99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 76

What? I blinked in astonishment. This confession was downright bizarre.

Did he want a freaking cookie for being a good boy?

Liam was so incredibly wishy-washy. There was no loyalty to anything he did, and the more I watched now that I was out of his hold, the more I realized just how flaky a character he really was.

I threw up my hands, momentarily speechless.

On the floor, Breanne thrashed like a fish out of water, her delicate face drained of colour. Whimpering like a kicked puppy, she made several pathetic attempts to rise, only to slump back down each time.

I was an actor, but I didn’t call her out for it. No, I wanted to see how he reacted.

I knew the spineless coward would c***k soon; perhaps he just needed a little nudge?

With deliberate provocation, I arched a brow. “She is suffering right before your eyes, and you will not even help her up?”

The words acted like a get-out-of-jail-free card for Liam, and he practically teleported across the room, roughly hauling Breanne to her feet.

“I knew you would choose me, Liam!” Clutching at him like a drowning woman, Breanne buried her face in his chest.

Liam shoved her away as if she were radioactive.

“Cut the crap! Claire will always come first from this day onward. Don’t confuse my act of basic human decency as a sign of choosing you over my mate. I am now ordering you to go home and stop embarrassing yourself!”

He immediately retreated three steps, putting as much distance as possible between them. You could almost hear the air being sucked out of Breanne as he does.

Her gaze darted at me, lounging comfortably on the bed.

Her venomous stare locked onto my bandaged shoulder, lips curling back in a silent snarl. I tilted my head in uncertainty.

“You fake b***h. Do you think you can steal him away with these cheap tactics? I’ll call your bluff, then!” she hissed through gritted teeth.

The thought almost seemed to become an inferno that Breanne could no longer contain, and in one frenzied motion, Breanne lunged forward, raking her nails brutally across my wound.

The bandages,tore away, revealing bright red blood welling up instantly.

White-hot agony lanced through my shoulder as I cried out in response.

In a flash, I grabbed the vase from the bedside table and swung it in a vicious arc, smashing it against

Breanne’s skull.

The vase shattered on impact.

An angry, purpling lump immediately swelled on Breanne’s forehead as she reeled from the blow.

I shot upright, eyes blazing with fury, my voice sharp as shattered glass.

“Listen here, Breanne Telder. I tolerated your pathetically desperate antics before because I still considered you part of Liam’s family, and I had once cared for Liam. Now that I have rejected him, you mean less than nothing to me. If you are going to lose your mind, know your limits.”

“Lay a finger on my wound again, and this will be the least of your problems. Next time, I will skin your wolf alive. Is that clear?” I growled viciously at the end, and Breanne stared blankly in absolute stunned terror.

It was a side of me I never revealed until now, and to be frank, I felt liberated by it.

The room froze under my glacial glare.

Liam’s gaze darted between my bleeding shoulder and Breanne’s swelling injury. After a heartbeat’s hesitation, he strode to my side.

Standing beside me, he inspected the wound, murmuring, “I am sorry, Claire. Allow me to apologize on her

“Have you lost your mind, Liam?!” Breanne’s shrill scream cracked with hysterical sobs. “She smashed a vase over my head, and you are apologizing to her?! You should be punishing the wretched b***h!”

“Enough!” Liam spatted, “The mess between Claire and me is because I’ve continuously allowed your interference, Breanne. Get out of here and let that sink in.”

“Liam, how could you-” Tears cascaded down Breanne’s cheeks.

“Save the theatrics. I am done indulging your victim act. Walk out or be thrown out, those are your two options, Breanne.”

Silence swallowed the ward.

Clutching her throbbing head and injured waist, Breanne staggered out in humiliated fury.

My heart sank into frozen darkness at the realization of what Liam just said. It turned out that all this time, he had never been oblivious to her tricks.

He had always known Breanne’s games, yet every single time, he had chosen her side. He decided to punish me, knowing full well that Breanne was scheming against me.

Three years of him shielding Breanne while reprimanding me had turned my heart into a pincushion, with each betrayal like a glacial dagger through my ribs.

I had thought myself numb to this man. Yet now, an arctic ache spread through my chest, making me tremble violently.

“I will fetch the doctor to redress that,” Liam muttered before hurrying out.

Under the thin hospital blanket, my fists clenched until my nails carved half-moons into my palms, knuckles bleaching white.

I knew him better than he realized.

He stood with a torn expression as Breanne left, wounded. Now, he was rushing out right after to find me a doctor?

With my jaw clenched against the pain, I rose and limped to the window.

There it was. Exactly as I had predicted he would do.

Outside my hospital window, I watched as Liam was pulling a tear-streaked Breanne aside, spouting hurried justifications.

His arms wrapped tightly around Breanne as she wept openly, his fingers ran through her hair as he tried to explain and soothe her heartache.

My lips twisted soundlessly.

What was I even hoping for? Could you teach an old dog new tricks?

Not in this lifetime-never.

Why wouldn’t he simply admit that he feels more drawn to Breanne and let me be? His constant chasing was cruel because all I was was his favourite toy, one he hadn’t yet finished playing with.

This was why I would never trust the mate bond again. Because you can’t trust the mate you’ve been paired with. At least, I couldn’t

A piercing ringtone shattered the silence.

I snapped to attention, fishing out my phone to see an unknown number flashing. “Hello?”

“Claire! Are you seriously skipping work on your second day?! It is past ten-where the hell are you?!” Queenie’s voice screeched through the speaker, leaving no room for reply.

“Sorry, I am injured at the hosp-”

“I do not care if you are dying! Get your worthless ass here STAT or you are fired!” The call died with a violent click.

I checked the time.

I couldn’t afford to lose this job. Not when I was slowly gaining traction on the direction of my goal.

If pleasing the ‘bitchy Queenie by dragging my groggy arse intod work fresh out of surgery was the way to keep it, then I had no other choice than to do it.

Queenie had hers coming, but not yet. She still had use for me, and I needed to keep playing the game.

Besides, Liam would return soon enough spouting his lines of bullshit, and I couldn’t be bothered to lie here and suffer through it. Queenie was the lesser of two evils for sure.

With pure determination fueling my body, I marched out of my hospital room, tracking down my doctor for a complete rundown of my condition. I quickly collected my medication and efficiently checked myself out.