Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas
Chapter 42: High Stakes

Chapter 42: High Stakes

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Chapter 42

~Spring’s POV~

Of course.

That got my attention.

I turned my head slightly, eyes narrowing, just enough to see her smug little smirk.

I chuckled, the sound low but dangerous as my shoukders shook with the force. "Oh, you think you can bait me? Frankly speaking, I do not care what happens to Madelyn."

From a mirror close to one fo the games, I could see Lilith’s eyes flicker, just for a split second. But she recovered quickly.

"Is that so?" Lilith said, her voice suddenly low and eerily calm. "I can see your aura, Spring. You’re speaking a half-truth. I don’t know how you did it—but with the serum still in your blood, I can tell when you’re lying."

Damn it.

I smiled wider.

Then let go of Eva’s hand.

I spun back to face her fully and strode forward, each step deliberate, until we were standing face to face, a single breath apart.

"Very well then, Lilith," I said, letting her name roll off my tongue like poison dipped in honey. "But I shall only play your game if the stakes are higher."

Her lashes flicked up in mild amusement. "Fair and fine by me."

"The stakes," I declared, letting my voice ring through the walls for everyone to hear, "if I beat you—you drop your title as Vice President of the Student Council." There was dead beat silence for a little period and then I added, "I’ll of course, be taking your seat."

A murmur rippled through the room like thunder over a still lake.

Lilith arched one brow. "And if you lose?"

I gave her a generous smile. "It is only right that you decide what you want. Fair is fair, isn’t it?"

She didn’t hesitate. "Very well. If you lose, Spring Kaine—"

She leaned in close, voice barely above a whisper, but sharp enough to tear skin.

"—you will forfeit your position as a student of Noxshade Academy. Effective immediately. And..."" she drawled, building tensiona nd anticipation, "...you’ll reject all your mates... and walk away. Alone."

The air left my lungs.

A hush fell so hard I could hear a pen drop somewhere in the back of the room.

In my head, I could practically feel my mates’ fury rising like a tide. Jade growled in response.

"Spring... Solstice no. you do not have to accept those terms."

I smiled at her. "I do actually. If she has something to lose, then so do I."

But I didn’t flinch. My hand lifted slowly. Calmly. I extended it toward her. "Okay, I get your seat and Eva gets to do what she likes."

Lilith reached out.

But just before our fingers touched, she added, voice gleaming with venom:

"We shall duel over three games. One for each time you called me by name. The winner of two rounds claims the prize."

"I wouldn’t want it any other way," I said with a smirk. "But let’s make the games fun. Each one will be randomly selected by drawing lots—one student from each year will have thei rname pulled out randomly."

Her jaw clenched just slightly. It was small, but I saw it.

"And the games will be drawn blindly. Deal, Lilith?"

She forced a smile, the tension in her eyes betraying her composure.

"Deal," she said, reaching forward and gripping my hand tight.

We shook and the deal was sealed.

Murmuring broke out through the crowd again as though someone had pressed the play button.

Some people backed away like the air had become electric. Others leaned in, hungry for the blood sport that was about to unfold.

Her nails dug into my hand for a beat longer than necessary. "Let the Games begin," Lilith said with a smile.

And I just smiled back.

And all around us, the cameras blinked red.

I could tell they weren’t here but I was sure as hell that my mates were watching and probably fuming red by now.

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~Storm’s POV~

The room had gone still—too still—as we all watched the aftermath of the challenge between Madelyn Pierce and Spring.

Tyrion had paused mid-sip of his drink, Kael leaned forward like he hadn’t taken a breath in minutes, and Jace—who never shut up—sat so quiet you’d think his voice had been taken from him.

And me? I watched.

My arms were folded tightly and my fists clenched. Aura spiking so sharply that the crystal lights above us flickered. I couldn’t look away from the screen and from Spring.

Standing there with that damn smile on her lips—like she wasn’t gambling everything.

The speakers crackled. And then Lilith’s cold voice, slid through the room like a guillotine.

"If you lose, Spring Kaine... then you are to forfeit your position as a student of Noxshade Academy effective immediately—and reject all your mates."

"Walk away. Alone."

Crack.

The remote in my hand snapped in half.

Jace shot to his feet. "What?!"

Kael’s eyes flared as he slammed his fists on the table where he stood. "Is she mad?"

"This can’t be happening," Tyrion said lowly like saying it louder might make it true.

"Who is she to decide our fate with our mate?" Kael snapped.

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. The rage in my chest made speaking dangerous.

The aura rolling off me turned the air heavy, ppressive. Even the walls groaned like they knew I was holding back.

Because Lilith Astor—our own Vice President—had just thrown down a line no one was allowed to cross.

And Spring?

She’d just leapt over it.

"I do not know who I should squash first," I muttered darkly, my voice finally breaking through the tension, "Lilith, for proposing that suicidal stake..."

"Definitely, Lilith," Jace chipped in but Ipushed away from the console and stood, my chair groaning behind me.

"Or our mate, who thinks this is just a game and happily gambled our existence in her life away and doesn’t realize the trap right in front of her."

Jace turned on me. "You cannot blame her."

"She didn’t make the rules," Kael added.

Tyrion sighed. "Lilith is the problem here. Not Spring."

"I won’t hurt her," I ground out, jaw clenched. "But I’ll make her regret ever toying with the idea of throwing us away like garbage."