CHAPTER 91: THE ACADEMY ISN’T SAFE EITHER.

The respected Alphas of the packs .... men who commanded fear and respect wherever they went were locked in a savage brawl, tearing into each other with a level of violence more fitting for wild beasts than leaders.

"And what do you all think you’re doing?!" Anna’s voice rang out sharply, laced with pure fury. The sudden, high-pitched note in her tone cut through the chaos prompting the fighting Alphas to halt instantly. Every head turned toward her, their heavy breathing the only sound in the tense silence that followed.

They were all smeared with blood and marked with fresh wounds, but none of them seemed to care. For them, injuries like these were nothing....mere scratches that would heal within hours.

"Hi, sister," Darius was the first to speak, his voice calm but his tone carrying a hint of guilt, though it was quickly masked.

Anna didn’t respond. Instead, she turned on her heel and began walking away, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. The sound was enough to spur Darius, Auren, and Zephyr into motion. They hurried after her like chastened wolves, while Victoria’s brothers, who had been watching the spectacle, also rose from the floor and followed at a slower pace.

Once they reached the hallway, Anna spun around abruptly, her expression stormy. "Now, what in hell is happening here?" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly from the effort of keeping her temper in check. Her piercing gaze settled on the three Alphas standing before her....Darius, Auren, and Zephyr.

Victoria’s brothers, by contrast, remained utterly unbothered by the confrontation. They casually took seats in the chairs lining the corridor, their expressions a mix of mild amusement and boredom, as if such scenes didn’t bother them.

Meanwhile, Victoria knelt beside Callum, her hands working in silence. She had retrieved the first-aid box without a word and was now carefully cleaning the blood from his head wound. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, though inwardly her thoughts were far away. All she wanted at this point was to leave this wretched vacation house and return to the Ashford estate, where at least the walls were familiar. She had endured enough for one day, and she was in no mood to hear excuses or explanations.

The truth was, she was only tending to her brothers out of necessity. On a normal day, she wouldn’t have lifted a finger for them. But they had helped her deal with Mirabel back at the mansion, and for the sake of maintaining her carefully crafted image, she was forced to play the part of the loving, attentive sister.

Rose, crouched nearby, worked on cleaning Damien’s injuries, her hands gentle but efficient. Joe tended to Lucian’s cuts, muttering under his breath about the stupidity of men who fought like this. Dickson methodically wrapped Theo’s arm in fresh bandages, while Blonde moved between them all, handing out water, towels, and whatever supplies they needed with the other servants.

Anna’s voice cut through the steady hum of activity once more, sharper than before. "Just what the hell happened in there? What in heaven’s sake led to that fight?" She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "And don’t even think about lying to me....who started it?"

Darius met her gaze without flinching, his jaw tightening. "No one started it," he said at last, his voice clipped with irritation. "I already told you putting us all in the same room was a mistake. But you wouldn’t listen. You should have known something like this was bound to happen."

His tone wasn’t just defensive....it was accusatory, laced with the heat of his own frustration.

"Exactly, Anna," Auren growled, his voice low but filled with venom. "But then we had to stop because we respected you. If not for that, I would have already taught that bastard Damien a lesson he wouldn’t forget." His face twisted with pure anger, his burning gaze locked on Damien like a predator sizing up its prey. "How dare he? Since when did that motherf**ker turn out like this? Wasn’t he supposed to be the respectful, meek, quiet Alpha? How the hell did he suddenly learn to stand up against me?"

"Oh, in case you don’t know," Callum cut in, his voice strained from pain yet edged with fury. "My brother isn’t quiet anymore, and he’s definitely not going to keep accepting your unruly behavior." His eyes blazed, and the faint tremor in his tone only fueled the intensity of his words. "We Ashford brothers have been quiet for too long with you lot....taking every insult, every humiliation you threw at us, and swallowing it down. But not anymore."

Theo’s voice joined in, colder and sharper than steel. "Just like you’ve got power, we’ve got power too. You can’t just keep throwing your weight around, ridiculing us however you like. That ends now." His final words landed like a hammer, sending an involuntary shiver of shock down the spines of Darius, Auren, and Zephyr....though the three Alphas masked it quickly with scoffs and smirks.

Anna stepped forward, her hands now planted firmly on her hips, her tone scathing. "You still haven’t told me what started this fight. How in hell are the distinguished Alphas....the ones who are supposed to be leaders brawling like wild animals? What exactly caused it?"

Instead of answering, Darius, Auren, and Zephyr moved with deliberate calm and settled themselves onto the sofa, as if dismissing her question entirely. The sheer audacity sent a wave of disbelief through Anna, her jaw tightening, but they seemed utterly unconcerned.

Nicole, who had been standing quietly in the corner up until now because Auren had been subtly signaling for her to hold back finally moved forward. She knelt beside him and began tending to his wounds, her hands quick but careful. She murmured something under her breath, her sharp words meant for Auren’s ears alone, her tone simmering with restrained anger.

Rose, still crouched beside Damien, spoke softly but audibly enough for those nearby to hear. "Just what started this fight? I mean, honestly, I’d expect something like this between the three Alphas and Dickson or Joe....but the Ashford brothers? That’s new."

"You reek of alcohol," Damien said suddenly, his tone calm but with a deadly seriousness that made Rose’s head snap toward him in surprise.

"Excuse me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as if daring him to repeat it.

"I said you reek of alcohol," Damien repeated, his gaze steady and unflinching. "And smoke. Especially smoke. You’ve been drinking and smoking, haven’t you?"

Rose’s throat bobbed in a hard swallow, but she forced a casual chuckle. "Oh, yeah. I had a little drink and smoked a bit in the kitchen before joining the other girls. It was... necessary to keep my sanity in check after everything tonight."

"This isn’t ’a little,’" Damien countered, his lips curling in a scoff. "You smell like you went through an entire packet of cigarettes and drained a full bottle of liquor. And the fact that you’re not even staggering means you’re used to it. You’re an addict, Rose. But you shouldn’t be. Smoking will kill you. If you want to drink or smoke, do it responsibly."

Rose’s lips parted slightly, then curved into something sly. She licked them slowly, deliberately, her gaze lingering on him for a second too long before giving a small nod. Without a word, she finished tying the bandage around his head.

Damien then rose to his feet, his presence suddenly commanding the room. His eyes swept over his brothers and finally landed on Victoria, who had already finished tending to Callum’s injuries.

"Since everything’s done," Damien began, his tone calm but carrying an undercurrent of finality, "we’ll be taking our leave now, Miss Anna." He gave a short bow, his words polite but cutting. "I won’t stay in an environment where we’re not respected. Just as you and the Alphas own this vacation house, my brothers, sisters, and I own ours."

Anna’s eyes widened, her composure faltering. "But... but the party is just starting! You didn’t even tell me exactly what went wrong." Her tone shifted into a pleading edge. "Just tell me, and I’ll apologize for whatever my brothers did. I know they can be...." she gave a nervous laugh "....almost dickheads sometimes. But still..." She turned toward Victoria with a look that was half desperate, half hopeful. "Talk to your brothers, dear. I organized this because of you. I wanted us to get closer."

"I...." Victoria began softly, her voice hesitant.

Before she could continue, Damien stepped forward and took her hand firmly. "It’s because of my little sister that this environment is unacceptable," he said flatly, his eyes locking on Anna’s. "Victoria doesn’t need to be close to you, Miss Anna. And you should stop pretending like you’ve known her for years."

"Oh? You say this place isn’t safe, so you’re leaving?" Auren’s voice cut in, dripping with mockery as he rose from the sofa. He smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "The academy isn’t safe either. Will you leave there too?"