Sylvan
“Shit.” I drop my dumbbell, flicking through the notifications lighting up my watch.
“What’s up, Syl?”
The numbers have tripled in the last hour. I pull out my phone.
It’s everywhere.
“Syl?”
Viral.
“Hey, man, what’s wrong?”
“The video.” I turn my phone so Luc can see the screen. “I had guys monitoring it. It started on smaller sites, easy enough to remove with the threat of a lawsuit, but now it’s on social media, news outlets….”
Luc’s eyes slowly meet mine. “Shit. And I’m guessing there’s no way you can remove...”
I’m already shaking my head. “When it’s small and you catch it early, yes. But, in reality, once something’s online and it goes viral…”
“Fuck. Shit.” Luciano’s jaw tightens as he stares out the window over the garden. “Ve’s gonna freak. We need to—hey, where’re you going?”
“To get my laptop. I need to see how far it’s spread.” I grab my phone and head for the door. “Tell the others. Call our lawyer. Meet me in the living room.”
I storm down the hallway, teeth clenched as my watch keeps pinging with more updates.
It’ll be over a million views by now.
“...Mum, stop. I said one question...” She laughs, and the sound stops me in my tracks. “Yeah, I know. It’s very... new. But I like them, they’re good guys. They’ve helped me a lot... I will. Speak next week? Bye, Mum, bye, Dads, love you.”
I at least have the decency not to interrupt her, even though I’m eavesdropping.
Was she talking about us?
What was I doing?
My watch pings. I need my laptop...
“Sylvan,” she gasps as I enter the living room. “Were you listening in on my conversation?”
“Yes. Sorry.” She’s smiling at me, so I don’t think she’s mad, and whenever she smiles, all my thoughts seem to disintegrate. “I didn’t mean to. I was...” What was I doing?
My phone buzzes. My stomach drops.
She must see something in my expression because she frowns, stepping closer. “Is something wrong?”
“Not wrong, just...” I silence it through my pocket. “I need to tell you something.”
The way Revea looks right now, the sad dip between her brows, arms wrapping around her chest, closing herself off from me. I hate it.
“Come with me, please?” I hold out my hand, and whatever caused that expression softens a little.
When her fingers land in my palm without hesitation, I remember how addictive she is to touch.
It’s all I want to do.
But not now. Later. Right now, I need to get my laptop.
She follows me up the stairs, never letting go as I lead her to my room around the bend from Kaiden’s. I don’t let go even when we’re inside, instead grabbing my laptop with my other hand and leading her to my bed. Even as she sits on the edge, I struggle to remove my fingers from hers.
I only let go when I need both hands to open my laptop. I quickly run a search for the footage and watch the numbers climb higher as the results compile.
Short of an internet blackout, there’s no stopping it now.
I close my laptop, setting it aside. Her eyes are already on mine.
“I don’t want to upset you,” I say, “but I need to tell you something you won’t like.”
She swallows, her fingers gripping my covers. “It’s okay. I’m ready.”
“The CCTV footage of you, it’s online. It was already online by the time Kaiden found you, even before the email you received.
” Her eyes widen. “I managed to remove it from some places, but not all. Once something is online, it’s extremely difficult to remove completely. And now it’s gone... viral.”
“Viral,” she repeats.
I assume she needs clarification. “It’s reached the view threshold that classifies it as viral. It’s on multiple platforms, news outlets, and it’s spreading.”
Her fingers tighten their grip, teeth running over her lower lip in hard, slow scrapes. “Which means the police will have seen it,” she says, voice low. “Which means everything the hackers threatened… I’ll lose everything. I’ll be arrested—”
“No, Revea.” I make my voice hard, firm. “This isn’t their edited footage—it’s the full thing. It’s clear self-defence. I have several lawyers ready to say the same.”
She shakes her head. “But not everyone will see it like that, Sylvan. You’ve seen the way some of these alphas talk. I’ll be made an example of—”
“I will kill anyone who tries to harm you.” My jaw clenches. “I’m sorry. Sorry I couldn’t stop it. Sorry I let you down.”
There’s a long silence as I stare at my closed laptop. My thoughts are so loud, overlapping with ideas and tactics that simply won’t work.
“You... you think you let me down?”
“I have.” I can’t look at her. “I should have done more when I realised your CCTV had been hacked the first day we met. I put preventative measures in place, but did nothing to rectify—”
Her hand lands over mine. I stop talking, my eyes snapping to hers.
“This is not your fault, Sylvan.” Her brows are bunched together, forging a deep line worse than the one before; even her nose has lines, all scrunched up like she’s disgusted. “None of this is your fault.”
“Alphas are meant to protect their omegas.” The sentence forms, and when it’s halfway out, I wish it never had.
“Sorry.” I wince, staring at my laptop again. “That… I know you’re not ours—”
“You have protected me, Sylvan.”
My gaze drifts up to her face. It’s no longer lined, the corner of her mouth resembling something similar to a smile.
“You found me, didn’t you?” She tilts her head. “That’s how Kaiden knew which hotel I was at.” I slowly nod, and her fingers tighten around my hand. “See? If it wasn’t for you… who knows what would have happened.”
I frown. “But I—”
“This footage.” She nods at my laptop. “It could have leaked months ago. Before we ever met.” She shrugs, her eyes darting over my face for a moment like she’s realising something. “If that alpha never attacked Serena… do you… do you think we…” She wets her lips. “Would we ever have met?”
The sharp pang in my chest at that thought has my fingers entwining with hers, locking her touch with mine, because I don’t lie, and I know the answer to that question.
“No.” But I can’t handle her sad smile, so I add, “Maybe.” I pull on her hand, slowly urging her closer until she’s sat right beside me. “I don’t like talking about this.” I lean in, brushing her nose with mine. “I don’t like imagining my life without you in it.”
“Me neither, Sylvan,” she murmurs, those bright eyes sweeping between mine—
Revea flinches as my phone and watch erupt simultaneously. I growl as I reach into my pocket, but the sound dies when I see the screen.
“What is it?” she asks.
“Your salon’s website is being flooded,” I explain. “Where’s your phone?”
Her hand slips into those tight pants, pulling it out. “I’ve had it on silent, should I check—”
“Wait,” I say. She listens, thumb hovering over the screen. “By now, people will have found everything connected to you. Everything. My advice, don’t look at your phone right now.”
Rather than putting her phone away, she holds it out to me.
I take it from her. “Good, omega.”
She flinches, and I worry I’ve said the wrong thing. It felt natural, more alpha than me, but then her cheeks become rosier. Scent deeper.
All things that indicate she’s… aroused.
Revea liked it. She liked the praise.
The sudden urge to pin her to this bed and praise her in every language I know is only outdone by the need to keep her happy and safe.
“There’s a crowd at the salon,” I start, her scent burning. “Don’t worry, I’ve sent more men—”
“Oh my god,” she gasps, “my poor staff. They shouldn’t be dealing with this without me. I need to call Margret.”
Before she attempts to take her phone back, I sweep through her contacts, find Margret’s number, and enter it into my phone. It’s already ringing when I hold it out to her.
“Margret, it’s me, Revea. Is everything okay?”
“Here she is, the celebrity herself.” Margret chuckles. “Everything’s fine! The crowd outside is a little insane, but they’ve got some cute placards.”
“I’m so sorry I’ve left you to deal with this—”
“Hey, stop that! I know a pre-crying voice when I hear one. Those alphas of yours explained everything.” Her voice lowers. “I’m so sorry you went through all of that, but now that asshole and his gang are in jail, and look—”
Revea pulls back my phone and is met by live footage of the busy salon, until it’s turned to show the glass walls, and outside, crowds of people with signs painted in pink:
#PINKPOWER
PINK HAIR > ALPHA EGO
WE STAND WITH REVEA.
“You’ve got a fan club.”
“What the fuck,” Revea whispers, eyes darting over the screen, breaths quickening. “I didn’t think...”
“Omegas everywhere would see the footage and then decide to make you their new hero? Don’t check the comments, but the girls tell me they’re 99% positive. #PinkPower is trending. Other omegas are telling their stories. Babe, you’re a symbol now, and I couldn’t think of anyone better.”
“I...” She can’t finish. Her chest is moving too fast. “I don’t...”
I take the phone. “Do you need any more security?”
“Oh, hello.” Margret smiles. It does nothing for me. “Nope, we’re all good here—”
I hang up, turning to Revea, who’s moved to the middle of my bed, against my headboard. Her knees are pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them.
“Revea...” I make slow, cautious movements towards her. “You’re safe here. Just breathe. One deep breath in, one out… Good. Another… Now, tell me three things you can hear.”
Her wide eyes dart to me.
“Tell me,” I repeat.
“I... I can hear your laptop… my breaths...” She concentrates for the third. “Voices downstairs.”
“Good. Three things you feel.”
“The bed... the pillows… your heat.”
“Three you can see.”
She wets her lips, her breathing now slower. “Your room, my knees... you.”
I nod, caressing her knees with my hand, using my touch to keep her grounded.
“Good. Do you want to talk about that—” I nod to my phone, discarded beside us. “—now, or later?”
“Later,” she says instantly.
I nod again. “Okay, is there anything I can do for you right now?”
“Hold me.”