He's an Alpha

The encounter

chapter three

The next morning, Maureen’s old pickup truck moved down the narrow mountain road with its uncomfortable sound. Lisa clutched her backpack on her lap, staring out at the rows of pine trees that seemed to grow forever. The town had looked small from the bus window yesterday, but seeing it now in daylight made it feel even more isolated and mysterious. There was one main road, a gas station, a handful of shops, and beyond that, the forest pressed in like a living wall.

“Are you nervous?” Maureen asked with a smile, shifting gears as the truck climbed a hill.

Lisa shrugged. “A little. New school, new people. I guess I’ll survive.” she said not being too sure whether she'll survive or not

Maureen gave her a quick side glance. “Keep your head down. Focus on your classes. Don’t get mixed up with anyone who’ll drag you into drama.”

Lisa smirked. “You mean the Blackwoods?”

Maureen’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Exactly. You don’t want them noticing you.”

Lisa didn’t answer. She thought of James from the diner. The way his eyes had moved on her. He had already noticed.

The community college sat on the edge of town, a small brick building with ivy crawling up its sides. It was smaller than Lisa expected—smaller than her old high school in New York. Inside, the halls vibrate with chatter. Students leaned against lockers, swapped notes, and laughed in clusters. Lisa felt every eye turn on her as she walked down the hall, “Why the flip are they looking at me?” she muttered inside her.

She found her classes easily enough. English, history, biology. She sat in the back, kept quiet, and wrote everything down. But no matter how hard she tried to focus, she kept feeling like she was being watched by someone ready for either her downfall or to devour her personally.

At lunch, Lisa carried her sandwich outside. She didn’t want to sit in the crowded cafeteria where groups of friends already claimed their corners. She picked a spot under a tall oak tree near the edge of the parking lot. The forest was just beyond the fence. Dark even in daylight. She chewed slowly, pulling out her notebook and doodling to pass the time.

That’s when she noticed him.

James stood across the courtyard, leaning against a black motorcycle. He was taller than she remembered, broad-shouldered in a simple black T-shirt that clung to him like it had been made for his frame. His hair was messy, windswept, and his gray eyes scanned the crowd like he was searching for something. “He's always dirty,” Lisa said a little bit loudly to herself. A few students hovered nearby, laughing too loudly, trying to get his attention. He didn’t seem interested.

Then his gaze locked on her.

Lisa froze. Her sandwich sat untouched in her lap. James’s eyes didn’t waver, and for a moment it felt like the entire courtyard had gone silent. He pushed off the motorcycle with easy grace and started walking toward her. Students whispered as he passed, their stares following him.

Lisa’s pulse hammered. Why is he coming over here?

He stopped in front of her, close enough that she could see the faint scar along his jawline. His presence was overwhelming, like the space around him bent to make room.

“You’re new,” he said, his voice deep and calm.

Lisa swallowed. “Yeah. Just moved in yesterday with my aunt.”

“I know.”

She blinked. “You… know?”

His lips twitched, almost a smile but not quite. “Everyone knows. Blackwood Falls doesn’t keep secrets for long.”

The way he said it made her uneasy, like he wasn’t talking about ordinary secrets at all.

“Lisa Carter, right?” he added.

Hearing her name from him made her heart race. “Yes,” she said quietly.

He studied her for a moment, his eyes unreadable. Then he tilted his head toward the forest beyond the fence. “You shouldn’t sit out here alone. The woods are close.”

“What’s wrong with the woods?” she asked curiously, trying to keep her voice steady. Her aunt won't be proud of this but what can she do? Her eagerness has eaten up her goody two-shoes.

His jaw tightened. For a second—just a second—his gray eyes seemed to flash silver in the sunlight. Lisa blinked, and they were normal again.

“Just… be careful,” he said. His tone was final, like a warning. Without another word, he turned and walked back to his motorcycle. The other students parted for him, some staring openly, others whispering behind their hands.

Lisa sat frozen, her sandwich forgotten. The air around her seemed heavier now, charged with something she couldn’t name. James hadn’t threatened her, but his words clung to her skin like a chill.

She remembered Aunt Maureen’s warning. Stay away from the Blackwoods. But after today, Lisa wasn’t sure she could.

“Lisa Carter right? A well-dressed student, fair in complexion. Looking like she's ready to apply for a high-profile job, she stood in front of her just after James left. “I am Margaret, your student guide”. She said looking confident and bold. One could easily tell that it's either the daughter of a principal, or she's the head girl, or maybe the brightest student in the school.

“Yes, I am Lisa,” nice to meet you,” Lisa said, accepting the handshake.

Before they could go back to class, Margaret took her round the school.

“You're new here I guess? She asked Lisa, not looking too surprised.

“Yes, I moved in with my aunt yesterday,” Lisa said, wondering how everybody knows she's new in the neighborhood, maybe it's from the way she behaves.

“I saw the way James Blackwood was looking at you,” Magret said smiling

“He just wanted to say hello, nothing much,” Lisa said

“I would stay far away from him if I were you…. Just saying” Margaret’s words made Lisa freeze, why is everybody against the Blackwoods

“I’d be discriminating if I distanced him, he's a human, right ???? Lisa intentionally said.

Just then the school bell rang

“I'll take that as a rhetorical question,” Magret said and left immediately.

There is no way Lisa is leaving these questions unanswered. It's either someone answers her or she finds the answers herself.