Alisha's POV
As I looked at the man standing before me, someone I had briefly met after the interview, my mind buzzed with surprise and puzzlement. "Gray?" I called out his name, unable to contain my astonishment.
Gray nodded slightly, his eyes filled with concern as he asked, "Are you okay? Is the injury severe?"
Lola's expression looked utterly surprised, as if she had never seen her Alpha speak so gently before. She exchanged glances with the other pack members, and they all seemed taken aback by Gray's unexpected behavior.
Gray's question caught me off guard. When I had encountered Gray before, I had mistaken him for an ordinary human. But now, with the revelation that he was the Alpha of the Blood Dawn pack, responsible for guarding the perilous Dark Forest, my perception of him shifted entirely. The recent rogue attack flashed in my mind, and I trembled at the thought of the dangers he and his pack faced.
Trying to regain my composure, I replied, "I feel better now. Lola took care of my wounds." I paused for a moment before adding with respect, "Thank you for your concern, Alpha Gray."
He smiled warmly, "No need to be so formal. You're a guest of Blood Dawn, as well as my friend, so it is my…"
Before Gray finished, Archie erupted in anger, shouting, "Gray, stay away from Alisha, she is my wife!" The tension in the room escalated, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed by Archie's outburst. "Archie! This is not how you should behave. Gray is the Alpha of the Blood Dawn pack, and we are his guests. Show some respect!" I called out, trying to defuse the situation.
Archie glared at me, his grip tightening around me. "Respect? Why should I respect him? He's just another fucking rival trying to take my wife away from me!" he growled.
Louie approached me, I noticed the apprehensive look in his eyes. "Were you with him before we met last time? I smell that dangerous scent again," he whispered, his voice laced with concern.
I nodded in surprise. Louie's hidden emotions made it difficult to discern his true feelings towards his deep eyes.
Archie, catching the exchange between Louie and me, became even more infuriated. He forcefully pushed Louie away and lifted me from the bed, disregarding my protests. "Archie, what the hell are you doing? Put me down!"
"Now that your wounds have been treated, we should leave," Archie ignored my words and carried me briskly towards the door, with Brad and Suzy clearing the way ahead.
Fuming, I pounded Archie's shoulder in frustration. His arrogance and disregard for my wishes had become an all too familiar annoyance.
Gray raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, blocking Archie's path with a firm stance. "Sorry, my friend seems unwilling to leave with you. Please let her go!" he stated sternly, unwavering in the face of Archie's hostility.
Unfazed, Archie looked down on Gray, his tone dripping with disdain. "Do you want a beating, Gray?"
"This is Blood Dawn, not a place for you to act recklessly!" Gray's voice was unwavering, and the room filled with palpable tension. The others in the room all turned nervous and prepared themselves for the coming conflict, some of them even took out their weapons.
Louie, observing the situation with a keen eye, spoke up, "Archie, put Alisha down. Fighting will not helping anyone."
Archie's jaw clenched, his anger still simmering. "Stay out of this, Louie," he snapped.
But Louie didn't back down. "Theresa … Alisha is my … my friend too, Archie. I don't want to see her hurt, and I don't want to see you hurt either," he said earnestly.
Archie's smirk widened, savoring the tension he had ignited within the room. "Louie, you can join in too. I can take on both of you without a problem." His taunting words landed like a gauntlet thrown, and the air grew heavy with the weight of the challenge. Louie and Gray exchanged a knowing look, their expressions hardening with determination.
As the suffocating atmosphere tightened its grip on us, my heart pounded with anxiety, like a drumbeat of uncertainty. Archie's arrogant and disrespectful behavior towards Louie and Gray grated on my nerves.
Feeling the situation spiraling out of control, I urgently intervened, trying to reason with Archie, "Stop acting crazy, Archie! Do you really want to fight here?"
Archie glanced down at me, his eyes tinged with sarcasm. "What's the matter? Are you worried about them? Afraid they'll end up failure, crying loudly on the floor?" His words were a mockery, inciting further agitation.
Louie and Gray growled in unison, their werewolves' instincts triggered by Archie's taunts. Yet, Archie remained unfazed, relishing in the tension he had created, further provoking, "Both of you come at me then. If I defeat you today, you must swear never to get close to my wife again!"
Unable to bear his arrogant attitude any longer, I took drastic action, channeling my inner strength, and bit down hard on Archie's shoulder, hoping to halt his provocations. He winced in pain, questioning my actions, "What are you doing?"
Raising my head, I locked eyes with Archie, my determination clear. I gritted my teeth, "Archie, I am not your plaything. You have no right to dictate who I can be friends with!"
Louie stepped forward, reinforcing my stance, "She's right. You need to learn respect."
Gray's soft voice followed, "Absolutely! Anyway, she's my friend, and Blood Dawn will always welcome her." He shot Archie a pointed look, "You need to reflect on your attitude. Although I really like Alisha as a friend, I have to say, she might make a bad decision on marriage. You don't have what it takes to be her husband with that arrogant attitude. You don't even show basic respect to your wife."
Archie's breath became heavy and labored due to his anger. Yet, he seemed to have an idea, a glint of cunning in his eyes. He put on a facade of consideration, "Well then, let's hear what my wife really wants." Lowering his head, he gazed at me intensely and asked softly, "Alisha, how about we go back to Golden Crest together?"
I found it peculiar that Archie would suddenly act considerate. I was about to refuse when he whispered in my ear almost as if he was kissing the side of my face, "Don't forget you promised to stay with me for a week. If you refuse me, you won't get any penny. And, if I'm not mistaken, it seems your uncle Joey is here too."
His words struck me like a cold blade. Archie, you wretch!