Against Devil

3 - New Alpha

As I sat in the room with Lizzy, her silence was as thick and oppressive as a dense fog, wrapping around us and filling every corner. It was clear she was wrestling with a storm of emotions, the aftermath of a whirlwind of events that had torn through her life, shattering her sense of security.

My gaze drifted to her neck, and in that instant, Jasmine's cryptic mention of "marks" made perfect, horrifying sense.

These weren't just love marks-they were a disturbing collection of bites, hickeys, and other sadistic imprints. I sat on her bed, while she perched on a chair in front of me, her feet tucked sideways. Her baggy sweatshirt did little to hide the evidence of her ordeal.

A wave of unease washed over me as I took in the sight. Compared to her, my own encounter seemed insignificant; she looked as though she had been thoroughly ravaged. The Alpha had ensured that his scent was unmistakably on her, marking his territory in the most primal, possessive way.

Oddly, I didn't feel pity for her; instead, a twisted sense of amusement bubbled up inside me. I fought to suppress a startled giggle, biting my lip to keep it from escaping.

"Did you guys, you know?" I asked, raising my eyebrows suggestively to make my meaning clear.

Lizzy's face paled even more, but the rosy flush on her cheeks betrayed her emotions. Despite everything, she was flattered.

"No-no... Bella, you are a freak," she stammered, her blush deepening. She started laughing nervously, covering her face with both palms in a futile attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"I'm making sure that at least I would be a godmother," I chuckled, enjoying her adorable reaction. The tension in the room began to lift, replaced by a shared moment of levity amidst the chaos.

Her laughter was infectious, and soon I found myself giggling along with her. The tension in the room momentarily lifted, replaced by a fleeting sense of lightness. Yet beneath the surface, a storm of emotions churned-confusion, curiosity, and a twinge of jealousy.

However, it wasn't the bitter kind of jealousy but rather a strange, yearning one. Deep down, a part of me longed to be handled with the same intensity. To be claimed, marked, and thrown onto a desk... wait, why was I thinking about a desk?

"Bella... What's wrong?" Lizzy's voice broke through my thoughts. She had noticed my sudden shift from laughter to a frown.

"Ahm... nothing..." I replied, trying to sound convincing.

"How you and Alex have been so far?" she finally asked, the question I had been dreading. I wasn't prepared with an answer, and I pressed my lips together, staring at her.

I hesitated before speaking, unsure of how to articulate my feelings. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and disorientation. Alex had grown distant, barely acknowledging me, and Alpha was all business, with little warmth in our interactions. As I paused, memories of my encounter with Alex flooded my mind.

"Alex has been avoiding me, except for the time we unexpectedly crossed paths on the stairs. It was during this encounter that I discovered some surprising things about him," I said, my voice trailing off. "So, I don't really know how I am so far."

"What things?" Lizzy asked, her confusion evident.

"He has a six-pack and is very... gifted down there," I admitted, feeling a blush creep up my face as I recalled the scene of him emerging from the dark hall in his naked glory and how his fingers grazed over my skin.

Stupid, stupid, I scolded myself internally.

"These are grandiose news, Bella. How will they help you with your duties, I wonder?" Lizzy's dry irony was unmistakable.