Darkness.

It clung to me, heavy and suffocating, as if I had been swallowed whole by the void. My limbs felt weak, my mind sluggish, and my body burned with an unfamiliar heat. I barely recalled what had happened—fragments of memory flitted in and out of my consciousness. The oppressive scent of an Alpha had surrounded me, overwhelming my senses, pushing me into a desperate frenzy. And then—pain, desperation, and something sweet, something intoxicating…

A sudden chill snapped me awake.

My breath hitched. The soft caress of silk sheets against my skin was the first thing I noticed. Then, the slow and steady rhythm of another person’s breathing. Dread curled in my stomach as I turned my head.

Ji Xiao.

She lay beside me, her golden eyes closed, her dark hair splayed out on the pillow. The ever-arrogant, untouchable Alpha heiress, now looking strangely peaceful in sleep. But my mind reeled at the implications.

What… what had she done?

A rush of fear coursed through me. Had she succumbed to her instincts? Had she—?

I clenched my fists, willing my breathing to steady. No. I wouldn’t accept this. I refused to let an Alpha toy with me, control me, reduce me to something helpless. My gaze darted around the room, and my eyes landed on a pair of scissors atop a nearby vanity. Without a second thought, I reached for them, gripping them tightly in my trembling hands.

I had to protect myself. I couldn’t let her have power over me.

Heart hammering in my chest, I shifted closer and pressed the cold blade of the scissors against Ji Xiao’s throat. A small gasp escaped her lips as her lashes fluttered. Her golden eyes slowly cracked open, locking onto mine with an unreadable expression.

For a moment, silence hung between us.

Then, her lips curled into the faintest of smirks.

“Well,” she murmured, her voice husky from sleep. “This is certainly an interesting way to wake up.”

I tightened my grip. “What did you do to me?”