99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 45

At that moment, the woman finally understood what Lucien meant by “deep throat.”

Her eyes went wide with shock as Lucien kicked her aside.

The bottle remained lodged deep in her throat, and she was left in a state of terror, desperately trying to pull it away. Her eyes flickered back and forth from her human eye colour to her wolf’s. They were both panicking within her, unsure how to proceed.

We were all stunned into silent horror as we itched to step in and help, but knew he would upset Lucien if we did.

Seeing the woman in pain, tears streaming down her face, Lucien actually chuckled, giving a chilling, eerie laugh.

“Gamma, since you are in a generous mood, put two of the warriors outside the room on her. Don’t let her go until the bottle is empty,” he commanded coldly.

Kian didn’t dare plead for the poor woman. He quickly called two of the warriors in to drag her away.

I stood there and watched Lucien, who was grinning like a maniac, and felt my heart race.

I knew he was twisted and mad, but I hadn’t expected him to be this inhumane.

If he could treat a woman who posed no threat to him like this, how would he treat me when he thought I was his enemy?

The thought sent a chill down my spine at the thought.

That night, I couldn’t shake off the shadow Lucien cast over me. I could barely sleep.

The next morning, I was up, showered and dressed in a lilac chiffon dress just before eight am. I was eager to leave and finalize my official escape from the biggest mistake of from the biggest mistake of my life.

Liyah had passed out beside me last night, and hearing the commotion of me rushing around, her eyes began to slowly c***k open.

“Oh my goddess, Claire, you look stunning! Even your back is gorgeous!” Liyah sleepily exclaimed.

I smiled softly, “In one hour, I’ll officially finalize my petition of rejection, and the council will sign off on it. The ritual will be performed, and my mark will be removed. So, I want to look my best for this new beginning.”

Liyah jumped out of bed. “I’m going with you to City Hall!”

I turned and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You drank way too much last night. Get some rest. I can handle this last stretch of my great escape from the Sterlings alone. I promise, I’ll be fine.”

“Alright, I’ll catch a few more z’s. Just call me when you’re ready. I’ll go pick you up,” Liyah replied, understanding that my mind was made up to do this alone.

“Thanks.”

I picked up my bag from the vanity and left with a stride.

Still feeling the effects of last night’s drinking, I opted for an Uber instead of driving to City Hall.

As soon as I arrived at City Hall, I found a crowd gathered outside.

Someone had leaked the news that Liam and I would be officially approved for Council–sanctioned rejection and ritual today.

It was rare for Alphas to reject their true mates, much less be rejected by them. This would create quite a stir in the gossip train around their social circles.

When I appeared, all eyes turned toward me.

There were curious glances, sympathetic looks, mocking smiles, and disdainful sneers.

I’ve been here since seven this morning just to see if they’re really going through with an official rejection ritual. I can’t believe it’s actually happening!”

“Last night was wild! With a mate like that, who wouldn’t want to reject him? I know I would!” “Honestly, I’ve heard Claire isn’t exactly innocent either. Didn’t her mom cause a scandal in Calgary? She’s like making rich men fight over her. I bet this daughter is trouble too.”

True! But the Sterling Moon pack never took her seriously. Her actions are justified. If my mate acted like that, I would go crazy too.”

The chatter grew louder, but I appeared deaf to it all.

I wasn’t here for their opinions and I didn’t let the gossip faze me,

Just as reporters were about to pounce for an interview, a Rolls–Royce pulled up outside City Hall.

A man in a black suit stepped out, his expression serious.

Seeing Liam, the reporters quickly shifted their focus, surrounding him. After all, he was the star of lest night’s spectacle.

The chaos from the party had been captured on film and shared online, sparking a media frenzy.

Despite the Sterling Moon pack’s frantic attempts to delete posts and comments overnight, it was all in vain.

The reporters fired questions, hoping to catch him looking defeated or dishevelled.

“Alpha Sterling, is the rumour true?”

“Alpha Sterling, with Sterling Moon pack alliance support starting to distance themselves and your father now hospitalized from stress, how do you feel about it?”

“Alpha Sterling, are you here to finalize your rejection petition with Ms. Reese? Do you feel guilty about the recent scandal and plan to compensate her?”

But they misjudged the situation. Liam didn’t appear to be crumbling under the pressure.

No matter how sharp the questions were, he stood there with one hand in his pocket, wearing a serene smile, as if he were an observer rather than the center of the storm.

He patiently waited for each reporter to finish before casually taking the microphone from one of them.

“First, I apologize for my family’s private matters taking up public resources.”

“Second, all the videos circulating from last night about Breanne and mentions of my approval for the alleged abuse of my mate were fabricated by hackers using Al.” Liam said as if trained.

“The police are currently gathering evidence and have confirmed that there was indeed a hacking incident at the venue. I urge everyone to stop spreading rumours and defaming my family and pack, or they will face legal consequences.”

Liam looked straight into the crowd of hungry reporters with a frigid chill in his eyes.

“Finally, I want to sincerely state that my feelings for my mate, Claire, are genuine. Even though there may be misunderstandings today that require us to separate temporarily, I’ll always be here, waiting for her to return to me. Thank you!”

The reporters found themselves tongue–tied, their prepared questions stuck in their throats.

They initially came to watch the unravelling and breakdown of the strong Alpha heir, Liam Sterling, but what they got was the exact opposite.

The young women in the crowd, who had initially sympathized with me and wanted to advocate for her rights in mating, quickly swooned under Liam’s charm, becoming starry–eyed and foolish. They couldn’t help but cheer and scream.

I stood off to the side, shaking my head in disbelief before turning to enter the City Hall office.