Lured by the Alpha

Chapter 3

My hand curled into a fist the moment the blond boy hit the floor.

I hadn’t meant to grab him. I hadn’t meant to do anything at all. One second, I was trying to steady myself, to keep my papers from scattering like my dignity, and the next,my fingers had closed around his arm.

Now he was standing, Towering over me.

The noise in the hallway dulled into a low hum as my pulse thundered in my ears. He was tall. Far too tall and broad-shouldered, built like someone who knew exactly how much damage his body could do. Compared to him, I looked painfully small. Like a scared rabbit in front of an angry wolf.

I swallowed.

This was not how my first day was supposed to go.

I had tried to be invisible. To blend in. To keep my head down and my presence unnoticed. Pulling a boy…an enormous, angry boy and sending him crashing to the floor was the last thing I imagined myself doing today.

The blond boy’s face twisted with rage, his eyes burning as they locked onto mine.

“You little b***h” he roared, stepping toward me.

I froze.

My feet wouldn’t move. My lungs refused to draw air. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but my body betrayed me, rooted to the cold stone floor as he raised his hand, ready to pounce.

Then….

“What is going on here?”

The voice cut through the tension like a blade.

The boy’s hand dropped instantly.

Students scattered as if summoned by an invisible command, whispers dissolving into hurried footsteps. I turned toward the voice and saw a man approaching us with sharp, measured strides. He wore a dark suit, perfectly pressed, his expression permanently carved into a glare that promised punishment.

I had seen him earlier that day, watching students like a hawk watches prey.

Professor Alaric Rune.

His eyes flicked between the two boys, then landed on me. I felt exposed under his gaze, as though he could see straight through my skin.

“Explain,” he ordered.

Before I could speak, the blond boy scoffed. “She tripped me.”

“That’s not what happened ” I started, panic flaring.

“Enough,” the teacher snapped. “You two, Chancellor’s office. Now.”

The blond boy straightened immediately, jaw tight, fury barely contained. The dark-haired boy beside him looked… amused.

Bored, even.

As if the chaos around him was nothing more than background noise.

Without protest, both boys turned and began walking away.

Relief flooded me so fast my knees almost buckled.

It’s over, I thought.

“I didn’t do anything,” I whispered to myself, exhaling shakily.

“Miss.”

My heart dropped.

“Yes?” I asked, turning slowly.

“Follow them.”

Shock slammed into me.

“What? Sir, it was a misunderstanding”

“Detention,” the man said sharply. “For not obeying immediately.”

My mouth fell open.

“I—I didn’t disobey,” I protested. “I was just….”

“Move,” he ordered.

I bit my tongue, swallowing the injustice burning my throat, and followed them.

The corridors leading to the Chancellor’s office were nothing like the student halls. They were wider, quieter, lined with ancient paintings and drawings, symbols etched in dark ink and gold and paintings of great men. Their eyes seemed to follow me as I walked, unease crawling beneath my skin.

The Chancellor’s office doors opened to reveal a woman seated behind a large oak desk.

Chancellor Evelyn Ashcroft .

She was elegant, composed, her silver-streaked hair pulled back neatly. Her gaze was sharp but calm , unlike Alaric relentless glare.

“What happened?” she asked.

Before I could speak, the blond boy exploded.

“She pushed me,” he snapped, pointing at me. “Humiliated me in front of everyone.”

The dark haired boy laughed.

A soft, mocking sound.

“Careful, Asher,” he drawled. “You’ll make it sound like a girl defeated you.”

Asher’s head snapped toward him. “Shut up fucker!”

Chancellor Ashcroft raised a hand. “Enough.”

I tried to explain. I told her about the papers, the collision, the accident. My voice shook, but I forced myself to continue.

Asher scoffed again. “She grabbed me.”

“And you fell,” Rowan added lazily. “Spectacularly.”

The Chancellor sighed. “Professor Alaric, you may leave. Miss Curtis is new. We will be lenient.”

Relief crashed over me.

“But she disobeyed my order,” Alaric protested.

“I said let her go,” the Chancellor replied firmly.

I didn’t wait to hear more.

I fled.

The stares followed me as I walked. Pity from some, mockery from others. Whispers clung to my skin like smoke.

By the time I reached my dorm, my hands were trembling.

Room 317.

I opened the door and found all my belongings already arranged neatly. My bed was made. My suitcase rested at the foot. It felt… prepared.

I unpacked slowly, grounding myself in my work. When I finally sat down, exhaustion pressed heavy on my chest.

I opened the rulebook.

The Arcanum University Rules

• Curfew at 10 PM

• Restricted forest zones are strictly forbidden

• Obey faculty at all times

• No unauthorized access to the West Wing after dark

• No students beyond the western woods

I frowned.

That was oddly specific.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

I opened the door to a brown, curly-haired girl with warm eyes and an easy smile.

“Hi! I’m Nora Bennett ,” she said. “Your dormmate. My room is next to yours”

Relief bloomed in my chest.

We talked. Light conversation. Safe conversation.

For the first time all day, I smiled.

After she left, I collapsed onto my bed, reaching for the rulebook again.

Another knock.

I opened the door.

No one was there.

Just a letter.

I unfolded it.

“Stay Invisible .You already broke the first rule.

Next time, we won’t be so kind.”

My breath caught.

Because at the bottom, written in sharp, deliberate ink, was a single initial.

R