Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196

Elsa

The main floor of the bar was packed, the music pounding so loudly I could feel it in my chest. The dense crowd and overwhelming scents of alcohol, perfume, and sweat made it difficult to orient myself. I pushed through the mass of bodies, desperate for fresh air, my

breathing ragged and uneven.

My heel landed on someone’s foot, and I turned to ap..ogize when a strong arm circled my waist from behind. Before I could react, a cloth pressed against my face, the chemical smell burning my nostrils.

Instinct took over. I stomped down hard, grinding my stiletto heel

into my

attacker’s instep. “Get the fuck off me!” I snarled as he cursed and loosened his grip just enough for me to twist away, but not before I’d inhaled some of whatever was on the cloth.

Almost immediately, the room began to spin. My limbs felt heavy, disconnected from my body. I stumbled forward, bumping into

dancers who pushed me away irritably.

Keep moving. Don’t stop. Find help. Goddamn it, stay conscious.

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My thoughts came sluggishly as I forced myself toward the center of

the dance floor, my arms flailing for balance.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled, my tongue feeling too large for my mouth as I tried to focus on the exit signs, but they doubled and tripled in my vision. The crush of bodies pressed in from all sides, making it hard to breathe. My legs threatened to give out with each step, my ankles rolling in my heels.

Then, cutting through the haze, I heard a familiar voice–Susan’s- shouting over the music.

“Get out of my way! Move!”

Susan was still here? Then Allen…

Hope flickered dimly. If Allen was nearby, I might have a chance. I changed direction, fighting against the current of dancers, moving toward Susan’s voice. My vision narrowed to a tunnel, darkness creeping in from the edges. I reached out blindly, my fingers grasping

at nothing.

Just a little further. Don’t pass out. Not here. Not now. Fucking fight

1. it.

The last thing I registered was the sight of Susan’s shocked face as

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our eyes met across the dance floor, her expression shifting from

anger to something else–something like alarm.

Drake

I drummed my fingers on the polished oak table, watching Samuel Wright squirm in his seat across from me. The private room in Moonlight Bar offered a perfect vantage point–soundproofed for our conversation, yet with a clear view of the dance floor below through one–way glass. The scent of expensive whiskey hung in the air,

mingling with Samuel’s nervous sweat.

“Come on, Stone,” Samuel leaned forward, his smile not reaching his eyes. “I’m not asking for much. Why make this difficult? The villagers in Phoenix are just asking for fair compensation.”

“Fair?” I took a slow sip of my drink, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably. “Everyone else accepted the standard rate. What

makes Phoenix Village special?”

Samuel’s fake confidence wavered. As a fringe member of the Shadow Moon pack, he had no real authority–just a local thug trying to squeeze more money by stirring up trouble among the villagers.

“The land has been in their families for generations,” he argued. “The silver deposits there are worth-”

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“I know exactly what they’re worth,” I cut him off. “That’s why I’m

paying for them.”

My attention drifted as movement on the dance floor caught my eye. A flash of golden hair–unmistakable even in this crowd. Elsa. My

assistant. My property.

She was pushing through the throng, looking flustered. I straightened in my chair, my senses instantly alert. Someone grabbed her arm, and I watched as she yanked it away violently, her face contorting with rage as she mouthed what looked like “Get your fucking hands off me.” Her eyes were wide with panic, darting around …e room

desperately.

“Mr. Stone? Are you listening?” Samuel’s voice grated on my nerves.

“No,” I answered honestly, my eyes tracking Elsa as she continued to move through the crowd. “I’m not.”

The fool looked offended, but I couldn’t have cared less. Something was wrong downstairs. I could feel it. Elsa was moving with purpose toward Allen, that pathetic excuse for a businessman who had been sniffing around her for weeks.

My fingers tightened around my glass. What the hell was she doing here? And with him?

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