Chapter 13: The Alpha's Shadow
The morning air at the Academy was thick with gossip. By the time the first bell rang, everyone had heard that Wolfie had run into the woods in tears and that the "City Girl" was already moving her things into the premium dorms. The students gathered in the courtyard, whispering, waiting to see if Drayan would show up alone or with Bianca on his arm.
Then, the heavy iron gates groaned.
A silence fell over the crowd that was so absolute, you could hear the autumn leaves hitting the stone. It wasn't the "City Boy" who walked through the gates. It was a man who looked like he had stepped out of an ancient, bloody legend.
Drayan walked with a predatory grace, his black Academy blazer draped over his shoulders like a royal cape. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the faint, healing marks of Wolfie's claws on his neck—a badge of honor he didn't bother to hide. But it was his face that stopped everyone's breath. His eyes weren't their usual soft gray; they were a dark, swirling obsidian, and his jaw was set with a lethal permanence.
Beside him, tucked firmly under his protective arm, was Wolfie.
She wasn't hiding. Drayan's hand was locked around her waist, pulling her so close that their strides were perfectly synchronized. He wasn't just walking with her; he was claiming her with every step.
"Look at his eyes," a vampire senior whispered, stepping back. "He's activated the Ancient Blood. He's in Protector Mode."
Drayan didn't look at them. He didn't look at anyone until he reached the center of the courtyard, where Bianca was standing near the fountain, wearing a smirk that vanished the moment she saw his face.
"Drayan!" Bianca tried to pitch her voice in that high, sugary tone, but it cracked. "You're late for Arcane History. I saved you a seat right next to—"
Drayan stopped five feet from her. The temperature in the courtyard plummeted. A thin layer of frost began to spread from his boots across the marble floor, creeping toward Bianca's designer heels.
He didn't speak immediately. He looked down at Wolfie, his expression softening for a fraction of a second as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Then, he turned back to Bianca.
"You," Drayan said. The word wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a mountain. It was the voice of a husband who had seen his wife cry and had decided that the world must pay for it.
"Drayan, don't be silly," Bianca stammered, clutching her designer bag. "I was just telling everyone about our time in the city. About how we were meant to be—"
"There was no 'us' in the city," Drayan interrupted, his voice cutting through her lies like a razor through silk. "In the city, you were a ghost I ignored. Here, you are a parasite I am losing my patience with."
He took a step forward, and the "Husband Mode" intensity radiated off him in waves. He was terrifyingly tall, his shadow looming over her.
"You came into my home," Drayan continued, his fangs glinting in the morning light. "You insulted my wife. You tried to poison the heart of the woman who is the only reason I still choose to breathe. You thought that because I was 'refined,' I wouldn't bite back."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the fake photos Bianca had used in the library. With a flick of his wrist, they ignited in a burst of cold, blue vampire fire, turning to ash before they even hit the ground.
"This is your final rejection, Bianca. Not just from me, but from Redpaveley." Drayan looked around at the gathered students—the werewolves, the vampires, and the witches. "This woman is an intruder. She tried to break a Blood-Vow. She tried to tell you that your Alpha's daughter wasn't good enough for a 'City Lord.'"
The werewolves in the crowd let out a collective, low growl. The vampires crossed their arms, looking at Bianca with newfound disgust. They saw the way Drayan held Wolfie—not as a contract, but as his lifeblood.
"Pack your bags," Drayan commanded, his voice echoing off the Academy walls. "If I see your face on these grounds by sunset, I will stop being a student. I will become the monster you think I am. And I promise you, the city won't be able to find enough of you to bury."
Bianca looked around, searching for a single ally, but even Marcus turned his back on her. She was a queen without a throne, defeated by a love she couldn't understand. She let out a frustrated sob and turned, running toward the gates in her clicking heels, her "city dream" shattered.
Drayan didn't watch her leave. He turned back to Wolfie, his "Husband Mode" shifting from a weapon of war back into a shield of love. He took both of her hands in his and kissed her knuckles, right where her moonstone ring caught the light.
"Is that enough, my moon?" he whispered, his eyes finally fading back to gray.
Wolfie looked at her husband—this man who had faced down his past and the entire school just to see her smile. She didn't feel like the "local girl" anymore. She felt like the center of the universe.
"It's a start, City Boy," she teased, her voice thick with pride.
Drayan smiled—a real, dangerous, beautiful smile. He wrapped his arm back around her, pulling her into his side. "Then let's go to class. I believe we have an alliance to lead."
As they walked into the Academy building, the students didn't just move aside. They bowed. The "City Boy" and his "Wolf" weren't just married; they were the new royalty of Redpaveley.