Claimed by the Wrong Alphas
Chapter 43: Past and present collide...

Chapter 43: Past and present collide...

Charis

The induction ceremony at Ravenshore Academy was the quickest I’d ever witnessed.

It lacked the grandeur I had imagined.

Students from Ebonvale had arrived—graceful, regal, poised and had come in identical robes as us, with each of them wearing the same hairstyles. They looked pampered.

We had assembled on a raised platform in the academy’s central courtyard, which had been constructed specifically for the induction. We stood in perfect rows, our left hands placed solemnly on our chests while our right hands were raised toward the sky.

The admission specialist had walked past each of us, pinning new name tags onto our robes. Each tag bore our name, our class designation and our pack symbol. After that, we recited an oath of loyalty to our respective academies, displayed on a white screen in front of us, and that was it.

Just like that, I became officially a first-year student at Ravenshore Academy.

Parents sat in neat rows of folding chairs close to the stage, recording with their phones, taking pictures, and clapping at intervals.

The pride radiating from the parents’ eyes was out of this world. Broad smiles, tears of joy — it was evident that every parent present here today was proud of their child.

For a fleeting second, I found myself wondering about my parents.

Would my father have been as enthusiastic as these parents if I’d been able to attend a ceremony like this legitimately? Would he have taken pictures of me, made videos, shown even a fraction of the pride I saw on these strangers’ faces?

I knew the answer. And it stung more than I was prepared to admit.

I wasn’t even worried about what my mother’s reaction would be if I were standing here openly in a gown that bore my real name.

Eva would mirror whatever emotions my father displayed as she always did. If my father told her to smile, she would smile. If he told her to shun me, she would do so without blinking.

And that was how I’d grown up. On silence and rebuke, never praise or affection. Never hugs or warmth.

When they finally allowed us to leave the stage and reunite with our parents, the entire courtyard erupted into a frenzy of celebration.

I spotted Phil, my dorm mate, being dragged from one photo stand to another by his beaming mother while his father followed quietly behind with a satisfied smile.

Each of the family’s joys was infectious, and I saw myself longing for this kind of love.

What would it be like to be the child my parents actually wanted?

I didn’t know what it meant to have a healthy relationship with my parents. My father hated me—that much was clear from the years of his maltreatment.

My mother lived in constant fear and worshipped him, that she barely seemed to remember I existed most of the time.

We’d never had family trips, game nights or even casual conversations over dinner. The only times all three of us were ever in the same room together were during mandatory pack ceremonies, which required our presence as the Alpha’s family.

Back at Crestborne, I’d listened with envy as girls in my classes talked endlessly about their relationships with their fathers and mothers. Even the Omega girls had colourful, warm stories to share about their family traditions and support.

My childhood memories were filled with endless nannies, silence, and occasional forced communication in the hallways between my mother and me.

I’d grown up not relying on anyone, building walls around my heart to protect myself from the constant disappointment. Until I met Slater, who had shown me what true love could feel like.

Slater came from a loving home, and I remembered being completely overwhelmed the first time I’d visited his pack after we discovered we were mates and accepted our bonds.

The noise at the dinner table had been shocking to me—even though Slater was the only child present, there were always aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered around, everyone asking intrusive questions and sharing stories punctuated with laughter.

I’d felt so uncomfortable that day, not knowing how to navigate the warmth and casual affection that flowed so naturally between family members. Slater had opened my heart to the possibility of love, shown me that relationships could be built on trust and genuine care rather than fear and obligation.

Shaking off the painful memories, I turned away from the groups of celebrating families and began scanning the open field for something more interesting to focus on. Instead, my eyes met Peter, the Alpha Prime’s intense gaze.

He was sitting in an easy chair positioned slightly apart from the main celebration area, legs crossed, chin resting on one hand, staring straight at me. Marcus wasn’t with him, which was strange, but it was the cold look in his eyes that made me want to shrink inside myself.

Something was chilling about it.

Immediately, I averted my gaze and turned to walk in the opposite direction. But as I spun around, I bumped straight into a chest.

"Oh, sorry—" I started, but the words stuck in my throat when I looked up into Marcus Webb’s eyes.

My stomach dropped with dread as I swallowed hard, quickly scanning the crowd for Rhett. He’d gone to get drinks several minutes ago, where was he?

I took an instinctive step backwards, eyeing Marcus warily and preparing to run if necessary.

He immediately raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I won’t hurt you, I swear," he said quickly. "I just wanted to..." he rubbed the back of his neck; his voice was quieter than I’d ever heard it. "I wanted to apologise for everything. For my behaviour from the first day up until now. I was out of line. I know that."

I blinked, not sure of what to say.

"I hope we can start over on a clean slate. I’m not a bad person, Eamon. I promise you. I’m really not."

I nodded again, still not trusting my voice.

He sighed and reached into his pocket.

"I got you something," he added, producing a slim golden bracelet with small, runic symbols etched into the band.

"This is a communication band," he explained. "It’s not much, but whenever you’re in trouble or need help, it reads your emotions or distress and sends an automatic signal to the academy security system."

He continued earnestly. "This will be announced to all students later, but there have been confirmed sightings of Snow Rogues in the area. I hope you’ll stay safe and follow all security instructions."

I stared at Marcus, still too stunned to speak, wondering if this was some prank.

Why was he suddenly being kind to me? Gone were the predatory looks, the sexual comments, the intimidating behaviour that had terrified me before. He seemed genuinely concerned for my welfare.

I looked down at the communication band, then back at his face.

"You’re... giving this to me?"

"I’d like to mentor you, this is just me showing, if you let me, I won’t take the opportunity for granted," he said.

Tentatively, I reached out and took the device. "Thank you," I managed to stutter.

He nodded and smiled at me, slipping both hands into his pockets. "I noticed you were standing alone, and on a day like this, you’re not supposed to. Want to come eat with my family?"

"I-I’m with Rhett," I stammered. "He just went to get us a drink."

His smile softened. "It’s just food, Eamon. Rhett can find you when he returns, don’t worry."

I was about to politely refuse when my stomach chose that moment to growl loudly with hunger.

I touched my belly, turning red with embarrassment at the subtle reminder that I’d barely eaten anything today aside from breakfast.

I scanned the open field one last time, hoping to spot Rhett’s red hair in the crowd. When I didn’t see him anywhere, I made a decision.

"Okay," I said quietly. "Just until Rhett gets back."

I followed Marcus as we weaved through the crowd of celebrating families until he led me toward a large white canopy that had been set up near the edge of the courtyard.

Underneath the canopy, I could hear the murmurs of laughter and the gentle hum of music. There was also a long banquet-style table filled with several well-dressed people already seated and engaged in animated conversation.

At a separate buffet table, a woman was arranging large platters of food with a huge smile on her face. As soon as we got to the canopy, the woman looked up and smiled warmly at Marcus.

" Honey, where did you run off to? I was about to call you. It’s time to eat."

Marcus returned her smile. "I’m sorry, Mom. I went to get Eamon. I wanted everyone to meet him."

He reached for my hand where I was tucked behind him—I tensed but didn’t pull away—and gently brought me to his side.

"Everyone," he said, loud enough for those seated to hear, "this is Eamon, the first-year student who will be under my personal mentorship this year."

He leaned close to my ear and whispered. "Say hello. This is my family."

I lifted my head, attempting what I hoped resembled a friendly smile...

The moment my eyes focused on the faces around the table, my entire world stopped.

Sitting directly across from where I stood with legs casually crossed was...

Darian Blackmoor.