The Alpha's Secret Obsession

Mira

I fell on one of the sharpest stones fixed on the forested ground of Thornvale, my hand scraping over it and sending a sharp, burning sting down my arm and all over my body.

I screamed, but the sound got buried amidst the heavy downpour of rain, piercing through the large branches of tall trees that covered the forest in a blanket of darkness and quietness. That night should have been a regular Tuesday night, where I went to a quiet space, away from my bullies to read. But it wasn't regular as I was met with a loud roar and a large figure that was out to get me.

"Help!" I screamed again, finally able to stand, my movement slowed by the layers of mud and grass that stuck to my boots and gown.

If I didn't move, I would be dead meat to this wild animal that wouldn't stop chasing me. That would be the end.

Blood dripped from my hand and down my arm, but I didn't care. The rain was blinding, and soon I began to see little of my surrounding. I wouldn't have cared if the next few seconds didn't send me slamming my head against something strong. I fell, hard on the floor, feeling blood drizzle down my forehead.

I felt light headed, as though I was going to pass out. But nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

"Happy eighteenth birthday, weirdo!" A loud voice screamed and thunder clapped in time, as if mocking me for my cowardice.

My heart tightened as I recognized the voice. It was Raven. I managed to flutter my eyes open, despite how the trickling blood from my forehead dripped down, making me see almost nothing around me.

There were many students around me, none of which I could recognise. But Raven's voice gave my stomach an irritated churn that made me wish I could strangle her right there and then, if it wouldn't ruin my scholarship opportunity and send me out of Thornsvale college.

"Did you like the surprise?" She asked, her voice closer now.

I held back my tears as I nodded slowly.

"Y---yes," I replied.

Raven's cold, cruel laughter echoed around me, and she leaned in so close that I could feel her breath on my face.

"You think this is all you are going to get from this school?" she whispered. "You're wrong, Mira. This is just the beginning. I already told you, you don't belong here, you pathetic little orphan."

Her words cut deeper than any claw could, but I bit back a whimper and nodded.

"You're nothing but a burden to everyone around you. Maybe it's time you realized that," she sneered, her grip on my hair tightening.

Tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry. With a vicious tug, she released me, sending me sprawling into the mud once more. I watched her retreat, the light from their flashlights fading into the night.

Once they were gone, I lay there for a few moments, the rain continuing to pummel me. The pain in my arm was a dull throb compared to the agony in my heart.

Finally, I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled back toward the dorms. The walk was a blur, the rain mixing with my tears as I tried to keep my balance. By the time I reached my room, I was soaked to the bone.

Juno was there, her eyes wide when she saw my state. She didn't bother asking questions. She just helped me out of my muddy clothes and began to clean the wound.

"Why do you let them do this to you, Mira?" she asked softly, her gentle touch a stark contrast to Raven's cruelty.

"It's just a prank," I murmured, trying to downplay it.

But she knew better. "Mira, you've been here for almost three months, and it's been like this every single day. You need to stop letting them walk over you like that. It's unfair that you don't know how strong you are."

I didn't feel strong. I felt weak and alone, but I didn't say that out loud. Instead, I offered a small smile. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"Always," she said, finishing up the first aid.

With her help, I managed to get into the shower. The hot water washed the dirt and blood from my body, but it couldn't scrub away the feeling of violation and shame.

I stood there, letting the water cascade over me, trying to figure out what to do next. I knew I couldn't just ignore what had happened. But what could I do? Who would help me? Raven was the daughter of the biggest sponsor in Thornvale.

As I stepped out of the shower, my eyes flew up to the window, and my heart skipped a beat. The rain had picked up outside, the droplets racing down the glass like tiny rivers of silver in the moonlight. But something else was there, something that looked like it shouldn't be there.

A hooded figure, tall and broad, stood just outside the window, his face obscured by the darkness and his outfit. I gasped and took a step back, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle any sound.

My heart pounded in my chest like a drum, and the warmth of the shower suddenly felt like ice water. I knew I had to tell someone, so I turned to Juno, but she was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with each breath. I didn’t have the heart to wake her. I took a tentative step towards the bed, whispering her name softly, but she didn’t stir.

The figure remained outside, his presence a shadowy sentinel in the night. The rain had picked up, turning the moonlight into a dance of shifting shapes across the floor. It was as if the very essence of the storm outside was reaching in to taunt me. I tried to convince myself that it was just my imagination playing tricks on me, a figment of the fear Raven’s prank had instilled.

But when I looked back, the figure was still there, unmoved by the downpour. What casual passerby would stand in such heavy rain, unmoving, as if he were a statue. I shivered, my teeth chattering, not just from the cold but from the fear that washed over me like the rain outside.

With trembling hands, I reached out to flick off the lamp on my nightstand, plunging the room into darkness. The only light now was the soft glow of the moon peeking through the gap in the curtains. The figure's outline was still there, and my heart thundered in my ears. I felt exposed, vulnerable, like prey caught in the open.

I took a deep breath, my hands shaking as I approached the window. The figure outside didn’t flinch. The rain had soaked him, the fabric clinging to his broad shoulders like a second skin. My heart raced as I reached for the curtains, the fabric thick and cold in my trembling grasp as I drew them close.