Claimed By The Ruthless Alpha Devils

Kaius is gone

MIRABELLA

The moment I step into the café, I’m greeted by the most heavenly smell. Warm bread, cinnamon, roasted coffee beans—it all wraps around me like a blanket I didn’t know I needed. My shoulders relax without my permission, and for the first time all day, I almost feel safe.

Behind the counter stands a woman with straw-colored hair swept into a neat bun. Her apron is spotless, though flour dusts the tips of her fingers. Her eyes, a clear blue, find me immediately.

“Hi, sweetie,” she says with a kind of brisk warmth. “What can I get for you?” Her hands hover over the register, ready for my order.

I swallow, nerves bunching in my throat. “Actually, I’m not here for coffee. I’m Mirabella Taylor, and I’d like to apply for the assistant job. The ad outside said there were school-friendly hours? I go to Silvercrest Hall.”

Her eyebrows lift. “Hmm. A scholarship student?”

I don’t correct her, even though the truth is more complicated. Technically, she isn’t wrong—I’m only here because of the Windsor scholarship. I hold my breath as she inspects me, her gaze trailing over my hair still slightly damp from my rushed shower, my too-big borrowed clothes.

“Do you have any experience baking?” she asks.

“None,” I admit quickly, before she can guess. “But I’m a fast learner, and I’ll work harder than anyone else you’ve ever hired. I don’t mind long days or early mornings or even late nights.”

She purses her lips, like she’s chewing on the thought. “I’m not a fan of hiring high school students. Too much drama, too many excuses. But—” her eyes flick toward the window, where a fresh group of customers are walking past, “—I really do need an extra hand. We could give it a try. Say, a week?”

Relief floods me so fast I almost sway. “That would be amazing.”

“You’ll have to serve your peers,” she warns, her tone sharp but not unkind. “Will that be a problem?”

“Absolutely not.”

Her lips twitch, maybe at my determination. “Some of those Silvercrest Hall students can be a real handful.”

“Again,” I say, steadying my voice, “clientele isn’t a problem for me.”

She sighs, as if I’ve left her no choice. “Okay then. Show up on time for the next six days and work your scheduled hours, and the job is yours.”

A smile breaks across my face before I can stop it, and she actually startles, one hand flying to her chest. “Honey, you should have smiled sooner. It completely transforms your face. In fact, the more you smile, the more tips you’ll get. Remember that.”

Smiling isn’t something that comes naturally to me, not anymore, but I hold onto it now. I want this woman to like me. I need her to.

She scribbles out my working schedule on a notepad and slides it across the counter. “Any after-school activities I should be mindful of?”

“No,” I say immediately. “I’m more interested in this job than anything the school has going on after hours.”

That earns me a small approving nod. She reaches behind her and pulls out a tray. From it, she selects a golden scone, still warm, and presses it into my hand. “My name’s Belinda. You’ll start tomorrow. And don’t get too excited just yet—you might change your mind when you see what a madhouse this place is.”

The scone crumbles as I bite into it, butter and sugar melting on my tongue. For the first time all day, maybe all week, I feel something close to happiness.

***

I wake up at midnight to the sound of hushed voices in the hallway outside my bedroom door. For a moment, I’m caught between dreams and reality, groggy and heavy, but the low rumble of Kaius’s voice snaps me into alertness. My knees actually weaken, even though I’m still lying in bed.

I haven’t seen him since the altercation in school. By the time he got back home, I’d already locked myself in my room, too drained to face him or anyone else. Judging by the angry footsteps and slamming doors earlier, the rest of his day hadn’t gone well either.

I don’t know why I slide out of bed. I don’t know why I creep toward the door with my bare feet silent against the carpet. Eavesdropping isn’t something I normally do, but my chest aches with the need to know. If he’s talking about me, I want to hear it. Maybe it’s conceited, maybe it’s stupid, but I can’t stop myself.

“…practice in the morning,” Kaden’s voice says, clearer than Kaius’. I press my ear against the door, straining to catch every word. “…we agreed to cut down during the season.”

Kaius mutters something I can’t make out, his tone low, almost dangerous.

“I get it, okay? I’m not crazy about her being here either, but that’s no reason to—” Kaden’s words cut off.

My heart stutters painfully. He’s talking about me. I know he is.

“It’s not about her.” Kaius’s reply slices through the quiet, sharp and clear.

I don’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Relieved that maybe I’m not the center of his anger, disappointed that I don’t matter enough to be.

“…then I’m coming with you,” Kaden insists.

“No,” Kaius snaps. His voice is hard, final. “…going alone tonight.”

I stiffen. Going alone? Going where? At this hour? On a school night? Worry twists in my stomach before I can stop it, which is almost laughable. Since when do I worry about Kaius Windsor, the boy who’s done nothing but make my life harder since I got here?

“Now you sound like Tri,” Kaius accuses.

“Yeah, well, maybe you—”

Their voices dip lower, frustratingly soft, swallowed by the thick walls. I press harder against the door, my pulse thundering in my ears. I know I’m missing something important, something that matters.

For one wild second, I think about flinging the door open, confronting them, demanding to know where he’s going. But before I can decide, it’s too late.

Two sets of footsteps move down the hall. A door clicks shut, leaving only one pair behind, steady and measured as they descend the stairs.

I hold my breath, listening.

A few minutes later, the low rumble of a car engine echoes from the courtyard below, carrying through the silence of the night.

Kaius is gone.