FORCED TO MARRY TO THE PACK LEADER

"Can’t an A student get rest anymore?!" I yelled as I hung up the call, nearly flinging my phone across the room. Saturday. Saturday. The sacred day of sleep, procrastination, and existential dread in peace. But no — apparently, Dr. Lucia just had to schedule an "emergency" department meeting. Something about attendance reviews and “academic integrity.” Whatever that meant. I flopped back on my bed, groaning into my pillow. My laptop blinked at me from the desk, still open on the last episode of that anime series I swore I wasn’t binge-watching. "I should’ve just dropped out in my first year," I muttered, dragging myself up like the academic zombie I was. "Become a painter. Or a sugar baby." Five minutes later, I was dressed in my least offensive hoodie, bribing my body with the promise of overpriced campus coffee if it just got me through this godforsaken morning. Outside the dorm, its usual chaotic symphony — horns, shouting, life. At least something was awake. By the time I got to school, I realized two things: 1. I was the only student walking into the engineering department on a weekend. 2. Something felt...off. Not in the dramatic "doom is coming" way. Not yet. More like a weird static in the air. Like the moment before a storm, when the sky holds its breath— kinda way And I swear, just as I walked past the noticeboard, I felt something — a sharp sting on my wrist. Brief. Barely there. But enough to make me stop though. No bug Is getting in my way! I dragged my feet until I got to her office and I had to practice my not irritated face right before I entered. I'm in my third year— there's no going back now. The second I opened the door as, It felt like a trap. My parents were In there. Can't a boy run off from home and breathe?! I screamed in my head as I slapped on a fake smile. I practiced that smile. I had to use it. My parents didn't care about me. I ran off from home while I was in highschool and worked to pay my fees. Thank God for my brains — I got a scholarship to this prestigious college and now my parents are here? For what? Dr. Lucia beamed "I called you here to talk to you regarding your academics. You're doing so well, you might be the valedictorian and I called your parents to let them know about the good news and the wonderful— cash prize you will be receiving" Cash. All I needed to hear was "cash" to know why they were sitting there all smiley and supportive. A frown slid down my face "I need to speak with you, Supervisor" I said flatly. We got outside the office "I have no parents. I don't recall giving you any contact. I apologize if I sound rude but those people are here just for the cash! How'd you even find them?! I want nothing to do with them" I poured out my anger, took a deep breath and stomped my feet to the office. "GET OUT NOW" I snapped My supervisor looked shocked. She'd never seen me this upset before, well there's a first time for everything. "You people haven't called in years and now you're coming because I might be valedictorian and get cash?! Get out now!!!" I didn't give them the chance to speak. They didn't need to. They left quietly. Thieves. I turned my head slowly to my sweet supervisor almost theatrically like I reeked of divine judgement. I felt like a demigod at that point. Of course my supervisor looked scared to death, wide-eyed but I didn't care. She deserved what was coming for her. "Next time, tell me before you bring ghosts into my life, certainly not money hungry ghosts" I said, voice tight as I held her cheeks "Especially since you and I are a couple. You need to let me in on these things" and she turned red like a tomato. "Was I always this tall"? I laughed as I made fun of her height. Yeah. Plot twist. Near the end of last semester, Dr. Lucia, a young, smart and oddly magnetic, probably in her early 30's said she wants to date me. Well she said she loves me and had been Watching me from afar. And I was like Love? Love is a very strong word to be used so lightly I'm used to stalkers but she didn't look like one so I got her name and number and we started texting. I was shocked to find out she's a professor and our supervisor for this session. But here we are. I walked into her office and got comfortable, I'm not going back to that dorm. Not after I got dressed and picked up my books, so I decided to study but I kept having a feeling something was staring right into me. It was suffocating. I could hear humming too, like it wanted to be heard. I kept looking behind me but I didn't want to seem crazy in the presence of my woman, So I ignored the piercing feeling and proceeded to make fun of her. I still had to get coffee though, who starts his Saturday without coffee? On my way to the cafe, I looked at the cut on my wrist. It was more... visible. It looked like a sign or something, well I didn't pay attention to any of it. I got my coffee and went back to the office. Dr. Lucia, apparently, had somewhere to go. I either stayed in the office alone, or in my room alone. I chose my room of course. The room looked darker than usual so I switched on the lights, though I was trying to sleep. It was awfully cold. I had to call someone so I don't die in silence. I called my best friend, Draken. He picked up like he was waiting me, which was quite funny. Of course I made fun of that too. I eventually told him about what's happening, the mark on my wrist, the air, the feeling like I'm being Watched and followed, he went quiet. You there? I asked and he said don't stay alone until I see you. He sounded like he knew what was happening so I didn't argue. I went to the gym, hit a few Reps then decide to rest a bit. I heard the humming again. It was starting to get late, I had to leave the gym soon but Draken wasn't texting or calling me. What a problem. "I can't go back there without him", I sighed. I don't want to be killed. I decided to jog round the campus with my headphones. I don't want to have any conversation with anyone. Again, the feeling like I'm being watched starts. I immediately increased my pace and kept calling Draken but the humming was getting louder. He picked up eventually. The bastard went to bed while I panicked. After minutes of cursing him, we agreed to meet up in my room. I jogged back to my room immediately and my sweet friend Draken I wasn't there.I'm gonna break his neck, i thought, as I cracked my fingers. I got into the room and it wasn't just darker, I could sense figures around me. Tall figures. Who thought I'd be acknowledging something as "taller" ? everyone around me is shorter than I am, but these things were really tall. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them breathe, I could sense them, I could see the shadows shifting where they stood. Like the light was scared of touching them. And the scent, It scented...earthy and wild, untamed...it was mesmerising