Chapter 11
The weekend passed in a haze of confusion, tension, and unspoken words.
Ian didn’t disappear again—but something about him had changed. He was still protective, still intense, still watching me like I was the only thing in the room that mattered. But there was a war in his eyes now. A quiet storm he didn’t know how to explain.
And I didn’t push. Not yet.
Monday came, and as I walked through the halls of Mystic Shadow University, I noticed something new.
People were watching me.
Not whispering, not taunting—watching. Like they were trying to figure out what had changed. Like they knew something had shifted.
“Okay, what is happening?” Abigail said as she caught up with me. “You’ve been marked by the gossip gods or something.”
“Marked?” I repeated.
“Yeah,” she smirked. “You walk into a room now, and people shut up. It’s creepy.”
I looked around. She was right.
But before I could say anything more, a hand grabbed my wrist gently.
Ian.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked, low and serious.
Abigail raised an eyebrow and stepped back. “Sure. I’ll just… go breathe somewhere else.”
He led me outside, away from curious eyes. The campus garden was quiet, hidden between buildings. I could hear the soft hum of bees and the faint rustle of wind.
“I need to tell you something,” he said.
I nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“I’m going to be officially named the next Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack next month. My training starts soon. And with that comes pressure. Expectations. People watching everything I do.”
I stayed silent.
He took a deep breath. “There are elders in the pack who believe an Alpha should only mate with a Luna of high rank. A Beta’s daughter. Someone from another noble pack. They won’t accept an omega.”
My heart clenched.
“But I don’t care,” he said firmly. “I’m not letting them choose for me. Fate chose you.”
His words warmed me—and scared me.
“Then why does it feel like you’re still pulling away?” I asked.
He looked torn. “Because the closer I get, the more dangerous it becomes for you. And there’s something else. Something I haven’t told you.”
I waited.
“There’s a power inside me,” he said quietly. “One I haven’t learned to control. It’s not normal. It’s… darker. Wilder. My father keeps it hidden from the pack. But he’s scared of it. I’m scared of it.”
Goosebumps rose on my arms.
“When I’m near you, it calms. But if I lose control—if I hurt you—” He looked away. “I wouldn’t survive that.”
I stepped closer and touched his hand. “Then let me help you control it. Don’t push me away because of fear. Let me in.”
His eyes searched mine, full of doubt and longing.
“I don’t deserve you,” he said.
“That’s not your choice,” I whispered.
And for the first time, he didn’t argue.
He leaned in and kissed me.
It wasn’t hungry or rushed. It was slow. Deep. Like a promise sealed in fire.
And even though I didn’t understand everything yet, I knew one thing clearly.
This was only the beginning.