Chapter 264

Chapter 264
Brad's POV

I was just about to call it a night when the knocking started. Three sharp raps, then silence. Then three more.

When I opened the door, I barely recognized the figure standing there. Lester looked like he'd been dragged through hell backwards.

I raised an eyebrow, studying this broken version of one of the most powerful Alphas I knew. The guy looked like he'd lost a fight with a hurricane and came out on the losing end.

"Here's a card," I said coolly, reaching for my wallet. "Get yourself another room."

But Lester's hand shot out, blocking the door before I could close it. "You're not in a great mood tonight either, are you? How about we grab a few drinks?"

My amber eyes flickered. The bastard wasn't wrong. "There's not exactly top-shelf liquor in here..."

"We'll drink in your room!" Lester gestured inside. "Come on."

I hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside. What the hell. Misery loves company, right?

Within minutes, Alex had orchestrated the delivery of every type of alcohol imaginable – craft beer, high-end whiskey, red wine, fruit wines, even specialty liquors designed specifically for werewolf palates. The coffee table groaned under the weight of bottles.

"Go shower first," I commanded, kicking Lester toward the bathroom. My OCD kicked in hard. "You stinks. I'm not drinking with you smelling like that."

While he cleaned up, I rolled up my black shirt sleeves to my elbows and started popping bottle caps with practiced efficiency. The room filled with the aroma of various alcohols, mixing with the faint scent of Alpha pheromones.

Lester emerged from the bathroom, toweling his hair. "Give me one of your Alpha's phones," he said to Alex.

I glanced at him and nodded to Alex, who handed over one of my backup devices.

Lester stared at the empty contact list. "Did you predict I'd need a phone, so you specially prepared this?"

I pushed a beer toward him. "You're overthinking it. I just break phones a lot, so I keep replacements ready."

His fingers froze around the bottle. "You're not even going to ask why I don't have a phone anymore?"

"You absolutely did this with Sophia watching."

Lester's jaw dropped. "Were you fucking spying on me from a distance?"

I gave him a withering look. "I don't have that kind of time. Only you would pull such a stupid stunt. Roy and I have higher IQs than you."

"Fair enough," Lester admitted, then looked around. "Where's Roy anyway?"

"Roy hasn't come back yet. Don't bother looking – he's not here."

"Where the hell could he be this late?"

I poured beer into a crystal glass worth several thousand dollars and sipped slowly. "Forget about Roy. Tell me – what exactly did you say to Sophia this time?"

Lester's shoulders sagged as he launched into his tale of woe. "Why won't she just trust me?"

I clapped a hand on his shoulder, my own eyes growing distant. "Yeah... why won't she trust me either? Everything I do, it's all for her... Why can't she believe in me? Why does she have to choose the hardest fucking path?"

Lester grabbed several beers and started chugging. "I liked her when she was just a regular pack member! I held back for so long to avoid scaring her. I dealt with those assholes who were harassing her in secret. I handled those old perverts who were eyeing her... I fought the whole pack to make her our Beta."

We were both drowning in our own emotional chaos, talking past each other. By morning, empty bottles littered the floor like fallen soldiers, and the room reeked of two Alphas' tangled pheromones.

Roy's POV

I returned to the hotel carrying the scent of perfume and other wolves, only to find the door wide open and two of the most powerful Alphas I knew passed out on the floor like college freshmen after rush week.

"Did I miss something epic last night?" I asked, staring at the scene. "Brad's such a neat freak, and he's sleeping on the floor? And what's Lester's deal? How'd he get this wasted? The whole room smells like a bomb went off."

Alex looked up from collecting bottles, his expression pained. "Lester Alpha came over last night wanting to drink with Alpha Brad. Then... this happened."

I shook my head. "Let them sleep it off. I'm going to my room."

"You're just getting back?" Alex asked, surprised.

I smiled meaningfully. "Yeah. Funny thing – some actresses tracked me down here, pretending to run into me by accident. They were working so hard at their performance, I had to give them a proper audience. Speaking of which – where's Elle?"

"I'm not sure," Alex replied carefully.

I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "Elle doesn't have much to do anyway. Maybe she could help me out?"

"Help with what?"

"After seeing how Elle handled that door-blocking situation yesterday, I think she'd be perfect for helping me screen actresses! Human intuition is sometimes sharper than ours."

Alex's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Want to find Elle for help?" Brad interrupted my conversation with Alex, his Alpha aura immediately turning dangerous. "Shouldn't you ask my opinion first?"

I grinned. The possessive bastard was already territorial even while nursing a hangover.

"Where's the hangover cure?" Brad asked Alex, his voice rough.

Alex handed him the remedy, and Brad downed it in one gulp before kicking Lester awake. "Don't you have Sophia's date to crash today?"

Lester just groaned and didn't get up.

"I'm going to shower first. Roy... forget it. We'll talk later," Brad muttered, stumbling toward the bathroom.

About an hour later, there was a sharp knock on my door. Brad stood there.

"What were you saying earlier?" he asked without preamble.

Instead of answering directly, I decided to drop my bombshell. "This morning, I got a call from Mira Collins. She used Yara's connections to land a role in my upcoming TV series."

The transformation was instant. Whatever alcohol fog remained cleared from Brad's mind immediately, his Alpha presence crackling with barely contained menace. "You said yes?"

My smile turned predatory. "Why wouldn't I?"

Brad's amber eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're doing this on purpose."

"Isn't it fun?" I let my grin widen. "How about it? Want to let Elle play along? After all the grief Mira's given her, doesn't Elle want some payback?"

I watched Brad's expression shift, a slow smile spreading across his features.

This was going to be very interesting indeed.