EVAN'S POV

　　"Get away from her!" I shouted.

　　Before I realized what I was doing, I threw Heckim across the room, away from Lydia. They were both intoxicated, but Lydia clearly wasn't in control of her own body.

　　Did he… did he do something to her?

　　Brandon was on him already, beating the crap out of him.

　　"What did you do, huh? What did you do to her?" he shouted, but Heckim was about to faint when everyone else from the party joined us. Gasps filled the room as people took in the scene before them.

　　"What is going on here?" Alpha Chloe shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. I asked Brandon to step away from Heckim, who lay crumpled on the floor.

　　"He was trying to take advantage of her intoxicated state," Brandon answered while I held Lydia in my arms, her body limp and unresponsive.

　　"Impossible!" Alpha Chloe and Beta Joey said in unison.

　　"Just look at everything and look at her state. Do you think we're lying?" I questioned her, my voice edged with anger and desperation. Alpha Chloe fell silent for a moment, her eyes scanning the room and the people around us.

　　"Lydia," Alpha Chloe said, her voice softer now, "can you tell me what happened?"

　　Lydia tried to speak, her words slurred and barely audible. "I… I don't know… Beta Joey… he gave me a drink… then Heckim…"

　　Alpha Chloe's eyes darted to Beta Joey, who looked shocked and defensive. "I didn't do anything! I only offered her a drink out of courtesy!"

　　"A drink that was clearly spiked!" Brandon snapped. "You think we're blind? Or stupid? She was fine until she drank whatever you gave her."

　　The room buzzed with whispers and murmurs, the tension thick in the air. Alpha Chloe's gaze hardened as she turned to Joey. "Is this true? Did you spike her drink?"

　　"No, Alpha Chloe! I would never—" Joey started, but the Alpha cut him off.

　　"We'll get to the bottom of this," she said firmly. "For now, let's get Lydia somewhere safe. We'll deal with the rest later."

　　It was not safe for Lydia to be alone, so we took her to our room while Alpha Chloe managed the rest. Lydia lay on our bed, her breathing uneven, while Brandon stood by the window, staring out into the night.

　　"Brandon? What's wrong?" I asked, concerned by the tension in his posture.

　　"When I saw Lydia today with that... that Heckim, I just lost it. Lydia is working so hard to gain alliances, but I think what I did today might have a negative impact on her image." He said, his voice filled with frustration and guilt.

　　I shook my head, trying to reassure him. "That's not true. Alpha Chloe is a good and reasonable person. Once she realizes that Lydia is innocent, she'll clear the air. It's not your fault."

　　Brandon nodded, though the worry in his eyes remained. He turned towards me, about to say something, but then he froze, his gaze fixed on Lydia. I followed his line of sight and realized Lydia was taking off her clothes.

　　"Lydia, what are you doing?" I exclaimed, rushing over to her. Brandon joined me, his face a mix of concern and panic.

　　Lydia looked at us, her eyes half-closed and unfocused. "Too tight… it's too tight," she mumbled, fumbling with the fabric of her dress.

　　"Lydia, you need to stop," Brandon said gently, placing his hands on her shoulders to keep her from undressing further. "You're not thinking clearly right now."

　　She blinked at him, confusion etched on her face. "But… it's so uncomfortable," she whispered, her voice shaky.

　　I grabbed a soft blanket from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around her. "Here, Lydia. This will help. Just keep this on, okay?"

　　"Nooooooo! I want it off right now," Lydia cried, tearing the blanket away. Unable to take off the dress, she simply ripped it off, leaving her exposed. The sight of her in such a vulnerable state was almost too much to bear.

　　I struggled to look away, feeling a primal urge to protect and hold her. The constant battle I fought daily to keep my distance from my mate was wearing thin, and seeing her like this, so defenceless, only made it harder.

　　"Evan, don't," Brandon's voice broke through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality. I quickly averted my gaze, trying to regain control.