Watch Me Win, Alpha

Chapter 19

Olivia’s POV

The hotel hallways felt different now.

Too quiet.

No distant footsteps, no chatter, not even the usual hum of soft music that most luxury places played to fill the si- lence. I walked with a steady pace, trying not to let my uneasiness show. The walls were polished, the carpets too clean, the lighting just dim enough to feel off.

I reminded myself— Amelia wouldn’t do anything reckless now. The Hawthrone family had power, yes, but not enough reason. They had already won. Ethan would get his clean break. Amelia would get her headlines. And I… would be gone.

I took a deep breath and checked the time on my phone. 7:40 p.m.

I typed out a message to Mike as I moved toward the main lobby: “I’m here…”

That’s when it happened.

A woman in a staff uniform turned the corner quickly and bumped right into me.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am,” she said, her, tone rushed and nervous. She looked like a hotel server-tight bun, tray tucked under one arm, black slacks and a crisp shirt.

“It’s fine,” I said automatically, distracted by my phone.

But the next second, I felt a sharp prick on the side of my neck.

My hand flew up in reflex, but it was already too late.

“What the hell-” I tried to say, but my voice didn’t come out fully.

The woman muttered, “Careful, let me help you,” as she slipped one arm under mine, like she was assisting me. But her grip was too tight, too deliberate. I stumbled, my legs suddenly shaky.

Yve, my wolf, howled in warning inside me. Something’s wrong. Danger. Run.

But my limbs weren’t listening.

My vision blurred, and my knees buckled slightly as I was led away, down a side corridor off the main hall. I knew this hotel had dozens of quiet exits, private rooms, hidden service routes.

I wasn’t being helped. I was being taken.

0.0 %

13:29

Panic set in fully now, but my body refused to cooperate. My breath hitched, heart pounding, and I felt myself sway- ing like I might pass out. My fingers twitched. I couldn’t scream, but I remembered one thing-

My phone.

It was still in my pocket.

I fumbled for it, my hands shaking, my fingers barely working. The screen was still open to the message for Mike.

I couldn’t see clearly anymore. My eyes weren’t focusing, but I could feel the keyboard. I tapped blindly-maybe one or two more letters. Anything.

My thumb hit send.

The message went out.

Then everything started to go black.

Alexander’s POV

The meeting with Twilight Pack ran longer than expected. We closed with whiskey.

One glass-enough to relax, not enough

lounge of my suite at the Ashmoon Hotel, sitting in silence, eyes half-shut.

never walks that fast unless

just got a message from

I looked up.

texted me, but…

me his

partial message. “I’m here…” followed by a string of letters that didn’t form any real

“athekp”

Read it

autocorrect. A random string

I stood. “Call her.”

925

No answer. I took the phone from him

It rang. Then connected.

22.8 %

13:30

movement-walls flashing by. There was faint, rapid breathing. Something scuffed against the floor. A sharp sound like a shoe catching on

muffled voice. Barely audible. But it

She wasn’t okay.

front desk. Find out if she checked

Mike was already moving.

grabbed my jacket

too quiet for this time of

description came in just after seven.

I was already moving.

they say

she was headed

me the hotel layout.

turned the

off the grid inside a hotel

Olivia’s POV

threw me onto the bed like

their faces. Rogues. I could smell it through the chemical burn in my nostrils. My heart pounded against my ribs like

were objects I refused to let my eyes linger

Wolfsbane.

“Can you fight?

No response.

“Yve-please.”

Still nothing.

41.5 %

13:30

The drug was working.

rogues muttered as he circled the

looks even better than the picture,” another added,

I couldn’t scream. I tried to sit up, but one of them

already going under,” the first

a voice-female. The waitress. She’d shed her

pulled the agreement from my bag. “Don’t

stared at her blankly as she forced the paper under my hand and pressed it against the inkpad, then onto the page. “There. Legal and clean.

are you?”

amusement. “Your husband doesn’t want to pay after the divorce. This just makes

me

went cold.

need to look so surprised,” she said. “He said you wouldn’t take it well. But don’t worry, once the footage is done, no