FALLING FOR THE ALPHA’S BETA

7

Nia’s Pov

For a long moment, I didn’t move. The room felt too quiet, too still, like even the air was holding its breath, waiting to see what I’d do. My mind screamed at me to walk away, to not feed into his games again. But the other part of me, the one that always rose to his challenges, refused to back down.

I lifted my chin. “And if I don’t fall for you?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

His lips curved into that dangerous half-smile. “Then I’ll walk away. No questions. No more games.”

I studied him, searching for a crack in that wall of calm arrogance he always wore. But there wasn’t one. His eyes were steady, the colour of storm clouds about to break, and for a fleeting moment, I almost believed him. Almost.

“And if I do?” I asked quietly, the words tasting foreign in my mouth. “If, by some miracle, you’re right?”

He took a slow step forward, the space between us shrinking until I could feel the heat of his breath against my cheek. “Then you admit what we both already know.”

I swallowed hard, my pulse a traitorous flutter under my skin. “You think this is some kind of game?”

He smirked. “No. I think it’s unfinished business.”

“You really think you can make me fall for you without f*****g me?” I asked, a note of disbelief lacing my words.

“I don’t think,” he said simply. “I know.”

Gosh, the way he said it, quiet, assured, like it wasn’t even a possibility but a certainty, made something twist deep inside me. I hated that my body still reacted to him, that some stubborn part of me wanted to see how far he’d go just to prove himself right.

“You’re impossible,” I muttered, trying to look away, but his voice caught me again.

“And yet you’re still standing here,” he said, his tone maddeningly soft, almost teasing. “If you really didn’t care, you would’ve walked out the second I made the bet.”

He wasn’t wrong, and that only made me angrier.

“Three months,” I said, crossing my arms like armour. “You get three months. After that, I’m done.”

He smiled, slow, deliberate, confident. “That’s all I’ll need.”

The silence that followed felt heavier than before, thick with everything neither of us wanted to admit. My heart was beating too fast, and I hated that he could see it, that he could probably sense the way I was fighting to stay composed.

“Enjoy it while it lasts,” I muttered as I brushed past him, keeping my chin high even though my heart was beating like a drum inside my chest.

Behind me, I heard the faint, unmistakable sound of his smirk. “I promise you, I will,” Rowan said quietly, his voice low and maddeningly sure of himself.

I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. If I did, I might’ve seen that confident gleam in his eyes, and that was the last thing I needed. My hand trembled slightly as I gripped the doorknob and stepped out of the room, forcing a deep breath into my lungs.

The air outside felt cooler, almost too fresh compared to the heavy tension we’d left behind. I leaned against the wall for a second, adjusting my dress, smoothing the wrinkles from the fabric like it would somehow fix everything else I’d just messed up.

I’d agreed.

Gosh, I actually agreed to that ridiculous bet.

Three months.

Three whole months of playing his game.

What the hell was I thinking?

My thoughts tangled in a storm of frustration and disbelief. Part of me wanted to laugh at how absurd it was; another part wanted to scream at myself for falling right into his trap. Rowan knew exactly how to push my buttons. He always did.

And the worst part? I’d let him. Again.

I was still trying to steady my breathing when a familiar voice broke through my thoughts.

“Nia! There you are!”

I froze, then looked up to see Ashera rushing toward me, her gown gliding behind her like something out of a dream. Her expression wasn’t the radiant happiness a bride should have, it was worry. Real, sharp worry.

“Ashera,” I breathed, forcing a smile and pushing myself off the wall. “What are you doing here? This is your wedding. You should be with Darius.”

“I know,” she said quickly, reaching me and linking her arm through mine as if she was afraid I might disappear. “But that won’t stop me from worrying about my best friend. You’ve been gone for ages. I was looking for you.”

I let her tug me gently down the hallway, trying to mask the way my heart was still racing. “I’m fine,” I said, forcing a laugh that sounded steadier than I felt. “It was nothing. He just wanted to talk, you know, clear the air.”

Ashera gave me that look, the kind that saw straight through any excuse I tried to build. Her brows drew together slightly, and she tilted her head. “Are you sure?” she asked, her voice quiet but teasing at the edges. “Because you look… flushed.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Flushed?”

She leaned in a little, her nose crinkling. “And I’m not one to say this, but you kind of smell like him.”

Heat flooded my cheeks instantly. “What?” I hissed, horrified.

Her lips twitched like she was trying not to grin. “I’m just saying.”

I groaned softly, covering my face with my hand. “It’s not what you think, Ash. Seriously. We just talked. That’s all.”

She arched a brow. “You and Rowan talking?” She dragged out the words, clearly enjoying herself.

I shot her a sharp look, but she only laughed, looping her arm around mine as we started walking again. “You know,” she said in that sing-song voice of hers, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d say something happened.”

I hesitated for a split second. Should I tell her? The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I could already picture her reaction, wide eyes, dramatic gasp, followed by endless teasing. She’d probably think the whole bet was ridiculous. Maybe it was ridiculous.

Still, something in her expression, the genuine concern, the way she always wanted to know everything, made me sigh. “Maybe…” I said slowly, trying not to smile. “Maybe something did happen.”

Her eyes widened immediately, and she grinned like a cat who just found the cream. “I knew it!”

We both burst into quiet giggles as we reached the doors leading back into the reception. The music spilled out, laughter, clinking glasses, and the faint hum of celebration.

Ashera gave my hand one last squeeze before stepping back toward the crowd. “We’ll talk about this later,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You’re not escaping me that easily.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Enjoy your wedding, Mrs. Thorn.”

She winked and drifted back toward Darius, who was already watching her like she was the only person in the room. I lingered at the entrance, adjusting my dress and steadying my breath.

The laughter and chatter around me felt distant for a moment. My thoughts drifted back to the bet, to the way Rowan had looked at me like he already knew how it would end.

Three months.

That was what I’d agreed to.

Three months to prove him wrong.

But as I glanced across the room and caught sight of him already back in the room, calm, confident, that same infuriating smirk playing on his lips like he didn’t just eat me up in an empty room. I had the sinking feeling that I might’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.