Chapter 53
[Amelia's POV]
A gentle knocking sound pulled me from the deepest sleep I'd had in months. The private jet's single cabin bed had been surprisingly comfortable, and for a moment I forgot where I was.
"Amelia?" Ethan's warm voice came through the door. "We've landed. You can come out now."
South Africa. Right.
I pulled back the window curtain and immediately squinted against the blazing sunlight. The plane sat on the tarmac of what looked like a sprawling airport, heat waves already shimmering off the concrete even though it was still morning. This was summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and damn, it looked intense.
Grabbing my backpack, I stepped out of the cabin into a wall of heat that hit me like opening an oven door. The air carried scents I'd never experienced before – wild and earthy.
An airport transport vehicle waited at the bottom of the steps, and I could see Ethan waving from the driver's seat, gesturing for me to hurry up. The others were already loaded in, looking perfectly comfortable in the sweltering heat.
I jogged down the steps, clutching my bag tight, and climbed into the back. The vehicle was mercifully air-conditioned, though it did little to cool the flush in my cheeks.
"About time, princess," Violet said from her seat near the front, her platinum hair catching the light streaming through the windows. Those ice-blue eyes held their usual chill, but now there was something else – amusement. "Rough night in your fancy private cabin?"
Her voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear, but quiet enough to sound casual. Like she was just making conversation.
The transport took us to a parking area where a sleek black SUV waited. Within twenty minutes, we were pulling up to a hotel that screamed luxury.
"See you all in a few hours," Alex said as we gathered our luggage in the lobby. "Rest up."
My room was on the fifteenth floor, overlooking a cityscape that looked nothing like home. Buildings stretched out toward distant mountains, and the afternoon sun painted everything in shades of gold and red that seemed almost magical.
I dropped my bag and just stood there for a moment, trying to process that I was actually here. A few months ago, I was serving coffee and struggling to pay rent. Now I was in South Africa with the most powerful Pack in the entertainment industry.
The whole thing felt surreal.
I was pulling off my travel clothes, already looking forward to a cool shower, when someone knocked on my door.
"Just a second!" I called, checking myself in the mirror. My tank top and loose pants weren't exactly formal, but they covered everything important.
When I opened the door, Violet stood there holding a tall glass filled with what looked like fruit juice. Ice cubes clinked against the glass, and condensation ran down the sides in the most tempting way possible.
"I thought you might need something refreshing," she said with a smile that almost looked genuine. "South African heat can be brutal for someone who's not used to it."
Her platinum hair was pulled back in a perfect ponytail, and she looked like she'd just stepped out of a magazine photo shoot. Meanwhile, I felt like I'd been wrung out and hung up to dry.
"That's... actually really thoughtful. Thank you." I reached for the glass, genuinely touched. Maybe I'd been reading too much into her earlier attitude. "I know we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot, but I'd like that to change."
"Oh, absolutely," Violet said, her smile widening. "I completely agree."
Just as my fingers touched the cool glass, her other hand shot out and grabbed the front of my tank top, yanking downward with surprising force.
"What the hell—" I slapped her hand away instinctively, jumping back.
But Violet was already moving, using my defensive push to throw herself backward into the hallway. The juice glass went flying, splashing its contents across the carpet as she hit the floor. In the same motion, she grabbed her own blouse and pulled it open, buttons popping off to scatter across the floor.
I stood there, frozen in shock, as she exposed half her chest and let out a piercing scream.
"Help! Someone help me!"
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I breathed, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Violet's performance was Oscar-worthy. Tears actually sprang to her eyes as she cowered on the floor, clutching her torn shirt to her chest like I'd just assaulted her.
"Please!" she wailed, her voice echoing off the hallway walls. "Someone help!"
Footsteps pounded down the corridor, and I knew I was screwed.
Alex appeared around the corner, moving with that fluid grace that always reminded me he was more than human. His amber eyes took in the scene – Violet on the floor in her torn shirt, me standing in my doorway looking guilty as hell, and fruit juice splattered everywhere like evidence of a struggle.
"What happened here?" His voice was deadly calm, that Alpha authority making the air itself feel heavier.
Violet looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes. "I just... I brought her some juice because I thought we could be friends, and she just... she grabbed me and..."
Her lower lip trembled perfectly as she trailed off, like she was too traumatized to continue.
Alex's gaze shifted to me, those golden eyes unreadable.
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but what could I say? That Violet had orchestrated this whole thing? That she'd deliberately made it look like I'd attacked her? Who would believe that over what his own eyes were seeing?