Chapter 1: The Unwanted Spark

I'll never get used to moving. It's frustrating and feels like I'm erasing myself and redrawing the same lines over and over again.

This time, we moved to Silverwood, Oregon. It's a town that, so far, looks friendly and welcoming. It has tree-lined streets and coffee shops with locals who smile a lot.

We don't live anywhere near them, though.

My family and the entire pack settled deep past the outskirts, tucked behind iron gates and surrounded by endless woods. We stayed close enough to pretend like we were normal as everyone else, and far enough to remain hidden.

Even though it's a new environment, the pack is obliged to abide by the same rules. Blend in. Don't draw attention. Don't mess up.

And now, here I am, the first son of the majestic Alpha of The Midnight Sun Pack, standing in the hallway of yet another high school, already exhausted by the thought of learning new faces, new routines, and new ways to live among humans.

I'm too busy staring at my locker combination to notice where I'm going until I slam straight into someone strong. Pain instantly shot through my shoulder because I let my guard down. Books hit the floor, and everywhere snapped quickly into silence.

When I looked up, I was staring into sharp blue eyes that were filled with pure disgust. Sadly, that was my first impression in this new school. A clumsy idiot.

"Hey!" he snapped as he shoved me hard, and I tripped and fell. "Watch where you're going fool."

I hid my face for a moment, gathering the books that fell. He kept yelling and pouring insults at me, but I ignored him and separated my book from his. After doing so, I raised my head slowly and reached out to him with his books in my palm.

"What is this?" he asked loudly, looking at the guys around him... people I'll say are his friends. "Can someone please explain what this is?"

They all started chuckling, but it didn't get to me. I obviously pissed him off by bumping into him, so I wasn't going to be defensive. I wouldn't want to cause so much chaos on my first day in school. So, I remained calm with this stranger's books in my palm, as I waited for him to take them.

He turned to me, scoffed, and smacked the books from my grasp. "Are you new here?" he asked. "I don't think I've seen your face around here before. I guess that's why you don't know the consequences of your dumb action."

"Yeah," one of his friends snorted. "He doesn't get what's going on. He doesn't know how things get done around here."

Still, I remained quiet. I clenched my jaw and began counting up to a hundred in my head as a method to control my anger.

The pissed boy slid his hands into his pockets and walked slowly towards me until we were barely inches apart. That's when I got to look at him properly, as there was nowhere else my eyes could escape to, and that's when it hit me.

He was devastating. Standing in front of me was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Even with a disgusted expression plastered all over his face, his eyes were the most perfect thing I've ever seen. The wolf inside me stirred uneasily, restless beneath my skin.

At that moment, I couldn't hear what he or anyone else was saying. I was lost in his eyes.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment to get his scent, but all I could get was the strong scent of his perfume. It overpowered and masked his natural scent. That, was disappointing. But I shrugged it off.

Slowly, I opened my eyes with a soft smirk tugging at my lips, and that must've pissed him off because what he did snapped me from my trance and back to reality.

He pushed me so hard that I slammed hard into the locker behind me.

"What's funny?" he demanded. His fist folded and pressed to my jaw. "What's funny, huh?"

My wolf surged, claws scraping at the inside of my ribs. I swallowed a growl and forced myself to stay calm. Before I could speak, a voice cut through amongst the crowd that had somehow managed to fill the hallway while I was in my trance.

"Hey, hey, hey."

A girl walked forward, picked up the books on the floor, and gave some to the other boys who stood close to the person pissed at me.

"Here," she said. "Take it and leave. Stop bullying the new guy."

Then she walked over to me and placed her hand gently on the guy in front of me.

"Please, Derek," she pleaded quietly. "Please, let him go. He's had enough."

Derek, I repeated in my head. A strong name befitting him.

Derek sighed and released me. Then he smoothed my jacket and ran his fingers through my hair, almost intimate.

"Thank your stars," he murmured.

Then he turned away, motioning to his friends. "Come on, let's get out of here."

The girl turned to me, handing my books to me. "I believe these are yours," she said.

I took them from her and put them inside my backpack. "Thank you," I said softly.

"Just be careful," she smiled. "Derek isn't one to play around. He's very strong-headed and strong-willed."

"I see," I exhaled. "I guess I have no other choice then but to watch out for him."

"Yeah." She paused for a while. "I know you're new. But what grade?"

I slung my backpack over my shoulders. "I'm in 11th grade. I'm a junior."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No, not really," she smiled. "It's just that Derek is a junior as well."

That did come as a shock to me, but I wasn't going to let this girl in front of me know.

"Derek is somewhat new here as well," she added. "His family moved here last year, so I guess it affected his studies, and he had to start from a lower grade."

"That's pretty much my story as well," I chuckled under my breath. "That's why I'm starting off in the 11th grade."

"Oh, I see," she nodded. "So what's your schedule like? Are you in the AP track or are you just standard?"

"Standard," I answered.

"That's us three then," she said.

"Three?" I asked, confused.

"Yes," she smiled. "You, Derek, and I. Oh, I totally forgot. I'm Bri, Bri Holmes. The guy you pissed off earlier is Derek Jack. And you are?

"Ethan Hale."

She stretched her arm out to me, and I took it. We shook hands for a few seconds before she continued.

"So you see... we're all on the same track. Derek and I have just normal core classes. I supposed your the same."

I turned my head slightly. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

She burst into laughter.

"Just as you've planned to stay away from Derek, you end up in the same class with me," she chuckled. "How ironic."

I adjusted my backpack and glanced down the hallway Derek had disappeared into. My jaw still ached. My wolf paced restlessly inside me. Despite everything, anticipation curled low in my stomach.

I didn’t know why Derek hid his scent. I didn’t know why my instincts reacted so strongly to him. But one thing was certain. I was going to see him again.

And some reckless, dangerous part of me was already looking forward to it.