Chapter 111: The Burden of Power
Vivian’s POV
Lost in my not-so-innocent daydream, I didn’t even notice when he turned around and walked over to me, a plate in his hands and a cocky smirk plastered across his face. By the time I realized he was standing directly in front of me, I was already blushing furiously.
"Today’s breakfast," he announced proudly, "includes French toast with cinnamon, fresh fruit salad, orange juice... and a very willing mate on the side."
I choked on my own spit.
"I’ll take everything but the last one, thanks," I muttered quickly, grabbing the plate from his hands and focusing very, very hard on the food.
He leaned against the counter beside me, his piercing eyes gleaming with pure amusement.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice low and teasing as he leaned in a little closer.
My breath caught in my throat. "Yeah," I squeaked out.
Zaliver pulled back slowly, clearly enjoying the chaotic effect he had on me. "Alright. Later then."
I glanced up from under my dark lashes and mumbled, "Definitely later."
The shift in his expression was immediate: surprise, heat, and something softer flickered through his eyes. He looked almost boyish for a second, completely caught off guard by my response. It made my heart trip over itself in my chest.
But before either of us could say anything else, a sharp knock came at the front door. I leapt up faster than a guilty pup and dashed out of the kitchen.
When I opened the door, Algebra was standing there, arms crossed over his chest and green eyes narrowed sharply at me. He did not look pleased.
"Hello, Algebra!" I said cheerily, stepping aside to let him inside.
He pointed a finger at me in mock outrage. "You’ve made my job twenty times harder. Stop that."
I rolled my eyes. "Nice to see you too."
Zaliver walked out of the kitchen then, shirtless glory and all, and gave Algebra a mildly irritated look. His gaze flicked between us as Algebra handed him a heavy black messenger bag.
"Thanks. How’s everything?" Zaliver asked, pulling out a laptop and a stack of folders. One particularly thick black folder caught my eye, labeled Private in bold red lettering.
"Everything’s smooth. Except for the part where your mate makes you forget your own work," Algebra muttered, shooting me a sharp look. "Vivian, let the man focus. Now I’m stuck doing his job. I’ve got a life, you know."
Zaliver growled low under his breath. "Shut up."
I grinned. "Aren’t betas supposed to be able to handle alpha responsibilities?"
Algebra scoffed dramaticaly. "Yeah, for normal alphas. Not for the Alpha of all Alphas. I’m just a beta. One of many."
Wait... one of many?
I turned to Zaliver, who was already scanning a document. "You have more betas?"
He didn’t look up as he answered. "Every pack has one. I assign them based on compatibility. They handle the day-to-day tasks the alpha can’t or won’t. They know everything their alphas do, sometimes more. They report directly to me. If a pack’s alpha starts slipping, I decide whether they stay... or go."
His voice was calm, but the sheer weight behind it made my spine straighten. There was no mistaking it: Zaliver wasn’t just playing leader. He was the system. The enforcer. The judge.
And suddenly, breakfast didn’t feel quite as lighthearted anymore.
"Oh," I said dumbly, blinking as a soft throbbing pressed against the inside of my skull. It wasn’t sharp enough to complain about, more like a distant echo—a dull rhythm tapping from within. It reminded me of someone rapping their fingers on glass: curious, insistent, and impossible to ignore.
My wolf huffed at the sensation, clearly irritated by the noise. Before I could unravel what it meant, Algebra’s voice yanked me out of my spiraling thoughts.
"See! Everyone always forgets about the beta. We get overlooked like we don’t do anything around here, but we’re busting our asses too. Now with his royal pain gone, I’ve got twice the work. C’mon, Luna, throw a guy a bone," he grumbled dramatically.
Zaliver smacked the back of his head—and definitely not playfully, either. I winced a little on Algebra’s behalf.
"Damn! That actually hurt!" Algebra whined, rubbing the back of his head with a pained grimace. "You see this? Abuse of power! And the worst part? I can’t even report you because you’d probably kill me. Dead. Just for laughs."
Still muttering under his breath, he turned on his heel and made for the front door. "Later, losers."
I watched him disappear down the hall before glancing at Zaliver, who just stood there shaking his head in exasperation.
"Your beta’s weird," I said bluntly.
"I know. But he’s loyal and good at what he does. That’s why I keep him around," Zaliver said dryly, his attention drifting right back to the mountain of papers in his hand.
"Are you actually gonna work through all that?" I asked, eyeing the intimidating stack. Just looking at it made me want to run in the opposite direction.
"I was going to. Unless you—"
I cut him off with a firm shake of my head. No way I was going to distract him now. He already had enough on his plate, and if Algebra returned to find him slacking, I’d probably be the one getting blamed for it.
"Go ahead," I said. "I’m gonna keep myself busy."
Without waiting for his response, I turned and headed back toward the kitchen, finishing the last of my food before slipping upstairs.
In our room, I changed clothes, frowning slightly, though I wasn’t sure why. Something just didn’t sit right. I felt unsettled, restless in a way that went deeper than simple boredom. After a minute of pacing the floor, I decided I’d go for a swim. Why not? The pool was part of the house and, so far, had been tragically neglected. Might as well enjoy it.
I picked out one of the only bikinis I could actually wear with confidence: deep midnight blue on top, tied around my neck and back, while the bottoms were solid black from behind and blue in front. Over it, I pulled on a sheer, flowy cover-up that fell loosely around my knees. Grabbed a dry towel. Found some flip-flops. Made my way back downstairs.