The curse of the alpha demon

he truth. I gripped the wooden railing in front of me, my nails digging into the polished surface. My chest heaved with every breath, my heart hammering against my ribs. Dozens of eyes

A few murmurs spread through the room. Someone whispered something about horror movies. No one believed me. I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat nearly choking me. My hands trembled, but I stood my ground. The judge sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She glanced at the papers in front of her, then back at him. And that's when I knew. I knew exactly what she was about to say. "Given the lack of evidence and the witness's age, the court finds the defendant," she hesitated, just for a second, "not guilty." Not guilty. The words barely settled before I heard it, the slow scrape of a chair against the floor. My entire body tensed. He was moving. Toward me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as his shadow loomed over me. I forced myself to stay still. To not flinch. He was taller than I thought. His presence swallowed the space between us, his movements slow and measured. Like everything he did was planned long before he did it. A predator in the skin of a man. He leaned in, his breath ghosting over my cheek. "Run, little girl," he murmured. His voice was quiet. Too quiet. A warning. A promise. "Stay hidden. Because I'm coming for you soon." I choked on a breath. He smiled. Not kind. Not gentle. Just cruel. Then he turned and walked away, as if none of this mattered. As if I didn't matter. I stood there, frozen. My fingers dug into the railing, my legs refusing to move. Then I ran. I didn't remember leaving the courtroom. I didn't remember bursting through the heavy doors or stumbling into the street. But when I finally stopped, I was home. My lungs burned. My hands shook so badly I could barely grab the closet handle. I rip