Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Alpha who was never mine: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Elena Cruz The house was already vibrating before they even got out of the car. Music pounded through the walls so loud Elena felt it in her chest. People covered the front lawn, solo cups everywhere, someone already throwing up in the bushes. The whole place smelled like beer and sweat and bad decisions. “This is going to be so fun,” Lila said, practically running up the driveway. Elena followed slower, wondering why she’d agreed to this in the first place Inside was more chaos. Bodies packed wall to wall, the living room turned into a dance floor, the kitchen overflowing with bottles and mixers. Every surface was sticky. Every corner was occupied. The bass was so loud Elena couldn’t hear herself think. She pressed against the wall, trying to disappear. Harper leaned closer. “You good?” “Yeah. Just crowded.” “We can leave whenever.” Elena nodded, grateful Harper understood. Lila came back from the kitchen with drinks, shoving one at Elena. “Here. This’ll help.”

Elena Cruz Elena drove to campus the next morning in her new car, still not quite believing it was hers. The engine was smooth. The seats were comfortable. Everything smelled new and expensive. She kept glancing at the maroon paint gleaming in the morning sun, kept touching the steering wheel like she needed to confirm it was real. By the time she pulled into the student parking lot, she’d almost convinced herself this was normal. That people just gave other people brand new cars all the time. That it didn’t mean anything. But the stares started immediately. Students turned to look as she parked. Heads swiveled. Conversations paused. Elena could feel their eyes tracking her as she got out and grabbed her bag. She kept her head down and walked toward the main building, trying to ignore the attention. “ELENA!” Lila’s voice cut across the parking lot. She was practically running, Harper trailing behind her with a more reserved expression. “Is that your car?” Lila demanded

Elena Cruz Elena fell asleep without meaning to. One minute she was working on the assignment, the next she was waking up disoriented with her laptop still open beside her and drool on her pillow. She blinked at her phone. 9:47 PM. She’d been asleep for almost three hours. Drifted to sleep the moment Lila left . Elena sat up, groggy and confused about what had woken her. Then she heard it. She heard music and laughter and voices carrying up from downstairs. She got out of bed and opened her door. The sounds were clearer now. Multiple people talking over each other. Glass clinking. The unmistakable buzz of a party happening somewhere below. She walked to the top of the stairs and looked down. The entire first floor had been transformed. People filled the living room and spilled out onto the back patio. Well-dressed adults with wine glasses and cocktails, laughing and talking in clusters. The furniture had been rearranged. Catering staff moved through the crowd with trays o

Alexander Hale Alexander stood in the doorway of his bedroom watching Vivian get ready for bed. She was at her vanity removing her makeup slowly “You coming to bed?” he asked. “In a minute.” He walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. The silk of her robe was cool under his palm. She didn’t lean into his touch. Didn’t acknowledge it at all. “Vivian.” “I’m tired, Alexander.” “I know. I just thought we could…” “I’ve been working all day. Back to back calls. Emails. Reports. I’m exhausted.” She set down the cotton pad and met his eyes in the mirror. “Can we not do this tonight?” “Do what?” “This. Whatever you’re trying to start. I’m too tired.” Alexander dropped his hand. “I wasn’t trying to start anything. I just wanted…” “I know what you wanted. And I’m telling you I’m not in the mood.” She turned back to the mirror. “Please. I just want to sleep.” Alexander stepped back. “Right. Of course.” He left the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Stood i

Elena Cruz Elena sat across from Ethan at a small coffee shop downtown. He was talking about his soccer game last night. How his team won. How he scored the final goal and the crowd went crazy. She nodded and smiled when it seemed right but wasn’t really listening. Something felt off. Her chest was tight. Her skin felt too warm. Everything around her seemed louder than it should be. The espresso machine hissing steam. Conversations from other tables bleeding together. The scrape of chairs against the floor. Someone laughing too loud near the window. “Elena?” She blinked. “What?” “I asked if you wanted to come to the next game. This weekend.” “Oh. Yeah. Maybe.” Ethan leaned forward. “You okay? You seem distracted.” “I’m fine. Just tired.” “You sure? We can leave if you’re not feeling it.” “No. I’m okay.” But she wasn’t okay. Her emotions were doing something strange. One second she looked at Ethan and felt warm. Liked the way he smiled at her. Liked how he’d bo