MARKED FOR PRETEND - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

By mid-morning, three more girls had been dismissed. Their beds stripped. Their names scratched off the roster.
No one said why —but everyone looked at her when it happened.
Even Arelle.
Even the matron.
Even the guards.
Like her presence was making the palace rot from the inside out.
“She’s the reason they’re thinning us out.”
“Why won’t they just send her away?”
“Because someone already claimed her — and no one knows who.”
The last whisper lingered in the air longer than it should have.
And Chelsea felt her throat tighten.
That evening, while the rest of the girls were ushered into etiquette lessons, Chelsea wandered.
Not because she wanted to, but because she needed space to breathe.
Down marble halls.
Past silk curtains whispering in the wind.
Until she reached the east balcony — quiet, open, half lit by dusk.
And there he was.
Alpha Kaden.
Leaning against the balustrade like he belonged to the shadows.
Hands clasped behind his back.
Face unreadable.
Chelsea froze.
Maybe if she turned now, he wouldn’t—
“Don’t hover,” he said without looking at her.
Her heart thudded.
“I… wasn’t.” she stammered
“Yes, you were.”
He didn’t sound angry.
Just tired. Like someone who hadn’t slept in days.
She stepped onto the balcony anyway, spine taut.
“You said something to me. The night of the Selection.”
He didn’t answer.
“You said something was… waking up in me.” Her voice trembled. “What did you mean?”
Now he looked at her. And Chelsea wished he hadn’t.
His eyes were ice.
Quiet. Dangerous.
Like looking into a storm that hadn’t broken yet.
“When you figure it out, let me know,” he said flatly.
Then he walked away, leaving her in the cold.
And the worst part?
She didn’t even know if that was a warning, or a dare.