Claimed by the Wrong Alphas Chapter 35: Nowhere left to run

Charis

I caught up with Kael just before he turned into the eastern hallway, breathing hard as I tried to match his long strides.

"Kael—wait! Please!" I called, reaching out to grab his arm.

But he shook it off and continued walking.

"You’re not being fair to ," I called out breathlessly. "You know how Marcus has been acting toward , and—how he won’t stop. That ntorship program is just a façade to abuse —"

Kael stopped walking so abruptly that I nearly collided with his back. When he turned to face , his pale blue eyes twinkled with cold amusent that made my stomach clench.

"I know you enjoy all of this attention," he said with a leering smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "You’ve managed to keep the entire school entertained since your arrival—drama with your step-brother. Drama with Rhett, getting dragged like a rogue agent to the admin block, and now you’ve managed to make Marcus obsessed with you. Honestly? Well done, Eamon."

"How is any of this my fault?" I queried. "It’s not like I have control over these things. I can’t tell Marcus who or who not to like."

His eyes flicked over . "But like I’ve said before—and I’ll repeat it. You need to be careful in Ravenshore. This popularity will put you in trouble."

With that, he turned and continued walking.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and hurried after him. "You know I’m not doing any of this on purpose. How do I get Marcus off my back? There has to be sothing I can do."

Kael didn’t respond. He wouldn’t even look at .

"I’m serious!" I cried. "He’s acting like a maniac, Kael. He’s not going to stop!"

"That sounds like a you, problem, Eamon," he threw over his shoulders. "I’ve exhausted my talking energy for today."

I followed after him, trying to engage him in conversation, asking questions about the academy’s policies and whether the academy had any student protection policies, as well as anything that might help my situation. But Kael ignored completely, treating as though I didn’t exist.

When we reached the hallway that led to his living quarters, he was still ignoring . Finally, he stopped in front of a dark oak door, similar to Slater’s, with a small brass placard that read: Kael Winters – First-Year Coordinator.

"Kael—please..."

He opened the door, still ignoring , stepped inside and shut it. Right in my face.

I stood there for a long mont, fists clenched at my side. I thought about knocking. About kicking the door. About collapsing right there in the hallway, but with soone like Kael, it wouldn’t work.

Instead, I turned away, biting down the scream stuck in my throat. Marcus’s video ssage kept replaying in my mind. The boy was out for , and it seed nothing else would stop him. Just like what Kael said, he was obsessed.

For a minute, I contemplated going to Headmistress Vale and asking for help dealing with Marcus’s unwanted attention. But after everything the headmistress had done for today—managing my admission crisis and keeping my secret safe—going back to ask for additional help would make sound ungrateful and demanding.

I turned and started walking back toward Slater’s room, which was in the sa section as Kael’s, but I stopped myself. No. Not after what happened. I wasn’t ready to face him again.

I thought of going to the dorms—then rembered Peter’s smug grin when he dragged out and Marcus’s hungry eyes. The thought of that incident repeating itself left shivering with fear.

Which left...

My eyes drifted back to the door that had just closed on .

Sighing, I walked to the end of the hall, circled back, and stared at the placard again. I hesitated, then pressed the doorbell.

Ti passed... ten minutes, twenty minutes, and I rang again, but there was no response. I nearly gave up and was turning to leave when the door finally opened and Kael appeared, trying his hair with a towel, clearly fresh from a shower.

He was wearing a simple t-shirt and pyjama pants, looking more relaxed and human than I’d ever seen him.

When he saw standing in his doorway, he stopped mid-motion, his expression shifting from surprise to annoyance.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked bluntly.

I raised my chin, hugging my arms. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"No," he said imdiately and tried to close the door.

I held the door with my hand, pulling back with all my strength. "Please," I begged. "I just need one night. Things aren’t good between and Slater right now. I can’t go back there, and I also can’t go back to the dorms. I need sowhere safe to sleep for one night, and then I’ll figure sothing else out tomorrow."

"You will build your own house or what?" he scoffed. "Do you think here is like your fucking pack house?"

"I know that, but please... I’m not asking to sleep on your bed..." He looked mildly flustered as I ntioned that. "I’ll take the couch," I said hastily. "I’ll sleep on the floor. I need a place where Marcus or Peter won’t find ."

"No," he replied again. "No, No, No... Eamon. No, for the thousandth ti."

I sighed, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. "I know you don’t owe anything," I continued quickly, "but as First-Year Coordinator, don’t you have so responsibility for student welfare? I’m asking for help in your official capacity."

"My official capacity," he repeated slowly, "doesn’t extend to providing overnight accommodations for students who can’t get along with their roommates."

"This isn’t about getting along," I said, my voice growing more urgent. "Marcus Webb announced to the entire academy that he’s going to be my personal ntor. After what happened so days ago and the way he’s been looking at ... I’m scared, Kael. I don’t feel safe in the regular dormitories."

Kael’s expression didn’t change, but sothing flickered in his eyes—perhaps recognition of the genuine fear in my voice.

"There are proper channels for reporting harassnt," he said after a mont. "File a formal complaint with the administration."

"Even if that works, it cannot be solved tonight. Besides," I replied, "he’s the Student President. Who’s going to believe over him?"

"Then perhaps you should have considered that before becoming the centre of attention," Kael said coldly.

The cruelty of his words made my chest tighten. "I didn’t ask for any of this attention. I didn’t ask to be put on so honour list or to have Marcus obsessing over ."

"Didn’t you?" Kael asked, his voice carrying a strange edge. "You certainly seem to enjoy collecting protectors. First Slater, then Rhett, now you’re here trying to add to your collection."

I stared at him in shock. "That’s not what this is about."

"Isn’t it?" Kael stepped closer, and I could sll the clean scent of his soap and shampoo. "You flutter around this academy like a lost little bird, and sohow every male student falls over themselves trying to rescue you. It’s quite the talent."

"I’m not trying to manipulate anyone," I said, my voice shaking with hurt and anger. "I’m just trying to survive."

For a mont, sothing in Kael’s expression softened almost imperceptibly. But then his walls went back up, and he stepped back from the doorway.

"Find sowhere else to spend the night," he said firmly. "I’m not running a shelter for students with housing problems."

And with that, he closed the door in my face, leaving standing alone in the empty hallway with nowhere left to turn.