Lila woke up in the opulent Third Floor Suite feeling intensely surveilled. It was the crushing feeling of being a goldfish in a predator's tank. She dressed in the thickest sweater and skirt she could find, rejecting the sheer, delicate silks of the original Lila Blackwood's wardrobe. The Alpha Headquarters was cold, both literally and figuratively.
Her first act was a delicate, high-stakes espionage mission. After ensuring Adrian's wing of the Suite was silent, she tiptoed to the service elevator, pressed the button for the ground floor, and, as the door pinged open, she spotted a tired-looking, non-affiliated Beta cleaner pushing a cart.
"Excuse me," Lila whispered, summoning her haughtiest tone. "This is highly sensitive material for Elara Hawthorne. Deliver it to her immediately. If anyone else sees it, I will inform Alpha Wolfhart you are conducting unauthorized business on his floor."
The cleaner, terrified by the mention of the True Blood Alpha, stammered out a promise to deliver the note instantly. Mission Elara was complete, but the cost was a morning jump-scare and a massive spike in her adrenaline.
Adrian was already in the dining area when she returned, reading a scroll and sipping a dark, steaming liquid that was probably the tears of Betas.
"Good morning, Assistant," he greeted, not looking up. "I trust the Alpha Headquarters has not crumbled under the weight of your fear."
"It's holding up surprisingly well, Alpha," Lila retorted, seating herself stiffly. "Perhaps I am more resilient than your research predicted."
Adrian finally looked up, that slow, terrifying smirk spreading across his face. "We shall see. I noticed you took an unscheduled trip to the service elevator. Was the ascent too taxing for your delicate Omega sensibilities?"
Lila froze, her toast halfway to her mouth. "I merely needed a... a moment of fresh air. The air circulation in this wing is rather intense."
"It's adjusted for my optimal comfort," Adrian said, his silver eyes glittering. "Perhaps your intense reaction is due to a lack of proper morning exercise. From now on, you will join me for the Academy's mandatory morning conditioning."
Morning conditioning? That was a brutal, full-contact session for Alphas and Betas. The thought of Lila, the frail Omega, trying to keep up was ridiculous.
"I am an Omega, Alpha. Conditioning is not part of my curriculum," Lila stated, crossing her arms stubbornly.
Adrian leaned forward, his voice dropping into a playful, dangerous purr. "Correction, Assistant. Anything I deem necessary for my research is now part of your curriculum. And I find your clumsy attempts at physical exertion... intriguing."
Lila wanted to scream. He wasn't torturing her with pain; he was torturing her with embarrassment and forced closeness. It was a high-stakes, flirty torment.
The morning lecture was Basic Science and Pack Biometrics, held in a large, communal amphitheater. The moment Lila and Adrian walked in, the entire room erupted in whispers. Girls—Omegas, Betas, and even some lesser Alphas—turned their heads, their expressions ranging from seething envy to fascinated awe.
Adrian, wearing his arrogance like a crown, led Lila straight to the front row. He didn't even use the Alpha voice; he simply commanded the space.
They sat down, and Adrian immediately pulled her notebook toward him. "You will be taking notes on the physiological differences between True Bloods and common Alphas," he dictated. "I want to ensure your perspective is properly informed."
Lila snatched the notebook back. "I will take my own notes, thank you, Alpha. My handwriting is faster."
Adrian merely chuckled, a low, smooth sound that made the surrounding students stiffen. He then reached out, and with lightning speed, laced his fingers through hers, placing their joined hands flat on the desk.
"You are easily distracted, Assistant," he whispered, his thumb lightly tracing the delicate bones on the back of her hand. "This will ensure your focus remains where it belongs: on my instruction. If you need to write, you will dictate the notes to me."
Lila's face flushed crimson. She tried to pull her hand away, but his grip was effortlessly firm. "Alpha! That's... that's highly inappropriate!"
"Inappropriate?" Adrian mused, looking toward the professor as if nothing were happening. "On the contrary, Lila. It's perfectly possessive. And since every girl in this room is currently plotting your demise for the privilege of being near me, I suggest you appreciate the clear message this sends."
Lila glanced around, heart pounding. The jealousy was palpable.
A trio of mid-level Omega girls, led by a particularly sharp-featured one named Zara—a character from the novel who was obsessed with Lila's wealth—were seated two rows behind them. Zara leaned forward, her voice cutting through the quiet lecture hall.
"Lila Blackwood! I heard you're staying in the Alpha Headquarters," Zara called out, her voice dripping with venomous sweetness. "Are you getting extra credit by fetching Alpha Wolfhart's morning tea? Or did your father finally run out of money and sell you off for tuition?"
The classroom held its breath. No one dared challenge Adrian Wolfhart, but attacking his "pet Omega" was a way to display courage and jealousy simultaneously.
Lila's fear immediately switched to clumsy indignation. She tried to turn around, to launch a withering Lila-style comeback, but Adrian's grip tightened, preventing her from moving.
"That's rude, Alpha!" Lila hissed at Adrian. "Let go! They're bullying me!"
Adrian didn't spare Zara a glance. He leaned down, his mouth right next to Lila's ear, his voice a dangerous, low sound.
"Bullying?" he scoffed. "Do you think I need you to defend yourself? They are gnats, Lila. Watch this."
He slowly raised their joined hands and casually placed a light, possessive kiss on the back of her hand.
"Assistant Blackwood," he said, his voice loud enough to carry, but directed only at her. "I have just completed my biometric research for this moment. Your heart rate spiked delightfully when they insulted you. Now, turn around and tell the class that I find your fear delicious, and that you are perfectly content serving the True Blood."
Lila's eyes widened in horror. "I am absolutely not saying that!"
Adrian leaned back, a cold, challenging look in his silver eyes. "Then I shall speak for you."
He let go of her hand, and Lila was ready to launch her own, clumsy insult at Zara. But Adrian was faster.
He turned toward Zara's group, his expression one of icy, annihilating contempt. He didn't yell; he simply projected his True Blood Dominance.
"Silence," he commanded, the single word hitting Zara's group like a physical blow. Zara's entire face paled, and she instantly shrunk down, her eyes wide with terror, unable to move or even speak.
Adrian then turned back to Lila, his voice reverting to that light, playful purr, as if nothing had happened. "You are not here to fetch tea, Assistant. You are here to amuse me and to be studied. Your presence is my prerogative. Any further comments regarding my choice of assistant will be considered a direct challenge to the True Blood Alpha. Are we clear?"
He didn't need to wait for an answer. The entire classroom was silent, paralyzed by his authority. Zara was trembling violently, already fearing the retribution.
Lila looked at Adrian, then back at Zara's horrified face. He had saved her from bullying by making her his highly visible, terrified possession.
"You... you are a terrible human being," Lila muttered, unable to hold back her true feelings.
Adrian reached over, picked up a pen from the desk, and gently tapped the tip of her nose with it. "I am a True Blood, Lila. And my research is going excellently. Your angry defiance is a delightful side effect of your fear. Now, take notes. We're on the section about True Blood Pheromone Control."
Lila snatched her notebook and pen, slamming it down on the desk with an angry huff, the clumsy anger serving as her only defense. She started furiously scrawling notes, her terror slowly being replaced by a seething, clumsy fury. Adrian simply watched her, the victorious, flirty smirk never leaving his handsome face. He found her clumsy fury utterly adorable. She was trapped, but she was still fighting, and that, he decided, was the best part of his new experiment.