“Sophia.” A voice echoes from somewhere not far from us. I pull out of the hug instinctively, scanning the department to detect the speaker. Rose hisses, slightly revealing her fangs but I cool her down. Just now, a tall and handsome paranormal being in his human form approaches us.
“Sophia.” He repeats and we confirm that he said it.
“Hello.” I clip, waving at him.
“Good day to you, Rose.” He politely greets Rose but strangely, she neglects him and rolls her eyes at a different direction. He requests for an handshake from me but I look at Rose before I accept it. I want to but midway, I slip my hands into my pocket. He shyly smiles, and pulls me in for a hug.
Rose’s gazes are still fixed to that direction. When she turns to look at me, she is amazed that I allowed the strange guy to hug me whereas that is not the case.
“Sophia!” She screams my name and forcefully pulls me out of the hug. The guy’s cologne envelopes my senses as his face suddenly looks familiar – this time, I’d register this face.
“Let’s go, girl.” She angrily commands as she moves me out of his presence fiercely. I bump into her back every second until I get tired of it enough to voice out.
“Don’t move with that guy.” She warns, shutting her eyes to display seriousness in her speech.
“Again? Should I move with only you then?” I sharply retort.
“He’s an harmful vampire.” She splutters.
“Thank you for the alert.” I simply appreciate. “But, how did you come to that conclusion?”
“I’m an hybrid, do not forget. I know what vampires look like, at least much better than you do.”
“Why then am I attracted to vampires mostly?” I inquire.
She snarls, displaying her fangs. She hisses and assumes a dangerous face. Once she returns to being normal, she responds, “it is because your right mate is a Vampire.”
“You said what?” I unbelievably ask.
“You were wondering why you’re attracted to only vampires, not?” She asks.
“Rose, you know what? I have never doubted you for any reason – but this might be the first time I’ll disbelieve you.” I tell her, almost walking away.
“I won’t let you go.” She affirms.
“Then you are stupid.” I say in my mind.
“Sophia, I’m not stupid!” Shell-shocked I am, to hear this.
“Stop sounding dangerous.” I warn.
She cunningly moves closer to me as she presses my ear to her lips, “Anything you think about me in my presence, I hear it as well. Precisely, Dehe tells me.”
“Who is Dehe?” I release myself from the tight gap between us.
“My Vampire.” She affirms.
“And Cate is my wolf.” She adds.
“Okay. Can Max hear my thought too?”
“He can’t, if you stay away from him. But he surely will if he gets close to you.”
I focus my attention on the football field, the players, and the students hailing the skilled ones. I don’t know when I start spacing out.
“It’s complicated.” I shakily whisper to Rose.
“It is not. I’m here to guide you, baby girl.” She encourages and pulls me in for a hug.
“What if a vampire tells me to stay away from you?” I silently ask.
“Tell such that I am a hybrid and not a vampire.”
“I think it should be kept secret.” I suggest.
“Not from the idiot that will ask you to stay away from me.”
“Ben…” I stammer
“What about him?” I ask.
“He is a harmless vampire but do not annoy him, and once he tells you to run, don’t hesitate.” She explains. “If you hesitate, he might not be able to control himself. He might end up harming you, and you will become a vampire like him or a hybrid like me.”
“It’s complicated living a life of a wolf.”
“It is not. Do not be anxious, you do not even have a mate yet.” She says. “You will instinctively know some points when you turn eighteen. Don’t worry, babe.”
She pulls out of the hug as we see students of Economics Department marching to their classrooms in their uniform. Rose urges me to return to class but when we reach there, no lecturer is inside yet. My grade mates only bicker about a thing or the other which gathers into noise.
Rose leads me to her seat and we decide to argue about a point as well, joining the trend.
“I just can’t wait to be eighteen years. At least, I’d stop listening to some repetitive statements.” I tell her. “How old are you by the way?”
“Nineteen.” She clips.
“Then why have you not found your mate yet?” i inquire.
“I have sniffed the scent of my mate. I even got to see him when this school competed with theirs, based on mathematical brilliance. They won the award and I congratulated him – there and then, we realized that we are each other’s mate but there was distraction and we lost track of each other.”
“Any plan to find him again?” I ask.
“I think it will be easier when I find my way to Atlanta. He’ll soon be the Alpha of Eclipse Shadow Pack. It’s a pack in this high school.” She explains.
Once she says this, I remember what Ben told me – is it that she is Ben’s mate and he doesn’t want her but rather wants me? It’ll cause clash between us and that is what I am genuinely preventing.
“Can I know the name of your mate?” I quietly ask but Robert walks inside the class immediately, not giving her room to say a word.
I start to feel bored in this school since he is the only lecturer that has been in this class today. But it seems he is here for something different from academic activities. He waves at us and requests for our attention.
“I bring to your notice the number of she-wolves qualified to be mated this week. Also, I will mention our male wolves here that qualify. As he says it, Ben speedily enters this classroom, exhaling sharply. The whole students give him standing ovation and I follow the trend. But I see that Rose’s forehead is creased and she hesitates to follow the trend.
“This is really complicated.” I tell myself. It starts to look like Ben is indeed the real mate of Rose. I think she has to find her way to a different state but what is going on between her and Ben?
“An exemption. The first person on the list is Graham Bernard!” Robert calls and we applaud Ben. My eyes scan the whole classroom as I see the happy faces of Annabel and Jessica.
“Over to Ben – he will give his speech and you will respond when need be, OK?” And then he asks Ben to talk.
“It’s nice to see your beautiful faces today. I am Graham Bernard, short for Ben, I am the Alpha of Eclipse Shadow Pack but not fully active. The moon goddess asked me to find my mate before she releases the Alpha extra powers to me. If I don’t find my mate yet, my chance to be the Alpha will slip. And that’s why I’m here.
The students start to murmur and the whole class becomes rowdy. Ben calls them to order and resumes his speech.
“My mate is seventeen years, but to keep her safe from other male wolves who want her, I will have to take her with me. She will live in my pack and guards will be apportioned to her.” Ben states.
“Why would you say that?” Rose objects. “Will she not school anymore?”
“She surely will. I will ensure that. Only that she will have to be in my pack, before she is eighteen, when she is eighteen and after she is eighteen.” He retorts and it cracks the whole students up.
A slim girl stands to ask her question, “are you a werewolf or a blood sucker?”
The vampires in the class snarl and hiss at that but Robert appeases them since he’s the a head vampire of his clan.
Ben sniffles before responding, “my identity can be hidden for now.”
“Fine. We agree with you on that but is your mate a Wolf or a Vampire?” She asks another question.
His eyes glare at me suddenly and then at Rose. I divert my eyes away from him and he sighs anxiously before saying a word, “can I skip that question?”
“Not again.” The girl says and sits.
“Please answer that question.” I boldly stand and request. The whole class is shocked at my bravery because he’s such a respected man.
“My mate is a werewolf.” He clips and I look at Rose. I face him again, “not a hybrid?”
Some students try to shout me down but I have the support of Rose who is never timid in the class.
“No. Not a hybrid. Why do you ask?” He says.
“Not a hybrid. Why did you want to know?” He curiously asks.
“Just common knowledge.” I say and sit. The class applaud me.
“Graham Ben, what pack is your mate from?” Robert inquires.
“I will ask her tonight – I have to be certain about details before I give them.” He responds.
“Tonight.” Rose repeats and becomes more attentive.
Robert rolls his eyes at him gently, “so you don’t even know the pack your mate belongs to.”
“An Alpha shouldn’t be so ignorant like you.” I raise my voice against him.
“Sure, I am aware. I called myself an Alpha because I have met my Luna.” He splutters.
“And I am referring to you.”