Chapter 4 - allergic to chocolate

    It's been two excruciating weeks since Khai joined them on their morning walk to school. Aster doesn't appreciate the fact that she still feels weird around the guy. He still makes her heart skip, her breath stop, and her cheeks warm, but thankfully, not as much as before and not as intense as the first time it happened. Why a stranger has this kind of effect on her could only mean one thing and she does everything in her power to not think about it. What bothers her is that the first one felt scarily similar to the feeling she gets when she's with Xavier, only increased by tenfold, it's unreal. The following 'heart attacks' as she calls it, felt more like she was immensely attracted to him more so than actually in love with him. So the first one was kind of a one-time thing and thank god for that.

    On top of that, it's been three agonizing weeks of waiting for Xavier to tell her that he's ready. She feels a bit selfish for wishing that it wouldn't take him so long to give her a proper response but she can't help feeling uneasy whenever she's around him. It also doesn't help that he feels so strongly, albeit against her will, towards another guy while waiting for him.

    Aster wasn't dense. She's theorized that maybe the loud goofball her brother drags along on their morning walks was actually her mate. She is part werewolf after all. But she doesn't quite know how to feel about it. She knows that her heart belongs to Xavier right now, and so she continues to ignore the source of the potent scent she so despises and takes delight in at the same time walking next to her brother.

    She gives her brother a nudge, causing him to bump into Khai and push him away from her in the process.

    "What is wrong with you?!" He shrieked.

    "You have no idea." She grits her teeth.

    Ever since he'd joined them, they've never exchanged a single word with one another. They've never even been a foot near each other. She always makes sure that Pollux stood in between them.

    And as much as she naturally gravitates toward his presence, she takes all of her willpower and loyalty to Xavier to keep herself from getting anywhere near Khai.

    And it's taking a toll on what little temperament she has.

    "Wow. You're extra grumpy today, miss." Oh, and she begged Pollux not to tell Khai her name because god knows what effect that may have on her.

    She grunted and scurried off until she was at least ten steps ahead of them.

    "Why does she hate me so much?" Khai frowned.

    "Just don't mind her, she's a bit of a screw loose." Pollux raises his hand and does a cuckoo sign to mock her.

    "I can hear you, idiots."

    "Literally how, you're like a mile away." Khai was dumbfounded. His phone dings to reveal a message from Pollux.

O' CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN!: u know u guys cant stay like this forever right?

Khai looks over to Pollux waiting for confirmation and as if on cue, another ding.

O' CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN!: i'll make sure she doesnt kill u

He smiles and rushes over to Aster's side with the pure, child-like goal of befriending the hot-headed sister of his captain whom he so looked up to.

    'Peace and quiet, Aster. Peace and quiet.' She thought to herself. She was so focused on getting herself to calm down that even her superhuman senses failed to detect the biggest threat in her life coming dangerously close to her.

    "You're not human, are you?" He whispers into her ear, causing her to jolt like a cat and send a flying fist in his direction which he fortunately anticipated and managed to dodge. Well, barely

.

    "Hey, careful with that! We have a soccer match with the neighboring uni later y'know... I need to be extra gorgeous for the ladies that'll be watching us later~" He snickered at the fuming girl, on the verge of combusting and rocketing herself to Mars.

    "Do you have a death wish?" She growled. 

    "Oh, you must be mistaken! The only wish I have right now is to make a new friend! Preferably a girl, cool, medium length black hair with cooler white streaks, around 5'3, Looks that could kill, both metaphorically and literally, oh, and especially grumpy. I'm talking 'i-haven't-eaten-in-like-two-weeks-so-don't-you-dare-touch-me-or-i'm-having-you-for-dinner' kinda grumpy." He flashes her a bright smile.

    "So those are your last words?" She gave him a glare that was enough to make him flinch.

    "Okay, okay! I'm gonna stop. Just puh-lease tell me what I did wrong and I'm never gonna talk to you again." He says with a determined look on his face.

    Aster almost felt bad, she's well aware that he didn't do anything wrong, but he has not the slightest idea of the dreadful mental gymnastics he gives her by just simply existing.

    Unable to think of anything to say, she grumbles, "Your face annoys me."

    Silence.

    "Guess I'm gonna start annoying you from now on." He shrugs.

    "Ugh, why?!" If she had a little less self-control right now, she'd have pulled out all of her hair from frustration.

    "I'm not accepting that for an answer. Also, who gave you the right to insult my precious face that collectively exhibits the wonderful facial features my parents have! The f*cking audacity!" He scoffs dramatically.

    "I hate you so much." She sighs in defeat.

    "And until you give me a proper reason why, you're not seeing the last of me." He smirked.

    He reaches for his pocket, brings out a tiny CitCat bar and opens it with his teeth, "Want shome?" 

    "I... I don't eat chocolate."

    He gasps, "What? No way! I've never met anyone in my life who doesn't like chocolate and I didn't think I'd ever get to meet one. That's insane."

    'I can't eat chocolate 'cause I'm a godforsaken werewolf but he doesn't need to know that.' She sighs, "...I'm allergic to the cocoa in it."

    "Wow, that must suck." He takes a bite, "But at least you're healthy. Like reaaally healthy, 'cause I could've sworn you left footprints in the sidewalk when you stomped away from us earlier. Do you work out? You don't look like you work out, though." 

    She stretches her fist and glares at him, "I'm also allergic to smiley idiots who doubt my ability."

    "Aha, there's no need to test those fiery fists on me, 'cause look, we're here!" He gestures to the school building in front of them.

    "Finally." She huffs and marches off to her classroom.

    "See ya!" He beams at her.

    "See ya never." She deadpans.

    He sighs, shoulders hunching. 'Tough nut' he thought. He was then interrupted by a heavy hand patting his back.

    "Looks like you're off to a great start!" Pollux grins.

    "Ho yeah, definitely." He smiles.