Chapter 5 CHAPTER 5

STEPHAN'S POV

Some Alphas don't bother finishing school after coming back from the Alpha's Training Camp but for me, it was a non-negotiable.

In fact, if my parents can hold on to their title for a little longer, I would go to college and do everything to be a good Alpha.

Everything I could to satiate my conscience and savage the guilt I still feel till date.

I went to my wardrobe to get some clothes for the day and without thinking, I'd gone ahead and picked black trousers, a black shirt and dark cufflinks to match.

“Uh-huh, no. I'm not heading for a burial,” I shook my head.

I ended up with simple jeans and a hoodie. At least I could blend in that way.

My school harboured a lot of humans and I preferred to stay out of the public eye and over the years, we'd formed a clique that everyone spoke about.

I didn't blame them, even if I tried to dress down and blend in, the rest of my pack members wanted to show our strength to other wolves in attendance.

It's always one competition or the other with us wolves afterall. That was how I got dragged into that mess.

Which is why I'm now making a conscious effort to be… normal.

“Stephan! You're going to be late!” I heard my Mum's voice downstairs which prompted me to look at the time.

“Oh damn,” I whispered under my breath.

I'd wasted time brooding that I completely forgot I was taking everyone to school today. Even though the girls are coming with their own cars, I just got my alpha nomination.

There's no way we're going in without making it dramatic.

I got downstairs, hugged my mum and as I walked out, I heard honks from the parking lot out front and the girls began cheering me.

“You forgot your keys!” My mum yelled from behind me.

“What would I do without you?” replied as I caught them.

“Probably not exist?”

We all laughed as I headed off, getting in my car and driving straight to the Pack house.

“We thought you'd left us behind!” Jason whined, jumping into the front seat.

“I'll never do that you sugar,” I cooed, making everyone laugh.

“You're crazy!”

We drove off in a long convoy, the earlier intention to blend in temporarily forgotten.

The second we drove into the school's parking lot, everybody paused, bodies rammed into each other and the buzz we'd hoped to create, buzzed like crazy.

“You guys go in, I've got to check in with the Principal.”

They all headed in another direction while I walked through the staring crowd, blocking my ears with music. I didn't want to hear a single more word about my muscles.

They'd come with pain and bad memories anyway.

I had taken six months off and I had to report back, get my timetable for extra classes on the lessons that I missed and give him a gift my father prepared by himself.

It was one of the oldest wines in our prestigious collection if you ask me and a Patek Philippe.

It worked like magic as always, had them turning their eyes away from any abnormalities they see and helping us hide them if possible.

Although I pride myself in knowing my pack conducts themselves properly and we've not had any incidents since the first and last time Caleb played football with the humans.

Yea, you guessed it right, we're banned from every spot on the school grounds due to our competitiveness and supernatural strength.

I got back from my visit and began walking towards my locker, it was the first one on the guy's side of it which means I'm closer to the female side than I'd like to be. And don't get me wrong, I love and take care of my girls but I don't particularly like the staring, from humans and wolves alike.

I called Jason's phone so he could join me as we had the same first class together but he wasn't picking up.

But as I turned around the corner, I could see why.

“What's going on?” I asked in the Pack's group link.

“It's Penelope and this girl,” Tiana, Caleb's sister, explained with excitement in her tone. “She's always been real quiet though so I don't get her problem with her.”

I wanted to just go get Jason from the other end and leave. I didn't like involving myself in the arguments they loved to have in these halls sometimes but then the other girl grabbed the second girl's dress and after spitting some vile words, she pushed her.

Even though I was a while away, I ran, pushed to extreme speed by my wolf who was suddenly aggressive in my head and thankfully, I caught her in time.

And that's when I felt it.

Sparks that could power a house dancing in my blood as our skins touched.

I helped her stand even though I was struck by her beauty, the way her hair framed her face and the perfect way her nose complimented her eyes.

I couldn't explain it even if I tried but she just had the most beautiful face.

But then I looked into her eyes and they seemed haunted, sad and I wanted to get lost in them, in her world and in her story. I wanted to drown in her sad, but pretty green eyes.

“Mate!” My wolf kept howling.

“I hear you Thane, let me talk to her at least,” I replied to my wolf, a smile on my face.

“Sorry,” he chuckled, prancing around in excitement and desire.

“Hi,” I whispered to her but it was as though my voice had broken the spell between us.

She pulled out of my hands immediately and pushed through the crowd, running.

I stood there, dumbfounded and unable to comprehend what just happened.

“What are you waiting for?! Chase her! Get to mate!” Thane roared in my head, shaking me out of my stupor.

"Stephan! Oh my goodness, are you alright?" Penelope’s fake concern sliced through the shock, her voice dripping with manufactured pity as she fanned herself. "She's always causing trouble. She just ran into you! The audacity."

I barely registered Penelope, or the two lackeys flanking her, or the way the crowd had shifted from mocking the girl to gaping at me. I was still reeling from the violent, terrified rejection.

"What did you do?" I asked, the tone of my voice instantly dropping the temperature of the hallway. It wasn't a question, it was a command laced with Alpha authority, and Penelope visibly flinched.

"Nothing!” she screeched, her face filled with fear. “She bumped into me, and I was just trying to keep her from falling when you arrived."

Her attempt to play the damsel was weak, especially when I heard the words she'd thrown at my mate before pushing her.

I didn't waste time on a response, I'll deal with her later.

The mate bond still pulsed, giving me a strong, irresistible pull. I turned and followed the direction she’d run, leaving Penelope’s sputtered protestations behind me.