THE ALPHA WHO HATED ME - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

***Evangeline's POV**
My hands wouldn't stop shaking as I stumbled through the forest. The silver eyes that had watched me from the darkness were gone now, but their gaze still burned into my memory. Someone had seen everything. Someone knew.
The blood star symbol felt heavy in my pocket, its edges sharp against my fingers. Every shadow looked like another hollow wolf. Every rustling leaf sounded like footsteps following me.
By the time I reached Maeve's cottage, tears were streaming down my face. I banged on the wooden door with my fist, not caring if I woke the whole forest.
"Maeve!" I called out. "Please, I need help."
The door opened before I could knock again. Maeve stood there in a long white nightgown, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes went wide when she saw me.
"Child, what happened to you?"
I must have looked terrible. My clothes were torn from running through the trees. Dirt and blood stained my skin. But the worst part was probably my face - swollen from crying, eyes red and desperate.
"They found me," I whispered. "The hollow wolves. They knew my name."
Maeve's face went pale. She grabbed my arm and pulled me inside, slamming the door behind us. Her cottage felt warm and safe, filled with the smell of herbs and burning candles. But even here, I couldn't stop trembling.
"Sit down," she ordered, pushing me toward a chair by the fireplace. "Tell me everything."
The words poured out of me like water from a broken dam. I told her about the hollow wolves surrounding me in the clearing. How they'd called me by my real name. How Ronan had saved me but then rejected me again. How someone had watched me from the trees afterward.
Maeve listened without speaking, her face growing more troubled with each word. When I finished, she was quiet for a long time.
"Show me," she said finally.
I pulled the torn fabric from my pocket. The blood star symbol seemed to pulse in the firelight, dark red against the black cloth. Maeve took it from me with careful fingers, and I watched her hands start to tremble.
"Oh, child," she breathed. "This is worse than I thought."
The fire behind us flickered and dimmed, as if the symbol was sucking light from the room.
"What does it mean?" I asked, though part of me didn't want to know.
"It means they've marked you." Maeve set the fabric on the table between us. "The Blood Star isn't just a symbol. It's a hunting mark. Whoever sent those creatures wants everyone to know you belong to them."
My stomach dropped. "Belong to them?"
"The hollow wolves don't hunt for sport," Maeve explained. "They're servants. Soldiers. Someone powerful sent them after you specifically."
"But why?" The question came out as a sob. "I haven't done anything. I don't even know what I am."
"You're awakening," Maeve said gently. "Your power is growing stronger every day. And when power like yours stirs, it calls to things that have been sleeping in the dark."
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stop the shaking. "What kind of things?"
"Ancient things. Hungry things. Beings that remember when your bloodline ruled the supernatural world." Maeve's voice was heavy with worry. "They want what you have, Evangeline. They want to control you or destroy you."
"My bloodline," I repeated numbly. "You mean the Blackthornes."
Maeve nodded. "Your ancestors were the most powerful werewolf family in history. They could command not just wolves, but all supernatural creatures. That kind of power creates enemies."
As she spoke the name "Blackthorne," the fire behind us flared suddenly, sending shadows dancing across the walls. The air grew thick with the scent of burning sage.
"But they're all dead," I said. "The Blackthornes died out generations ago."
"All but one." Maeve looked at me with sad eyes. "You."
The weight of it hit me like a physical blow. I wasn't just some omega nobody. I was the last of a bloodline that had once ruled everything. No wonder those creatures wanted me.
"I don't want this," I said suddenly, anger flaring in my chest. "I don't want to fight a war for people I've never met. Why should I suffer for their mistakes?"
Maeve's eyes went wide at my outburst.
"I didn't ask to be born into this bloodline," I continued, my voice rising. "I didn't choose any of this. Why can't I just be normal?"
"Because normal doesn't exist for people like us," Maeve said quietly.
"Then maybe I don't want to be like us." The words came out harsh and bitter. "Maybe I'd rather run away and pretend none of this ever happened."
"You are stronger than you know."
"No, I'm not." Fresh tears started falling. "I couldn't even protect myself tonight. Ronan had to save me. And then he..." My voice broke.
"What did he do?"
"He rejected me. Again." The words felt like glass in my throat. "Even after the bond flared between us. Even after he risked his life to save me. He still chose duty over me."
Maeve reached across the table and took my hand. Her fingers were warm and steady.
"The heart doesn't always choose wisely," she said softly. "Especially when it's been taught to fear love."
"He doesn't love me," I said. "He made that very clear."
"Did he? Or did he just say what he thought he was supposed to say?"
I remembered the moment in the cave when Ronan had almost kissed me. How his hand had shaken when he touched my face. How he'd jerked away like I'd burned him.
"If I touch you again, I won't be able to let go."
His words echoed in my memory. Maybe Maeve was right. Maybe Ronan was just as scared as I was.
"It doesn't matter," I said finally. "Even if he does care, he'll never choose me. His family won't let him."
"Families can be wrong," Maeve said. "And sometimes love is stronger than fear."
"Not his love," I said bitterly. "He'd rather marry Celeste than admit he feels anything for me."
Maeve squeezed my hand. "Give him time. Hearts like his take longer to open."
"I don't have time." I pulled the blood star fabric closer. "You said this was just the beginning. What happens next?"
Maeve's face darkened. "Now that they know you exist, they'll send more hunters. Stronger ones. The hollow wolves were just scouts."
My blood turned to ice. "How many more?"
"As many as it takes." Maeve stood up and began pacing. "Your power is like a beacon now. Every supernatural creature within a hundred miles can sense it."
"Can't I hide it? Like before?"
"Not anymore. The awakening has gone too far." Maeve stopped pacing and looked at me with serious eyes. "There's no going back, child. You can only go forward."
"Forward to what?" I asked desperately. "What am I supposed to do?"
"You have two choices," Maeve said slowly. "You can run. Leave this place and try to hide somewhere they'll never find you."
"Or?"
"Or you can stand and fight. Embrace what you are and face whatever comes."
Both options terrified me. Running meant leaving everyone behind - Luna, Jessica, even Ronan. But fighting meant accepting that I was something dangerous. Something that people would want to kill or control.
"I'm scared," I admitted.
"Good," Maeve said. "Fear will keep you alive. But don't let it control you."
"How do I fight something I don't understand?"
"By learning. By training. By accepting help when it's offered." Maeve sat back down and leaned forward. "You're not alone in this, Evangeline. There are others who want to help you."
"Others like you?"
"Others like us." Maeve's eyes glowed briefly in the firelight. "The old bloodlines aren't all gone. Some of us survived by hiding. By keeping our heads down and staying quiet. But your awakening changes everything."
"Changes it how?"
"It gives us hope." Maeve's voice was fierce now. "For the first time in centuries, we have a chance to push back against the darkness. To reclaim what was stolen from us."
The responsibility felt crushing. "I don't want to be anyone's hope. I just want to survive high school."
Maeve laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "High school is the least of your worries now, child. The creatures hunting you don't care about human concerns."
"Then what do I do?" I asked. "How do I protect myself?"
"First, you need to control your power. The more it grows, the easier you'll be to track." Maeve reached into a drawer and pulled out a small silver pendant. "Wear this. It will help mask your scent."
I took the pendant. It was warm to the touch and hummed with subtle energy. But as my fingers closed around it, it grew hot. Almost burning.
"There's a cost," Maeve said, watching my face. "The pendant will hide you, but it feeds on your strength. Don't wear it too long, or it will drain you completely."
The metal was searing now. I could smell something like burnt herbs filling the air. "How long is too long?"
"A few hours at most. And never while you sleep." Maeve's voice was serious. "This pendant was made from the bones of the last Blackthorne who tried to hide from his enemies. It didn't end well for him."
"Second, you need allies. People you can trust to watch your back." Maeve's eyes were serious. "The boy who saved you tonight - can you trust him?"
My heart clenched. "I don't know. He says he doesn't want me."
"What does your wolf say?"
I thought about it. Even when Ronan was being cruel, my wolf had never seen him as a threat. She'd always known he was meant to protect us.
"She trusts him," I admitted.
"Then maybe you should too." Maeve stood up again. "But be careful. Trust is dangerous when you're being hunted."
"What about school? Do I go back?"
"You have to. Running now would only confirm their suspicions. Act normal. Pretend nothing happened." Maeve's voice was urgent. "But stay alert. They'll try again, and next time they might not come at night."
The thought of going back to Blackclaw Academy made my stomach churn. How could I sit in class and pretend everything was fine when monsters were hunting me?
"I can't do this alone," I whispered.
"You won't be alone." Maeve touched my shoulder gently. "I'll be watching. And when the time comes, others will reveal themselves too."
"How will I know who to trust?"
"You'll know." Maeve's smile was sad but warm. "Your blood remembers its allies, even when your mind doesn't."
I stood up slowly, my legs still shaky. "What if I'm not strong enough? What if I fail?"
"Then the darkness wins," Maeve said simply. "And everything your ancestors died to protect will be lost forever."
The weight of those words settled on my shoulders like a heavy cloak. Generations of Blackthornes had died to keep their power from falling into the wrong hands. Now it was up to me to continue their fight.
"No pressure," I said weakly.
Maeve laughed, and this time it sounded genuine. "You're stronger than you think, Evangeline Blackthorne. Your enemies know it. That's why they're so afraid of you."
"Afraid of me?" I looked down at my torn clothes and dirty hands. "I don't feel very frightening."
"The most dangerous wolves often look the most harmless," Maeve said. "Remember that."
I nodded and headed toward the door. My hand was on the handle when Maeve called my name.
"Child?"
I turned back. "Yes?"
"What happened tonight was just the beginning," she said quietly. "The real war hasn't started yet."
I left the cottage with those words ringing in my ears. The forest around me felt different now - full of eyes and shadows and things that wanted to hunt me.
But as I walked home through the darkness, I felt something else too.
For the first time in my life, I wasn't running away from what I was.
I was walking toward it.
And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.
A howl echoed through the forest behind me. But it wasn't Ronan's voice. This howl was deeper. Older. And it was getting closer.
I ran the rest of the way home, the pendant burning against my chest like a brand.
Someone else was hunting tonight.