Marked in Shadows

Matteo brushed off all my humiliation with just one simple sentence. My heart felt like it had been stabbed by a sharp blade. My eyes went blank, my mind completely numb.

I did not know how long I sat on that cold floor until all the guests had left and the hall lights went out, shrouding my body in endless darkness.

Slowly, I snapped back to my senses, pulled myself up, and stumbled out of there.

Outside, rain was pouring down in sheets. I walked along the roadside, letting the rain soak me through completely. I could not tell if the water on my face was rain or tears.

I had no idea where I was going. I just wandered through the endless night, wrapped in the downpour.

Suddenly, a blinding headlight flashed in front of me. The car kept getting closer and closer until I could not keep my eyes open.

As the speeding car came at me, a wild thought suddenly crossed my mind. If I just let it hit me, maybe the pain would finally end.

I did not move, just closed my eyes and waited for the massive impact to shatter me into pieces. However, the expected impact never came.

The car stopped steadily right in front of me, and the window rolled down, revealing Matteo's cold, handsome face.

"Get in."

I did not budge, still dragging my exhausted body through the rain. Matteo's expression was conflicted, and his tone grew heavier.

"Are you trying to torture yourself? Get in the car!"

My feet stopped, and I slowly turned around. The rain had ruined my makeup, and I knew I probably looked horrible.

I replied, "I'm just a Beta. How could I trouble an Alpha to come pick me up?"

Perhaps my words hit a nerve. Matteo's expression grew even more grim as he stepped out into the rain, not caring that his expensive suit was getting drenched, and grabbed my hand tightly.

He said, "I know what happened tonight hurt you deeply."

I looked up at him.

He continued, "I've already lost Sabrina once. I can't lose her a second time. Listen, I have another property under my name. Since you need a place to live right now, consider it my compensation to you."

I did not compromise. I pushed his hand away with all my strength and looked at him coldly.

"I'm just your Beta. Why would you need to compensate me? It was my mistake before, not keeping myself in a Beta's place. From now on, I'll remember my position and won't bother you and Sabrina any longer."

Matteo's face darkened instantly. "Alyssa, are you throwing a tantrum?"

"How would I dare?" I scoffed.

"Everything I've done is just to comfort Sabrina. Don't you know that you're actually..."

Matteo's voice seemed to grow increasingly distant.

My head hurt terribly, and I did not hear a single word after that. My vision blurred, and the world tilted beneath me.

Maybe my emotional outburst had triggered the wolfsbane poison that was still in my blood, because everything started spinning, and my consciousness was fading.

When I opened my eyes again, the sharp scent of herbs filled the air. I lay quietly on the hospital bed with an IV drip in my left hand.

The healer came for rounds and saw that I was awake. He smiled kindly and said, "The Alpha really cares about you. He stayed by your bedside all night, you know."

I stared blankly at the hospital ceiling, feeling pathetic and ridiculed.

Matteo could care about anyone, but that person would never be me.

I used to fantasize about him, thinking he cared about me at least a little bit. Nonetheless, our relationship had been an accident from the start, a beautiful dream I had created for myself.

Since the dream was over, all I wanted was to escape from him and never come back.