Chosen By Fang

Chapter five

Alice’s POV

I ran.

There was no destination in mind.

In fact, the perfect destination would be ‘no destination’, because if I didn’t stop, then he couldn’t catch me.

I tripped more than a nerd on her first day of school in those sappy romance coming-of-age movies, but never let myself fall.

My lungs felt like they would burst, but I was willing to risk that.

Don’t look back. Don’t slow down. Simple.

Someone stepped into my path too late. I collided with a solid chest, bounced off, and barely caught a snarled, “Watch it, damn it!” before I was already gone.

“Sorry,” I threw over my shoulder, not really meaning it.

I burst through the edge of campus like it was a finish line, adrenaline flowing though my veins like it was blood, and I let it carry me.

My heart beat so fast, I was sure it was competing with me in this race for my life.

I didn’t stop until my legs gave up on me.

I ducked beneath the shade of a jacaranda tree, hands braced on my knees, sucking in air like I’d forgotten how to breath. My skin tingled, and every thing felt too real.

Too sensitive.

What would he do if he caught me?

The thought alone made my stomach twist. With his connection and power, the only limit to what he could do to me would be his will.

I straightened abruptly and dug into my bag.

My fingers closed around the pearl.

It was unexpectedly heavy for it's size. Cool to the touch, and smooth, almost soothing to hold.

I exhaled shakily and held it up to the light filtering through the leaves. For one terrifying second, it looked… lighter. The deep midnight hue washed out to something duller, almost gray.

“No,” I whispered.

My already spiked pulse became even quicker, threatening to burst out of the arteries on my neck.

No.

Could someone have switched it? When? How? I was sure…paranoid, even. I didn’t let anyone--

The color deepened.

Like ink bleeding back into itself, the pearl darkened, swallowing the light until it gleamed with that familiar, unsettling depth.

All that happened in real time, as I watched it.

I sagged against the tree.

“Okay,” I muttered. “Still magical. Still terrifying.”

I tucked it back into my bag like it might bite me and scanned the street. People passed by, oblivious. No looming Alphas. No black SUVs. No predatory eyes pinning me in place.

I needed somewhere to sit. Somewhere public. Somewhere I could bolt from if I had to.

The café across the street looked… tolerable.

Large windows. Outdoor seating. Enough foot traffic to disappear into. Not flashy enough to scream billionaire Alpha would absolutely be here.

I crossed quickly and slipped inside.

The smell of coffee and baked sugar hit me like a reset button. A barista with a nose ring smiled at me. “Hey! What can I get you?”

“Something iced,” I said. "Something strong. The closest thing you guys have to illegal,”

She chuckled. “Rough day?”

“Rough life.”

I took my drink to a corner table near the window, back to the wall, eyes on the door. My hands shook as I wrapped them around the cup.

This was fine.

I was fine.

There was no reason for him to come here.

At least… I hoped there wasn’t.

I waited longer than I should have.

Long enough for my drink to melt into something watery and disappointing. Long enough for my pulse to slow and my nerves to lie to me.

When I finally left the café, I was sure the worst was over. It was well into the evening and the sun was already below the horizon.

The walk back toward campus felt heavier, like the air had thickened without warning. Students flowed past me in clusters, laughing, complaining, living lives blissfully free of stolen heirlooms and terrifying men with too much power.

I made it halfway across the quad before I crashed into someone.

Hard.

“Oof--” I staggered back, clutching my bag instinctively. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t--”

I stopped.

My heart stuttered, then missed a beat entirely.

He looked like Damien…if you didn’t know Damien personally.

Same height, same broad shoulders…same predatory stillness…same dangerous aura. This one, however, wore a beige suit, and his beard was thicker.

Plus, he looked colder...much darker. Damien looked like he could kill. This one looked like he loved to kill.

“Careful,” he said mildly, eyes sweeping over me like he was taking a scan of my being. “You’d think a bright girl would watch where she’s going.”

My mouth went dry.

I didn’t want to say anything to him, but he forced words out of my mouth with that predatory stare of his.

“I said I was sorry,” I replied, forcing my voice steady.

He chuckled. “Sorry doesn’t buy much these days. Especially not time.”

My stomach dropped.

We stood there, people moving around us like water around stones, and suddenly the world felt very small. His gaze lingered on my bag for half a second too long.

“Do you know,” he said conversationally, “sometimes, we are oblivious to how much we have to lose when we are not reminded.”

I swallowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Mm.” He tilted his head. “Poor thing. You’ve been through a lot. Clinging on to things that you should’ve let go…and for what? I admire your resilience, really.”

My hands clenched at my sides. “You know nothing about me.”

“Except that you should be careful. In the open like this…it’s...” his eyes went darker…crueler “unsafe. Especially now, when you have no daddy to run back to.”

The ground shifted beneath me.

“You know--” I whispered.

His smile widened just a fraction. “I know quite a lot.”

Panic surged up my throat, hot and desperate. “Please,” I said, the word tumbling out before I could stop it. “He’s not part of this. Whatever this is, it’s my fault. Don’t hurt him.”

That did it.

The smile vanished.

The air around him sharpened, pressing in, and suddenly there was no pretense left. He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his aggressive cologne.

“Enough,” he said quietly.

His eyes bored into mine, murderous intent seeping into my pores.

“Where’s the pearl, little thief?”