120 Chapter 120 PLAYGROUND BULLY


    120 Chapter 120 PLAYGROUND BULLY


    SERAPHINA’S POV


    Dinner with Maya was the first true pause I’d had in days.


    Both of us too exhausted to go home and bother with cooking, we sat tucked into a corner booth of the OTS


    dining hall, where the scent of roastingmb mingled with garlic and rosemary.


    A steady hum of voices filled the space–students, instructors, even a few of the early–arrived guests spilling


    over from the hotel’s luxury dining rooms.


    The table between us was scattered with dishes: Maya’s te piled high, mine half–picked through.


    She had been just as swamped as I was, maybe more. But now, with both of us finally seated, there was


    something almost giddy about the release.


    “Please tell me I’m not the only one who wants to strangle half the guests,” Maya said, stabbing her fork


    through a hunk ofmb and pointing it at me like a weapon.


    “Half?” I raised an eyebrow. “You’re being generous.”


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    Herugh rang out, unapologetically loud, drawing a couple of nces our way. “Okay, fine. Three–quarters


    Especially your friend Brynjar.”


    “Don’t you dare call him my friend,” I muttered, swirling the remains of my stew. Just the memory of his


    sneer was enough to sour the food on my tongue.


    “Oh, he’s a delight,” Maya went on, her sarcasm sharp. “The way he puffed his chest out in the lobby earlier–I


    thought for a second he was about to crow. Did you see the look on his wolves‘ faces? Like they were both


    terrified and embarrassed.”


    I couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. “People like him thrive on humiliating others. Instead, he


    just made himself look like a child denied candy.”


    Maya leaned forward, her smirk widening. “And you, standing there, cool as ice? Damn, Sera. I’ve been


    waiting years for someone to knock Shadow w down a peg. Didn’t think it would be you.”


    Her words warmed me all the way to my toes. The sting of doubt had been my shadow for so long that


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    victories, no matter how small, still felt surreal.


    “It wasn’t just for me,” I admitted. “Judy was there. She would’ve taken the hit if I hadn’t said something.”


    “Yeah, Judy,” Maya said, her tone softening. “That girl’s got more steel in her than people give her credit for.”


    We ate inpanionable silence for a moment, listening to the clink of cutlery and the asional burst of


    But soon enough, Maya was off again, recounting her own war stories from the past few days.


    “Do you know what one of the Seabreeze wolves asked me?” she said, incredulous. “Whether we could install


    tide pools in their suite for ‘proper ambiance.‘ Tide pools, Sera. With fish. As if the hotel staff could just whip


    up an ocean on demand.”


    I choked on my drink,ughing. “Please tell me you said yes.”


    “I told them sure, as long as they didn’t mind crabs crawling into bed with them at night.” Maya grinned


    wickedly. “The look on their faces-” She snortughed. “Oh, I wish I had a camera!”


    I shook my head, amused. “You’re terrible.”


    She tipped her head. “Thank you.”


    We slipped into a rhythm: swapping ridiculous requests, snickering at Brynjar’s arrogance, venting about the


    endless stream of guests.


    But somewhere between the jokes, the conversation deepened.


    She leaned back, her expression sharpening. “You know why the turnout’s so huge this year, right?”


    “Because it’s the anniversary?” I guessed.


    “That’s part of it.” She lowered her voice, though the noise around us made it unnecessary. “But Lucian’s got


    something nned. A prize.”


    I frowned. “A prize?”


    “Mmhmm. He hasn’t announced what, not even to me. But from what I’ve gathered, it’s big. Like, game- changing big. He wants the OTS on the map in a way no one can ignore.”


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    120 Chapter 120 PLAYGROUND BULLY


    The words stirred something in me. “That’s why the hotels are bursting at the seams.”


    “Exactly.” Maya ticked points off on her fingers. “Half the wolves here are curious observers–waiting to see if


    we sink or swim. Thirty percent are already behind us. And thest twenty?” Her mouth twisted. “Here to


    mock us, sabotage us, or just watch us fail.”


    Her breakdown settled in my chest like a weight. Lucian had always spoken of building something that could


    stand against the old systems, but hearing the numbersid out made me realize just how precarious his


    vision was.


    I set my fork down, appetite gone. “He’s betting everything on this.”


    “Yup.” Maya sipped her drink. “And if he doesn’t deliver, they’ll tear him apart.”


    Her bluntness stung, but it was the truth. I leaned back, staring at the ceiling beams above us.


    Resolve prickled through me like fire through dry kindling. I couldn’t let Lucian’s work–his dream–be


    mocked into oblivion. Not after everything he’d done for me. Not after he’d given me a ce when I had


    none.


    “I won’t let that happen,” I murmured.


    Maya tilted her head, studying me. Then, her lips quirked into a soft smile. “Yeah, neither will I.”


    It was almost midnight when we finally pushed our chairs back. My muscles ached with exhaustion, but a


    steadier fire burned in me. I was ready to carry my share.


    We were just stepping into the cool night air outside the hall when my phone buzzed violently in my pocket.


    Apprehension prickled through me when I saw the caller ID.


    I answered immediately. “Judy? Is everything-”


    Her voice was high, cracking with panic. “Sera–please–I didn’t–I swear, I didn’t take anything-”


    My stomach dropped, my exhaustion vanished. “Slow down. What happened? Where are you?”


    “The hotel lobby,” she sobbed. “They–they’re saying I stole from them. Brynjar’s here. He–he won’t-” Her


    words tangled in a rush of fear.


    I didn’t need to hear more. “I’ming.”


    120 Chapter 120 PLAYGROUND BULLY


    Maya’s expression sharpened as I hung up. “What happened?”


    “Shadow w,” I bit out. “They’re using Judy of theft.”


    Her curse split the night air. “Of course they are. Come on.”


    We didn’t bother with a car. We ran, the night wind biting at our faces, our feet hammering the pavement all the way to the Grand Crest.


    The lobby was chaos when we arrived.


    Brynjar stood in the center like a conquering tyrant, his voice booming through the hall. Judy was backed


    against the reception desk, pale and trembling, eyes wide with fear and humiliation.


    Around them, guests and staff circled like vultures, whispering, gawking.


    It was like the blown–up version of what had happened at Celeste’s party.


    “Confess, you little shit,” Brynjar was saying, each word a threatening dart. “Admit you took them. Save


    yourself the shame of us dragging this out.”


    “I didn’t!” Judy cried, her hands shaking. “I would never-”


    “You think anyone believes an Omega?” Hisughter was cruel. “Pathetic.”


    “Enough!” My voice cracked across the lobby like a whip.


    Every head turned.


    I strode forward, Maya at my side, heat burning in my chest. “What’s going on here?”


    Brynjar sneered. “Perfect timing. Your little friend here decided to help herself to Shadow w property.


    Jewelry, documents, things of value. Of course, we caught her.”


    “That’s a lie!” Judy gasped. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but her voice was steady. “I didn’t touch anything!”


    I stepped between them, nting myself like a wall. “You’re using her without proof.”


    He smirked. “Proof? She’s the only one with ess and who’s pathetic enough to stoop that low. Plus, we found all the stolen items with her belongings. What do you say to that?”


    Fury wed at my throat, but I forced my voice to stay even. “You can’t use her like this without


    120 Chapter 120 PLAYGROUND BULLY


    evidence.”


    His lips pulled back in a smug snarl. “The security footage was corrupted. Convenient, isn’t it?”


    My gut twisted. “Yeah,” I gritted out. “Pretty damn convenient.”


    My mind whirred, desperately looking for a solution. Then I caught a familiar face in the crowd.


    I didn’t hesitate. “Leo!”


    The wiry Moss Stone wolf broke off from the crowd, moving toward us with quick strides. His sharp eyes


    flicked between me, Judy, and Brynjar. “What can I do?”


    “Shadow w says the footage was corrupted,” I said. “Any way you can help?”


    His lips quirked. “Actually, yes. I can.”


    He slipped behind the concierge desk, fingers flying across the keyboard of the hotel’s system. The silence


    stretched, broken only by Judy’s ragged breaths and Brynjar’s heavy disdain.


    Finally, Leo leaned back, triumphant. “Found it. Someone tried to delete the files, but not well enough.” He


    turned the monitor outward. “Here’s your thief.”


    I recognized the Shadow w wolves the screen showed, slipping into a corridor, passing items from one


    bag to another, deliberately nting them in Judy’s workspace. Clear. Undeniable.


    A murmur rippled through the lobby.


    I turned back to Brynjar, my voice cold steel. “What do you have to say now?”


    A snarl slipped out of him as he turned to his pack mates, who shrank under his re. “Obviously,” he said


    darkly. “I’ve been deceived. My packmates must have gone behind my back to-”


    “Oh, save it,” I snapped.


    He mped his mouth shut, taken aback by the bite in my tone.


    “I don’t know what game you think you’re ying, but you used an innocent Omega for what? To scratch


    an itch? To prove a point? Do you think what we’re doing here is a game?”


    His face darkened, copper eyes zing. “Watch your tongue-”


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    “No.” I stepped closer, forcing him back an inch. “You will apologize. Here. Now. To Judy. Or I will make sure every Alpha in this building sees that footage before sunrise.”


    His eyes narrowed. “Do you think I give a fuck-”


    “And then I’ll send a copy to your Luna,” I added sharply. “I’ve heard she has low tolerance for juvenile


    bullshit.”


    I’d heard stories of their Luna’s ruthlessness, and they made Brynjar seem like a fluffy teddy bear. Obviously, I


    wasn’t in a million years going to poke a sleeping beast, but the bluff was more than enough to get the job


    done.


    Gasps red. The crowd pressed closer, waiting.


    Brynjar’s jaw worked furiously. His pride warred with the undeniable evidence. Atst, he spat the words out


    like poison. “Forgive me.”


    Judy’s chin lifted, her fear burned away by something fiercer. “I don’t forgive you.”


    Her voice rang clear, shocking even me. “You’re a yground bully and a coward. The only reason I’m letting


    this go is respect–for OTS. And for Sera. But on the tournament grounds?” Her eyes zed. “I won’t hold


    back.”


    The hush that followed was absolute.


    Brynjar blinked, thrown off bnce. The idea that a “lowly Omega” would stand her ground left him


    speechless.


    Then his lips peeled back in a snarl. “Then I’ll be waiting. And I’ll crush you.”


    Judy’s scoff cut through his bluster. “You’d better have the ability to back that up.”


    And with that, she turned on her heel and walked out, head held high.


    I turned to Maya. “Any chance you can stay back and-”


    She nodded before I could even finish the request. “You got it, babe. I’ll settle everything.”


    I shot her a grateful smile and turned to Leo. “Thank you.”


    He smiled. “It was my immense pleasure.”


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    With that, I turned on my heel and followed Judy out.


    Behind us, the crowd erupted–some in shock, some in admiration, some in barely contained glee at seeing


    Shadow w humbled twice in the same day.


    But me? I felt something else.


    Pride. Fierce, unshakable pride.


    For Judy. For OTS. For the quiet tide of change that had begun to roll in, whether wolves like Brynjar wanted


    it or not.


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