His Bandit Heart

Elior’s POV

The hallways of Silvercross Honor College were dead quiet that night. The kind of quiet that presses against your skin and makes every small sound feel like a betrayal. I moved carefully between the shadows, holding my breath whenever the security drones hummed past.

Curfew had been over two hours ago. No Alpha in their right mind would be sneaking around after lights out, but then again—I wasn’t really one of them, was I?

My fingers clenched around the strap of my bag. Inside, tucked between my notebooks, was the small metal case that kept me safe. I could almost feel the cold vial pulsing through the leather, a reminder of the lie I’d built my entire life around.

If I missed a dose, even once, my scent would betray me. One whiff and everything would crumble which includes my spot at the academy, my promise to my sister, and the fragile safety we’d worked so hard for.

The door to the medical lab gave a soft click as I unlocked it with a stolen access card. The faint smell of antiseptic hit my nose even before I switched on the dim emergency light. Cabinets lined the walls, full of labeled vials and medical tools. My reflection flashed faintly in the metal counter- eyes too soft for an Alpha, shoulders a bit too narrow. I looked away before the thought could cut too deep.

I pulled out the syringe and the vial of Omega suppressant. The liquid shining pale blue below the light like frozen glass. My hand shook slightly as I drew the dose. I’d done this a hundred times before, but the fear never went away.

“Just breathe,” I whispered to myself. “In and out.”

The needle slid into my skin with a sting that made my teeth clench. The serum burned through my veins, which felt cold first, then hot, like my body couldn’t decide what to feel. I swallowed hard, blinking away the sudden rush of dizziness.

“Hold on, Amira,” I murmured, saying my sister’s name like a prayer. “I’ll make sure you’re safe… even if I have to keep lying for it.”

I pulled the syringe out and pressed a cloth against the small spot of blood. My reflection stared back at me from the polished counter, pale and tired, a boy pretending to be something he wasn’t.

I was about to dispose of the syringe when I heard a soft scrape of a shoe on the marble outside the door.

And instantly, my body froze.

For a moment, I thought it was my imagination. But then a faint metallic click followed afterwards and I could bet that someone was there, watching.

I shoved the syringe behind a box of gauze and quickly zipped up my bag, forcing my breathing to even out. The door opened with a low creak, and a tall figure stepped into the doorway, backlit by the moonlight.

Rylan Voss.

Even without the uniform badge, anyone would know him. He is the academy’s top Alpha and the first in every ranking test. Also having those broad-shoulders, sharp-eyed, the kind of presence that made rooms fall silent, no one could mistake him for another.

My stomach twisted painfully. Of all people to run into tonight, it had to be him.

Rylan’s gaze swept across the room, landing on me. “You’re out late, transfer boy.” His tone was lazy, but there was a subtle edge under it.

I straightened, clutching the strap of my bag. “I couldn’t sleep. And so, I thought I’d… get some air.” Obviously stuttering in between. Of course, who wouldn't be in this situation.

Besides, if things go south, this might be the end of my stay here.

He raised an eyebrow. “In the medical lab?”

I forced a small laugh. “Guess I got lost.”

The corner of his mouth lifted, though it wasn’t quite a smile. He stepped closer, and that’s when I caught it—the faint shift in his breathing. Alphas could smell everything. Fear, nerves, intent. And me? I was leaking all three.

Rylan stopped a few feet away, with his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to catch a scent that didn’t make sense. “You smell… strange.”

With that, my heart dropped.

I turned away, pretending to adjust my bag. “Maybe it’s the cleaning supplies. It stinks in here.”

He didn’t move. For a few long seconds, the silence stretched so tight I could hear my own pulse.

Finally, he picked something up from the counter and on a closer look, I noticed that it was a thin silver watch. “Left this here earlier,” he said casually. “Lucky me.”

I forced a nod, my fingers twitching toward the hidden syringe behind the gauze. I could feel his gaze still on me, heavy and searching.

When he finally turned to leave, I let out a shaky breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. ‘Thank Goodness.’

“Elior,” he said suddenly, stopping by the door.

My head snapped up. “Yeah?”

He looked back at me, with his eyes half-lidded. “Next time you sneak out after curfew… be quieter.”

Then he was gone.

The door clicked shut, and the sound seemed to echo through my skull. I slumped against the counter, pressing a trembling hand to my chest. He saw too much and smelled too much.

I wiped down the counter quickly, hiding every trace and every possible clue if possible. But my heart wouldn’t stop racing. Rylan Voss had been close enough to feel my pulse through the air, close enough to notice the faint sweetness I couldn’t completely mask.

By the time I left the lab, the corridor felt colder. I kept my head down, retracing my steps carefully, yet every sound was amplified by guilt.

Back in my dorm room, I locked the door and slid down the wall, letting out a shaky breath. My roommate snored softly in the next bed, oblivious. The suppressants pulsed through my veins, making my limbs heavy.

I couldn’t shake his face from my mind, I mean the sharp jawline and the unreadable eyes that looked like they could see straight through me.

He suspected something and I knew it.

And worse, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay invisible for long.

I sat there for a long time, staring at the faint moonlight crawling across the floor, until sleep pulled me under.

*****

The next morning, the academy buzzed like a hive. The air smelled of coffee and Alpha pheromones which felt all sharp, musky and dominant. I kept my head down as I walked through the courtyard, trying to blend in.

“Elior!” someone called.

It was Kade, one of my dorm mates. Loud, always grinning, and annoyingly curious. “You missed the evening roll call last night. Where’d you disappear to?”

I forced a smile. “I fell asleep in the library.”

“Yeah, right,” he laughed. “You and your books. You know, the Chancellor’s been on a power trip lately. Another inspection is coming this week. You might wanna stay outta trouble.”

“Noted.”

But as I turned the corner, I saw him again. Rylan.

He was standing by the academy fountain, surrounded by his group of elites, his uniform immaculate and expression unreadable. But his gaze found me instantly, like a spotlight.

For a brief second, his eyes flipped to my throat—the spot where my pheromone gland pulsed faintly beneath my skin and then back to my face.

I looked away quickly and kept walking, but I could feel the weight of his stare even after I passed him.

Maybe it was just my imagination, or maybe… he already knew.

That night, I sat by my desk, having the serum case open before me and then I held up the needle. My fingers hesitated when I noticed the injection marks on my arm were beginning to bruise. I think my body couldn’t keep up much longer.

A quiet knock startled me.

My heart jumped, but before I could hide the vial, the door opened a fraction. Rylan stood there, the hallway light outlining his silhouette.

My voice came out tight. “What do you want?”

He leaned against the frame, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. “You dropped this.” He held up a folded piece of paper—a note I hadn’t even realized had fallen from my bag earlier.

“Thanks.” I reached for it, but he didn’t hand it over right away. His gaze lingered on me, searching. “You really do smell strange,” he murmured, almost to himself.

I swallowed hard. “You always talk to people like that?”

His lips curved slightly. “Only when they’re lying.”

Our eyes locked, and for a heartbeat, I forgot to breathe. Then he finally handed me the note and walked off, leaving a faint trace of his scent behind.

I closed the door quickly, pressing my back against it. My pulse was erratic, but not just from fear this time. There was something else, something I didn’t want to name.

By the time I crawled into bed, I knew one thing for sure- Rylan Voss wasn’t going to let this go.

And I couldn’t afford to let him find out what I really was.

At night when I tried to concentrate on some other things, my imagination betrayed me because all I could smell was him.