Chapter 5: Unexpected Interruption (Cassian's POV)

Raven tasted like cherry lip balm and something feminine. She was soft in the way I liked as we locked lips.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, her body warm against mine as she shifted on my lap, lips trailing down my jaw. 

I let my head fall back against the wall, exhaling through my nose as her hands slid lower, teasing at the hem of my shirt.

“You’re distracted,” she murmured, her breath hot against my throat.

I wasn’t. Or at least, I shouldn’t have been.

But my mind kept circling back to the fight earlier, to the freshman who had no business winning, no business being here.

Val Rhen.

Something about him was wrong. I don't know why it bothered me but it was really getting on my nerves. 

I only met him a few hours ago and already it's as if he has lodged himself into my mind.

Am I getting interested in a guy? That's impossible. It's just me overreacting to the whole issue.

My wolf felt it, pacing uneasily beneath my skin, agitated in a way it had never been before. But Raven had a way of making me forget about things that didn’t matter.

And I hoped she would be able to get my mind out of this particular matter. Until the damn door swung open.

If it is Ronan, I'm going to have his hide. 

But when I turned towards the doorway, it wasn't my best friend there.

Val stood there, frozen like a deer in front of a headlight. I went still just as my pulse quickened.

Raven, on the other hand, didn’t even glance up. She just smirked against my throat, lips brushing my skin as she shifted slightly on my lap.

Of course our new company didn't bother her. And in that moment, I was irritated with myself for reacting like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar.

“You gonna stand there and watch, freshman?” she purred, eyes flicking up.

Val’s face was blank, but I caught the way his throat worked, like he’d swallowed something sharp. It was obvious my current position caused him some level of discomfort.

I should have been irritated. Instead, my face heated. What the hell was wrong with me. I'm Alpha Cassian Virex and nothing should phase me but why was I acting like a boy caught cheating by his girlfriend.

Then after a moment, I noticed that my reaction wasn't necessarily because I was caught. And certainly not because I gave a damn what he thought.

But because my wolf reacted—not to Raven, but to Val. And that pissed me off. What was wrong with him. In all my years after awakening my wolf, I've never felt this way.

I schooled my expression, raising an eyebrow. “You lost?”

At least this will not give off the impression that I cared about his presence.

He blinked once, twice, then shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind. “No. I—I just wanted to sleep.”

Raven laughed. The sound was light, carefree, but sharp underneath. It was obvious my new roommate amused her.

“This school is going to eat you alive,” she said, tilting her head, studying Val like he was something under a microscope. “You sure you’re an alpha, freshman?”

Val didn’t answer. Didn’t defend himself. Just stood there. And for some reason, that didn’t sit right with me.

What was with Val anyway? He was a male alpha for crying out loud. Why was he acting like some weak female omega.

A few hours ago, I could swear he had some balls. Now he was just like a spineless whinny.

I exhaled through my nose and nudged Raven’s hip. “We’ll finish this later.”

She pouted but didn’t argue, pressing a lingering kiss to my mouth before sliding off my lap. “Your loss, golden boy.”

She brushed past Val, gaze flicking over him one last time before disappearing into the hall.

The door clicked shut and silence descended on the room.

Val’s hands curled at his sides, jaw tight. He didn’t look at me. Raven knew how to get under people’s skin.

But then, in Raven's defence, Val was acting a little too weak for him to be recognized as a dominant alpha.

What sort of alpha would take Raven's jabs without a word. Only a weak nobody. So why was this particular one making me feel uneasy.

No one had ever really made me feel this need for me to get to know them. Not even Raven whom my parents believe was the best mate for me.

I leaned back against the wall, watching him. Waiting for him to say something but he just avoided me.

He moved stiffly across the room, and dropped his bag beside his bed, and sat down as put his elbows on his thigh and bowed his head.

I guess first day of school took a toll on him. But I knew this was just the beginning of long journey to being a full blown alpha.

Taking a good look at Val's brown hair, I couldn't help but notice how the end seemed to be chopped off.

I frowned wondering what happened to his hair but decided it was none of my business.

Tension settled thick in the air, pressing against my skin. I shouldn’t have cared.

I shouldn’t have still been thinking about him and the need to break the uneasy silence between us.

But something wasn’t right. He was a freshman. A practical nobody, alpha or not. He shouldn’t have been in my head. And yet…

I found myself turning toward him. What sort of problem did the headmaster put on my hands?

Somehow, I was fed up with all this weird vibes I was getting because of him and it was barely a day. I need to know who exactly this guy is and what he has done to me. 

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I can only explain this feelings as the work of some sorcery.

“Who the hell are you?”