3 : New found interest

Nolan's POV

I entered the cafeteria, wearing my headphones. As I walked in, students either hurriedly left or sat silently, focusing on their meals. The head chef approached me, looking anxious.

"Mr. Hunter, we didn't know you had arrived," he stuttered nervously.

I took off my blaring headphones. "What did you say?" I asked.

"Boss, he said he didn't..."

I interrupted the nosy boy beside me by stepping on his feet with my hard-soled boots. His mouth widened, possibly in a scream, but one glare silenced him. He tightly gripped his mouth, wincing in pain.

"I never asked you to speak," I muttered coldly, increasing the pressure on his feet.

"Sorry, boss. It won't happen again," he pleaded, veins bulging. I turned to the frightened chef, raising an eyebrow.

He gulped. "I was saying that I didn't know you had arrived, otherwise I would have come sooner."

"Now that you know?" I inquired.

"I will get your food immediately," he replied, rushing off. I wiped my fingers on the table and noticed a speck of dust.

"Wipe this table thoroughly," I ordered. When no one replied or obeyed, I turned around angrily.

"Boss, he's holding your bag, and your feet are on mine. I can't move," groaned the student whose feet I had forgotten I was stepping on. The other one was holding my bag and school supplies.

"Wipe this table thoroughly, or I'll use you to wipe it," I repeated the order threateningly. He reluctantly moved over and wiped it with his white sleeve. Soon, the chef and his servers returned with my meals. I removed my foot from the student's feet, and he let out a shaky breath of relief. The chef and his servers stood before me, heads bowed. I picked up my spoon and took a spoonful from the plate. I stared at the soup before dropping the spoon angrily.

"This soup tastes different. What did you do to it?" I asked the chef furiously.

He gulped, shaking his head in denial. "I... I didn't do anything to it. You didn't even taste it," he replied.

"Are you arguing with me?" I asked with disbelief in my voice.

"No, never. I would never dare, Mr. Hunter," he hurriedly answered.

"Then make me something else or are you tired of your job?" I yelled in anger.

"Please forgive us, Mr. Hunter. I will make a new one suitable to your liking immediately," he pleaded.

"Hi, may I sit here?" Someone interrupted my discussion with the chef. I glanced at a student who had already pulled out a chair and sat in front of me. I furrowed my brows, observing his appearance. He was definitely new; only a newbie would have the audacity to do what he just did. He clearly didn't know me, but he was about to. I leaned back in my chair, and the other students in the cafeteria watched us curiously.

"What are you still waiting for?" I asked the chef, not shifting my gaze from the newbie. They all quickly scurried away.

"You're new, aren't you?" I asked him.

He smiled widely, adjusting his glasses. "Yes, I am. I just transferred schools because my dad got a new job here," he replied.

"You obviously don't know me," I remarked.

"I don't know anyone. I really hope we can be friends," he responded with a smile.

Friends? I scoffed. Today was about to get interesting.

"Hmmmm," I hummed, picking up a bottle of salt from the table and sprinkling it all over the soup, the cafeteria fell into a hushed silence. I handed the soup to him.

"Drink it up," I commanded firmly.

"What? I can't possibly drink that, man. It looks disgusting, and I'm allergic to garlic. I can even smell the garlic from here," he said, making a disgusted face.

"You should never argue with the boss," the student behind me warned. I nodded in agreement. I had forgotten their names; I simply knew them as the students who followed me wherever I went. The newcomer glanced around the cafeteria and noticed people staring at him with pitiful gazes. He nervously looked back at me, realizing he was in trouble.

"Mr. Hunter, we prepared a new broth for you," the chef said as his servers placed it before me.

"Raging beast!" the newcomer exclaimed in shock. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands after realizing what he just blurted out. "I am so sorry for the disrespect. I never knew it was you, but drinking this soup could really kill me," he pleaded. I stared at him unfazed. When he saw that I wouldn't budge or change my mind, he picked up the plate with shaky hands and drank the entire contents. He immediately took his pills from his bag and swallowed them, panting slightly. I took the hot steaming broth in front of me and spilled it on his face. He whimpered like a wounded dog, and the entire cafeteria gasped in horror.

"Never ever think of sitting next to me again or speaking to me, or else I'll make sure your life truly ends," I threatened. He nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, ragi... I meant thank you sir for sparing me," he stuttered fearfully. He hurriedly ran away. I walked out of the cafeteria with the other two students hot on my trail. The students I came across in the hallway all screamed and ran away. I caught sight of someone I definitely did not want to see: Owen. Instantly, anger bubbled up within me, and I wanted to storm over and do what I had failed to do earlier—punch that arrogant look off his face mercilessly. But before I could do that, I noticed someone else who didn't run when everyone else was fleeing. The hallway was now completely empty, even though it was lunchtime, except for her.

"Boss, do you want us to take care of that girl for you?" the student holding my bag asked. I did not respond; instead, I stared at her. I had noticed her earlier when she came between Owen and me. I walked and stood in front of her with my hands in my pockets. She stared at me curiously, and my heart fluttered with nervous anticipation as I met her gaze. I could immediately tell she was my mate; I knew the very moment I set my eyes on her. Leaning against a locker, I maintained my gaze, unyielding.

"Where did you transfer from? Who are your parents? Where do they work? Do you have any other siblings? Do you know what your hierarchy is in the werewolf chain? I can see your name is Genevieve from your name tag, but who are you?" I inquired curiously. I already knew my own hierarchy; after all, I was an Alpha's son.

I needed to know my mate if this mate bond thing was going to work. She looked at me confusingly.

"Is this an interview or something?" she asked in her sweet, cute voice. Sweet? Cute? Was I finally losing my mind? Most importantly, she didn't shiver or feel scared like the others. I had grown accustomed to being feared and avoided by everyone, but instead, she was asking me questions, which was one of the things I hated the most. Surprisingly, I wasn't angry with her at all.

"Do you not know who I am?" I inquired, my tone strangely gentle. She shook her head in the negative. My anger subsided immediately, replaced by a sense of curiosity. I knew she was likely my mate, but why did her presence affect me so profoundly? Her warmth, scent, and innocence managed to penetrate the cold layers I had constructed around myself.

"I'm Nolan," I introduced myself for the first time, feeling a bit odd. I had never bothered to introduce myself before. Most people already knew who I was, except for this girl.

"Okay?" she responded with a questioning look. She was probably wondering why I had asked all those questions earlier. As students passed by and caught sight of me, they quickly retreated. She glanced at them before returning her gaze to me.

"You're standing in front of my locker," I informed her. Suddenly, the bell signaling the end of the lunch break rang.

"Sorry about that. I never intended to," she apologized before walking away towards her next class.

"Boss, are you okay?" the student holding my bag asked. I coldly glared at him, and he promptly shut his mouth. I glanced in the direction Genevieve was heading. She was cute and pretty like a little kitten. I smirked coldly.

I think I like this little kitten, and I am intrigued by her. I had thought I was going to have another boring and uneventful school year, but now I believe I have found someone interesting—someone I can play with and have a bit of fun. I was beginning to feel bored at having to repeat the same thing every day.

"See you soon, little kitten," I mumbled before walking away, the hallway filled with running and frightened students.