Hunted by Alpha Devil

CHAPTER 5

As I sat there, Dad's words felt heavy, swirling with questions in my mind. His mix of concern and frustration mirrored my own turmoil. The tension in his jaw and his deep furrowed brow showed his unease. If he and the Alpha were trying to understand why the rival pack was targeting ours, I felt equally unsettled.

“Why would he be watching us? We haven’t done anything to provoke him, have we?” I blurted out, panic rising. “And why would he want to kidnap me? The Alpha’s son was right there!”

My thoughts were chaotic, questions spinning faster than I could process. Deep down, I tried to calm myself, but my mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

“Amberly,” Dad said urgently, “I can’t tell you more than I already have. You mustn’t speak of this to anyone.”

I felt turmoil in my gut, guilty for mentioning the Alpha's son, as if his presence justified anything that might happen to me. Surely, they wouldn’t choose me over him—he was the heir. Or maybe the Devil viewed me as the easier target.

A chilling realization struck me: this whole incident felt orchestrated, like a sinister choreography to distract everyone else while he snatched me up. My heart raced at how easily I had been caught.

None of this added up. The Devil’s pack could have taken Ryan, yet my gut told me there was more to the story. Secrets hung heavily between us, unlike Dad’s usual openness.

Determined to uncover the truth, I braced myself for trouble.

Dad stood, pressing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Get some sleep. We’ll talk later, but you can’t tell anyone else about this.”

I nodded, absorbing his words as he left. Climbing into bed, I tried to block out the distant patrols outside, surrendering to weariness.

Miraculously, I fell into a deep sleep, free from nightmares.

The next morning, I met Evan for our routine jog. I was unusually quiet, lost in my thoughts, while he shot me concerned glances. I knew I had too much to share, perhaps not now or ever.

The weight of the secret hung heavily in the air, threatening my sanity as I endured it for now. Jogging past the packhouse, I spotted Alpha Matthew and Ryan deep in discussion. Their serious expressions shifted to me as I approached, an unspoken urgency hanging between us.

“Hey, baby,” Ryan called out, his warm voice drawing me in. I sensed his fatigue as I asked if everything was okay.

“Just Alpha crap. I want to be in bed,” he admitted, and I couldn’t help but smirk, teasing him to “suck it up.”

“Are you coming to school?” I asked, gauging his mood.

“Of course! I’ll pick you up at the usual time,” he reassured me, and a brief kiss followed before Evan and I resumed our jog.

Arriving home, I was surprised to find Dad calmly having breakfast with Mom—a stark contrast to his usual stern demeanor. After the punishment I endured just nights before, this tranquility left me bewildered.

At the corner, Ryan picked us up with his usual bright smile. Heading into school, I tensed as a high-pitched voice pierced the air.

“Evan! There you are!” Molly squealed, draping her arm around him, much to my irritation.

I turned to Ryan, who comfortingly wrapped his arm around my waist. At my locker, I spotted Tris leaning against the door, looking distant.

“Hey, are you alright?” I asked, sensing her heaviness.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, her evasive tone leaving me with an unsettling feeling that something deeper troubled her.

I turned to find Brandon lounging against a metal locker, his smile effortlessly captivating a couple of girls who giggled at his charming antics. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I opened my own locker with a metallic clank that echoed in the dimly lit corridor, amplifying the sense of weariness that settled in my chest.

When I entered our first class, my eyes immediately found Tris sitting alone at the back of the room, her usual fire and vivacity clearly dimmed. I felt a surge of determination; I couldn’t let her navigate this storm by herself, especially after the explosive drama that had unfolded at the club. With a sense of purpose, I slipped into the seat beside her, noticing Ryan occupying the space on my other side, maintaining a careful distance from Tris as if she were a fragile glass figurine.

Leaning in closer, I reached out through our shared mind-link, whispering softly, “He’ll realize what he’s missing one day.”

Tris turned her gaze toward me, her brow furrowing in confusion, a flicker of hope struggling to break through the cloud of uncertainty surrounding her. “Who?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, seeking clarity in the haze of her emotions.

"Don't play dumb with me. Do you honestly think that I don't know?" I asked.

"Well, he doesn't seem too interested now. He was all over me at the club." She said.

"That's because guys are idiots." I said. And she looked at me with a smile on her face.

As the teacher stepped into the classroom, the old wooden door creaked softly, a sound that seemed to reverberate off the walls. He placed his stack of meticulously organized books onto the desk with a decisive thud, the impact slicing through the stillness of the room and commanding the attention of every student.

Nearby, Ryan thought it was the perfect moment to make his move. With a playful grin, he pulled my desk closer, the legs scraping against the floor with a light protest. He draped his arm casually over the back of my chair, his fingers teasingly brushing through my hair, sending a light shiver down my spine.

Just as the buzz of conversation faded and the class began to settle into a focused hush, a sharp, blaring alarm erupted from the wall, cutting through the peaceful atmosphere like a knife. The loud, jarring sound sent everyone into a flurry of confusion, eyes wide and hearts racing as we glanced around, unsure of what was happening.

The piercing sound of the alarm sliced through the chaos, reverberating off the walls and cutting through the air like a jagged blade. With a sense of urgency that was almost palpable, it propelled everyone into frantic action. Students stumbled out of their seats, the frantic shuffle of sneakers against the linoleum floor mixing with the rising clamor of startled voices. The teacher’s commanding voice, usually a steady guide, now rose above the din like a lifeline, directing us with firm instructions amidst the confusion.

My heart raced as panic surged through me, a wild tide of fear washing over my senses. The realization hit me like a cold wave: we were under attack. Adrenaline surged through my veins, quickening my pulse and sharpening my focus as I dashed for the door, desperate to join the defenders protecting our sanctuary. The metallic taste of anxiety filled my mouth, and all I could think about was the urgency of the moment.

Just as I reached for the handle, ready to burst into the hallway, a powerful grip seized my arm, yanking me back with force. I turned to see Ryan, his face a mix of determination and fear, his brow furrowed in urgency.

“What the hell are you doing?” I shouted, my voice rising above the chaos, frustration boiling inside me like an erupting volcano. “I need to help!”

In one swift motion, he spun me around to face him, his intense gaze locking onto mine with an unnerving intensity. “As an Alpha, I command you to stop and do what I say,” he declared, his voice unwavering, yet tinged with an underlying urgency that left me momentarily immobilized. The weight of his words hit me like an invisible force, binding me in place. My instincts screamed at me to run, to break free from this unnatural hold, but the power of his command coursed through me like a stubborn current, leaving me unable to defy him. My mind raced, torn between the instinct to fight and the inexplicable compulsion to obey.