Between Two Alphas

Chapter 2

Kian’s POV

No one, and I meant no one , entered my chambers unannounced. Especially not a mere servant.

Before I could even register who it was, my voice came out in a sharp growl. “Who the hell do you think you are, barging in here like that?”

The figure at the doorway flinched but didn’t cower.

Aria. A submissive, loyal servant.

For a moment, surprise flickered through me. Of all people, I hadn’t expected her to break protocol. The servants were trained to announce themselves, to know their place. Yet, here she was, standing in my room with wide, nervous eyes, her fingers clenched into fists at her sides.

My irritation deepened. Before I could say anything else, a sultry voice interrupted.

“Can’t you see the Alpha and I are busy ?”

Danielle.

She leaned back against me, her bare skin pressing into mine, her fingers lazily tracing circles over my chest as if marking her territory. A smirk played on her lips as she glanced at Aria with pure amusement, her tone dripping with condescension.

Aria jerked backward as if struck, but to my surprise, she didn’t look away.

Her eyes—usually so dull, so quiet—held something fierce. Determined.

Then, before I could tell her to leave, she opened her mouth and said something that knocked the air from my lungs.

“I-I…love you.”

Silence.

I blinked. Surely, I misheard her.

Danielle let out a sharp laugh, breaking the tense moment. “What?” she snorted. “ You love him ?”

I didn’t respond. I was too busy trying to process what just happened.

I let out a low chuckle, shaking my head. “You’re joking.”

Her lips trembled slightly, but she held her ground. “I’m not.”

Danielle laughed again, sliding off my lap. “This is pathetic,” she said, rolling her eyes. “What gave you the idea that the future Alpha would ever look twice at a lowly servant?”

Aria’s shoulders stiffened, but she still wouldn’t break eye contact with me.

Damn it. Why was she looking at me like that? Like I was supposed to care. Like I was supposed to return her feelings.

I scoffed, leaning back against the bedframe. “Aria,” I said, my voice turning cold. “You’re not my type.”

The second the words left my mouth, I saw something in her crack. Her lips parted slightly, and her fingers twitched at her sides.

She looked… broken .

Guilt flickered through me—just for a second—before I pushed it away. I didn’t have time for this. I was going to be Alpha. I needed a strong, powerful mate, not some weak servant girl.

“Leave. And don’t ever enter my chamber unannounced again,” I ordered, my voice void of emotion.

Aria hesitated, as if hoping I would take it back.

I didn’t.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out.

The moment the door closed behind her, Danielle let out a dramatic sigh and flopped back onto the bed. “That was hilarious ,” she said, giggling. “Poor thing. Probably thought this was some fairytale where the Alpha falls for the servant girl.”

I didn’t respond.

Because for some reason, the look in Aria’s eyes wouldn’t leave my mind.

****

Aria’s POV

The moment I stepped out of Kian’s chambers, I felt like my lungs had been ripped out of my chest.

I walked in a daze, barely aware of my surroundings, until I felt a hand grab mine.

“Aria?” Lila’s voice was soft, hesitant.

I turned my head slightly, and the second she saw my face, her expression shifted from curiosity to fury.

“Oh, hell no,” she snapped, dragging me toward our small shared room. “That bastard rejected you, didn’t he?”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. The tears pooling in my eyes said enough.

Lila slammed the door shut behind us and whirled on me. “Tell me what happened.”

I let out a shuddering breath, my body finally betraying me. “I told him,” I whispered. “I told him how I felt.”

Lila sucked in a sharp breath. “And?”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “He laughed.”

Her entire body stiffened.

My voice cracked as I continued, “He said I wasn’t his type. And a girl…was there, Lila. She was with him in bed–naked”

Lila’s eyes burned with rage. “That arrogant, pompous, self-absorbed brat !” she seethed. “I swear, I’ve held my tongue for your sake, but I knew he was an ass. I knew it!”

Despite everything, a small, bitter laugh escaped me. I wiped at my eyes, my chest still aching.

Lila huffed, sitting beside me. “Don’t take it to heart, Aria. The Moon Goddess wouldn’t waste her time pairing you with an idiot like him. You’ll find someone better .”

I let out a breath. “Better than the soon-to-be Alpha?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “And when you do, I hope you rub it in his face.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “I doubt he’d care.”

“Then we’ll make him care,” Lila said, a wicked grin spreading across her lips.

Before she can say another word, the door suddenly swung open. Standing in the doorway was her. The same woman I had seen draped over Kian not even twenty minutes ago.

Lila and I froze.