THE PROPOSAL

Alina Harper had never imagined that a simple walk across campus could feel like stepping into a battlefield. And yet, here she was, books clutched tightly to her chest, heart still hammering from the morning’s chaos.

She had tried to focus in class, she really had. But every glance toward the window, every shadow moving across the quad, made her pulse spike. What Rhett had shown her—what she had witnessed—wasn’t just some figment of imagination. It was real. It was alive. And it was dangerous.

By the time she reached the student lounge, she found Lexi Monroe already perched on the sofa, laptop open and coffee in hand, looking like she belonged in a glossy magazine ad for “cool and competent college students.”

“You look like hell,” Lexi said bluntly, glancing up. “And no, I’m not just talking about the bags under your eyes. You’ve been running or hiding from something?”

Alina sank onto the couch, groaning. “Something like that. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Lexi raised an eyebrow. “Try me. I’ve survived everything from roommate psychodramas to a cafeteria food fight apocalypse. I think I can handle supernatural disasters.”

Alina hesitated. Could she trust Lexi with this? The truth was terrifying: she had just witnessed Rhett Blackwood transform, fight some monstrous creature, and walk away as if nothing had happened. She had no idea who—or what—he really was. And now it seemed the university campus was crawling with threats she didn’t understand.

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:

“Stay away from him. You’re in danger.”

Alina’s stomach dropped. Was it a warning? Or a threat? She glanced at Lexi, who had leaned over to peek at the screen.

“That’s… ominous,” Lexi said, voice low. “Do you know who it’s from?”

“No idea. And I don’t plan on finding out.”

She shoved the phone into her bag and tried to focus on Lexi’s encouraging words, but it was impossible. Her mind kept drifting back to Rhett—his eyes, his growl, the way he moved like a predator barely restrained. And worst of all, the tiny, insistent voice in her gut telling her she wasn’t just fascinated by him… she was intrigued in ways she wasn’t ready to admit.

By evening, Alina found herself outside the gym again, ostensibly to pick up her books from the early-morning spill. But it was a convenient excuse; she suspected, half-hoping, that she might see Rhett again.

She did.

He was leaning against the side of the building, stretching out his long legs, hockey stick in hand. The setting sun painted him in gold and shadow, making him look almost untouchable. Almost… mythic.

“You’re persistent,” he said without looking up, his voice smooth but edged with warning.

Alina bristled. “I had to get my books. And… I might have hoped to make sure you’re not hunting any more… monsters today.”

He finally looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said.

“I’m a college student. I’m allowed to be here,” she shot back, though her voice wavered slightly.

Rhett’s gaze flickered, sharp and calculating. “You’re not like other students. You see too much. You’ve already witnessed things you shouldn’t have.”

Alina crossed her arms. “So, what? You’re going to send me away? Leave me in the dark?”

“Not exactly,” he said slowly, and for the first time, she saw the weight in his expression, the careful way he measured words. “I’m going to offer you a deal.”

Alina tilted her head. “A deal?”

“Yes,” he said, stepping closer. He stopped just short of touching her, but the heat of his presence made her heart race. “We pretend. You and I. Pretend to be… together.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“Fake dating,” he said, as casually as if he were ordering coffee. “It’s simple. You act like my girlfriend; I act like your boyfriend. People leave us alone. Predators—human and otherwise—stay away. You get protection, I get… well, it’s complicated. But mostly, we both stay alive.”

Alina stared at him, trying to process the words. Fake dating? With him? The brooding, dangerous, irresistible Rhett Blackwood?

“You’re insane,” she said finally.

“Maybe,” he replied, his lips twitching in a dangerous smirk. “But you’re alive right now, aren’t you?”

She opened her mouth to argue, but the distant echo of growls from the treeline interrupted her. Her pulse skyrocketed.

Rhett’s eyes flicked toward the shadows, alert, deadly. “You see? This is exactly why you need the deal. Trust me. You can fight it, run, hide… but it won’t matter. Not when the world around you is hunting.”

Alina felt a shiver run down her spine. The fear was real, and the danger was close. And yet… part of her wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Fake dating to survive? It was ridiculous. And yet, maybe, it was also necessary.

“Fine,” she said finally, almost reluctantly. “We fake date. But I get some rules.”

“Rules,” he repeated, amused. “Go on.”

“No lying to me. No secrets about anyone who’s dangerous on campus. And I get… full explanation after the danger passes. Deal?”

Rhett paused, considering. Then he extended his hand. “Deal.”

Alina hesitated, then shook it. And in that instant, she knew—she had just crossed a line. There was no going back.

Over the next few days, the fake dating began in subtle ways.

He walked her to class, his protective aura making anyone thinking of bothering her think twice.

He saved her from a bullying teammate who had made snide comments about her in the dorm.

And when the shadow pack made another appearance near campus, Rhett was there before anyone could even scream, a blur of teeth and claws that left Alina both terrified and exhilarated.

The college began to notice. Whispers trailed them. Students speculated. Rumors started. And through it all, Alina realized something terrifyingly true: she liked it. Liked him. Liked the danger. Liked the way he made her feel alive.

And the worst part? She suspected he liked her too.

Late one night, Alina returned to the dorm, heart still racing from a particularly tense confrontation in the quad. Her phone buzzed again. A new message from an unknown number:

“She doesn’t know yet… but being with him will change everything.”

Alina froze. Her eyes darted around the darkened hallway. And in that instant, she felt it—a presence behind her, silent, watching, waiting.

She wasn’t alone.