Tempted By My Ex's Brother-in-Law (Aria and Grayson) novel Chapter 184

**Wore 184**

**10:23 Wed, Nov 26**

**Chapter 184**

Tamsin’s footsteps echoed ominously just outside the door, sending a jolt of panic through me. I darted a glance back, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.

The only refuge in the cramped room was beneath the large, imposing desk, where the back panel offered a meager shield from view. It wasn’t a perfect hiding spot, but I had no choice; time was slipping away like sand through my fingers.

With a rush of adrenaline, I scrambled under the desk, pressing myself against the cool floor, my breath shallow and rapid. Almost immediately, the door swung open with a creak, and Tamsin strode in, her presence filling the room with a palpable tension.

“I’m calling the castle guards right now to have that skank Sherry brought here,” she declared, her voice laced with fury. “You’re absolutely right. How dare a damn commoner think she can ever challenge us?!”

My heart plummeted at her words. The phone was resting right on this very desk, within arm’s reach. If Tamsin decided to circle around, she would undoubtedly spot me cowering beneath her furniture.

Her footsteps drew nearer, each step sending a fresh wave of dread coursing through me. I tensed every muscle, preparing to bolt at a moment’s notice, but then Tamsin halted abruptly on the opposite side of the desk.

I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding as I watched her pick up the phone.

“Hello, Captain Perry? Yes, this is your General Lady Tamsin. I want you to go down to the basement, find a skanky Omega named Sherry, and bring her to my room. Oh, and don’t forget my whip and other instruments. I’m teaching that whore a serious lesson… WHAT? I don’t fucking care what time it is! Your General gives you an order, and you obey. GOT IT?!”

She slammed the phone down with a resounding thud that reverberated through the room.

“They’re getting more and more disrespectful by the day, Mother,” Maeve chimed in, her voice simmering with anger. “Now even a captain dares to question your orders? That’s absolutely outrageous.”

Tamsin’s tone turned grim, a shadow crossing her face. “You know why. It’s because Mother gave Aria that gun, the symbol of her authority. People have picked up on that signal, Maeve. They think the power in this pack is shifting.”

“Then we need to solidify our own authority even more,” Maeve insisted, urgency lacing her words. “In fact, we need the soldiers’ loyalty now more than ever, Mother. If that rumor about the battle gets out…”

“SHHH!” Tamsin interrupted sharply, her voice a harsh whisper. “Watch your mouth!”

An oppressive silence enveloped the room, broken only by the heavy breathing of the two women. I held my breath, too terrified to make a sound, my mind racing with the implications of what I had just overheard.

**10:23 Wed, Nov 26**

**Chapter 184**

“That thing about the battle?”

What Maeve had almost let slip was precisely what I had been investigating.

“…Never mention that again,” Tamsin snapped, her voice low and sharp, tinged with an undercurrent of panic. “You act like it never happened. Just like we agreed.”

“…Y-Yes.” Maeve gulped, her voice trembling slightly. “Yes, Mother. You’re right.”

Just then, a knock echoed on the office door, and a tall female soldier stepped inside, dragging a struggling Omega behind her.

“General Lady Tamsin, Sherry is here,” the soldier announced, her tone respectful yet cautious.

“Good. And the instruments I asked for?” Tamsin demanded, her voice dripping with malice.

The soldier hesitated, uncertainty flickering across her face. “My Lady, with all due respect… may I ask what you need those for?”

“It’s none of your fucking business, Perry. Just leave the Omega and get the hell out,” Maeve growled, her eyes narrowing.

“I’m sorry, but… Alpha Thalira might not want to see you torturing an Omega inside the packhouse. The rumors about you and Lady Maeve have only just died down… now is probably not a good time to—”

“HOW DARE YOU!” Maeve roared, her voice a thunderclap in the tense atmosphere. “You’re just a lowly captain, Perry! And you are questioning your Ladies and Generals? Who gave you the nerve?”

“I-I meant no offense to you, Lady Maeve…”

“And what rumors are you talking about?” Tamsin pressed, her tone menacing. “The ones calling us violent psychos? You believe them? You think that’s what we are—two crazy nuts?”

“N-No! Of course not. I would never—”

Tamsin stepped forward, her finger jabbing sharply into Captain Perry’s chest. “Get out now, or stay with this damn Omega and find out for yourself if we’re the violent psychos they say we are!”

A heavy silence fell, thick with tension, before Perry’s voice dropped to a whisper. “…My apology. I’ll leave you to it, General Lady Tamsin.”

She saluted the mother and daughter, pivoted on her heel, and hurriedly exited the room.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Tamsin spun around, her foot connecting with the female Omega’s side with brutal force.

“See that, bitch? Even a fucking captain has to bow to me. What makes you think you—a filthy Omega—can challenge me?!”

The Omega slid across the floor from the impact, sobbing uncontrollably. I finally got a clear look at her: she was stunningly beautiful, her large, expressive eyes glistening with tears of terror that fell onto her delicate hands.

“I-I wasn’t trying to challenge you, Lady Tamsin…” she wept, her voice quivering as she begged for mercy.

“Someone will put a stop to your cruelty, you know? You won’t get to abuse us forever,” she shot back fiercely. “That new Lady we have… Aria… I heard the Alpha has already put her in the army. Sooner or later, she’ll replace you, and she’ll stop you—”

“SHUT UP!!!” Tamsin exploded, her rage palpable.

**10:23 Wed, Nov 26**

**Chapter 184**

She slapped Sherry hard across the face, her voice a thunderous roar. “That Aria? A fucking bastard. What right does she have to replace me, a pathetic girl without a proper Lady?”

Seemingly still unsatisfied, she turned to Maeve, snapping, “Get the lighter. Let’s start by burning her fucking hair off!”

“Yes, Mother!” Maeve’s voice was twisted with excitement as she rushed to retrieve the lighter.

Sherry cried out in terror, while Tamsin laughed maniacally, the sound chilling me to the bone. I couldn’t stay hidden any longer. Even if my backup hadn’t arrived, I had to intervene.

I was ready to leap out and confront those two monsters with everything I had when suddenly—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The mother and daughter froze, their expressions shifting to one of confusion.

“Who could that be at this hour?” Tamsin frowned, her brow furrowing.

“I don’t know,” Maeve replied, her voice suddenly tense. “Mom, you… you don’t think Grandmother heard this bitch’s screams and sent someone over to check on us?”

Tamsin’s expression shifted to one of nervousness. She swallowed hard. “Impossible! Mother’s bedroom is too far away. She couldn’t have noticed.”

Even so, she clamped a hand over Sherry’s mouth and then turned to Maeve. “You go and answer it. Whoever it is, tell them to fuck off.”

Hope ignited in my chest.

It had to be Rhys at the door.

He must have received my message and come to help. Oh, goddess, I had never felt so grateful for my ally. I desperately hoped he could put an end to this madness…

Maeve opened the door, but after a few seconds of silence, she suddenly let out a shocked cry.

“A-Alpha Grayson! You… what are you doing here?!”