<h4>Chapter 142: Queen Of Nothing</h4>


    ~ <strong>ric</strong> ~


    ric Storm lifted his head from his phone as Griffin plopped down beside him on the plush sofa. The school’smon room was buzzing with chatters, the air still alive with the energy of their recent victory.


    Members of the pack were scattered around,ughing, teasing, and riding the high of their win. But for ric, the noise barely registered. He felt detached from them, his mind upied with something else.


    "She still hasn’t picked up?" Griffin asked, his voice cutting through the haze.


    "Not exactly." ric sighed, holding up his phone. "She sent me a message."


    Griffin leaned over to read it aloud. "<i>Apologies. Would meet you at the party. Making some quick bucks</i>."


    He arched an eyebrow, mirroring ric’s own puzzled expression. "What the hell does that mean? What’s she up to now? Is she selling something? Betting on fights? You’ve got your hands full with that one," he added with augh.


    ric sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Do you think she needs money? Is that why she’s avoiding me? If she needed help, why wouldn’t she just tell me? I have more than enough money tost two lifetimes."


    Griffin gave him a look that screamed disbelief. "Seriously, dude? Do you really not know your own girlfriend? Does Violet seem like the kind of girl who’d waltz up to you and say, ’Hey boyfriend, I’m broke. Can you wire me some cash?’" He mimicked a high-pitched feminine voice, his impression of Violet so absurdly off that ric couldn’t help but snort.


    "So... I should send her money?" ric asked seriously.


    "Goddess have mercy," Griffin groaned, running a hand down his face. "How is it that I know your girlfriend better than you do? Violet’s too proud for that. She’d probably punch you in the face if you even suggested that."


    ric retorted, "Not all of us grew up with three sisters," ric muttered. "The only sibling I have hates my guts and couldn’t care less about my love life."


    "Moreover... " ric said, perking up. "You forget, stubborn women run in the family. Violet’s like your mom, you know, fierce, independent, and not afraid to smack sense into you when you’re being dumb."


    "Well, when you put it that way, I guess they are simr.", Griffin reluctantly agreed.


    "Maybe that’s why you’re into her," ric teased, nudging him with his elbow.


    But Griffin gave him a pointed look with a clipped tone. "Don’t even start."


    "Fine, if you say so." ric raised his hands in surrender, letting the matter drop even though inwardly, he knew it was far from over.


    Out of all the cardinal alphas, Griffin bore the worst treatment at Elsie’s hands. She dismissed his abilities and saw his beast as a liability, a manifestation of chaos rather than true leadership.


    The East might be rich in resources but choosing a mate, especially an Alpha, was a sensitive issue. And to Elsie, Griffin was only good for smashing and breaking things. Brute strength was not enough of a quality in a mate for her.


    A wave of protectiveness surged through him. Griffin didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. He was more than his power, more than his beast. If anyone understood what it was like to be judged unfairly, it was ric.


    That’s why he’d do whatever it took to make sure his friend was happy, even if it meant sharing the one thing he cherished most. Moreover, If there was anyone he would trust with Violet’s heart, it was Griffin.


    It would seem strange to Violet and she would probably protest against the idea at first. But he’d seen the way her gaze lingered on his best friend, that flicker of curiosity in her eyes that she probably wasn’t even aware of. It would not be easy but he had enough faith for the three of them.


    Violet wasn’t Lucille. And ric would make sure this didn’t turn into the same painful story. He’d protect them both even if he had to go face to face with the son of a biscuit, Asher Nightshade. He would not let him win this time.


    Griffin, who thought ric was still worried about Violet, said to him. "Look, she’s probably fine. But if you’re really worried, talk to her at the party. Find out why she’s giving you this distance. Just... don’t smother her. Violet’s not the type to take that well."


    ric nodded, already deciding to shift the conversation elsewhere when a suddenmotion broke out nearby. His pack members were parting like the sea, murmurs rippling through the group as Elsie Lancaster strode into the room with her usual air of arrogance.


    The mood in themon room shifted at once, and Griffin, who had been rxed moments ago, went rigid. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a vein in his temple pulsed, his eyes narrowed into slits.


    ric turned his attention to Elsie, watching as she marched toward them, her heels clicking against the floor. She wore her signature scowl, her features twisted into a look of irritation as she came to a stop directly in front of them. Ignoring Griffin entirely, her focus zeroed in on ric.


    "What do you think you’re doing?" she snapped, her voice cutting through themon room like a whip.


    ric was caught off guard by the bluntness of her question. "What?" he asked, his confusion showing in both his expression and voice.


    "I know you’re dating that bitch just to get my attention," Elsie dered, her chin tilting upward haughtily. "But this has gone too far. You have my attention now, so break up with her. Immediately."


    The room fell into an eerie silence. Every single pack member present had heard her demand, and their conversations halted mid-sentence. They now watched to see how he would respond to that.


    ric and Griffin’s gazes locked for a brief second, and then, as if choreographed, they burst intoughter.


    Theughter was loud and unexpected such that it stunned everyone. ricughed so hard he doubled over slightly, clutching his stomach, while Griffin’s deep chuckles rumbled in his chest. The sheer absurdity of Elsie’s statement hadpletely undone them.


    "What’s so funny?" Elsie hissed, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she red at them. "I didn’t say anything funny!"


    But Elsie’s outburst only made the alphasugh harder to the point Griffin wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, shaking his head in disbelief. Was she fucking kidding him? Someone was really living in delulund.


    It was only by sheer grace that ric was able to calm himself. But even as he met Elsie’s furious re, he didn’t bother dignifying her demand with a response. It was a waste of time and energy.


    Both ric and Griffin rose to their feet at the same time. Without a word, they began to walk away, leaving Elsie standing there, her face a picture of shock and indignation.


    And that provoked her.


    "Don’t you dare walk away from me!" Elsie snapped, stepping forward and grabbing ric’s arm to stop him.