Chapter 293: Why Is Princess Still In The Club

"I’ve shown people MG’s photo, and no one recognizes him," Beam said after returning. She walked up to where the alpha was waiting, her boots squeaking softly against the polished floor. She shook her head, tucking her phone back into her front pocket with a heavy, frustrated sigh that showed how tired she was getting.

Princess looked around the huge multi-level club. It looked more like a luxurious lounge mixed with a casino. Every table was occupied by wealthy patrons enjoying expensive drinks while playing cards, roulette, and other games.

The place wasn’t a loud nightclub. Instead, smooth jazz drifted through the air, practically screaming money and wealth. The saxophone notes were low and steady, mixing with the quiet murmurs of the gamblers and the ice clinking in crystal glasses.

"So he’s not here, and you left the hostages behind..." Princess said. She leaned her back against a heavy marble pillar, her arms crossed over her chest as her eyes scanned the top balcony.

"Because we thought this was the final stop. There was no point dragging them around anymore," Beam replied. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to loosen the tension in her neck as she looked around the fancy room.

Peamah was standing near the entrance of the club. He looked more like a bouncer than a customer. His massive frame blocked half the doorway, his jaw set in a hard line that kept the wolves from getting too close. Even some of the employees had asked if he wanted a job. They had looked at his broad shoulders and height with wide eyes, offering him a badge before he could even tell them to back off.

"I heard you’re looking for a guy named Malone Griffin."

A tall, slim boy approached the two girls. He stepped out from behind a high-stakes blackjack table, his hands tucked neatly into the pockets of his pressed trousers.

"Yes, we are," Beam confirmed. She took half a step forward, her eyes narrowing as she sized him up.

"My name is Checkers. The boy you’re looking for is long gone. You just missed him. Some wealthy Alpha bought him. You’re probably never going to see him again." The boy gave a casual shrug, his face entirely unbothered by the news he was delivering.

"And now it’s another destination," Princess muttered. She let out a sharp breath through her teeth, her fingers digging slightly into her own sleeves as the map in her head grew longer and longer.

"Do you know the Alpha who bought him?" Beam asked. She didn’t let her voice shake, keeping her focus entirely on the boy’s face.

"No. New customers come in every day. The man was probably a new client, and Malone seemed very happy to be bought." He grinned. The expression was wide and sharp, a bit too proud for the kind of place they were standing in. "You know, I’m pretty good at customer service too. I’m sure I’m at least twice as good as Malone."

Checkers winked at them, trying to earn their favor. He leaned slightly closer, his scent shifting to try and seem more appealing to the two girls.

Neither girl reacted. Princess didn’t even move an inch, her eyes remaining completely cold as she stared right through him like he was made of glass.

"Thank you for your time. We’ll take it from here," Beam said dismissively. She turned her shoulder, cutting off his view of them with a flat, final tone.

Checkers shrugged and walked away.

"Looks like we have to head back to that dump of a place," Princess said, shooting Beam a look that wasn’t particularly welcoming. Her eyes were sharp, the color flashing with an annoyance that had nothing to do with Malone or the missing boy.

Beam noticed it. In fact, she’d been noticing that look for over a week now. Every time they were in the same room, the air would turn thick and hard to breathe, and she was getting tired of the silent treatment.

This was her chance to finally ask.

"If I may ask, do we have a problem?" Beam said. She turned fully to face the alpha, her boots planting firmly on the ground as she waited.

"I don’t know. Do we?" Princess replied. She tilted her head, her jaw tightening as she looked her friend up and down.

"I’ve been noticing the way you look at me. Is it because I haven’t been showing up for practice?"

"I don’t know. You still play online, so I don’t have a problem with that." Princess folded her arms. Her breathing was steady now, but her scent was rising, filling the small space between them with a heavy warning. "I just don’t understand why you get to spend more time with my girlfriend than I do."

Beam blinked. Her mouth opened slightly before she could stop it, her mind taking a second to register the words.

So that’s what this was about.

Beam tutoring Faye had clearly gotten under Princess’s skin.

Having someone who once slept with your ex-girlfriend spending more time with your current girlfriend wasn’t exactly easy for Princess to ignore.

"I’m just helping her study," Beam explained. She shook her head, trying to keep her voice down so the other patrons wouldn’t hear. "I’m teaching her, that’s all. There’s nothing going on between us, if that’s what you’re implying."

"You could’ve said no. You could’ve made up some excuse." Princess scoffed. She turned her head away, her lip curling into a small, bitter smirk. "I’m available to tutor my own girlfriend. You’re not the only person in school with good grades. I have good grades too."

"I didn’t have a choice. The principal gave me detention and then assigned me to tutor her. I never thought saying no was an option." Beam’s chest rose with a heavy sigh, her own irritation starting to show through her calm mask.

"There’s always an option. Silviana said she gave you one, but you chose to do what you wanted."

"She never gave me an option. If anything, it sounded more like a command."

Princess sighed. She rubbed her temple with two fingers, the jazz music from the stage suddenly sounding much too loud.

"It’s fine. My girlfriend isn’t the type to fall for someone’s charming face." She smirked. The expression didn’t reach her eyes, which were still burning hot. "My face is charming enough for her. And I marked her to make sure she doesn’t like anyone else but me."

"If that’s true, then why do you look threatened?" Beam asked. She took a step closer, her voice dropping into a quiet challenge that made the alpha’s eyes snap right back to hers.

Princess’s jaw tightened. A low, barely audible vibration started in her chest, the raw alpha energy pulsing through her frame before she forced it down.

"Because you’re a girlfriend snatcher. You’ve done it before, and I won’t let you do it again. Not with this one." Her voice softened slightly, the anger dipping into something much heavier, a raw vulnerability that made her look smaller for a fraction of a second. "She is all I have..... She told me to stay feets away from other girls. But honestly, you should be the one staying ten feet away from my girl."

"You know I have my own girlfriend, right?" Beam said, throwing her hands out slightly.

"Doesn’t matter. A snatcher is always a snatcher."

Beam rolled her eyes. She let out a long breath, shaking her head as she looked away toward the exit. "I’ve never stolen anyone’s girlfriend before, let alone come between a couple. So relax. I don’t even see Faye that way."

Princess scoffed again. She crossed her arms tighter, her fingers digging deep into the fabric of her coat.

She still couldn’t bring herself to tell Beam about Kiara.

Instead, she simply shut down the conversation. She turned her back to the bar, her eyes scanning the main floor to find an escape route.

"Just stay 10 or 15 feet away from my woman. That’s all.... I don’t like seeing you around her."

"Fine. I can do that," Beam replied. She nodded once, her voice completely flat as she accepted the terms. "My detention is already over anyway."

Just as the two girls were about to leave, someone called out to Princess. The voice was high, mocking, and echoed clearly over the soft piano music playing near the stage.

"I can’t believe my lucky eyes. Princess Kings of Oakland High School."

The girls turned around. Their boots clicked against the floor as they spun on their heels, their faces dropping instantly into cold, hard masks.

Standing there were two of their archenemies.