Chapter 176: Déjà vu

The endless, droning opening speeches from the Academy officials finally came to a halt, drawing a collective wave of relief from the exhausted student body.

Alyssa was among the first to stand, though her relief was shadowed by her growing unease. Dorian still hadn’t arrived.

As the crowd slowly filed out of the grand hall into the sunlit central field for photographs and celebrations, she slipped her phone from her pocket and dialed his line. It rang through a monotonous loop before clicking straight into voicemail.

Frustration flared hot in her chest. The day was slowly unraveling from how she planned it. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a few Academy administrators casting discreet glances her way, no doubt wondering why the Alpha King didn’t show up for his own Luna’s orientation event.

They probably think he doesn’t care, a bitter voice whispered in her mind. What could possibly be more important than this? Than me?

Striding toward the edge of the field, she dialed his number a second time. When the automated voice answered, she let her anger bleed raw into the recording: "I am so upset with you, Dorian. You promised you’d be here. You’re ignoring my calls, I can’t reach Pandora or Henna, and I am completely done waiting. I am furious."

She ended the call, glaring at the dark screen. A spike of irritation made her want to call Pandora and demand answers, too, but she changed her mind. The joy of the day had soured. She just wanted to go home.

Spotting André waving from a few meters away, she forced a smile and hurried over to him.

"The Alpha isn’t here yet, Luna," André reported, offering a sympathetic look.

"I know, André," she exhaled, her voice sharp with lingering annoyance. "I am beyond angry with him."

André gave her a reassuring, apologetic smile. "I’m certain there’s a reason. The Alpha wouldn’t deliberately miss an event like this. He knows how important it is, and you’re important to him."

Alyssa sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing just enough to drag up a genuine smile. "I suppose you’re right. Come on, take a few pictures with me before we head back."

That proved to be a mistake. The moment the photographer snapped their first frame, a surge of eager students flooded the lawn, all desperate for a photo with the Luna Queen.

Alyssa didn’t have the heart to turn them away. For the next fifteen minutes, she plastered a fixed smile across her face, blinking against camera flashes until her jaw started to ache.

By the time the crowd finally dispersed, she was thoroughly exhausted, her mouth throbbing from smiling.

She turned to ask André to fetch the car when a sleek, unfamiliar black SUV pulled up along the curb. Her eyes narrowed as the driver’s door swung open, and Dorian stepped out.

The moment she saw him slip off his sunglasses and offer that familiar, charming smile while holding out a bouquet of red roses, every ounce of resentment inside her instantly evaporated.

Kicking off her heels, she abandoned all decorum, raced across the field, and threw herself into his arms.

"You’re terribly late!" she scolded, though her voice shook with breathless laughter.

"I’m sorry, my love," Dorian chuckled softly, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. "I should have been here hours ago. I never meant to let the day slip away."

Alyssa pulled back just enough to beam up at him, accepting the bouquet and burying her face in the velvet petals to inhale their sweet, rich scent. The fact that he remembered her favorite flowers wiped away her remaining annoyance.

Then, she opened her eyes, squinting up at him with playful skepticism. "Okay, tell me. What actually happened? You missed your speech, my calls went straight to voicemail... and where is Pandora? And Henna, and Jake and..."

"They couldn’t make it," Dorian cut in smoothly. "Like I said, something unexpected came up."

Alyssa’s brow furrowed, a sudden chill dampening her mood. "What happened? Are they okay?"

"They’re fine," Dorian assured her, his voice a fraction too even. "You’ll see them later. But right now, I have a surprise for you."

Instantly, the distraction worked. Her eyes lit up with curious excitement. "What kind of surprise?"

"It won’t be much of a surprise if I ruin it now," Dorian laughed, a charming, effortless sound. "You’ll have to wear a blindfold, though. Consider it compensation for my tardiness."

He slid one arm around her waist, turning her toward André, who stood a discreet distance away to give them privacy.

"You can take her car back to the estate, André," he called out. "I’ll take my wife with me."

"Got it, Alpha," André nodded and held out Alyssa’s heels.

As Dorian reached out to take the heels from André, their fingers brushed briefly. André froze. He stared at his Alpha in silence, a strange, prickling sensation crawling up the back of his neck.

Dorian noticed the hesitation, his jaw tightening slightly before he smoothly steered Alyssa toward the passenger side of the SUV. He cast a sharp look at André.

"Everything alright?"

André shoved the uneasy feeling down, clearing his throat. "Yes, Alpha. I’ll take the car back now."

Dorian gave a curt nod, rounded the hood, and slid into the driver’s seat. Through the windshield, he spotted an Academy official jogging toward them, waving frantically to catch his attention. Dorian didn’t even spare him a glance.

​He shoved the gear into drive and tore out of the parking lot.

Seated in the passenger seat, the familiar feeling of unease suddenly returned to Alyssa’s chest, blooming into a full-blown panic.

When Dorian had so casually dismissed the Academy official–something the real Dorian would never do–the illusion shattered.

She stole a sideways glance at his profile, her stomach churning with unease. The whole scene felt too familiar, like déjà vu; like she had experienced it before.

Then the realization slowly hit her.

She remembered her last encounter with the shapeshifter. This was exactly how it had been, when he had taken Pandora’s form. And now, it was happening again.

This isn’t Dorian, she thought with sudden clarity. It’s Pilate!

Terror clawed at her throat, but she managed to remain calm. Panicking now would give her away. If Pilate realized she saw through his lie, he would kill her before she had a chance to escape.

If she wanted to walk out of this alive, she had to move with ruthless calculation. She wasn’t going to be a helpless victim a second time.

Slowly, she leaned forward as if pretending to wear her shoes. Her fingers brushed against the rigid, stiletto heel of her shoe.

"What are you doing?" Dorian asked suddenly, his voice sounding eerily cold.

"Just putting on my shoes," she replied, injecting every ounce of calmness she could muster into her tone. "We’re getting close to the surprise, right?"

He gave her a suspicious, sideways glance before his lips curved into that wrong, sickening smile. "Yeah. We’re almost there."

He reached across the console, his hand darting out to grab her phone from her lap. But this time, he didn’t toss it onto the dashboard; he slid the device straight into his own pocket.

​"I’ll hold onto that for you," he murmured.

The atmosphere inside the car grew thick with tension, and Alyssa knew this was her chance to strike first.

Taking one final, shuddering breath, she gripped the stiletto by its base, whipped her arm upward, and slammed the sharp heel straight into the side of his temple.

"FUCKING BITCH!" he roared, his voice eerily distorted. Blinded by the searing pain of the stiletto embedded in his skull, he lost control of the steering wheel.

The SUV swerved violently across the road, tires screeching in a plume of white smoke and burning rubber, and Alyssa seized the opportunity.

She shoved the passenger door open and threw herself out into the blur of the rushing earth.