The Alpha’s Forbidden Mate

TEN: THE SHADOW FOLLOWS

[LIORA POINT OF VIEW]

I woke before dawn, the echo of last night still pressing against my chest.

My body moved before my mind could catch up—I washed my face, combed my hair, and slipped into my school uniform though the sky was still wrapped in gray.

My hands trembled as I buttoned the collar.

I couldn't waste time.

"Liora?" my grandmother's voice drifted from the kitchen. She peered at me with sleepy eyes. "Why are you in such a hurry? It's too early for school."

I forced a smile, hoping it would mask the pounding of my heart. "M-Mira and I agreed to review before the exam," I said quickly, the lie sharp on my tongue.

I hated lying to her, but I couldn't tell the truth—not about the stranger, not about the cabin.

She studied me for a moment, then simply nodded and turned back to her pot.

The scent of boiling rice filled the air, grounding me, but my chest still felt restless.

I clutched my bag tighter, hiding the real reason I couldn't sit still.

I had to return to the cabin.

My pendant was there, the most precious thing I owned, and part of me couldn't stop worrying about…

The wounded man I had left behind.

The moment I reached the cabin,

my heart sank... he was gone.

The bed of leaves I had made for him was empty, and my pendant was missing.

Panic clawed at me as I searched everywhere.

Even overturning old crates and scraps, but it was nowhere.

I was certain I had left it here.

My chest ached as though the little piece of gold carried not only my memories but my very breath with it.

Then, a low growl rippled through the air.

My blood froze. Slowly, I pressed myself against the wall.

Daring to peek through a crack in the rotting wood. My breath hitched.

Outside, a massive wolf stood, its golden eyes burning like fire in the shadows.

It wasn't just looking at the cabin—it was staring straight at me.

My hands shook so badly I had to cover my mouth to stop a whimper from escaping.

Suddenly, the wolf turned and bolted into the trees.

Relief hit me, but it was sharp and short-lived, like a drop of water on hot stone.

My knees threatened to buckle, yet my fear pushed me forward.

I couldn't stay here. Not with that beast so close.

I stumbled out of the cabin and ran, gasping as branches whipped against my arms.

My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I didn't dare stop.

"Maybe... maybe the wolf was the reason he's gone," I whispered hoarsely.

The words tumbling out as if saying them would make them less terrifying.

My throat tightened. "Maybe it dragged him away. Maybe it... it ate him."

I shook my head violently, almost tripping over a root. "No. No, don't be stupid, Liora. He was alive last night—he was breathing. You cleaned his wounds, you gave him water. He was alive."

But the thought refused to leave.

The image of blood-soaked leaves, of teeth tearing into flesh, clawed into my mind.

"What if it's true?" I panted, every breath breaking into a sob. "What if the wolf came back... because one victim wasn't enough?"

The words felt poisonous on my tongue, but I couldn't stop. "What if it came back for me?"

My feet pounded against the earth, every step fueled by terror.

The forest blurred around me, streaks of green and brown melting together.

My chest ached, not just from running but from the dread that maybe—just maybe—the boy I had saved was already gone, devoured by the beast whose golden eyes still burned in my memory.

My legs felt like they would give out, but the fear of the wolf snapping at my heels—real or imagined—kept me moving.

When the trees finally thinned, I stumbled out onto the road, clutching my chest.

My uniform was wrinkled, my shoes muddy, and scratches covered my arms.

By the time the school gates came into view, my lungs burned.

I leaned forward, gasping for air, my hair sticking to my damp face.

I must've looked like I'd been running from death itself—because in a way, I had.

"Just get inside the school," I whispered to myself, my voice hoarse. "If I can just get there... I'll be safe."

But safety was a word that never seemed to belong to me.

"Look at her," a sharp, mocking voice rang out.

I stiffened.

Rhian stood near the entrance with her friends, arms crossed, and eyes glittering with cruel amusement.

"Why are you breathing like a dying pig, Şilen?" one of her chaperone snickered, earning laughter from the others.

I hugged my books tighter to my chest, keeping my eyes on the ground, willing my shaking legs to stop betraying me.

But of course, they didn't stop.

Rhian noticed. "Don't tell me you actually ran here?" she drawled, stepping closer. "What happened? Someone chasing you? Or maybe you're just that desperate not to be late. How pathetic."

Her friends laughed again, circling me like vultures.

My throat was dry, still raw from running.

I wanted to tell them to leave me alone, but my voice felt trapped.

Then Rhian leaned in, close enough for her perfume to sting my nose. "Or maybe..." she lowered her tone mockingly, "...you finally realized you don't belong here and tried to run away."

The laughter exploded again, cutting through my chest sharper than any wolf's fangs.

The others snickered. I gripped my bag tighter and tried to walk past, keeping my head down, but Rhian's hand shot out, shoving me hard against the gate.

The impact rattled my bones.

"Don't ignore me." Her voice dripped venom.

"Please," I whispered, but it wasn't to her. It was to myself, to my chest that ached. "Please, just not today..."

But Rhian wasn't done. She reached into her bag and pulled out a carton of juice. With a wicked grin, she upended it over my head.

Sticky liquid dripped down my hair, soaking my collar.

The group roared with laughter.

"Pathetic," one of them muttered.

My fists clenched, nails biting into my palms.

Every part of me wanted to scream, to fight back—but after seeing that beast in the cabin, their cruelty felt like a child's game.

Rhian's laughter, her friends' mocking voices... they were nothing compared to the golden-eyed monster that could tear them apart in a heartbeat.

Shiver ran down my spine. For one wild second, I almost hoped the wolf would come here, right now, and sink its fangs into every single one of them. Rhian first.

The thought both terrified and thrilled me.

I stayed silent, lowering my head as their laughter chased me into the halls, whispers clinging to me like thorns.

"Just a few more months... then I'll graduate. I'll walk out of this place and never have to see their faces again." I whispered inside, clinging to the words as if they were my shield.

I hurried to the bathroom, locking myself inside before anyone could see me like this.

My reflection stared back at me—sticky hair, and stained collar. With a shaky breath, I turned on the faucet and scrubbed at my uniform, patting it dry with rough paper towels.

"Forget it," I whispered to myself, forcing the memory of the cabin—the blood, the golden eyes, the ragged breaths—to stay buried where it belonged.

If I thought about it too much, I'd unravel right here.

Once I was finally presentable enough, I stepped out into the hall, keeping my gaze low. On my way to the classroom, I turned a corner too fast and bumped into someone.

"I—I'm sorry!" I blurted, bowing my head.

The man I collided with was older, perhaps a teacher or staff.

His features were gentle, his smile kind in a way that startled me. "No need to apologize," he said warmly. "Be careful next time."

I nodded quickly, avoiding his gaze, and clutched my bag tighter. Without another word, I hurried past him and went straight to the classroom.

I slipped quietly, hoping to reach my seat before anyone noticed.

Heads turned anyway—some eyes filled with mockery, others with indifference.

I kept mine fixed on the floor.

"Liora."

The soft voice pulled me from my haze.

By the window, my only true friend lifted a hand.

Relief loosened the tightness in my chest. I hurried over, grateful for the refuge.

Mira's brows knitted the instant I sat beside her. Her gaze swept over the faint bruise on my arm, the weariness carved into my face, and the stubborn stain clinging to my uniform no matter how much I had scrubbed.

"What happened?" she whispered, voice sharp with concern.

I shook my head. I didn't need to explain.

Her lips pressed thin, anger flashing in her usually calm eyes.

She knew it, Rhian and her friends.

"They're too much," Mira muttered, frustration darkening her tone. Then softer, guilty: "I'm sorry I wasn't here yesterday. I was sick. If I had been..." She trailed off, teeth worrying her lip.

I shrugged. That was why I trusted Mira—she never pushed.

She understood silence could say more than words.

I sank into my seat, trying to even my breathing.

Mira adjusted her glasses and, almost absentmindedly, slid the book she'd been reading across the desk toward me.

Its cover was worn, the spine cracked, the faded title glaring back like a secret: The werewolf's curse.

My breath hitched. The image of golden eyes flashing in the darkness of the cabin struck me hard.

My hands trembled slightly as I touched the page. "Mira," I whispered, unable to stop myself. "What's... a werewolf?"

She blinked, surprised, then leaned closer so no one would overhear. "It's a human who can shift into a wolf," she murmured. "Half man, half beast."

My pulse quickened. My mind filled with the memory of fur slicked with blood, a wolf breathing raggedly in the shadows.

No—it couldn't be. Wolves existed, yes.

But werewolves? Those were just myths. Stories. Nothing more.

I forced a shaky laugh. "That's not real."

Mira tilted her head, studying me. "Maybe not. But every story comes from somewhere, Liora."

Chill crawled down my spine. I pressed the book back into her hands, trying to shake away the images clawing at my thoughts.

But even as the teacher's voice rose at the front of the room, I couldn't shake the sensation that something unseen was pressing in on me…

Someone's watching me.

Then when I glanced toward the door, I could have sworn—just for a breath—that someone was standing there.

Eyes fixed on me, before the hall was empty again.