The Alpha's Gamble - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

NOAH
Something tugged at me when I walked away from the shed. I locked the door to make sure Maddie wouldn’t leave. We had to train. I was going to kick her ass until she learned to kick mine, flawlessly. The deal had been made. She was fighting in the Ember Ring in two months, and if I didn’t whip her into shape by then…Fuck. The thought alone made me chew on my tongue until blood flooded my mouth. It was the fear on her face that tugged at me, the way her eyes rounded, and her bottom lip quivered like a toddler’s when I closed the door. But this was all for her. There was no time for anything else. I had Logan forward that email to himself from Landon’s phone, and that was another thing that constantly bothered me; he still had it. Maybe it’s time to clean up some loose ends. Walking into the house, I saw the first one on my list. Olivia. She was sitting between Landon and Logan, fiddling with her phone while the guys played games. Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders as she applied lip gloss using her front camera. I stopped and cleared my throat.
Olivia smiled and jumped up to greet me, but I grabbed her shoulder, already trying to rack my brain for a way to break things off. She pouted and cupped my cheek.
“What’s wrong?” she whined. A sound I used to be fine with, before she left. Before I met Maddie.
“Let’s talk,” I said, taking her hand and leading her to my room. Once the door shut, Olivia’s hands were on me immediately. She ran them down my chest and started kissing my neck. When her fingers began undoing my jeans, I grabbed her wrists and held them to her chest.
“We need to talk,” I repeated. A feline grin spread across her lips as she dragged her tongue over her teeth.
“Baby, you know that’s not something we do well,” she teased.
“I know. That’s the point. We can’t do this anymore.” I dropped her hands and lifted my head. She tried to read my face, but all she got was a cold veil and the hard truth.
“Come again?”
“I’m about to be Alpha. I need someone by my side who’s not just in it for status and glory. Certain things are expected of the Luna, and I need someone I can have real conversations with. Someone present in the pack business. A leader.” Olivia scoffed and crossed her arms, pushing her chest up like that would change my mind.
“And you don’t think I can do that?”
“No.” Quick. Easy. Now leave. Insulted, she took a deep breath, and I braced myself for the exhale.
“The only reason we haven’t talked,” she said, using air quotes, “is because of you. All you ever wanted to do was fuck. We’d fuck, and then you’d leave. If I were lucky, you’d throw in a movie night here and there. I tried to talk to you.”
“About?”
“About our friends. Pack stuff I’d heard. I tried to be social with you, but you couldn’t be bothered. That’s all you wanted from me, fuck me and be done with it.”
“I thought that’s what we both wanted.” Olivia shook her head and narrowed her eyes.
“No. I wanted you. You wanted my body. That’s the difference.” She grabbed my hands and gave me a soft smile. “What we have works. But if it’s talking you want, then let’s talk.” No. It wasn’t just that. There was something more, I just couldn’t put my finger on it. It’s not just that we don’t talk. It’s that when we do, there’s nothing to say. Sure, I want a connection. I just don’t want it with her.
“I’m sorry, Liv. But it’s done. I’m done.” I removed her hands, stepped out of the room, and left her behind. If she trashed the place, she trashed it. I just needed it to be over. Now I had to find Landon. “Logan!”
He turned his head and tossed the controller aside when I came in. I scanned the room, listening for any signs of him, but Landon wasn’t there.
“Where’s Landon?” Logan’s brows furrowed, and he stood from the couch. “He left when you took Olivia upstairs. Is everything alright?” Damn it. Guess I’ll deal with him later.
“It’s fine,” I said, turning to leave, but I paused at the door. I took a deep breath. Things were too quiet. Too calm. Olivia hadn’t flipped, which was weird. And Landon had bolted the second I came back. Everything would be taken care of. I’d delete the sex tape. Olivia was out of the picture. Maddie’s dad was a problem for another day, as long as he stayed away. Now I just had one problem on my hands. Her hour of rest was cut down to thirty minutes by the time I reached the shed. I slipped the key into the lock, the reader picked up the code, and I turned it.
“Noah!” Olivia’s shrill voice pierced into my skull.
“Fuck,” I groaned, slipping the key back into my pocket.
“Is it her? Is it because of Maddie?” Lock the door, Onyx growled in my head.
“Too late for that.” The problem with the door being unlocked was that the shed was designed to be noise-cancelled only when the code was read and the lock turned. But since it was unlocked… it was basically a normal shed with a few extra security measures.
“Is that whore the reason you’re ending things with me?” Slowly, Olivia’s face revealed itself as she stepped closer. The girl was a psycho, one of the things I used to like about her. She’s fearless and goes for what she wants, no matter who she fucks over to get it.
“You need to leave,” I ordered. She cocked her head and flicked her eyes between me and the door.
“You keeping her in there?” I walked closer and rolled back my shoulders.
“I said, leave.” She matched my stance, chin raised in defiance.
“Let me say hi first,” she mused.