Raven POV:
So, I went to my room only to find the door open.
And I knew—absolutely knew—I had locked it.
My stomach sank immediately. Had someone broken in? Or maybe my bratty roommate had suddenly changed her mind about "not being able to stay with a sickly alpha"? Maybe she'd waltzed back in to reclaim her spot, ready to make my life even more miserable.
Great. Just great.
Except, nope. It wasn't the sissy alpha girl.
Instead, it was… someone else.
A tomboy.
She was sprawled comfortably on the couch, legs crossed, a paperback novel in her hand like she owned the place. At first glance, I honestly thought a guy had broken in—short hair, baggy t-shirt, loose shorts, laid-back posture. If not for the very obvious curve of her chest poking through the fabric, I'd have bet my life she was male.
She glanced up the moment I walked in, dark eyes locking with mine. And then—she smiled. Not a sneer. Not a disgusted grimace. Not even curiosity laced with malice like most people gave me. Just… a normal smile.
"Hey, what's up?" she said casually, tucking her finger between the pages to hold her spot before closing the book. "So, your silly roomie is at my place. Apparently my roommate is her best friend, and she thinks that means she can just move in and stay there for good."
She rolled her eyes. "One fussy brat I can handle, but two? No way. So we switched. I told her I could stay in her room, and she could have mine. Hope that's fine by you?"
I just blinked.
This girl had just… barged in here and announced she was my new roommate like it was nothing. And yet—unlike everyone else—there was no edge of superiority in her voice, no underlying disgust. She was just talking to me like… a person.
Maybe a tomboy for a roomie wasn't such a bad idea. At least she wasn't glaring at me like I was some disease that had to be quarantined.
I gave her a small nod.
Her smile widened. "Cool. So, you can call me Alex. Short for Alexandria." She tilted her head, studying me. "What should I call you? I'm not about to call you 'the sick alpha' like everyone else around here has branded you."
The way she said it made my chest tighten. The sick alpha. That stupid nickname was already making rounds? Figures.
"Raven," I murmured.
"Raven." She tested my name like she was tasting it on her tongue, then gave a little approving nod. "Nice. Fits you. Dark, sharp, mysterious. Bet it scares people off."
I didn't respond to that. My throat felt too tight.
I wasn't used to this. Not the small talk. Not the friendliness. My life had only ever had three types of conversations: yelling and accusations from my mother, threats from my father, and soft words of assurance from Rosy, my nanny. That was it. That was the full range of my social experience.
So now, standing here with this girl trying to have an actual pleasant conversation with me? It felt weird. Off. Like I'd walked into the wrong dimension.
She didn't even demand I accept her. She asked if I was okay with it. Who does that here? Most people just barged in and demanded cooperation, like I was some servant forced to comply.
Alex leaned forward a little, her sharp eyes flicking to my dress. "What happened to you, by the way? Your clothes look wrecked." Then she grinned mischievously. "Don't tell me you killed someone already."
My stomach dropped at her joke.
I didn't know how to take it—was she serious? Was she mocking me?
I froze, awkward, and shook my head quickly. "No… I just—I need to change."
Her grin softened into something less teasing, more sympathetic. "Hey, relax. I'm joking. No need to look like a deer caught in headlights. You've got enough on your plate without me adding to it, huh?"
I couldn't answer. My throat locked up again, my brain replaying everything that had happened today. Lucian's icy eyes. His voice calling me pathetic. His stupid shirt still lingering in my hands not long ago, reeking of him, clinging to me like poison. The Delta almost sniffing out my truth. And now… this.
The sudden shift from hostile glares to an easy-going tomboy who wanted to be roommates—it was too much. Too fast. My walls didn't know whether to crumble or shoot higher.
I mumbled something unintelligible, just an excuse, before heading to my room to change. I couldn't stand there under her gaze, not when I felt raw and exposed.
In the privacy of my room, I pressed my back to the door and let out a shaky breath. My dress was ruined—blood-stained, sticky, beyond saving. I peeled it off and tossed it in the corner like it was cursed.
And Lucian's shirt? Yeah, I had already thrown that piece of trash into the office dustbin before heading here. I wasn't about to bring his scent into my space.
Stupid alpha. Stupid shirt. Stupid body.
No. I wasn't going to fall into that road. I wasn't going to let some wolf-instinct crap pull me under just because my biology wanted to act up.
Still, as I slid on a clean dress, my chest felt tight. Today had been too much. And it wasn't even over yet.
*********
When I came out of my room, the faint scent of something delicious drifted through the small space. My stomach growled before my brain even caught up—it had been hours since I last ate, and apparently my body didn't care that my life was one disaster after another.
"Hey, Raven! Come have some—I cooked a lot," Alex called the second she heard my door click shut.
Her voice was light, cheerful, inviting. I hesitated, debating retreating back into my cave, but… what was I supposed to do? Be a wet towel while she was clearly trying to be friendly? She was the first person in forever who treated me like I wasn't some freak show.
So, I followed the smell into the kitchenette.
Alex stood by the counter, her back to me, shoulders moving as she scooped food onto plates. From this angle, she definitely looked like a guy—lean, broad-shouldered, casual in her loose clothes. A small guy compared to most Alphas, maybe, but still bigger than me. Everyone was bigger than me.
Because she was an Alpha.
And I… wasn't.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped closer, pretending my chest wasn't tightening with nerves. She finished plating whatever it was—something golden, steaming, and savory—then turned toward me.
The second her eyes landed on me, everything changed.
Her smile froze. Her pupils blew wide, swallowing the dark, and I swore I saw a flicker of yellow glinting in her gaze—her wolf pushing closer to the surface.
The serving spoon clattered from her hand, hitting the counter and rolling off with a dull clang. She didn't notice.
Her eyes devoured me in a way that made my skin prickle and heat crawl up my neck. It wasn't a friendly once-over. It was hunger. Instinct. Desire.
Oh no.
Alex's chest rose sharply as she inhaled, slow, deep, like she was savoring something invisible between us.
"Fuck…" she whispered, voice low and roughened by something primal. "Raven, you smell so—"