Mated by Fate, Claimed by the Enemy Alpha

“Aiden, are you even serious right now? Founder’s Night is barely three weeks away and you still can’t make up your mind if you’re going or not?” Mitz muttered with a shake of her head. “It’s Founder’s Night! This could literally be the highlight of our entire year, not to mention the only chance we’ll have to blow off steam after all the crap we’ve been through!”

“I’m really not interested in spending the so-called best night of my college life at a crowded party,” I said flatly as I set my lunch tray down on the only empty table we could find. “Stuff like that just isn’t for me. You know I’d rather keep things low-key. And besides, I’m not about to make my mom shell out money for a suit, shoes, and whatever else they expect me to wear. Tuition here already costs more than enough.”

Mitz’s expression softened with disappointment. “So, I guess I’m going to be showing up alone,” she muttered, her tone barely audible.

We’d known each other since we were kids, practically growing up side by side. Mitz had been part of my life for as long as I could remember, so being together like this—eating lunch, going to classes—was just normal for us. She was more like family than anything else, the one person I could count on no matter what.

Before I could respond, a loud crash erupted from across the cafeteria. Startled, I turned my head in that direction, though it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on.

And sure enough, there they were, the same group of jocks and queen bees, laughing and jeering as they surrounded some poor student. Another victim, another day.

I exhaled slowly, my chest tightening with pity for whoever they’d decided to torment this time.

At this school, the jocks and queen bees ran everything. They were untouchable. Go against them and you might as well kiss your college life goodbye.

Sometimes their attention only lasted a few weeks, which was why people called their targets the “flavor of the month.” But there were cases when they’d keep at it until their victim couldn’t take it anymore and ended up transferring out.

When I first got here, I never thought college would be like this. Bullying felt like a high school thing. I was so wrong.

Worse? The administration didn’t even try to stop it. They wouldn’t dare lose the fat “donations” from the wealthy parents of those same students.

The thought of it made my blood boil.

“Aiden. Eat,” Mitz muttered sharply under her breath. “You don’t want them catching you staring.”

Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away and poked at the food on my tray.

That gnawing feeling of guilt weighed heavier on me the more I thought about it. I hated standing by and doing nothing. Every time I ignored it, I felt like I was letting them get away with it.

I knew I’d carry this with me. And I still had another year left before I could finally leave this hellhole.

“You seriously look like you’re planning world domination with that stare,” Mitz said suddenly, yanking me out of my thoughts. “Relax, man. People might think you’re about to punch someone.”

I arched an eyebrow at her.

“What? I’m just saying,” she added with an exaggerated shrug. “You’re scaring me a little. But fine, keep glaring if that’s your thing.”

“You’re acting weird,” I muttered. “You only joke around like that when you want something. And for the record, I’m still not going to Founder’s Night.”

“It won’t kill you to loosen up, Aiden,” she grumbled.

I let out a dry chuckle and just shrugged.

The bell rang and we quickly gathered our things, though lunch had felt painfully short, like it always did. Time always ran out faster during breaks.

“Light quality is just as important as light quantity,” our professor said as she scribbled across the whiteboard. “Remember, more light isn’t automatically better…”

As a third-year Interior Design major, Light Design was my favorite subject. It was such a crucial part of the field and yet one so many designers overlooked. You could put in hours decorating a space, but without the right lighting, it would never look finished.

Mitz, on the other hand, couldn’t have cared less.

I glanced over at her slouched beside me, already asleep, and stifled a small laugh. Typical.

We couldn’t be more different. She liked numbers; I hated them. I loved design; she thought it was boring. But maybe that was why we worked so well together.

“Class dismissed,” the professor finally called out.

I reached over and lightly pinched Mitz’s arm, earning a groggy groan as she blinked up at me with bloodshot eyes. “Ow! Aiden, I’m gonna have a bruise there if you keep doing that!”

“Maybe don’t fall asleep during class then,” I said dryly. “And you’re welcome, by the way. It’s not like you wake up easily.”

She mumbled something under her breath but ended up laughing anyway as we headed for our next class in the computer lab.

“Hold up, I need the bathroom,” she said halfway down the hall.

I let out a sigh and changed direction.

She looked back just before disappearing into a stall. “I’ll be quick, stop giving me that creepy stare. You’re scarier than usual when you do that.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

The hallway was dead silent now that most students were in class. I wandered toward the exterior balcony, resting my hands on the cold metal railings as I took in the view.

Every department building had its own look.

Directly across from me was the Architecture department, tall, bold, painted in vivid orange and white, its high ceilings and sweeping design giving it a striking industrial vibe.

Our Interior Design building was a contrast: massive glass windows, colorful metal blinds, and soft landscaping worked into the modern glass-and-concrete facade.

The entire campus spanned 400 acres and was breathtaking in its own way, especially with all the natural light filtering through the glass-heavy buildings. If not for the constant harassment, you could almost call it perfect.

Almost.

A muffled laugh reached my ears, followed by the wet, unmistakable sound of kissing.

I froze.

It was coming from the locker area just beside the bathroom.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I tiptoed closer, peeking through the narrow gap between the door and frame.

And immediately wished I hadn’t.

A girl was straddling a guy’s lap, his strong arms holding her in place as he kissed her like they were the only two people in the world.

I knew them both instantly.

Nerissa, the queen bee herself.

And Silas Rennick, the transfer student who’d only been here a week.

My breath hitched as I quickly backed away, not daring to make a sound.

God. Were they seriously doing that on school grounds?

Silas already had a reputation. At six feet tall with a lean but muscular frame and shoulders broad enough to make anyone feel small, he drew attention everywhere he went. People even whispered about his “protector arms,” as some girls called them. And then there were his eyes, sharp, dark emeralds that could cut straight through you.

Mitz finally emerged from the bathroom, and I immediately grabbed her wrist, steering us away from the locker area before she could ask questions.

“What’s with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said.

“We’re late,” I lied.

She groaned. “Sorry, alright? I didn’t think I’d actually fall asleep while peeing.”

My mouth dropped open. “I… you’re unbelievable.”

By the time we reached the computer lab, class had already started. We slipped into the back row like usual.

A few minutes later, the door opened.

Silas walked in.

His eyes swept across the room, and for one terrifying second, they locked on me. A strange, warm jolt shot through me, leaving my pulse racing out of control.

He started walking toward me, each step only making my chest tighten. Then he sat down in the empty chair beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I heard Mitz quietly squeal next to me, but I couldn’t even look at her. Silas Rennick was sitting beside me.

I forced my eyes down at my lap, trying not to notice how close he was, how the heat of his presence made my skin prickle.

Then his hand appeared in my line of vision, holding out a folded piece of paper.

I froze.

My heartbeat was deafening as I stared at it, but finally, I forced my fingers to take it from him.

With shaky hands, I unfolded the slip. Just one line was written there, but it was enough to make my entire body go cold.

Do you like the view? – Silas