Chapter 4

DEVIKA

I didn’t move.

I couldn’t.

Vance’s words still echoed in my head, sharp and cold, like the edge of a knife pressed to my throat. My heart was racing, my wolf still pacing wildly inside me, growling and howling that one word I didn’t want to hear again.

Mate.

No, it wasn’t true. The moon goddess couldn’t be this cruel.

Then suddenly, Vance jerked back, coughing loudly like something had caught in his throat. His eyes left mine, and he turned his back as if I had burned him. 

He stumbled out of the training ring without another word, one hand pressed to his mouth, the other clenched at his side. For a second, I thought he might collapse. But he didn’t. He kept walking, shoulders stiff, jaw tight.

His face was hard, unreadable, but I saw it. That flicker. That moment when his wolf recognized mine. Everyone watched in silence, confused and stunned, just like me. 

I lay there frozen, my heartbeat loud in my ears.

Mate? 

Why him?

The Moon Goddess had to be cruel, or blind, or both, because this—this was the worst joke ever told.

Vance? My mate?

It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t. He hated me. I hated him. We were enemies. We were war waiting to happen.

I felt everyone’s eyes on me. Even his friends were staring, their faces a mix of shock and something else. Maybe confusion. After all, they had caught 

us when his lips were on mine, when his hands gripped my waist like I belonged to him.

And now here we were, in the ring, staring at each other like we were cursed. “Devika,” Mr. Grayson’s voice snapped me out of it, sharp and accusing. “What did you do to him?”

Before I could answer, he rushed after Vance, calling his name like it was a warning and a plea all at once. “Vance!”

Vance never walked away from a fight. He was Alpha Jaxson’s son, ruthless and proud. If he had a scratch, the whole school would be punished. But he had left without a word, without the last punch, like something had broken inside him.

And now everyone was looking at me like I had caused it.

Maybe I did.

But being mates didn’t change anything. It didn’t erase the pain, or the scars, or what he’d done. Vance was still a monster. And monsters didn’t get happy endings.

The bell rang, pulling me out of my thoughts. Training was over, and my body ached, but hunger burned stronger. We had been on our feet all day, moving from drills to lectures, and I just wanted something to eat. 

I got up slowly, ignoring the whispers and the way people moved out of my way like I carried disease. I didn’t care. I was used to walking alone. Cole was the only friend I had, and now he was avoiding me too. 

So I went to the dining hall by myself. The smell of roasted meat and bread filled the air, but it didn’t make me feel better. I got my food, sat at a corner table away from everyone, and kept my eyes on my tray.

My thoughts wouldn’t stop spinning. I kept seeing his face, the way his expression had changed when the bond hit. There had been anger, yes, but something else too. Fear maybe. Or regret.

I stabbed my fork into a piece of meat when the speakers crackled above. “Attention all students.   Due to an emergency maintenance operation, AlphaForge Academy will be temporarily closed. All students are to return to their packs for the weekend. Dismissal begins tomorrow morning.”

The entire dining room went silent.

I froze mid-bite.

We were going home. Tomorrow.

My stomach twisted. Home meant facing my mum I had left behind after being warned not to attend the AlphaForge school, because she knew it wasn’t for females. I knew she missed me. I missed her too. 

But seeing her meant facing everything I’d tried so hard to bury. I wasn’t sure I had the strength for that yet. Still, I pushed the thought aside and finished my food slowly, chewing even though my appetite had died. 

The dining hall buzzed with voices, everyone talking about going home, packing, seeing family. But for me, there was nothing to be excited about.

Once I was done, I stood up and started heading to the dorm. 

I just wanted to pack early and get some rest. My head was full, my heart heavier than ever. But then I heard my name.

“Devan.”

I stopped.

That voice. I knew it even without turning around. Vance stood by one of the empty classrooms, holding the door open, nodding for me to come in. 

His expression was unreadable, but the way his fingers tapped the wooden frame told me he was waiting, and not patiently. Everything about it screamed danger. 

But if I refused, he’d make a scene, and I didn’t want more attention. So I walked over, trying to stay calm. The moment I stepped inside, he shut the door behind me and locked it.

Click.

My body tensed.

He walked toward me slowly, with a mocking smirk stretched across his lips like he enjoyed seeing me unsure. I took a step back, then another, until my back hit the cold wall. He didn’t stop until there was barely space between us.

But I didn’t flinch. I wouldn’t give him that. “So you’re my mate, huh?” he said, his voice thick with disgust. “Well, the Moon Goddess has truly lost her mind making a boy my mate. I’ve heard stories, but I never thought it would happen to me.”

I stared at him, confused. Why was he saying this to me? Did he think I cared? “And there’s no way I’m accepting you as my mate. Over my dead body,” he spat, eyes blazing with hate.

Then he leaned closer, voice low and mocking. “I know you’re into men, Devan. I saw it in your eyes. You want me to be yours, don’t you? You couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss.”

I scoffed, smiling coldly. “You wish. I don’t want you, Vance. And yes, the Moon Goddess made a mistake. I would never accept someone as disgusting as you.”

His eyes widened like he didn’t expect me to talk back. Then suddenly, his hand flew to my neck, slamming me harder against the wall. I gasped as his fingers tightened.

“You don’t talk to me like that, you brat. What pack are you from, bastard?” he growled. “You look like a lowborn.” I said nothing, because if I told him the truth, he would know who I was.

He tilted his head, grinning now like he enjoyed seeing me struggle. “You know, there was this boy in AlphaForge once. Lowborn like you. Looked out of place. What was his name again… ah, Hunter.”

And just by the mention of that name tears welled up in my eyes. So he was truly the one that killed my brother. He laughed. “Yeah, he died with his Alpha. Did something stupid here in school. So if you think you can talk to me like that, maybe you’ll end up just like him.”

He released his hand from my neck and stepped back like he was bored now. I was flaring up and felt like striking Vance now, but I knew it wasn’t the right time. I needed to strategize else I would fail at what I came to do. 

“I don’t want to hear the word mate from you or anyone else. Keep that to yourself… unless you want to disappear too,” he said and walked out, leaving the door wide open behind him.

The moment he was gone, I sank to the floor, my breath shaking as tears finally came. I cried until my chest ached. Hearing the truth come from Vance’s mouth made everything worse. 

He was the one who killed Hunter. My big brother. My best friend. But I wasn’t going to break now. Tears didn’t mean I was weak. They just meant I still had something to fight for. 

So I wiped my face, stood up, and walked back to the dorm like I hadn’t just been crushed inside. 

Cole saw me the moment I entered and rushed to my side. “What happened to you, Devan?” he asked after seeing the tears on my face. 

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. 

My heart was still burning and I didn’t trust my voice. I just went straight to my bed and began packing the few things I had.

-

The next morning, shiny black cars lined the front of the Academy, each one sleeker than the next. Rich kids with perfect lives climbed in, smiling like they had no care in the world. But I had no one waiting for me. 

I gave fake information when I enrolled here, and somehow, they didn’t check. That was a small win. One of the only ones I had. Dragging my bag behind me, I walked far from the school gate to avoid being seen. 

A taxi waited at the end of the road. I got in and gave the driver directions to Wolfsgate. It was a long ride as usual. My hands were sweaty and my thoughts kept spinning. I missed Mum. I missed Serina. 

I just wanted to get home and be around people who really knew me. Finally, we arrived. I stepped out of the cab and stood in front of the small, hidden house we had lived in since the war. Everything looked the same. Quiet. Still. Safe.

But when I reached for the door, it creaked open before I could knock. That never happened. We always locked it. Always. “Mum?” I called out, stepping inside. “Serina?” My voice shook. “Nia?”

No one answered.

I dropped my bag and ran upstairs. The hallway was too quiet and I knew something was definitely wrong. And then I saw Nia, lying on the floor bleeding.

“Nia! What happened? Where are Mum and Serina?” I dropped to my knees, pulling her into my arms as tears welled up in my eyes. Her lips were pale. Her breathing was slow as she tried to speak.

“They… they were taken.”

“By who?” I asked, tears already falling this time. She looked me in the eyes and whispered, “Alpha Jaxson…”

Then she went still in my arms.