It's Either You, Alpha, or the Rogue

004: Aria Is a Thief

Chapter 4:

~Aria~

“If you don’t stop fighting, I’ll make sure the Alpha believes you stole from me,” he hissed, his voice low but full of threat.

The mention of the Alpha made my heart skip a beat. I was scared. The Alpha hated me for reasons I couldn’t even explain... Because we were mates, and he didn’t want an Omega like me to be his Luna. Now, Collins was threatening to lie to him, to accuse me of theft. The Alpha would believe him. No one ever doubted Collins... Because he had higher rank.

“Please,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Don’t do this. I didn’t do anything wrong. Let me go, please.”

Collins’ smirk widened, and I could see the enjoyment in his eyes. He wasn’t going to let me go. “This isn’t about what you did or didn’t do,” he said. “This is about what I want. And Selena... she told me you were fresh, ripe for the picking. But she didn’t mention you were this stubborn.”

His words made my stomach churn. Selena had set me up. She sent me here knowing exactly what would happen. She told Collins I was... fresh? My mind spun. How could she do this?

“Please,” I begged again, trying to pull my arm free, but his grip was too strong. “I’ll do anything, just don’t take me to the Alpha.”

He laughed, the sound harsh and mocking. “Now you’re begging? That’s more like it. But it’s too late for that. You see, the deal I made with Selena didn’t involve you being difficult. She told me you’d be easy, but you’re making this harder than it has to be.”

Tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe Selena had put me in this position, and now Collins was using it to his advantage. He wasn’t going to let me leave without getting what he wanted.

I tried to think of a way out, anything to escape this. But the more I struggled, the tighter his grip became, and the more hopeless I felt. I couldn’t let him win, but I didn’t know how to fight back.

“Let me go,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper now, my strength fading. “Please... I won’t tell anyone.”

Collins leaned in even closer, his breath hot against my skin. “You won’t tell anyone because no one will believe you. You’re just an Omega, Aria. No one cares what happens to you.”

I felt completely powerless, trapped in a situation I never asked for, and unsure how to get out of it.

“Don’t be stubborn,” Collins growled, moving closer to me. His hand reached out to my boobs, and I flinched, knowing what he was about to do. He was going to grab them, to hurt me, and there was nothing I could do.

But just as his hand came near, the door swung open with a loud bang. I jumped, and my heart stopped for a second. Alpha Xander entered the room, and right behind him was Selena.

The moment they saw me, everything seemed to freeze. I stood there, tears in my eyes, feeling helpless and scared. Collins’ hand dropped immediately, and he took a step back, shocked. His face turned pale when he saw the Alpha standing there.

“Alpha Xander,” Collins stammered, completely caught off guard. His eyes darted to Selena, confusion and panic clear in his face. He was probably wondering why she hadn’t warned him that the Alpha was coming.

Selena looked just as surprised as Collins, her eyes wide as they moved from the Alpha to me. For a second, I thought she would say something, but she stayed silent, her face unreadable.

Alpha Xander’s eyes locked onto me, and I saw something dark flash in his gaze. He wasn’t happy to see me here, but I wasn’t sure what he was thinking. I thought he might say something to me, but he didn’t. He turned his attention to Collins.

“What’s going on here?” Alpha Xander’s voice was cold, sharp, and full of authority.

Collins swallowed hard, trying to find his words. “N-nothing, Alpha,” he stammered, looking nervous. “Just... handling some business.”

I stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do or say. And I knew Collins was scared of him. But I was terrified too. What if the Alpha believed Collins? What if he didn’t care?

Alpha Xander’s gaze shifted back to me, his eyes narrowing. “Why is she crying?” he asked, his voice low but filled with suspicion.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. I was too scared, too scared to say anything. Collins didn’t waste any time. As soon as Alpha Xander asked what was going on, Collins pointed at me and said, “She tried to steal from me, Alpha. I caught her red-handed. I told her I’d report it to you, and that’s why she’s crying.”

My heart sank. I opened my mouth to speak, to defend myself, but no words came out. I was frozen in fear, and all I could do was stand there. How could he lie so bluntly.

Alpha Xander turned to me, his face filled with disgust. “Shameless,” he spat. “You’re nothing but a thief.”

He believed? Tears filled my eyes again. I couldn’t believe he was taking Collins’ side so easily, without even asking me what really happened. But I was too scared to speak up, too afraid that no one would believe me.

Selena, standing behind the Alpha, smirked. She stepped forward, already enjoying my suffering. “Guards!” she shouted, her voice cold and commanding. “Flog her.”

The door opened, and two guards walked in, their faces blank as they prepared to do what they were told. I stood there, trembling, knowing what was about to happen. My body was shaking, and my heart was racing, but I knew I had to say something before it was too late.

Just as the guards were about to grab me, I finally found my voice. “Collins... he tried to take r**e of me,” I cried out, my voice desperate. “Selena planned it with him!” I added.

For a brief second, the room went silent. Alpha Xander’s eyes flicked over to Selena and then to Collins. But Selena was quick. She stepped forward, her face twisted with anger. “You lying little thief!” she shouted, her voice full of venom. “Not only do you steal, but now you make up stories to cover it up? You think you can lie your way out of this?”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “I’m not lying,” I whispered, but my voice sounded small, even to me.

Selena wasn’t having any of it. “You’ll pay for this,” she sneered. “Guards, double the punishment. Flog her twice as hard.”

The guards didn’t hesitate. They grabbed me, pulling me toward the center of the room, and I knew there was no escape. And Alpha Xander? He just watched, his face hard and unreadable, as if none of this mattered to him.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it.