Fated to the Alpha Who Killed Me (by Sherry) novel Chapter 25

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13:57 Mon, Jun 8

Fated to the Alpha Who Killed Me

Chapter 25

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I slept without dreaming.

The next morning, the sun was barely up when I hit the training grounds. The air was crisp as I sprinted toward the obstacle wall. I didn’t slow down. I launched myself upward, hauling my body over with a grunt.

My muscles burned–a grounding pain. With every pull–up and sprint, I felt a stirring in my chest.

Ember.

My wolf was waking up. She was weak from years of suppression, but she was angry.

Run, she whispered. Fight.

By the time I finished, I was drenched in sweat, but I felt more alive than I had in five years.

***

I showered, dressed in a blazer and jeans, and drove to the university. I found Zane behind the cafeteria

loading docks.

He looked terrible. Fresh bruises from that night’s attack darkened his skin, and he moved with a painful stiffness, yet he was still struggling to haul a heavy crate.

I walked over. “You’re going to reopen those wounds if you keep this up.”

Zane dropped the crate and spun around. “Luna… I didn’t see you.”

“Obviously.” I looked at his worn sneakers.

I pulled out my phone. “Give me your payment handle.”

“What? No, I can’t-”

“Give it to me, Zane,” I commanded. “You’re a student. Your job is to study, not to haul potatoes while you’re

recovering.”

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13:57 Mon, Jun 8

Chapter 25

He hesitated but mumbled his username. I tapped the screen. His phone pinged.

He pulled it out, eyes widening. “Violet… this is five thousand dollars. I can’t take this.”

“It’s a loan,” I lied. “Interest–free. Pay me back when you’re a famous architect. Consider it an investment.”

He looked from the screen to me, eyes welling up.

“Don’t say anything,” I said, brushing lint off his shoulder. “Just promise me you’ll quit this job today.”

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“I will,” he choked out. “Thank you.”

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. I was doing exactly what Daemon did. He played the benevolent savior for Celeste, so I would play it for Zane. It was a twisted way to balance the scales–a mirror image of his betrayal. It made me feel dirty, but the vindictive satisfaction was undeniable.

“You’re pushing yourself too hard,” I said.

His face flushed instantly. “It’s Celeste’s birthday next week,” he confessed. “I want to get her something

special.”

“She’s lucky to have you,” I said hollowly.

“Celeste?” Zane’s eyes suddenly widened, looking past my shoulder. A look of pure relief washed over his

face. “Celeste! Over here!”

I turned. Celeste was walking along the path in a yellow sundress, looking fresh and innocent. She stopped, blinking in surprise as Zane run hurriedly toward her.

“Where have you been?” Zane asked, his voice thick with worry. “I’ve been calling you all morning. I thought

something happened.”

“I…” Celeste’s eyes darted away, her smile faltering for a fraction of a second. “I was in the library basement. There’s no signal down there. I’ve been studying for history.”

“You missed lunch,” Zane said tenderly, ignoring her evasion. “Hungry?”

“I can’t stay,” she said, checking her watch a little too quickly. “I have that physical fitness test tomorrow. I

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13:57 Mon, Jun 8

Chapter 25

need to head to the track and get some practice in before it gets dark.”

“I’ll come with you,” Zane said immediately.

“But… look at you,” she murmured, gesturing vaguely to his bruised body. “You need rest.”

“I’m fine. Being with you is better than rest,” he insisted, turning to me with a grateful nod. “Thank you

again, Luna. Seriously.”

“Go.” I waved them off.

I watched them leave. I knew this feeling.

Years ago, I had been the one breathless from chasing someone who never slowed down.

I remembered standing under the large oak tree by the library, holding a thermos of soup I’d spent hours making, waiting for Daemon to finish his classes. I remembered the way my heart would race when I saw him, and the way it would plummet when he walked past me with his friends, barely acknowledging my

existence.

The university hadn’t changed, but I had. The girl who used to wait in the cold was dead.

I turned to head back to my bike, but a low, steady engine hum stopped me.

Across the street, parked in the shadows of a large elm, was a nondescript black sedan. The window was

rolled down halfway.

Daemon sat in the driver’s seat.

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