I leaned on my bike and waited for Levi to call us when he was at my house, bored. I didn't say a word while the others didn't say a word and flicked a piece of dirt off my bike.

Finally the phone rang, and Bryant answered it.

"It took you long enough," he said and Levi mumbled a half-hearted apology. "Where is she?"

"I haven't knocked on the door yet, Sir," Levi said while he did so, the sound of knocking filling our ears. "I will tell you when she answers or if she answers."

"You better," Bryant grunted before he cleared his throat. "Or else the Viper will be injured." He looked at me, and I smiled at him sweetly and waved.

"Don't hurt her," Levi said, and I could hear a small bit of panic in his voice, and I could tell that the Puppetmaster heard it too while he looked at the phone harder. "Please."

"And why not?" the Puppetmaster asked, and there was a small bit of warning in his tone while he stared at the phone. He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes while he scowled. "Are you hoping that she will save you?"

Levi paused before he cleared his throat. "No, Master," he said, but I could tell that there was a small bit of him that hoped I would. "I know that she won't save me."

Interesting...

The Puppetmaster scowled and narrowed his eyes further, and I had a feeling that he did not believe him. However, he did not say a word when there was a small "who is it?" on the other end of the line.

"It's me," Levi said. "Open up."

The sound of a door opening filled the air around us, and Levi breathed a sigh of relief when he "saw me."

"Alexandra," he said and cleared his throat. "You're here."

"Yes?" Salem, playing me, asked, and I had a feeling that they raised an eyebrow. "Where else would I be?"

"I thought you were the Viper," he said. "I have been told that you are her too."

"Alexandra" stayed silent, and I had a feeling that they blinked and scowled while they narrowed her eyes.

"Get her to say something else," Bryant ordered. "And is she wearing her clothes?"

"She is wearing her clothes," Levi said into the phone.

"And who's clothes would I be wearing?" "Alexandra" asked with annoyance filling "her" voice. "I hope that you aren't talking about yours because I did burn the shirt that you left me."

Atta go, Salem, I thought, biting back a small smirk because I had said the same thing to him.

"Now, are you on the phone with someone? Why are you at my door on the phone? If you don't want to talk with me then, bye? I have stuff that I need to get done." "Alexandra" started to close the door.

"Get her not to close the door," Bryant said. "Come up with something to keep it open."

'Is anyone close to them?' I asked.

'Yes,' Anthony said.

'Good, tell them to be petty.'

'On it,' Corey chirped.

"Wait!" Levi exclaimed, and his voice shook with nervousness while "Alexandra" slowly closed the door. "Yes, I am on the phone, but I need to talk to you too. Please."

Click. The sound of the door closing filled the call between us, and I bit back a satisfied smirk while I leaned back on my bike.

'They closed it.'

Levi cursed under his breath and knocked on the closed door harder. "Lexi, please," he begged. "Open the d-"

The door opened as I would have when he called me "Lexi," and Levi took a sharp breath because of the scathing look that was on "her" face.

"Alexandra," "she" seethed, and Corey giggled because Salem was being a good stand in for me. "How many times do I have to tell you that you have no right to call me "Lexi" or anything else besides my real name?"

Levi cleared his throat, and he shifted on his feet. He sighed and cleared his throat again while he dipped his head. "I'm sorry," he said softly. He cleared his throat a third time. "Please can you talk to me, Alexandra?"

"She" paused and narrowed "her" eyes at Levi while "she" scowled and pressed "her" lips into a thin line. "Fine," "Alexandra" said with a small sigh and a shake of "her" head. "What do you want?"

"To talk," he said softly. "Can I come in, please?"

"Hmmmm." "Alexandra paused, and I had a feeling that "she" tapped "her" chin while "she" thought about his question like I would. "No," "she" said with a shake of her head. "Unfortunately, I will not let you in."

Levi growled annoyed, and I held back an eye roll and a scowl, not impressed by his behavior. "And why not?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly. "Are you hiding something?"

"I'm hiding a lot of things, Alpha," "she" replied, and Levi growled again, and "Alexandra" rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't growl at me, Alpha. It's unbecoming of you."

Again, Levi growled, not heeding "her" warning.

"Alexandra, Dear? What's going on over there?" I heard my grandmother ask, walking over to the door. "Why do I hear so much growling?"

"Alexandra" bit back an annoyed sigh and cleared "her" throat. "Levi is here," "she" said, and there was a trace of annoyance in "her" voice. "And he keeps growling at me."

My grandmother cleared her throat to hide a chuckle. "Then let him in, Sweetie," she said, and I had a feeling that she touched Alexandra's elbow and gently started to pull "her" away from the door. "Why are you on the phone, Dear?"

"Grams," "Alexandra" warned, and I bit back a small smirk because I would have done the same thing. "There is no need for him to come in."

"Go in," the Puppetmaster said and I held back an eye roll and a scowl, grateful that his attention wasn't on me.

"Please, can I come in?" Levi asked, not even telling her why he was on the phone.

"Yes, yes. Of course, Love," my grandmother said, and I held back another eye roll.

Damn it, Grams, I thought and made sure to keep my face neutral, even though all I wanted to do was scowl.

'Your grandmother pulled Salem away from the door and let Levi go into the house,' Corey said. 'Do you need us to intervene?'

'Not unless there is yelling,' I replied coldly. 'Make sure that someone is in my house if something goes wrong. I don't want Salem to break character and have them think it isn't me.'

'I'll tell your grandmother,' Anthony said, 'and make sure that someone enters the house before they close the door.'

'Let me know w-'

'The person is in the house,' Corey said, interrupting me, 'and the door is closed.'

"Who are you?" Levi asked, seeing someone else in my house, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, interested because no one else should be in my house. There was a bit of decisiveness in his voice, and I couldn't help but be slightly impressed that he was defensive.

"That is Bea, Love," my grandmother said, and I had a feeling she patted her arm. "Don't mind her. She is needing some advice and another cup of tea. Would you like one, too?"

"N- Please," Levi said, and I held back a smirk because I knew that she gave him a look that he couldn't deny.

"Don't drink the tea," Bryant said. "It could be poisoned."

I bit back a snort but rolled my eyes. "I am sure that she wouldn't do that to her granddaughter," I said, and Bryant scowled and narrowed his eyes at me. I grinned, amused that he was annoyed with me. "She won't."

"I can't refuse," Levi said softly. "You don't understand the looks that she has and is giving me."

"And this is why I didn't want him to come in, Grams," "Alexandra" said sarcastically, and I had a feeling that "she" rolled her eyes. "He is on the phone and won't hang up and will be talking to whoever the fuck is on the other end of the line about what is being said over here when it is none of their damn business."

"Be nice, Dear," my grandmother scolded softly, and "Alexandra" grumbled something under "her" breath with an eye roll. "What did you say?" she asked with a sharp warning in her tone, and Alexandra stayed silent and looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"What's happening?" Bryant asked, annoyed about the strained silence. He narrowed his eyes and scowled while he gripped his phone tighter. "Why is it so silent? Are you there?"

"I am here," Levi confirmed softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "They are having a standoff at the moment. I don't know what is happening except for that."

"Shut up. This does not concern you, Alpha," "Alexandra" said, and I had a feeling that they were still staring at each other.

Levi growled silently but didn't say a word while they continued to stare at each other, waiting for the other person to back down and relent to the other's silent commands.

Finally, "Alexandra" huffed and rolled "her" eyes but backed down. "Let's just get the damn tea," "she" grumbled coldly and started to make "her" way to the kitchen. "Bea, do you need anything?"

"More tea would be fine, please," the other female said softly. She sounded nervous, and I had a feeling that she was nervous about Levi being in the house with them, especially since she wasn't from that pack. "Unless you are done with me, Grams."

"You can stay, Dear," my grandmother said softly. "As I stated earlier, you need another cup of tea. Alex, Love, you're going to need a cup and then it's bedtime for you. Are you still having problems sleeping?"

I bit back an annoyed sigh and held back an eye roll while I scowled. Did you seriously have to pique their attention? I silently scowled, making sure that my group wouldn't know while the others looked at each other before they looked at the phone.

"Grams," "Alexandra" warned, and I silently thanked Salem for understanding that I didn't want people to know that I was having trouble sleeping at night. "That's none of their concern."

"Hmph," my grandmother replied, not phased about the trouble she could potentially cause me. "Now, come. Tell your friends that it is fine for you to go. If not, then put them in speaker so that we can all hear them. That way you can drink tea with us."

"I-"

"Hang up," the Puppetmaster said, interrupting him. "After you are finished and left, then call back and report what you found out about her." He looked at me, and I smiled sweetly and waved. "We have other business to take care of. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Levi said.

And with that, the line went dead while they continued to look at me, and I stayed silent and waited for them to say something or ask questions that I knew would come.

Goddess, protect them.

And me...