to the rooftop. Every part of me screamed against it. Even my wolf growled, warning me to turn back—that something felt wrong, that whatever waited might be dangerous.

But I ignored it. Curiosity burned too deeply. What more could there possibly be? What else could hurt me that hasn't already?

When I pushed open the rooftop door and stepped out, the cold air hit me, and I exhaled deeply. My eyes darted around; the rooftop was empty. There was no one except me.

I exhaled slowly, tension crawling up my spine. Maybe it was a trap. Maybe they changed their minds. Maybe—

But suddenly, I froze. There. She hadn’t been there a second ago. I was sure of it. But suddenly, a woman stood at the edge of the rooftop. It was like she had just… appeared. One blink, and there she was, her long coat fluttering in the breeze. Her presence was chilling, as if the air itself bent around her.

I narrowed my eyes, my heart pounding harder.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my desperate attempt to sound strong.

She didn’t speak. She just stood there, her back turned to me. A chill ran through me. Something wasn’t right.

I took a cautious step forward.

“Did you send the letter?” I asked again, louder this time.

Still, no answer. Then—so slowly it almost felt unreal—she turned to face me. The second our eyes met… I stopped breathing. It was like staring into a mirror. She looked exactly like me, but an older version. Same eyes. Same face. Same curve of the mouth.

How can a total stranger and I have such resemblance? It was as if I was seeing my future self, twenty years hence. What in the world…?

I staggered back, panicked.

“What… who are you?” I whispered.

She stared at me with an incomprehensible calmness, as if unsurprised to see me, as if she’d known I would come.

“I wasn’t supposed to meet you,” she said softly. Her voice was like mine… but smoother, slower, older, somehow. “But I had to.”

My brows furrowed. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

She looked away, scanning the area as if watching for someone.

“I’m not permitted to tell you everything,” she said carefully. “Just this: no matter what happens… you must not leave this pack.”

“What?” I snapped, stepping forward. “Why? Why shouldn’t I leave? Why does everyone keep trying to trap me here?”

Her gaze returned to mine. “Because your safety lies here… That is the main reason you’ve been kept here all this while.”

I frowned and shook my head, my heart racing again. This was insane.

“This is a lie,” I said firmly. “The triplets sent you, didn’t they? They must’ve paid you to pull this little stunt. To get into my head. Make me doubt my decision. Manipulate me again.”

She didn’t flinch. She didn’t deny it. She just watched me, like she knew I wouldn’t believe her.

“I get it,” I spat. “They think I’m stupid. That I’ll fall for this. But I’m not. So you can go back and tell them—”

“They didn’t send me,” she said, sounding like she was speaking to an annoying child. “And this is no stunt.”

Then she looked at me, truly looked at me… and there was pain in her eyes. Deep, endless pain.

“I’m sorry, Olivia,” she said quietly. “I wish I could tell you more. But I’ve already said too much.”

And just like that—before I could speak again, before I could even blink—she was gone. As if the wind had taken her with it.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. My hands trembled, my mind still racing.

But before I could gather a single coherent thought, the door creaked open behind me. I turned sharply, my heart still pounding.

Alpha Damien stepped through, his eyes locking with mine. His brow furrowed as he strode closer, his gaze darting around the rooftop as if searching for something or someone.

“Why are you here?” he asked, his voice low but laced with suspicion. “What are you doing all alone?”

107 Rooftop

I hesitated.

“I just needed air,” I said quickly, trying to sound normal. “Everything downstairs felt… suffocating.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed, still scanning the space behind me.

“You’re lying,” he said, almost too quietly. “Your scent… it’s disturbed. And there’s something else. Something faint, but not yours.”

I stiffened. My wolf stirred uneasily.

“Alpha Damien, I’m not in the mood,” I muttered, trying to push past him.

But he stepped into my path, blocking me.

“Who was here?” he demanded, his voice sharper. “Olivia. Tell me the truth.”

I met his gaze, trying to keep my expression neutral, even as my heart pounded wildly.

Should I tell him?

“No one,” I said flatly.

His jaw clenched. He didn’t believe me.

“Something’s wrong,” he said, more to himself than to me. “I can feel it.”

“Well maybe something is wrong,” I snapped, surprising even myself. “But not everything needs to be about you, Damien. Maybe I’m just tired. Maybe I just needed to be alone.”

He stared at me for a long moment. Then, softer: “You’re shaking.”

I looked away. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t press, but I noticed he wasn’t believing me.

“If anything is going on,” he said finally, “I must know.”

I frowned. Of course. He thought one of the triplets had been here.

I lifted my chin and looked up at him.

197 Rooftop

“I can take care of myself.”

That made him pause. His face tightened, but he didn’t reply.

“Let’s go back,” he said instead, seemingly not in the mood to argue. “You’ve been up here long enough.”

I hesitated. I didn’t want to go back to the party, but I had no choice. I had to keep up the act of being Alpha Damien’s perfect girlfriend.

I forced myself to follow Alpha Damien down the stairs, my heart still pounding from what I’d seen—or thought I’d seen—on the rooftop.

By the time we reached the living room, the party was in full swing again. Music pulsed softly through the air, laughter and murmured conversations blending like perfume and smoke. The room felt tighter now, heavier.

Damien glanced down at me. “I’ll get us drinks,” he said simply. “Please stay here.” Without waiting for my reply, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

I let out a slow breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts, but then I felt eyes on me. Two women approached, hate clearly written on their faces.

One leaned in, her voice syrupy and cruel. “Look at her,” she murmured loud enough for me to hear. “Are you not ashamed, Olivia? Fucking your mate’s uncle? Wasn’t three Alphas enough for you, or did you have to try your luck with Tiger Uncle, too?”

My frown deepened. Anger bubbled inside me.

The other one snickered. “Soon she’ll probably be spreading her legs for their father. Isn’t that right, our dear Olivia? You just can’t help yourself. Always hungry for more…”

I didn’t let the words finish before a different kind of anger consumed me. Before I knew it, I grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the nearest wall.

The music slowed. Conversations died. All eyes turned.

My grip tightened, my claws out, digging into her neck, causing blood to run down my fingers. People gasped, but I didn’t care.

“You have no right to judge me,” I said coldly, clearly, every word sharp with anger. “You know nothing about what I’ve been through. You haven’t lived my life. You haven’t carried my pain. You stand there with your perfect little smiles and your perfect little lies, acting as if you’re better—when the truth is you couldn’t survive a single day in my shoes.”

“Kill her.” A voice whispered in my head—a voice I hadn’t heard before. A voice that was that of my wolf.

Gasps rippled around the room. The woman stiffened, her face paling, life draining from her.

“She will kill her.” Worried voices spoke from behind, but I didn’t let go, even though I wanted to.

“Olivia, what are you doing?” Damien’s voice rang out sharply, thundering through the silence.

I ignored him. My claws were still embedded in the woman’s neck, her blood warm on my fingertips. My breath came out in short, shaky bursts. I could feel my wolf howling beneath my skin, wild and hungry, begging for more.

“Let her go,” Damien said firmly, but not loudly. His voice was careful—controlled—like I was a bomb about to explode.

“I said let her go,” he repeated, stepping closer, this time it was a command.

For a second, I didn’t move. I couldn’t. That voice… the one inside me… it wasn’t just my wolf. It was something darker. Something I hadn’t heard before.

“Do it,” it whispered again. “Kill her. Let them all see what you really are.”

11

I blinked, and for a brief moment, I saw my reflection in the wide glass window nearby. Blood on my hands. Eyes glowing. A snarl on my lips.

What… am I becoming?

“OLIVIA, you are killing her.”

With a growl, I shoved the woman away, watching as she crumpled to the floor, choking and coughing, hands trembling as she crawled backwards into her friend’s arms.

The room was dead silent.