Mesmerised by the Alpha

Chapter 33. Stolen Truths

I got to my feet, crouching in front of Dana and taking her hands in mine. Her skin was warm and calloused, and she looked at me with those kind, steady eyes that had already seen too much.

“I can’t imagine going through such a betrayal, and still carrying on being as strong as you are,” I said softly. “You’re nothing short of brave, Dana.”

She gave a small, humourless laugh and shook her head. “It’s not bravery that keeps me going. It’s revenge. I lost two of my closest friends. My pack lost its alpha. I should’ve seen what Corbyn was doing. I should’ve stopped him before it was too late.”

I pulled her into a hug without thinking, feeling the tension melt from her shoulders just slightly. The moment was quiet—heavy but healing in its own way.

And then, as if summoned by awkward timing itself, the bar door creaked open.

“Interrupting something, are we?” Stella’s voice rang out like nails on a chalkboard.

I pulled away from Dana and turned, plastering on a casual smile. Kaci stood behind Stella, looking curious but not nearly as smug.

“Just having a girly moment,” I said quickly. “Dana reminds me a bit of my mum, that’s all. We were bonding.”

Stella raised a brow, clearly unimpressed. “How lovely,” she said dryly, before aiming her attention at Dana. “So, what’s on the menu tonight?”

“Fish Friday,” Dana replied. “So, fish, chips, and mushy peas.”

Stella wrinkled her nose like she’d just smelled something foul. “I don’t want that. You don’t get a body like mine by eating fried food.”

Dana didn’t even blink. “Then you’re welcome to order take-out. But that’s what’s being served tonight.”

Stella huffed, tossed her hair over one shoulder, and marched to the bar, grabbing a bottle of wine and a glass before plonking herself down at a table alone.

“I’d better check on Paul,” Dana said, brushing down her apron. “See how close he is to serving up. We’ll catch up soon, Jasmine.”

“Definitely,” I said. “There’s still so much I want to ask you.”

Her eyes lingered on me a moment before she gave a nod and slipped away through the kitchen doors. I stood there a second longer, lost in thought, the weight of everything I’d just learned still sitting heavy on my shoulders.

“So,” said Kaci, coming up beside me, “you two were bonding.”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling faintly as we sat down. “She’s been through a lot. I’ve got a lot of questions. But it’s… nice to talk to someone who gets it.”

Kaci nodded. “Things feel calmer, don’t they? Like we’re finally finding a bit of a rhythm.”

I hoped she was right. Soon, the others began trickling in for dinner—Jordan, Daryl, George, some of the construction crew. The room warmed with chatter, laughter, and the comforting clatter of plates. For a while, it all felt almost normal.

“Right,” said Daryl, leaning back in his chair once we’d started on our chips, “lifts are now fully operational. All CCTV cameras are up and running. We even fixed the last of the perimeter fencing this afternoon.”

“Does that mean you’re finished now?” I asked, surprised.

He nodded. “We’re wrapping up. Me, Jordan, and George’ll be heading out in the morning. News says the weather’s turning again in a couple of days—worse snow and gales coming in.”

“It’s already pretty grim,” I said, nodding to the window. The rain was still lashing down in sheets, the wind howling like it was alive.

George chuckled. “Let’s just hope the wind doesn’t rip down the fences we spent all day fixing.”

“They’ll hold,” Jordan said confidently. “Unless you’re planning on sneaking out again and testing them.”

George rolled his eyes. “Might do. Or I might stay another day. Most of my jobs are nearly done, but I’ll check in with the Fitzgeralds.”

I stared down at my plate, appetite fading slightly. I wished I could leave with them. Now, more than ever.

But I couldn’t. Not yet.

The wolves wouldn’t hurt me—that much I felt sure of. Dana had made that clear. Vampires? Who knows? I just hope I never come across one. But hunters… they were human. Which made them unpredictable. Ruthless. Capable of hiding in plain sight.

I glanced across the room at the construction workers, loud and laughing as they huddled around Nate. He grinned back at them, something easy and charming about the way he tilted his head, how the light caught the edge of his jaw.

Could he be a hunter?

I thought back to the way he’d acted with the black wolf. The rage. The fear.

It was very possible.

And Stella? Could girls even be hunters? No—she was just mean. Although, hadn’t I seen someone who looked like her heading into the lab that day?

I’d have to talk to Dana again. When we had proper privacy.

Dinner ended with more laughter, some jokes from George and Kaci, and Jordan inviting me to hang out in the games room.

“I think I’ll skip it tonight,” I said with a soft smile. “Bit tired. Might just go for a soak first and then crash early.”

“No worries,” Jordan said. “You deserve it.”

Back in my room, I changed into my bikini and threw on a long knitted cover-up. I grabbed a towel and padded down the hallway, my flip-flops slapping quietly against the tiled floors.

I wasn’t expecting to see Nate by the lift.

“Evening,” he said, flashing that easy smile again. “Off for another swim?”

“Hot springs,” I replied lightly. “Muscles are killing me from clearing the rest of the archives. I need to soak before I seize up completely.”

“You’ve been working hard,” he said, stepping aside so I could pass. “You deserve a break. Just a heads up, though—once the others leave, we’re going to have to pick up the slack. Even the cleaners are packing up soon, so we’ll all need to pitch in. Hoover here and there, bin duty. That sort of thing.”

“Sounds fair,” I said. “As long as everyone else pulls their weight.”

“Pinky promise,” he said with a mock-serious expression, lifting his little finger.

I laughed, nodding. “See you around, Nate.”

The hot springs were empty and blissfully warm. I let myself float, the steam rising around me, muffling the sounds of the wind outside. The water soothed my aches, but my mind didn’t stop racing.

Wolves. Vampires. Hunters.

Dana’s story played over and over in my head. The scent-masking oil. The elder vampires. The betrayal of Corbyn. The death of the alpha and luna. It felt like something out of a dark fairytale—except it was all real. Real, and deadly.

After nearly an hour, I climbed out, dried off, and headed back to my room. The halls were quieter now. Most people had either turned in or gone to the games room. I didn’t see Dana on my way back to the bar or the kitchen.

Maybe she’d already gone to bed.

Back in my room, I showered off the mineral water, pulled on pyjamas, and stood by the window, staring out at the storm-tossed landscape. The trees were bending in the wind, branches clawing at the sky.

The black wolf flickered through my mind. Was he still out there?

I turned back to my bedside drawer and opened it, reaching for the photograph I’d found earlier. The one of Dana and the others outside the hotel, young and smiling.

But it wasn’t there.

I frowned and opened the drawer wider, then checked underneath the stack of magazines, even inside the notebook I kept by my bed.

Nothing.

It was gone.

My heart dropped like a stone.

Someone had been in my room. Again. Only this time, they hadn’t just snooped—they’d taken something. Something that could expose Dana’s identity if it landed in the wrong hands.

My skin prickled as I slowly closed the drawer.

This wasn’t just a game anymore.

Someone knew I was getting too close.