Channing counted my votes anyway, to make sure that the total number of chits was 23 and no extra fabrication of votes was done. I indeed had 11 votes, and it looked like I had lost this after coming so far. It was not a problem for me, as I would have to take the hard way as I would have had to take before if the attack on Channing had not happened.

In a sense, my luck had turned in my favour with the case of John Walter taking place right when I entered here in Winterwells. But I should have known better about how many odds were in my favour.

There were few merry faces among the members, for Diana and a few disappointed ones who genuinely did not want to see me lose. I turned to Diana to congratulate her by extending my hand, "Congratulations, and good luck for your term as the serving Beta."

I wasn't a sore loser. She had won the votes fair and square. Diana lifted her chin up and brought on the saint smile with the mask she held in front of others to accept my congratulations.

"Wait," shouted Channing to have everyone's attention turn to him standing at the side. He walked ahead with a chit in his hand. Everyone looked at him confused as he was not supposed to vote himself in this, then why was he holding the piece of paper in his hand.

Although Alpha held the final decision on the matter if he does not like the decision of the masses, Channing was not supposed to vote, plus he did not seem like the type to take sides.

He held the piece of paper up for others to see and explained, "This is by one of our pack members who is in the prison right now." And he walked to stand between me and Diana, leaving the mystery hanging on who it was for.

This was the opinion and vote of the pack member who was missing here right now, and everyone knew it was Hailey. The tension and resistance in the air were evident towards Hailey even in her absence. With how things had folded during the Stage two, there was antipathy for Hailey in everyone's heart.

The girl had that aura and true-to-her-reputation history, which made people hate her out of fear. Not to mention, even her personality was driven by one purpose of fighting formidable opponents, which made her the repelling side of the magnet.

People murmured about why Hailey was even considered a pack member after the way she had acted. I looked at the piece of paper in Channing's hand as he opened it to check whose name was written in it and that was a question to everyone here. The way things had gone between me and Hailey, I was sure this vote was going to Diana.

I and Diana stared at the piece of paper in anticipation and Channing opened the first fold to see the name. He walked ahead and paused before glancing our ways.

Like he was loving the anticipation that rested on our faces. Diana had won anyway and Hailey's vote would be her cherry on top of the cake.

But if that vote was directed towards me, then it would be a tie and I didn't know how things would proceed then.

Channing took one final step forward and turned to Diana. The girl's face immediately lit up, seeing how Channing had faced her to give the sheet of paper that held a vote for her.

However, Channing then turned to me and handed the chit to me. A troubled look replaced his face. I stared into his eyes with confusion and he tried his best to hide his strained face, as if he was not expecting me to get this vote, or more like he did not want to face what was coming next. I took the piece of paper from his hand and Channing held onto it a little longer, making me tug on it so he could release it.

As soon as I saw the paper, my breath was stuck in my lungs. Hailey had not just voted for me, but also written a note for me below it that probably even Channing had read.

I was quick to hide the chit below the box and tear the note, putting only my name in the box and sliding the note inside my pocket before anyone could notice.

Diana bit into her thumb's nail to hold her boiling frustration in. For a while back, it was she who had thought I would be only watching the position of the Beta from afar, but now both of us were back at square one.

Though I did not understand why Channing looked troubled when I was quite happy about it.

"This brings us into a tie," Channing announced. The members erupted in confused murmurs of what can be down now.

Arina was the one to speak through the chaos, "I think Channing, being the Alpha, has the most say in the final decision of the Beta. He should take the last call."

This made me realise what Channing was bothered about. He did not want to be the one to choose. He already had a complex that people were thinking of him being partial with me and if his choice was me, then how the public would react he was conscious about it. I doubted he would make a choice based on his emotions, but right now he might be considering Diana better than me so as to avoid member's judgements.

Channing locked his eyes with mine, something so unsaid flowing like a river inside his heart. My eyes averted from him guiltily. Betrothed or marked, I was someone else's, and I had to clear that things cannot be the way he had expected them between us.

He gave a dry laugh, showing he understood my little action. I was rejecting him without words and he wasn't some child to not understand and hang on to it.

At least not like Fang, who was this narcissistic little ball of irritation and took what he wanted, howsoever he got it. Even after coherent words of resistance.

Turning towards the members, Channing faced them back with his Alpha vigour, "Very well. Since it is a tie, I must bestow the position on someone who has proven worthy in the past few days."

Channing stood between me and Diana, passing looks to both of us. Diana gave him a prideful look that any Beta should carry while my eyes were still looking anywhere else, better than meeting Channing's eyes. The members were eager to know who the new Beta will be while some passed me glares, others passed me encouraging smiles, watching at my awkward face, thinking of it as a sullen expression.

"Looking at the way they performed tasks throughout all the stages of this competition," Channing said, "it is only fair to select someone who did an all-around better job."

"Who is it?" Suzan was already agitated as she asked out loud.

Sam was quick to cover her mouth with his hand and pull her back to whisper, "Shut up, give Channing time to decide."