The Alpha's Cursed Mate

Chapter 2

I couldn’t breathe the word still echoed in my head “MINE” it didn’t make sense, it shouldn’t make sense and yet…my heart refused to calm down. I forced my gaze away from him, even though every part of me resisted something was pulling me toward him not physically, something deeper, something I didn’t understand.

“Keep moving.” A sharp voice snapped me out of it I blinked, realizing I had completely frozen in the middle of the courtyard. Everyone was still watching, Waiting, Judging, my cheeks burned, but I clenched my jaw and forced my feet to move again one step then another but even as I walked away… I could still feel his eyes on me. Why?

The rest of the day passed in a blur. If I could even call it a “day.” it felt more like a test I didn’t sign up for everywhere I went, people stared, Whispers followed me down the halls low, Sharp and Unkind. “did you see the way Alpha Xander looked at her?”

“Something’s wrong with her…”

“She’s just a human. It means nothing.” I kept my head down ignored it or at least, I tried to by the time I found my classroom, my nerves were already stretched thin. The room fell silent the moment I stepped in, of course it did why wouldn’t it?

I exhaled slowly and moved toward the only empty seat in the back away from everyone, safe, or as safe as I could be here.

“New girl.” I stiffened, I didn’t have to turn to know who it was that voice Cold, controlled, dangerous, still I did, slowly and instantly regretted it. He was standing in the doorway up close, he was even more intimidating. No

That wasn’t the right word, he was overwhelmed like standing too close to a storm. His blue eyes locked onto mine again and just like before, my chest tightened. A sharp, almost painful pull. I sucked in a quiet breath, my fingers curling against the edge of the desk. What is wrong with me? He took a step inside then another the entire room felt like it shrank with every movement he made. No one spoke, no one moved, even the air felt heavy and then he stopped right in front of me. Too close way too close. I could feel the heat radiating from him.

The quiet power in his presence it made my pulse race in a way I didn’t like.

“Look at me.”

The command was low, Sharp, Unquestionable. My body reacted before my mind could. My eyes lifted to his big mistake. The moment our gazes locked, the feeling came back stronger this time. A burning pulls deep in my chest, spreading through my veins like fire. I inhaled sharply, my hand instinctively pressing against my heart again his eyes darkened for a split second something raw flashed across his face Confusion, frustration, something almost… desperate then it vanished Just like that, replaced by cold indifference.

“You’re in the wrong place,” he said flatly.

The words hit harder than they should have, I frowned slightly. “This is my assigned class.” few students shifted uncomfortably no one spoke to him like that. Not like I just did, His jaw tightened.

“I didn’t ask.”

Heavy silence, suffocating silence, something in me wanted to shrink back to apologize, to make myself smaller, safer but something else, something new held me in place.

“I’m not leaving,” I said quietly, the room practically held its breath, his gaze sharpened, dangerous, evaluating, for a moment I thought I had made a huge mistake. That he would lash out, that something bad would happen but instead he leaned in slightly close enough that no one else could hear him. “You should,” he murmured.

“Before you get hurt.” A chill ran down my spine but I refused to look away.

“Is that a threat?” his lips twitched not quite a smile, something darker.

“No,” he said softly.

“It’s a warning.”

My heart pounded not from fear alone but from something else. Something I didn’t want to name before I could respond he Stepped back and just like that, the moment broke. The teacher walked in seconds later, as if nothing had happened as if the tension in the room wasn’t suffocating as if my heart wasn’t still racing.

Xander moved to his seat without another glance but I knew better I could feel it. He wasn’t done and neither was I because whatever this was…Whatever was happening between us…It wasn’t normal and deep down I had a terrifying feeling it was only going to get worse.