All Chapters of The Alpha Heir's Fake Mate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

The digital clock on my standard-issue academy wrist monitor blinks a mocking four thirty in the morning.I lean against the rough frozen bark of a pine tree, letting out a heavy yawn that materializes as a thick cloud of vapor in the freezing pre-dawn air. The forest outside the Eclipse Alpha Academy is pitch black and silent, save for the wind rustling the upper canopy and the distant, rhythmic crash of the ocean waves against the cliffs below.“If he freezes me to death before sunrise, I’m going to haunt his leather jackets,” I mutter to myself, pulling the collar of my dark academy uniform jacket tighter around my throat.Looking back through the thicket of trees, the monolithic silhouette of the castle looms against the dark sky, lit only by a few flickering torches. It’s a beautiful, terrifying fortress, but standing out here in the cold, it feels more like a gilded cage.I feel a quiet ache in my chest as my mind drifts back toward the Silvercrest Pack.I miss the familiar scen

Beneath the drooping branches of the ancient willow tree at the edge of the western lawn, Ivy and I have managed to carve out a temporary sanctuary. A thick, knitted blanket protects our legs from the damp grass, and resting between us is a plastic container stacked high with fluffy pancakes, generously smeared with thick, melting Nutella.After a week of enduring the whispered commentary that follows my every move in the grand dining hall, eating in the company of aggressive squirrels feels like a massive upgrade.“If anyone stares at me while I have chocolate on my chin today, I might actually use my fork as a projectile,” I say, shifting slightly on the blanket and immediately regretting the movement.A throbbing ache blooms across my lower back, radiating down my thighs with agonizing intensity.My entire body feels like it has been repeatedly dropped from a three-story building, courtesy of the grueling routine my self-appointed demonic personal trainer has instituted over the la

A cool draft brushes across my face, breaking through the heavy, medicated sleep that has kept me pinned to Damon’s mattress for hours.The deep ache in my shoulder has faded to a dull, manageable throb, but before I can fully appreciate the miracle of northern wolf medicine, I feel a soft, rhythmic pressure along my cheek bone. Bare fingers are tracing the line of my jaw lightly. Still half-submerged in a dream about warm valleys and chocolate pancakes, my brain completely misfires, and I instinctively tilt my chin upward, snuggling my face directly into the warm palm of the hand.“Well, aren’t you a remarkably affectionate patient when you aren’t trying to insult my footwear,” a familiar, raspy voice murmurs right above my ear.My eyes snap open.The stone walls of Damon’s private quarters are illuminated only by the dying embers of the hearth, and leaning directly over my face is the exiled prince himself.“What the hell!” I shriek, the breath rushing back into my lungs as my survi

The stone railing feels warm under my hands as I lean over the edge, squinting at the bright morning sun. It is a rare break from the thick gray mist that usually hangs over Eclipse Alpha Academy, and I am determined to soak up every single drop of sun before the weather remembers we are on a frozen mountain. Ivy is missing from our usual morning hangout, having been dragged off by Ravenna to count silver-tipped training spears, which leaves me alone with Lucian.“You look like a cat that found a sunny patch of rug,” Lucian says, his hazel eyes crinkling as he leans against the railing next to me.“Don’t ruin the moment,” I reply, closing my eyes and tilting my face toward the sky. “If I look hard enough, I can almost pretend I’m back in a place where the trees don’t try to kill me during cardio drills.”He lets out a low chuckle, crossing his arms. “Alright, let’s hear the weekly report card then. How are the introductory channeling classes going? Have you managed to make Instructor