Chapter 64
Viola spent the rest of the day with Zoe and Nick. After they had finally gotten over the shock that the Alpha hadn’t killed her, and that they hadn’t reported her missing to remove her from the competition, she trained a little in Zoe’s personal gym room with Nick. While training, they talked about how the Alpha, of all people, would have been the one to take her to a healing house.
Zoe, in particular, had seemed and looked so worried that she kept telling Viola to be careful next time around the Alpha. Viola couldn’t help but notice how Zoe always seemed to think the worst of her brother, even though she liked him enough not to tolerate Nick calling him the most heartless wolf shifter in the world and a cursed one everyone should be wary of.
Zoe had glared at him and snapped, “Don’t call him cursed. He’s still my brother, and he’s not cursed p>
Nick had immediately raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry. I just can’t help it. He got me so worried that I was blaming myself for two days straight that he had done what he did to Alex to p>
“Nick!” Zoe had warned sharply, and the topic was dropped immediately. It left Viola curious, but she was unable to ask who Alex was or why Zoe looked so angry, as Nick quickly changed the topic to feeding her strength tonics he had bought for her instead.
By the time she returned to her penthouse, she was tired and exhausted.
This wasn’t right, she shouldn’t be this exhausted when tomorrow was such a big day for her. She had wanted to know what the competition would be like, but Nick had said he couldn’t access it. The elders were strict about keeping it a surprise for the participants. No details could be leaked to prevent cheating, and at this point, only the Alpha knew what it entailed.
The Alpha, Viola thought, forget it. He would never tell her what it was, especially when he was probably rooting for her failure with their contract agreements already waiting, where she planned to hold him against the three wishes once she won.
She entered her penthouse carrying a bag given to her by Nick for tomorrow’s preparation. Not wanting to stress herself thinking about the day ahead, she sat down on the floor of her living room and opened the bag to see what he had gifted her and said she would need for tomorrow.
He had told her he’d personally designed it for her, and Viola had been a little excited to see what it was, but he had instructed her to open it only when she was alone.
She couldn’t help but wonder what it could be. It had been so long since she had received a gift that her heart warmed slightly, and a small smile appeared on her face as she eagerly opened the bag to find a wrapped box inside.
Viola picked up the box and unwrapped it to reveal a glass box. She marveled at the fancy presentation and opened it to find a glimmering black wristband inside. Curious, Viola picked it up, and immediately a note fell from it that read, “Put it on and be wowed, mi amor p>
She turned the strangely shaped wristband back and forth before putting it around her left wrist. Almost immediately, as it touched her skin, its blank screen lit up, and a voice activated a holographic triangular display showing her blood vessels and beating pulse.
“Welcome, Vee. I am designed especially for you by your lovely Nick. I can monitor your energy and blood pressure. I can tell you when your energy is draining and when you need to stop and take breaks. I can also serve as your inner voice and answer all your questions if you connect me to the earpiece. I can even be your personal language translator if you get stuck where people speak Spanish all around you p>
“Wow,” Viola murmured quietly, finding the gift both cool and useful. Though she had been learning Spanish on her phone during her free time for no more than an hour a day, she was far from fluent, but this wristband would help.
She smiled, feeling grateful and yet a little undeserving of such a wonderful, priceless gift, and Viola made a mental note to pay this back by making sure Nick wouldn’t lose the millions he had bet on her tomorrow.
“I will cherish this p>
“Yeah, you bet. I was made to be cherished, Vee,” the robotic voice said, causing Viola to smile even more.
“I am glad you are smiling. My master told me that you don’t smile often, so I should keep you company. I was also designed to remind you not to be afraid of this competition or failure. Whatever the outcome tomorrow, he still has you covered. He is single and searching for a wife, and you two will make a perfect couple. You will have beautiful pups p>
Viola shook her head in amused disbelief. She couldn’t help but find it silly that he had programmed all of this into the band.
If she hadn’t been heartbroken to her very soul, Nick would have been the type of man she would have wanted for herself, someone who could easily make her smile and never think less of her.
But love and relationships were far from what occupied her heart and mind now. If she failed tomorrow, it would be a death sentence for her, whether she survived physically or not, because she had signed a contract agreement with the Alpha to walk away from his pack if she were to fail.
A person without a pack would be nothing but a breeding machine for packless wolves, a free body to be used and violated without protection or consequence.
Her entire life depended on tomorrow’s competition, or there would be no future at all. Her life would mean nothing because she wouldn’t be able to save and protect her sister or find her wolf. She pushed the depressing thoughts aside.
“Tell me about your hobbies, Vee. We could establish a fun and great way to make you happy. Your mood is declining, and I can feel your sadness p>
Viola stared at the device, wanting to respond, but the weight of tomorrow’s events pressed too heavily on her mind. She deactivated the device for the moment.
She was rising from her sitting position when she realized she was still wearing a certain someone’s coat, the Alpha’s scent clinging thickly to her. Her nose had grown used to it since this morning, learning to ignore it for the moment, until she moved and that sinful, expensive scent drifted into her nostrils, sharply reminding her of the annoying Alpha. Why had he even been following her around today?
She wondered about it, irritation mixing with confusion.
She began to take off the coat, thinking she would send it for laundry if she came back alive tomorrow and then give it back to its owner, as she didn’t want to owe him anything, not even something as small as this.
But just as she reached for it, her doorbell rang, causing her to pause mid-action and look toward the door. Who could that be?