The alpha's arrival had brought a sense of excitement and nervousness to the palace. Anna and Georgia had watched as Riya showed him to his room, wondering what the night would bring.
As they made their way back to the sitting room, they couldn't help but discuss the alpha's arrival.
"What did you think of him?" Anna asked, flopping down onto the couch.
Georgia shrugged. "I don't know. He seemed...different."
"Different?" Anna repeated. "What do you mean?"
Georgia thought for a moment before responding. "I don't know, he just seemed more...relaxed, I guess."
Anna nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I was expecting him to be all stern and serious, but he seemed almost...friendly."
Georgia raised an eyebrow. "Friendly? That's not exactly the word I would use."
Anna laughed. "Okay, maybe not friendly, but definitely more approachable than I expected."
Just then, Riya entered the room, a smile on her face.
"How's everything?" she asked, sitting down beside them.
Anna and Georgia filled her in on their discussion, and Riya listened intently.
"I think I know what you mean," she said when they finished. "The alpha can be a bit...intimidating at first, but once you get to know him, he's really not so bad."
Anna and Georgia exchanged a look, both of them thinking the same thing: Riya seemed to know the alpha pretty well.
"Riya, can I ask you something?" Anna said, turning to her.
"Of course," Riya replied. "What is it?"
"How do you know the alpha so well?" Anna asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Riya smiled, a faraway look in her eyes.
"I've known the alpha for a long time," she said. "We grew up together, actually."
Anna and Georgia exchanged a look, both of them surprised.
"No way," Anna said. "You and the alpha are friends?"
Riya nodded. "Yes, we are. We've been friends for as long as I can remember."
Georgia's eyes narrowed. "And you never told us?"
Riya shrugged. "I didn't think it was important."
Anna and Georgia exchanged a look, both of them thinking the same thing: Riya was full of surprises.
Just then, a servant entered the room, bowing low.
"Excuse me, masters," he said. "The alpha requests your presence at dinner."
Anna, Georgia, and Riya exchanged a look, all of them thinking the same thing: this was going to be an interesting night.
They followed the servant to the dining room, where the alpha was already seated.
"Ah, welcome," he said, smiling. "Please, join me."
Anna, Georgia, and Riya took their seats, trying to make small talk as the servants brought out the first course.
But as the night wore on, Anna couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
The alpha seemed...distracted, almost.
And Riya seemed to be watching him closely, as if waiting for something to happen.
Anna's eyes met Georgia's, and she could tell her friend was thinking the same thing: what was going on?
As the main course was served, the alpha suddenly stood up, his eyes locked on Riya.
"Riya, may I have a word with you?" he asked, his voice low and serious.
Riya nodded, getting up from her seat.
"Excuse me," she said to Anna and Georgia before following the alpha out of the room.
Anna and Georgia exchanged a look, both of them thinking the same thing: what was going on?
They sat in silence for a moment, waiting for Riya to return.
But as the minutes ticked by, Anna began to feel a sense of unease.
Something was wrong.
And she had a feeling it was going to get a lot worse before the night was over.
Just then, Riya returned, her face pale.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked, concern etched on her face.
Riya took a deep breath before speaking.
"It's the alpha," she said. "He's...he's received some bad news."
Anna and Georgia exchanged a look, both of them thinking the same thing: what kind of bad news?
But before they could ask any questions, the alpha returned, his face grim.
"I'm afraid we have a situation on our hands," he said, his voice serious.
Anna, Georgia, and Riya exchanged a look, all of them thinking the same thing: this was not going to be good.