Snake

Aria’s POV.
I straightened my shoulders, forcing myself to stay calm even as every muscle in my body tensed. “Alpha Asher,” I said, keeping my voice polite but guarded. I refused to let him see any weakness. “What are you doing here?”
He chuckled softly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. The gesture was casual, but there was an edge to him that couldn’t be ignored. “Oh, just checking out the campus,” he said lightly, his tone almost playful. “I’ve always been curious about human universities. They have a certain charm, don’t you think?”
I narrowed my eyes, my suspicion growing with every word he spoke. “Is there a reason you’re here, Alpha Asher?” I asked, my voice steady but sharp. “Or am I really supposed to believe this is just a coincidence?”
His smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Instead, there was something predatory in his gaze, something calculated. “You wound me, Luna,” he said, his tone mocking just enough to make my skin crawl. “Can’t a man enjoy a bit of serendipity without being accused of having ulterior motives?”
I said nothing, my instincts screaming at me that this was no chance meeting. Asher didn’t do *anything* without a reason. He was a master manipulator, always ten steps ahead of everyone else, and I had no doubt that his presence here was part of some larger scheme.
He tilted his head slightly, his expression softening just enough to seem disarming. “Well,” he said after a moment, “since fate has brought us together, why don’t you let me make it up to you? How about a coffee? My treat. Consider it an apology for catching you off guard.”
I hesitated, my mind racing. The last thing I wanted was to spend more time with him, but what choice did I have? Refusing him outright might draw more attention than I wanted, and the last thing I needed was for anyone-especially humans-to notice anything unusual about me. I was supposed to be laying low, blending in.
“Fine,” I said after a long pause, my voice clipped. “But just one coffee.”
His smile grew, and I hated the way it made my stomach twist. “Perfect,” he said smoothly. “I promise, I’ll be on my best behavior.”
I doubted that very much, but I followed him anyway, my every instinct on high alert. Whatever game Asher was playing, I had no intention of letting him win.
Asher led me to a small, cozy cafe tucked away just off campus. The place was charming, with warm lighting, mismatched furniture, and the faint aroma of freshly baked pastries lingering in the air. He ordered a black coffee, his voice smooth and unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world. I settled for a latte, though I hardly drank any of it. My fingers wrapped around the cup, its warmth doing little to ease the cold unease swirling in my chest. At first, the conversation was polite-nothing too deep, nothing too personal. It was as if we were strangers exchanging pleasantries. But beneath the surface, there was an undeniable tension, a silent battle of wills I couldn’t ignore. Every word he spoke seemed to have a hidden meaning, every glance felt calculated.
“I heard you’ve been busy,” Asher said after a few moments of silence, his tone light, almost casual. But his dark eyes stayed fixed on me, sharp and probing, as if searching for a crack in my defenses. “Settling into your new role as Luna must be… taxing.”
“It’s fine,” I replied curtly, my voice firm but distant. I refused to let him see even a hint of vulnerability. I knew his game too well-he was trying to get under my skin, to dig deeper into my personal life. But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
He smirked, the corners of his lips curving upward in that infuriatingly confident way. It was as if he could see through my mask, as if my simple response amused him. “Well,” he said smoothly, leaning back in his chair, “if you ever get tired of *pack politics* and the… responsibilities that come with it, you know where to find me.”
I clenched my jaw, refusing to rise to his bait. Instead of responding, I stared down at my untouched latte, swirling the foam with my straw as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. There was something about Asher that made my skin crawl, an aura of danger and control that set every nerve in my body on edge. Yet, I couldn’t deny that he had a strange, magnetic charisma. It was the kind of charm that could lure people in, make them trust him, even when they knew they shouldn’t.
After what felt like an eternity of polite but tense conversation, I finally excused myself. I stood, clutching my bag tightly, and murmured a quick goodbye before stepping out of the cafe. The cool air hit my face as I walked back toward campus, but it did little to clear my spinning thoughts. My mind was a whirlwind of questions, doubts, and unease. Why was Asher really here? What was his true reason for showing up at the university? And, more importantly, what did he want from me?
Later that evening, I sat at the long dining table in the castle, absently picking at my food. The grand room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the chandelier above casting a golden light across the polished table. Sarah joined me for dinner, her usual bubbly energy filling the space as she chattered away about her day. I barely listened, nodding occasionally while my thoughts remained elsewhere.
“So,” Sarah said suddenly, her tone shifting, becoming sly and almost conspiratorial. She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Guess who I saw on campus today?”
I looked up from my plate, frowning slightly. “Who?”
“You, silly,” she said with a giggle, though her grin was far too knowing. “And Alpha Asher.”
My stomach dropped like a stone, a wave of panic washing over me. “How do you know about that?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
“Oh, I have my ways,” she said with a playful wink, her tone light and teasing. But there was something calculating in the way she spoke, something deliberate. “Don’t worry, though,” she added, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “I told Zander all about it.”
My fork slipped from my fingers, clattering loudly against the plate. I froze, my chest tightening as her words sank in. “You *what*?” I asked, my voice low but laced with disbelief.
Sarah shrugged, her expression feigning innocence, though the glint of satisfaction in her eyes betrayed her. “I just thought he should know,” she said, her smile widening. “I mean, you *are* his mate, after all. Don’t you think he’d want to know about you and Asher having coffee together?”
Her words cut like a knife, and the smugness in her tone made my blood boil. Her smile was sweet, but it was all an act. I could see the satisfaction behind her eyes, the way she relished watching me squirm.
“What are you trying to do, Sarah?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous, every word tightly controlled. My fists clenched under the table, my nails digging into my palms as I struggled to keep my temper in check.
“Nothing,” she said innocently, tilting her head as if she were genuinely confused by my question. “I just think Zander deserves to know what’s going on. Don’t you?”
Her words were laced with venom, no matter how sweetly she tried to deliver them. She was playing a game, one that I hadn’t agreed to, and I hated the way she was trying to manipulate the situation.
I pushed my plate aside, my appetite completely gone. I didn’t bother responding to her, knowing that anything I said would only feed into whatever twisted satisfaction she was getting from this. But deep down, I knew the damage was already done. Sarah had planted the seed, and now it was only a matter of time before Zander found out.
And I could only imagine how he would react.