Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 201: Power Like This

Ivy let out a distressed cry, "Goddess help me, my roommates have lost their minds!"

But Lila only grinned wolfishly, replying, "At least you still recognize us as your roommates."

Ivy shot her a glare, but it wasn’t half as fierce as it should have been; her defenses were already crumbling.

Daisy said, "Defeating Elsie won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible."

"How?" Ivy demanded. "Have you forgotten who Elsie is? She’s basically the mate for one of the cardinal alphas. She’s got the Alpha King’s backing. You? Us? We’ve all got none. She won’t even need to lift a finger; she’s got power, influence, and people to do her bidding."

Violet’s eyes flashed with determination. "Then we’ll cut off that backing. We’ll dismantle those influences one by one. Without them, she’s nothing."

Ivy scoffed. "And the Alpha King?"

"We’ll figure that out as we go," Daisy said with forced optimism.

"Thought as much," Ivy shook her head, unimpressed.

But Daisy persisted, "We won’t achieve this in a single day, but this is our plan for now, and we’ll work toward it. For the moment, we’ve got bigger worries, like finding a place to actually live." She glanced up at the rotting ceiling just as a drip of nasty water landed on her cheek, making Ivy recoil with disgust.

Daisy wiped it off, grimacing.

the rain wreaked havoc outside. "It’s still pouring out there. Even if we manage to hire workers, they can’t do repairs in this weather. And it’d take days, maybe weeks, to fix this place enough so we can start actually living

Lila piped up, "I can help

three startled voices echoed in

throat. "My magic

Ivy’s eyes lit up. "So you can just... clean

the place? I’m not some witch about to chant ’bibbidi-bobbidi-boo’ while waving brooms

resting her palm on the warped, rotting floorboards

call upon them to reinforce what was

as they watched Lila begin to work. The wood beneath her hand gave a soft, drawn-out creak, as though waking from a long,

the decay began to reverse. The splintered planks smoothed out, their brittle, discolored surfaces darkening into a rich oak. It spread like creeping frost, the weak, termite-infested

be swallowed up. But all they felt was a soft tingling, like the brush of a

moved on, securing the rest

Daisy breathed, eyeing the difference. There was no sign of the gaping cracks that once tried to snap under their

only the

of mold and decay gave way to something fresher, as if the house itself was taking its first breath in

them, cobwebs thick as cotton twisted in on themselves, unraveling like thread being reeled back into an invisible spindle. Dust motes danced in the air as they lifted, swirling

lines of new growth traced over the rotted beams,

gaping hole in the ceiling where rain had been trickling in steadily, forming a grimy puddle on the floor. With eyes narrowed, Lila pressed her palm against the nearest beam, and tendrils of