Lured by the Alpha

Chapter 4

I sat on the edge of my bed, the letter resting in my palms like it weighed more than it should. My room was now too quiet. The kind of silence that pressed against your ears and made every breath sound loud.

This letter was not my imagination

That was the worst part.

Back home, whenever something strange happened, there was always a chance it lived only in my head. That the visions, the flashes, the unease were symptoms of something broken inside me.

But this? This was real.

Someone had taken the time to write it. Someone knew where I lived. Someone wanted me afraid.

I folded the letter carefully and slipped it into my drawer, then immediately pulled it back out again. As if hiding it would somehow make it worse.

I laughed softly, sounding almost helpless.

I had tried. Heavens knew, I had tried. I had walked through Arcanum university with my head down, my voice low, my presence small. And still, somehow, trouble had found me. Or maybe I had walked straight into it without realizing.

Another knock sounded on the door.

“Ivy?” Nora’s voice drifted through the wood. “You okay?”

I opened the door just enough to see her face. She frowned instantly. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I hesitated, then handed her the letter.

She skimmed it quickly, her expression shifting from curiosity to mild annoyance. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” I said.

Nora snorted. “It’s probably a prank. Students here love scaring the new comers. Arcanum thrives on intimidation.”

“But they knew my name,” I said quietly.

She shrugged. “Everyone knows everyone here. Trust me, if someone wanted to hurt you, you’d know.”

I wasn’t so sure.

After she left, I locked the door and crawled onto my bed, pulling my knees to my chest. Sleep refused to come. Every sound…the wind, footsteps in the hallway, a door slamming somewhere far away, made my heart race.

I kept seeing the hallway again.

Asher’s face twisted with rage. The dark haired boy bored eyes. The way the air had shifted when he laughed.

I didn’t remember falling asleep.

But I woke with the feeling that I was no longer alone.

The room was dark.

I checked the table clock, it was 2am.

Moonlight spilled through the window, casting silver shadows across the floor. My breath caught as a sensation crept over my skin, sharp and sudden.

Someone was standing outside my door.

I knew it.

Slowly, I sat up. The hallway was silent. No footsteps. No voices.

Just presence.

My heart hammered as I slid off the bed and approached the door. I pressed my ear against the wood.

Nothing.

I reached for the handle.

And just as my fingers closed around it, something brushed against my mind.An image, sudden and violent.

A red glistening stone and then I heard a voice whispering my name.

I staggered back, gasping.

When I looked at the door again, a shadow stood over it.

And then I heard a knock. But I didn’t open.

Because deep down, I already knew that Whoever stood on the other side was not there to warn me again.

ROWAN’S POV

High above the courtyard, hidden among the thick branches of a tree, I balanced carefully. One hand gripped the bark, the other held a pen and a sheet of parchment. I recalled the words I had just sent to her:

“Stay Invisible. You already broke the first rule.

Next time, we won’t be so kind.”

I didn’t regret it.

She had looked so fragile,Too human. There was a strange satisfaction in watching Asher Vale…the blonde-haired pest, hit the floor because of her. She didn’t even mean to, yet she had made him look ridiculous.

I laughed quietly, the sound low and amused.

“Why are you laughing?”

A shadow detached itself from the edge of the tree. Elior Kane, one of my closest friends, leaned against the trunk, eyes narrowed.

I didn’t answer.

He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously. Something happened down there?”

I shook my head, still smirking. “She’s… entertaining.”

Elior sighed. “You can’t be serious. She’s a new student. You’re going to get yourself in trouble if you…..”

“I know,” I cut him off, not looking at him. My attention was fixed on the courtyard below, replaying her tiny hand grasping at Asher’s arm, the way she had made him fall. She had no idea what she had just done. I would make sure she remembered it.

Elior’s voice was sharp this time. “You’re needed. The Chancellor says something happened in the forest. Now.”

I frowned. “The forest?”

“Yes.” His tone made it clear this was not a request. “You’re to report immediately. She’s…” He paused, eyes wary, “I don’t know exactly. But she’s worried enough to call for you.”

I exhaled slowly. The amusement drained from my face. The forest. That place was… unpredictable. Dangerous. And whatever had drawn the Chancellor’s attention would never be something good.

I carefully folded the empty paper in my lap, sliding it into my coat pocket. My laughter from earlier had already faded, replaced by a low, simmering awareness. The new girl had done something she didn’t even know. Something that had stirred the attention of people who were like my kind.

Elior looked at me expectantly. “We should move.”

I climbed down from the tree, landing with the grace of someone who belonged in shadows. Every step toward the forest and away from her tightened the knot in my chest. Something about her… made my instincts itch in ways I couldn’t explain.

She was small. Fragile. Yet reckless. That combination was dangerous. For her. For me. For everyone who got close.

And I had a feeling this was only the beginning