Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers
Chapter 66: Not Worth the Pieces

Chapter 66: Not Worth the Pieces

Evaline:

Somehow, I managed to survive the next two days. But surviving wasn’t quite the same as living, and definitely not the same as focusing.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t push a certain Rogue Alpha out of my thoughts.

Draven.

Ever since the library meeting... everything had changed.

Before that evening, I had only met him twice and barely caught even a glimpse of him around the Academy. But now, he was suddenly everywhere.

I noticed him walking past me in the hallways, like a phantom brushing along the edge of my world. Then, he was in the dining hall, always a few tables away. He always kept his gaze cool and unreadable even though I knew... he was watching me.

Another time, he passed by the north-wing courtyard where I was resting with my friends after a long history class. His steps were measured and he kept his expression unreadable, like I wasn’t even there.

And yet my heart flipped in my chest just seeing the curve of his smirk, the way his eyes lingered for just a second too long.

Then there was the library. Again. He didn’t approach me this time, but he sat at a table a few shelves away, reading a book on ancient Alpha rites.

Was it just a coincidence? No. But he was so subtle that no one else suspected a thing.

And that was the terrifying part.

Draven knew what he was doing. He wasn’t parading around me. He wasn’t flashing me smiles or causing scenes. It was all... quiet. Deliberate. Calculated.

Only I knew the truth. And I hated it.

Because no matter how much I reminded myself to stay away, no matter how often I warned myself that he was dangerous and everything I couldn’t afford to get involved in... I still noticed him. Every time. It was like gravity refused to work properly when he was around. Like I couldn’t breathe unless I made sure he was real.

And it was driving me mad.

By the time Friday arrived, the entire academy was buzzing with excitement. Weekend plans, full moon night plans, people were chatting about getting extra rest or heading into town.

Everyone was excited. Everyone but me.

I sat with Mallory and Noah at lunch, forcing a bite of roasted vegetables into my mouth, barely tasting them. My head was throbbed and my chest was feeling tight. It wasn’t just Draven haunting me, it was what coming next.

The weekend meant only one thing for me - Internship hours with River.

My stomach twisted at the thought of stepping into that Council building again. Of facing him again.

The last Sunday didn’t exactly end well. And it was making me dread the coming day.

"You have been quiet all day," Mallory said as she nudged me with her shoulder. "Is this about the internship again?"

I gave her a half-hearted smile and nodded. "Just... trying to mentally prepare."

I could tell that they all still felt confused about why I was so disturbed about the internship, but they didn’t try to pay. They just made sure to motivate me.

Kyros dropped a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You are strong, Eva. I’m sure you will handle this internship well."

I nodded again, but it felt robotic. The truth was, I didn’t feel strong. I felt like I was breaking at the seams, caught in a whirlwind of Alpha egos, and impossible expectations.

By dinner, I just accepted the reality of my weekend fate. I barely tasted the food, exchanged minimal conversation, and nodded my way through goodnights.

The only thing I looked forward to was my bed.

I just wanted to get into my room, crawl under my blanket, and hide. But when I opened the door to my dorm, I froze in the doorway.

He was there.

Draven.

He was sitting on my window ledge like he belonged there. His one leg was hanging over the edge while the other was pulled up to rest an arm on. Moonlight was spilling through the window, casting pale silver across his skin, making him look like something unearthly.

"You really need to start locking this door," he said lazily as if he hadn’t just broken into my room.

"What... what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice coming as a soft whisper.

He tilted his head and a crooked smile played at the corner of his lips. "It didn’t feel right to let you go into the weekend looking like someone kicked your soul."

I locked the door behind me and stepped forward, but kept my distance from him at the same time. "Draven, you can’t just show up in my room. What if someone saw you?"

"No one did." His smile widened. "I’m good at shadows."

And somehow, I could feel that he was telling the truth.

"I don’t need you to check on me," I said as I folded my arms across my chest.

He didn’t seem bothered by my words. Instead, he replied simply. "Maybe. But I wanted to."

There was something different in his tone. It was... softer. Quieter. But no less intense.

"And maybe," he added in a voice that was barely more than a whisper now, "I needed to see you too."

I swallowed hard before asking, "Why?"

His eyes burned into mine as he answered, "Because you are impossible to ignore."

"Don’t," I whispered as my heart slammed against my ribs. "Don’t do this."

He stood slowly and stepped away from the window, closing the space between us until I had to tilt my head to keep looking into his eyes.

"I’m not trying to hurt you, Eva."

"You already are," I whispered. "By being here. By making me feel things I shouldn’t."

His hand hovered in the air like he wanted to reach out, but he didn’t touch me. Not yet. "I’ll go," he said finally. "But not before I say this."

I held my breath to hear what he had to say.

"You think you are surviving," he murmured as his eyes searched mine. "But you are fighting. And you are winning. Even if it doesn’t feel like it."

And with that being said, he turned to go, only to stop before stepping out into the balcony. He glanced at me from above his shoulder as he whispered. "Don’t let my brother break you, Eva. He’s not worth the pieces. No one is."

Then... he was gone, while I stood there with my heart racing and my mind in chaos.