Crystal's POV
The men's presence was like a smoldering fire, slowly but surely consuming the pack deep down.
Every day, I could feel the tension rising around me, suffocating the air with suspicion and unease within.
It wasn't just their presence, though that alone was unsettling—it was the way they interacted with me, the way they took me. The looks on their faces when we look at each other. The words from their tongue.
The strange sense that I was at the center of something far bigger than myself, was everything.
And the pack was noticing it as days passed.
Everywhere I went, whispers followed me like the air that I take in.
Whenever I passed a group of pack members, conversations would abruptly stop, only to resume in hushed tones once I was out of earshot.
They were talking about me in my presence. I could feel it deep within me and also see it clearly.
They were wondering what connection I had to these strangers who had disrupted our lives over the night.
It wasn't just talk anymore to me. People were suspicious, and were In need of answers.
"She's always been different."
"What if they're here because of her?"
"But they look too rich to be here for her."
"They've been watching her from the first day…"
I tried to ignore it, but it was getting harder every day and it became a threat to me.
I kept my head down, doing my usual chores, keeping to myself like I always had in the pack.
But no matter how much I tried to blend into the background of the pack and its dynamics, it wasn't working anymore for me. Their eyes were always on me, watching, waiting for something to happen, waiting for when I'd do something wrong or bad.
*******
By late afternoon, I was heading back to my room after finishing up some tasks in the kitchen, as directed by the leader of all Omega.
The hallways were empty, the packhouse unusually quiet as most of the pack was out training or handling their duties.
The silence was a welcome relief from the constant threat to me.
But then I heard footsteps behind me, coming closer and coming with force.
At first, I thought it was nothing to worry about, maybe a passing pack member going about their business and duties of the day.
But the footsteps didn't fade up. They grew closer, heavier and also making me scared. My heart started to race, and I picked up my pace, not wanting to find out who it was. I could feel it—the way the air changed, the way my instincts were screaming that something was wrong.
I was almost at the staircase when a rough hand grabbed my arm, yanking me back with enough force to nearly send me crashing into the wall and giving me scars.
"Where do you think you're going to, crystal?" a harsh voice growled from behind.
I spun around, my heart pounding in its ribcage, and found myself face-to-face with three pack members that were much harsh.
Cole, one of Gregor's most loyal enforcers, stood at the front, his eyes filled with anger and suspicion towards myself. Behind him were two others, equally as hostile like him. My stomach twisted in dread and my heart with anxiety.
"What… what do you want from me?" I stammered, pulling my arm free from Cole's grip with multiple thoughts.
Cole sneered, his lip curling in disgust towards me.
"You think we haven't noticed your actions? You think we're all blind?"
I blinked, confused and terrified with his questions towards me.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"The three men," one of the others snarled, while my heart still raced non-stop.
"They're here because of you, aren't they?" his voice was thick and cunning.
I took a step back, my breath catching in my throat and my words hanging deep down.
"No, I don't… I don't know why they're here, I swear."
"Don't lie to us, we aren't fools," Cole spat, his voice filled with venom.
"Ever since they showed up, they've been watching you. We all see it. You're not fooling anyone."
I shook my head, panic rising in my chest. "I'm not lying. I don't know them. I don't know why they're here."
But they didn't believe me. The look in their eyes was wild, fueled by anger and frustration. The noblemen's presence had unsettled the entire pack, and now it seemed like that frustration was boiling over—and I was the target.
"You've been hiding something from us this whole time," Cole growled, stepping closer. "Maybe you think you're better than the rest of us. Maybe you're planning something with them."
"That's not true," I said, my voice shaking. "I swear, I don't..."
Before I could finish, one of the other wolves lunged forward, grabbing my wrist and yanking me toward them. I yelled in pain, trying to pull away, but his grip was iron-tight.
"You're coming with us," Cole said, his tone dripping with menace. "We're going to find out exactly what you're hiding."
"No!" I struggled, but it was useless. I was no match for them, and they knew it. Panic surged through me as I realized what was about to happen. They were going to drag me away, and I had no idea what they planned to do after that.
But just as they started to pull me down the hall, a deep, commanding voice cut through the air like a knife.
"Let her go."
The room fell silent. The grip on my wrist immediately loosened, and I stumbled back, gasping for breath. I looked up, my heart nearly stopped when I saw who had spoken.
It was him.
The gray-eyed leader of the noblemen stood at the end of the hallway, his presence as commanding as ever. His gaze was locked on Cole and the others, his expression cold and dangerous. Behind him, two more of the noblemen stood, their eyes glinting with barely restrained power.
Cole stiffened, his face going pale. "We were just..."
"I said, let her go," the leader repeated, his voice low and deadly.
Cole hesitated, but only for a moment. He quickly released me, stepping back with his hands raised. "We didn't mean anything by it," he muttered, casting a wary glance at the men. "Just a misunderstanding."
The leader's eyes narrowed, and for a second, I thought he might step forward and rip Cole apart right there. But then he shifted his gaze to me, his expression softening slightly.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice calmer now.
I nodded, though my heart was still racing in my chest. "Y-yes."
His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer before he turned his attention back to Cole and his lackeys.
"Leave. Now!"
Without another word, Cole and the others scrambled away, their earlier bravado completely gone. The moment they were out of sight, the hallway fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the sound of my shallow breathing.
I didn't know what to say at this point. The men had just saved me—again.
"Thank you," I whispered, not sure what else to say to them.
The leader nodded, his gray eyes searching mine, as I tried to take them off.
"They won't bother you again, so long we are still here."
I wanted to ask him why—why he and his men kept intervening into my issues, why they seemed to care about what happened to me—but the words wouldn't come up due to what I couldn't explain.
There were too many questions swirling in my head, and none of them had answers.
Before I could say anything, he spoke again.
"You should be careful next time. Things are changing, and not everyone will be as kind as those men were."
"Kind?" I repeated, incredulous. "They were going to...." he cut off
"They were afraid," he interrupted my words again.
"Afraid of what you might become."
His words sent a chill down my spine at once.
"What do you mean by that?"
He studied me for a long moment, as if deciding how much to tell me, but I just wasn't worried.
"Soon," he said quietly and husky.
"You'll understand sooner."
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there in the empty hallway, more confused than I ever was.
"What I might become?"
I didn't know what that meant. But I had a sinking feeling that whatever it was, it was something I couldn't run from and keep myself safe.