6

Sarah had a way of appearing like an unexpected guest. She practically launched herself at Noah after class, her entire body pressing into his. Her chest was the first thing that made contact, intentionally. She leaned in, her lips already parted in a suggestive smile.

“What’s up, babe?” she purred.

Before Noah could so much as blink, her tongue was in his mouth.

For a second, he froze, trying to determine what was happening. Was this not assault? Could someone be arrested for shoving a tongue down his throat?

He jerked back, his head bumping into his locker. "What the hell?" he muttered under his breath.

Sarah clung to him, her grip tight. He tried to peel her off without making a scene. Unfortunately, subtlety didn’t work with Sarah. The more he tried to shake her off, the more she clung to him.

He shoved her away gently but firmly.

Her mouth parted again, about to unleash what he suspected would be a speech dripping in drama and delusion, but he cut her off.

“Don’t do that again, Sarah.”

Her lips curled, not into a frown, but into that haughty, irritating smirk of someone who just got caught stealing cookies and still had crumbs on their lips. “Gosh, we’re already sleeping with each other, what’s a kiss?” she said, her tone annoyingly high-pitched for the benefit of their audience.

Noah’s jaw clenched.

Wrong move, Sarah.

In an instant movement, he pinned her between himself and the locker. His eyes were ice cold. “Don’t ever for one second forget your place,” he hissed, his voice low. “If I need something, I know where to find you.”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“You bore me, Sarah. All your antics bore me.” he added, his tone flat.

“You’re such a jerk,” she snapped, and this time he let her go without resistance. She stormed off.

From behind him came a familiar voice.

“Why do you even bother with this girl?” Jake leaned against the lockers like he’d been watching the scene unfold from a front-row seat. He wore that amused, mildly judging expression that only best friends had perfected.

Noah sighed. “She was just… convenient. Right place. Wrong everything else.”

Jake chuckled. “You two are like that weird couple who can't stand each other but always end up at the same orgy.”

“We are not a couple.”

“If you say so, Alpha.”

Noah groaned. “Do not call me that in the hallway.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “What? Are you afraid that you’ll start giving orders?”

“I’m already giving orders,” Noah deadpanned. “Like ‘don’t make me punch you right now.’”

Jake raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. But you don’t seem like yourself, man. What’s up?”

Noah’s shoulders slumped as he leaned back against the cold metal of the locker. “Something happened yesterday. I felt her. My wolf felt her and then… nothing.”

Jake’s teasing faded instantly, his posture straightening. “Wait, you felt her? Your mate?”

He nodded.

“Woah.” Jake’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you need help?”

“I don’t even know what kind of help I need. It was so fast. Like a flash of warmth and then as suddenly as it came, it was gone. I thought I imagined it.”

“Dude. You do not imagine your mate. Especially not when your wolf is involved.”

Noah sighed, frustrated. “I can’t even describe it. It was like breathing in lightning. I was awake in a way I didn’t know I wasn’t before.”

Jake clapped a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. I promise. Together.”

“Thanks, man.”

“But for now, we gotta get to class. Lockley’s going to have a fit if you skip again.”

Noah waved a hand. “You go. Tell him I feel like throwing up.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. “You’re lucky he likes you.”

“Go.”

“Alright, alright. Just don’t punch the wall again, yeah?”

Noah didn’t promise anything.

After Jake left, Noah slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the gym. It was the only place that made any sense right now. Punching things helped him think. Well, punching things or running until his legs felt like jelly. But today felt like a punching day.

He started with light jabs at the punching bag. It didn’t satisfy him.

His fists moved with rhythm.

His wolf growled.

He paused, sweat dripping down his temples. “Zeus…... if You have got something to say, now would be a good time.”

He rolled his eyes and resumed.

“She’s human.” he heard his wolf say.

Noah froze.

He blinked.

“What?”

“Our mate is human.”

That knocked the breath out of him harder than any punch ever could. He staggered back and sat on the bench, the world tilting ever so slightly.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Noah rubbed his face. “This is why I couldn’t feel her properly. That was why it was so faint.”

“Exactly.”

He blew out a breath. “A human. The Luna is human.”

“And this is normal?” he asked, already suspecting the answer.

“The probability of a wolf having a human mate is very rare. For an Alpha? Extremely rare. But not impossible.”

“Lucky me.” Noah laughed.

Zeus ignored the sarcasm. “Destiny always prevails, especially when intertwined with love. She is your destiny. And you are hers.”

Noah’s stomach twisted. Destiny was a heavy thing.

“I wonder what she’s like,” he murmured. “I mean… besides being human. Is she scared of wolves? Is she vegan? Does she have TikTok?”

Zeus growled. “You need to find her and fast. Her humanity makes her soft. That softness is our weakness and our strength.”

Noah stood, suddenly feeling like the floor was too steady.

“You’re right. Okay. I’m trying…”

“TRY HARDER.”

He flinched. “Could you not shout? You’re in my head. I can hear you just fine.”

He grabbed his towel and water bottle and exited the gym, heart pounding, mind spinning. She was out there. Somewhere.

*****

Meanwhile, Emma stared at the back of the classroom. She had just witnessed Sarah’s tongue do a sort of tango with Noah, and despite telling herself she didn’t care, her stomach had dropped.

Why did she care?

She didn’t even like the guy.

Okay, maybe she had stared at him for longer than was socially acceptable during class. And yes, he carried himself like the main character in a teenage drama. The kind that walked in slow motion even when they were late.

He had the aura. Sort of.

But she was so sure he totally did.

She tuned back into her surroundings just as the bell rang.

“Don’t go under the staircase in the evening,” Tammy whispered.

Emma raised a brow.

“Unless you want to walk into something you would like to get erased from your mind permanently,” Rakesh added.

“Oh. Okay. Noted.”

They both continued their casual back and forth of rules, warnings, and odd facts as they walked down the hallway. Don’t piss off Habbu. Don’t stare at Camila. Don’t eat the shrimp in the cafeteria on Tuesdays. That kind of thing.

Then she remembered what she had seen earlier. And instantly she had wished she hadn’t.

Sarah. Noah. Their tongues in each other’s mouth. Her fingers twisting in his dark hair. Noah’s hands slid lower on her lower back past the dip of her waist. It was in the “is that even appropriate on school grounds?” territory.

She had looked away quickly, pretending like her soul didn’t just shrink a little.

Noah and Sarah. Definitely a thing.

Okay. Checked.

She sprint walked to her next class like the hallway floor was hot.

This school was unhinged.

Her life was officially weird.

And she had a million questions.

Everytime she thought about the fact that she was in a school full of werewolves, she shuddered and was excited all the same.

She felt as if she was in the middle of something much, much bigger.