Alpha’s Betrayed Mate

Aurora's POV

The ride home after my first day at Silver Crest Academy felt surreal. I replayed every detail—the stares, the whispers, the encounter with Hayden and his group. But when I stepped through the front door, I left all of it behind.

"Hey, sweetheart," Mom called from the kitchen, her voice a mix of warmth and exhaustion. "How was your first day?"

I forced a smile as I dropped my bag by the door. "It was… fine. Just a lot to take in."

She appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Fine? That doesn't sound very enthusiastic."

"It's a new place," I said, shrugging. "You know how it is. Takes time to adjust."

Mom studied me for a moment before nodding. "Well, you'll find your rhythm soon enough. Dinner will be ready in an hour. Why don't you freshen up?"

I murmured a quick thanks and headed upstairs, grateful she didn't press further. As much as I wanted to confide in her, I couldn't bring myself to explain the strange, magnetic pull of Hayden Carter and his group—or the way my stomach twisted every time I thought about his smirk.

That night, I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Hayden's gaze, Ciara's glare, and the unsettling feeling that I had stepped into something far bigger than I could understand.

The next morning, I jolted awake to the sound of my alarm blaring. I groaned, slapping at my phone until it stopped. When I glanced at the time, my heart sank.

I was late.

Throwing on my uniform in record time, I barely managed to grab my bag before rushing out the door. By the time I arrived at school, I was out of breath and already bracing myself for trouble.

The bell had rung, and most students were already in their classes. I hurried down the hallway, ignoring the stares of a few stragglers who whispered as I passed. When I reached my classroom, the teacher was in the middle of explaining the day's project.

"Aurora Bennett, I presume?" she said, raising an eyebrow as I slipped into the room.

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry I'm late," I muttered, keeping my head down as I moved to the back of the class.

"As I was saying," she continued, "you'll be working in groups for this project. Since we're short on time, I've already arranged the groups. Find your names on the board and sit with your partners."

I scanned the board quickly, hoping for a stroke of luck. My stomach dropped when I saw it.

Group 5: Hayden Carter, Ciara Winters, Aurora Bennett.

Of course.

Reluctantly, I moved to their table, where Hayden was already leaning back in his chair, looking impossibly relaxed, while Ciara sat beside him, her arms crossed and her expression icy.

"Great," Ciara muttered under her breath when she saw me approach.

I ignored her and took the seat across from them, refusing to let my nerves show.

Hayden's gaze flicked to me, his lips curving into that same infuriating smirk from yesterday. "Well, this just got interesting."

I focused on my notebook, determined not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

The teacher started handing out instructions, and I tried to concentrate. But Hayden's presence was like a gravitational pull, impossible to ignore.

"So, Aurora," he said after a moment, his voice low and teasing. "Are you always late, or is today special?"

I glanced up, meeting his amused gaze. "Are you always this annoying, or is today special?"

The words were out before I could stop them, and the room fell silent. A few students nearby turned to stare, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Ciara looked like she wanted to strangle me. "Excuse me?"

Hayden's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before returning, sharper this time. "Careful, Aurora," he said, his voice deceptively calm. "You don't want to make enemies on your first week."

I leaned back in my chair, forcing myself to appear more confident than I felt. "Maybe you're not as scary as you think you are."

The tension in the room was palpable. Even the teacher glanced over, sensing the shift in the air.

Hayden's eyes darkened, and he leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between us. "You'll regret this," he said softly, his voice carrying a quiet menace. "I promise."

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. There was something dangerous in his tone, something that made my heart race for all the wrong reasons.

But I refused to back down. "We'll see," I said, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my chest.

The bell rang, shattering the silence. Hayden straightened, his smirk returning as he gathered his things. "This is going to be fun," he said, glancing back at me as he walked away.

Ciara shot me a glare before following him, leaving me alone at the table, my hands shaking.

As the classroom emptied, I sat there, replaying the encounter in my mind. I had stood up to Hayden Carter.

And now, I knew, my life at Silver Crest Academy would never be the same.

The rest of the day passed in a haze, the tension from my encounter with Hayden lingering like a shadow over my thoughts. Every hallway felt narrower, every stare sharper. Whispers followed me wherever I went, fragments of conversations about the girl who dared to challenge him.

By the time the final bell rang, I was exhausted. I gathered my books and headed for the main doors, desperate to escape.

But as I stepped outside, I felt it—a shift in the air, like the moment before a storm.

"Aurora."

The voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned slowly to see Hayden leaning against the side of a sleek black car parked near the curb. Ciara stood beside him, her arms crossed and a smug expression plastered on her face. Alex and Seth were nearby, laughing at something, but their attention turned to me as Hayden spoke.

He didn't smile this time. His smirk was gone, replaced by something colder, more calculating.

"Walking home?" he asked, his tone casual, but there was an edge to it.

"What's it to you?" I replied, clutching my bag tightly.

Ciara let out a laugh, sharp and mocking. "You've got some nerve, don't you?"

Hayden didn't look at her. His focus was entirely on me. "You don't get it yet, do you?" he said, pushing off the car and taking a step closer.

"Get what?" I asked, my voice firmer than I felt.

He tilted his head, studying me like I was some kind of puzzle. "You think standing up to me makes you brave," he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "But it makes you a target."

My heart pounded in my chest, but I refused to let him see my fear. "I'm not afraid of you."

A flicker of amusement crossed his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You should be."

With that, he turned and climbed into the car. Ciara smirked at me one last time before following him, slamming the door shut. The engine roared to life, and the car sped off, leaving me standing there, feeling like I'd just been marked for something I couldn't yet understand.

That night, I couldn't stop replaying his words. You should be afraid.

I tossed and turned, my mind spinning with possibilities. What did he mean? What could he possibly do to me?

By morning, I had convinced myself that he was just trying to intimidate me. But as I walked into school, a strange hush fell over the hallway. Conversations died as I passed, and people quickly turned away when I glanced at them.

Something was wrong.

I made my way to my locker, only to find a note tucked into the doorframe.

You'll learn your place soon enough.

My hands trembled as I crumpled the paper and shoved it into my bag.

The day had barely started, and I already felt like the walls were closing in. But I knew one thing—I wasn't going to let Hayden Carter win.