Villainess Marked For Her Alpha-Chapter 97: For Emily’s Sake

Reyes fished a cigarette from her pocket with gloved fingers, the metallic click of her lighter echoing sharp under the hospital corridor’s merciless fluorescents.

The flame blooming brief and orange as acrid smoke curled lazy upward in lazy spirals, her cedar-steel pheromones sharpening to a knife-edge with barely leashed tension, scarred jaw flexing subtle.

"Give me one too," Hellen demanded rough and immediate, her blonde ponytail twitching irritable like a lashing tail ready to strike, ice-blue eyes flicking ravenous to the crumpled pack bulging Reyes’ charcoal jacket pocket.

"I’m not sharing with the likes of you," Reyes shot back cool and cutting, inhaling deep and deliberate—chest expanding under her blazer as smoke filled her lungs, scarred jaw ticking faint rhythm when she exhaled a thick, defiant plume toward the ceiling tiles, gray eyes turning flinty under her tugged-low baseball cap brim.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Hellen snarled, stepping in aggressive and invading space, powerful thighs flexing taut in her fitted trousers, honey-citrus scent spiking territorial.

"You were with Emily longest—days on end shadowing her mansion, weeks playing ’best friend.’ Why didn’t you spot anything wrong? No red flags in her scent, her habits, those damn fake-alpha vibes?"

Reyes’ gray eyes narrowed to accusing slits, gloved finger jabbing the air like a blade between them.

"She never spilled much about family—always vague, brushing it off with that adorable pouty smile and emerald pleading eyes. Besides, she hid her gender... or didn’t even know herself, thanks to whatever poison they fed her."

Hellen looked down at her boots guilty, fists clenching at her sides until knuckles blanched, honey-citrus scent souring bitter with churning self-reproach.

"You’re partly responsible for this mess!" Reyes jabbed harder, polished brogues planted wide and unyielding on the linoleum, broad shoulders rolling aggressive.

"I know, okay? I feel guilty as hell—every damn day watching her suffer in silence, faking that alpha bullshit while her real self-screamed underneath!" Hellen’s voice cracked raw and fractured, blonde ponytail swaying wild as she raked frustrated hands through its lengths, dishevelling it further.

Hellen was feeling utterly guilty, even without hearing Reyes’s words.

"Can you two bitches keep it quiet? You’re disturbing Emily’s sleep with your yapping," Ivory growled deep and gravelly from the doorway, her frame filling it broad and imposing, tailored suit rumpled from days unchanged.

The pants creased, jacket unbuttoned over her cleavage—a fat cigar clamped firm between full lips, cherry embers glowing fierce with her sharp puff, eyes storming thunderous, pheromones flaring warning-thick like smoked paprika.

"Why the hell should we listen to you? We’re talking soft—whisper-level," Reyes muttered defiant, smoke trailing from her nostrils like dragon breath, gloved hand gesturing dismissive.

Hellen snatched a cigarette straight from Reyes’ open pack mid-reach—fingers brushing leather glove—earning a deep, thunderous scowl that darkened Reyes’ scarred features, her gloved hand twitching instinctive like she itched to reclaim it with brute force.

"You two should calm down," said Ivory.

Reyes sighed long and weary, rubbing her scarred temple with nicotine-stained fingers, cap brim shadowing her exhausted gaze.

She said, "Let’s calm the fuck down... I’m getting angry, and it won’t help her—not one goddamn bit."

"You’re right, but I don’t like you—at all, not one iota," Hellen admitted grudging through gritted teeth, flicking Reyes’ lighter to life with a snap and lighting up quick—inhaling sharp and desperate as nicotine flooded her veins, exhaling a relieved hiss that fogged the air.

"Feeling’s mutual, blondie. I tolerate you—for Emily’s sake, and that’s it," Reyes grunted flat and unyielding, flicking ash into a nearby tray with precise, disdainful flicks.

Ivory snarled low around her cigar, brown eyes flashing lightning-white. "And I’m tolerating both you idiots—barely hanging on by a thread."

Smoke mingled thick and choking in the corridor now, a hazy truce born of shared vice and desperation, tendrils snaking toward vents.

"We shouldn’t smoke right outside her room—could get in," Reyes muttered belated, glancing back at the frosted door with faint worry creasing her brow.

"Don’t worry your cap off—I installed the best HEPA air purifier for her; room’s airtight as a goddamn vault. Still, let’s move before some nurse with a clipboard bitches us out," Ivory said practical, cigar glowing rhythmic as she jerked her head toward the exit, leading the way.

"Yes, let’s just go out," said Hellen.

They filed out into the cool night air behind the hospital, fluorescents fading to starry dark pricked by distant city glow, gravel crunching sharp under Reyes’ brogues, Hellen’s heels, Ivory’s heavy boots as they clustered near a low concrete wall—cigarettes and cigar casting orbiting embers like fireflies in formation, shadows pooling long.

"What should we do now? Can’t just sit on our asses," Hellen exhaled sharp and plume-heavy, ponytail catching faint breeze that tugged loose strands across her sharp cheekbones.

"Let’s kidnap her parents—drag them to some warehouse, make the bastards spill everything they dosed her with," Reyes growled low and venomous, gloved fist clenching until leather creaked.

"I agree with your plan." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Ivory scowled fierce, cigar puffing furious clouds. "You morons saying that in front of a cop? Have you both lost your goddamn minds?"

"Then what—twiddle our thumbs while those fucks walk free, sipping martinis?" Hellen snapped back heated, flicking her cigarette butt away sparking into gravel.

"Her parents are responsible—what if something serious had happened to her? Permanent paralysis? Brain fry?" Reyes pressed relentless, cap shadowing her burning glare, cedar-steel thickening aggressive. "... Or something worse?"

"Serious has happened—she’s paralyzed from the waist down, fighting for her damn biology every breath! Legs limp as rags!" Ivory snarled.

"Ivory is right... Emily’s condition is serious."

"We work with discreetness—no sloppy vigilante crap that lands you two in cells," Ivory added, voice dropping to tempered steel, cigar ash cascading slow.

"We? I don’t like you—either of you, not a single fibre," Hellen sneered, crossing arms tight over her chest, jacket straining.

"No one likes anyone here—mutual loathing club," Reyes grunted wry and world-weary, crushing her cigarette under heavy brogue with a grinding twist.

"All of us hate each other guts-deep, but we wait—for Emily’s sake, for her to heal. Until she’s fine... then we strike them surgical, no traces," Ivory declared final, cigar ash falling like grim snowflakes onto gravel.

"Fine. We team up for Emily—but after she’s walking? Enemies again, full rivalry," Hellen conceded tight through clenched jaw, lighting a fresh cigarette with shaking hands.

"Good. But Emily’s mine," Reyes claimed low and possessive, gray eyes burning feral under cap shadow.

"Emily’s mine—I knew her secret first, held her closest," Hellen countered instant, flashing war-ready.

Ivory exhaled slow and deliberate, smirking crooked around her cigar, brown eyes glinting amused-predatory. "Keep dreaming, rivals. She’ll choose the best—the one who protects her fiercest."