Chapter 69 - Professor Marcus
Chapter 69 - Professor Marcus
Erica’s POV
“I stood up for myself. I’m done being her victim.”
“You accused her of treason without proof. You threatened her in front of witnesses. If she reports you—”
“She won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m right. She’s working with Lucien. I saw it in her face.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You’re glowing half the time, your mark reacts to everything, you were locked up for two days, of course she’s scared. Everyone is.”
That stung. “So I’m supposed to just let her keep walking over me?”
“Erica—”
“I don’t want to talk about it!”
The mark on my wrist flared hot, light pulsing, the ground trembling.
We both froze.
I pressed my hand over it until it dimmed. “Sorry. It reacts when I’m emotional.”
“I noticed. Which is why this was dangerous. What if that happened in front of everyone?”
“It didn’t.”
“This time. What about next time?”
“Then maybe people will finally take me seriously,” I said, though my voice shook.
He stepped closer. “I already take you seriously. So do others. You don’t have to prove yourself by threatening people.”
“She deserved it.”
“Maybe. But did it make you feel better?”
I wanted to say yes. But the truth was, I just felt scared. Scared I’d made things worse. Scared Lena would strike back. Scared the King would decide I was too dangerous to live.
“No,” I whispered. “It didn’t.”
Elijah’s voice softened. “Then let’s fix it. Together. The right way.”
“What’s the right way?”
“We get proof. Real proof. Then take it to my father. You don’t have to do this alone.” His hands rested on my shoulders, warm and steady. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Something in me loosened. “Even after everything? After Edward?”
He sighed. “I’m not pretending that it didn't hurt. But you don’t owe me anything. You haven’t chosen. I have no right to be jealous.”
“But you are.”
“Yeah,” he said with a small, tired smile. “I am.”
We stood there in silence.
“I need time,” I said. “To figure things out. I can’t think of everyone pulling at me.”
“I know.” He squeezed my shoulders. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
Then both our phones buzzed.
Emergency Alert: All students report to the main hall immediately. Do not be alone. This is not a drill.
We locked eyes.
“What now?” I breathed.
Another message popped up from Professor Kincaid: Another body. Fourth floor, east wing. All witnesses to security.
My blood ran cold.
“We need to go,” Elijah said, already moving.
I followed, heart pounding. Another body. Another death.
And everyone would think it was me.
As we ran through the halls, I saw something on the wall that made me stop cold, words scrawled in what looked like blood:
THE OMEGA WILL BURN.
The main hall was pure chaos.
Bodies everywhere, people whispering, crying, holding onto each other. Some still in pajamas, others with their study notes clutched like shields. The air smelled like sweat and fear and something burnt. Magic, maybe.
Elijah stayed close, hand on my arm so I wouldn’t get shoved around. Everywhere I turned, someone was talking.
“Another one dead.”
“Throat torn out.”
“Message said something about the omega—”
That word hit the crowd like a match. Heads turned. Eyes found me. One kid actually stepped back when I passed, like fear was contagious.
The message. The omega will burn.
My wrist burned hot under my sleeve. The mark reacting. I tried to cover it.
“Don’t cover it,” Elijah muttered near my ear. “It makes you look guilty.”
“Looking like this already does,” I whispered back.
He didn’t argue, just stayed beside me, steady, quiet.
Professor Kincaid climbed the small platform at the front. Arms folded. The man didn’t even raise his voice; he just lifted a hand and the room froze, literally, frost creeping across the windows.
“Professor Marcus is dead,” he said. “His throat was torn out. There were no signs of struggle. Same as the others before him.”
The crowd gasped. Some sobbed.
Professor Marcus. The nice one. Always smiled. Helped the nervous kids with public speaking. And now, he's gone.
“The Alpha King has ordered a lockdown,” Kincaid went on. “Nobody leaves the main building without permission. Stay in assigned groups. No exceptions.”
Someone yelled, “What about the message? About the omega?”
Everything stopped. Every stare turned to me.
Kincaid’s gaze followed. “The message is under investigation,” he said carefully. “Accusations without proof will not be tolerated.”
“But she’s the one—”
“Enough with that.” The frost spread, sharper. “Anyone spreading rumors answers to me.”
That shut them up, but I could feel it, the shift. The way people leaned away, the way phones tilted just slightly, like I was a zoo animal.
“Erica.”
Edward appeared on my other side, silent as smoke. People moved to make space for him.
Elijah tensed instantly. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“And yet, here I am,” Edward said. His tone was calm, dangerous. “Someone leaves a death threat with her name on it. Forgive me for wanting to help.”
“Your help makes everything worse.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same about you.”
“Stop,” I hissed. “Not here.”
Before it could blow up, Professor Caroline appeared, eyes wild, clutching a leather-bound book like it might bite her. She spotted me and cut through the crowd.
“Erica,” she said, breathless. “The Alpha King wants to see you. Now.”