Chapter 31
ANITA
I’m back in the auditorium, taking photos of Reed onstage like nothing’s happened, playing my part perfectly.
Still haven’t heard from the guys. My video is probably still uploading, taking forever because of the file size. But that’s okay. I have things in motion. I’m doing this whether they respond or not.
Reed is pacing the stage now, his white suit practically glowing under the lights, his voice booming through the speakers.
“I have the secret,” he announces dramatically, pausing for effect. “The secret that will fundamentally change you. Transform you from the inside out, and if you apply this every single day in your life, I can absolutely guarantee you will see dramatic changes. Real, measurable results.”
The audience leans forward, hanging on every word.
“But first,” Reed continues, his voice dropping conspiratorially, “let me convince you with a real example. Someone who came to me broken. Lost. A Beta who felt absolutely awful about himself. Weak. Invisible. The kind of man women walk right past without even seeing.”
My jaw clenches at his words.
“A man who let society convince him he was worthless,” Reed goes on. “Who believed the lies that he didn’t matter, that he’d never amount to anything. That he’d die alone and forgotten.”
Some people in the audience gasp, as he’s building this up perfectly, and I know what’s coming.
“But I took him under my wing and showed him the truth, and now he’s going to tell you firsthand how my program has changed his life.
How it’s given him purpose and power. And he’s going to convince you—all of you—not to question what I’m teaching or listen to outside noise from people who will tell you otherwise.
Feminist propaganda. Omega activists who want to keep you weak. Ignore all of it.”
Reed extends his arm toward where I’m standing in the shadows. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage—Ash!”
The audience erupts in applause.
I tense for just a moment, my heart hammering, but this is going exactly according to plan, yet nerves are getting to me. I’d told Reed backstage during intermission that I was ready to speak onstage as his example of success.
Concern crawls up my spine like spiders, but I hold my ground and my own phone securely in my hand.
I walk up the steps to the stage, keeping my stride masculine and confident. The lights are blinding up here, and I can’t see the audience at all, just shapes in the darkness beyond the stage.
Reed is all adoration now, his arm around my shoulders like we’re best friends. “Let’s give Ash another huge round of applause! Come on, show him some love!”
The clapping intensifies, and Reed hands me the microphone, his smile wide and encouraging.
I clear my throat, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure everyone can hear it through the speakers.
“Getting stage fright?” Reed whispers near my ear, just loud enough for maybe the first few rows to hear. “You got this. You can do it. Remember what we talked about.”
He seems so supportive. So kind and encouraging.
Every single word is fake.
I raise the microphone to my lips. “I have so much to share with all of you. But I really can’t do it justice just standing here talking, which is why I put together a video for us to watch together. I think it will make everything so much clearer.”
Reed’s smile falters. He leans in, whispering harshly, “What are you doing? We didn’t discuss a video.”
I ignore him and tap the screen on my phone. I’d already connected it to the system backstage, already changed all their passwords—the idiots had them written on a sticky note right there on the desk.
The huge screen behind us flickers to life. I adjust the stage lights with the app I installed, dimming them slightly so the video is more visible.
“Enjoy,” I say into the microphone.
Then I hit Play and immediately start recording with my phone, capturing everything—the stage, Reed’s face, the screen, the audience’s reaction.
At first, the video shows Reed’s dressing room through the ajar door. Reed sitting in his chair. Rex pacing the room.
Everyone freezes, including Reed, as if trying to process what they’re seeing.
Then the audio kicks in at full volume, and Reed’s voice fills the auditorium.
“Those losers out there in the auditorium will never get an Omega or any woman anyway. They’re pathetic. Drop-dead idiots who’ll believe anything we tell them.”
The audience gasps.
On-screen, Reed continues: “My advice doesn’t even work for the two of us. But get your head straight and remember why we’re doing this. To become fucking rich. That’s why. So fuck everyone else and what they say.”
The auditorium erupts in shocked murmurs.
“CUT IT!” Reed suddenly screams, his face going purple with rage. “TURN THIS OFF RIGHT FUCKING NOW!”
But no one on the team can until they grab someone from the convention center. I have the only control through my phone, and I’m not stopping it for anything.
The video continues, and now comes the best part.
“Even with us being Betas in disguise, we can keep getting paid for telling them what they want to hear.”
The audience explodes.
“What!”
“He’s not even an Alpha!”
“You lying piece of shit!”
People are standing now, shouting, pointing at the stage.
Reed is marching across the stage toward me, his face twisted in absolute fury. “You fucking asshole! What have you done?!”
The audience is calling out, their voices overlapping in rage and betrayal.
I keep my phone trained on everything, capturing it all, and I can’t help the smile spreading across my face.
Reed reaches me in seconds, and before I can react, he tries to knock my phone out of my hand with a violent swipe.
I duck, but he’s faster than I expected.
He grabs hold of my shirt and my hair, yanking back brutally hard.
Pain explodes across my scalp as my wig comes off right in his hands, and my shirt tears down the front, revealing my bra strap over my shoulder and the edge of my binder.
His mouth drops open in shock. “What? Who the fuck are you?”
I grin at him through the pain and shove him off me, hard. “Bet you never expected your social media guy to be a woman, did you? An Omega who uncovered every single one of your dirty secrets, you pathetic loser.”
His expression twists, confusion flashing first.
Then I smile wider, vicious and certain. “It’s me,” I add, holding his stare so he can’t look away. “I’m the one behind The Heat Line. Every story. Every leak. Every piece that’s been tearing your empire apart.”
For a split second, he just stares.
Then his eyes go wide.
The video behind us is still playing, still showing the part where Reed admits he’s not even an Alpha but a Beta pretending to be one.
The audience is losing their minds, screaming for blood, demanding their money back.
Reed’s face contorts with pure rage. “You fucking bitch!” He grabs me by my hair again, yanking my head back so violently that I cry out.
I try to kick him, struggling against his grip, suddenly very aware that I’m in real danger here. He’s stronger than me, and he’s absolutely furious.
“I’ll destroy you!” he screams in my face. “I’ll ruin your life! I’ll—”
He’s yanked off me with brutal force.
I stumble backward, gasping, and frantically stare up to find Slater standing over Reed, one hand wrapped around the asshole’s throat, lifting him slightly off the ground.
“Touch her again,” Slater growls, his voice deadly quiet but somehow carrying through the chaos, “and I’ll break every bone in your body.”
Jasper, Mason, and Dylan are onstage too, surrounding me protectively. They look like they’ve been running, breathing hard, eyes wild.
How did they get here so fast?
Slater drags Reed toward center stage by his throat, then rips the microphone from my trembling hand.
The video has stopped playing. The screen is black now.
“You want to know how to be a real Alpha?” Slater states. “I’ll tell you. It’s not about suppressing anyone. It’s not about tricks or manipulation or taking what isn’t freely given.”
He shakes Reed slightly, and the man gasps for air.
“A real Alpha protects those in his pack. Cherishes them. Lifts them up instead of tearing them down. A real Alpha doesn’t need to belittle others to feel powerful. He doesn’t prey on vulnerable people for profit.”
Slater turns to address the audience directly, still holding Reed by the throat. “You want a real lesson? Be a decent fucking person. Treat others with respect. Don’t fall for con artists like this one, and I guarantee you’ll have no problem finding your mate, your pack, your found family.”
The audience is dead silent now, hanging on every word.
Reed tries to escape, twisting in Slater’s grip, making choking sounds.
Slater turns back to him, his eyes cold as ice. “You fucking piece of work.” Then he slams his fist directly into Reed’s face with devastating force.
Reed drops like a stone, blood pouring from his nose, unconscious before he hits the stage floor.
The audience erupts in cheers and applause, chanting. Mason and Dylan exchange a look, then cross the stage together.
“Let us take care of the trash,” Mason says loud enough for the audience to hear.
They each grab one of Reed’s legs and start dragging him toward the stairs, his head bouncing on the stage floor.
“Wait!” Rex suddenly appears from backstage, running onto the stage with two security guards. “Stop! You can’t just—”
Jasper steps forward. “You can be next if you want.”
The security guards actually back up, hands raised.
Rex stares at the audience, thousands of angry men now on their feet, many recording everything on their phones, all of them clearly on our side, and his face pales.
“This is assault!” Rex tries. “I’m calling the police!”
“Good,” Dylan calls back as he and Mason continue dragging Reed’s limp body down the stairs. “Call them. I’m sure they’d love to hear about the fraud, the theft, and everything else Reed’s been doing.”
They disappear backstage with Reed. He deserves every bit of pain and humiliation that’s coming to him.
I realize my hands are shaking. Adrenaline is crashing through my system in waves. So many people in the audience have their phones out, recording everything. This is going to be everywhere within hours. Reed’s career is over. His reputation is destroyed beyond repair.
Jasper appears at my side, his hand gentle on my arm. “Are you okay? We tried to get here as fast as we could once we received your messages.”
I nod shakily. “I’m fine. Just… that was intense.”
Slater joins us, immediately wrapping an arm around me. “You did amazing,” he whispers against my hair. “So proud of you. Did he hurt you? Tell me the truth.”
“My scalp hurts where he pulled my hair, but I’m okay.”
He kisses my forehead. “Let Jasper take you out of here while Mason, Dylan, and I deal with the mess. The police are probably coming. There’s going to be questions.”
Jasper takes my hand. “Come on. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”
He leads me down the stairs, and as we stroll up the center aisle toward the exit, something unexpected happens. People start clapping.
First just a few, then more, and then the entire section we’re passing through erupts in applause.
Jasper keeps moving, guiding me gently but firmly toward the exit. We finally make it outside into the cold air, and I can breathe again. The parking lot is chaos—people streaming out of the building, some on phones, probably calling lawyers or credit card companies.
Jasper leads me to the four-wheel drive, helps me into the passenger seat, and immediately starts the car to get the heat going.
“Here.” He pulls a blanket from the back seat and wraps it around me. “You’re shaking.” Then I’m in his arms, and I let myself collapse against his chest, finally processing everything that just happened.
I actually did it. It didn’t go exactly to plan, but it was so much better than I could have imagined. The truth is out. Thousands of people saw it. Thousands more will see the videos that are probably already uploading to social media.
Reed is finished.
Even if it was terrifying there for a moment when he had me by the hair, when I wasn’t sure if anyone would reach me in time, it was worth it.
“I’m so proud of you,” Jasper murmurs. “So brave and brilliant. I’ve never been more attracted to you than I was watching you stand up there and destroy him.”
I laugh shakily. After an hour, Slater comes to collect us to give statements to the police.
Three hours later, after providing copies of my video evidence, watching Reed and Rex both get arrested and led away in handcuffs is beyond satisfying.
And when it’s finally over, I feel something I haven’t felt in a very long time.
Pure, uncomplicated pride in what I accomplished.
I took down a predator. Exposed a fraud. Protected vulnerable people from being exploited further.
This is what I was meant to do with my platform. With my voice. Not investigating good men like my pack, but exposing the real threats.
“I love you,” I say suddenly, looking at all of them. “All of you. Thank you for having my back.”
“Always,” they say in unison.
And as we drive home through the falling snow, I know with absolute certainty that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
With my pack.