Chapter 4

~Ryker~

I sat in physiology class staring at the back of Lange's head like it had personally insulted my entire family line, and honestly, it kind of had by just existing. The kid showed up yesterday, all skinny and quiet and smelling like something that made my wolf sit up and beg like a damn puppy. Mate. That's what it kept growling in my head. Mate. But Lange was a boy. A scrawny, smart-ass boy with eyes too big for his face and a mouth that kept spitting facts. I wasn't gay. Never had been. Never would be. So why the fuck did my wolf decide to latch onto this? It pissed me off. Pissed me off so bad I wanted to send him away , but instead I was stuck here, watching him scribble notes like his life depended on it, and every time he shifted in his seat my wolf whined like a bitch in heat.

Jaxon leaned over from the seat next to me, whispering loud enough for half the row to hear. "Dude, you're glaring holes in the new kid's skull. What'd he do, steal your lunch money?"

"Shut up," I muttered, not looking at him.

Kael snorted from my other side. "He's smarter than you. That's what."

"Fuck off, both of you."

The professor, the old crank who loved making examples out of idiots called on some first-year up front. "You. Explain the lunar phase impact on serum efficacy."

The kid stammered. "Uh… it… boosts it?"

"Wrong," Hale snapped. "Voss. Lange Voss. You."

Lange straightened up. "The efficacy drops fifteen percent under warning due to reduced cortisol." She went on and on. 

Hale nodded once. "Correct. Again."

The class murmured. Jaxon whistled low. "Kid's on fire."

My wolf preened like Lange had just won us a trophy. I wanted to strangle it. Smartest in class, my ass. I was the one who'd aced this shit last class. Now this twig shows up and everyone's oohing over him?

I leaned back, grabbed a wad of paper from my notebook, balled it up, and chucked it at the back of Lange's head. Hard.

It bounced off his hair. He jerked forward, hand going to his neck.

The row behind us snickered.

Lange turned halfway, eyes narrowing on me. "What the hell?"

I shrugged. "Fly. Big one. I got it for you."

Jaxon choked on a laugh. "Good aim, Thorne."

Lange's face went red. "You're an asshole."

"Language," Hale barked from the front. "Voss, face forward. Thorne, keep your hands to yourself or I'll dock you both."

Lange turned back, muttering something under his breath that sounded like "childish prick."

My wolf growled happy, almost. Like it liked the fire in him. I didn't like how my heart skipped when I looked at him. I wasn't into guys. This was wrong. All wrong. He shouldn't have shown up. Should've stayed wherever the hell he came from.

Hale asked another question something about artifact resonance in healing pacts.

Some girl answered wrong. Hale sighed. "Anyone else?"

Lange's hand shot up.

I kicked his chair leg before he could speak. Hard enough to jolt him.

He yelped quiet, but enough for the back rows to hear. Laughter rippled.

Hale glared. "Voss? You have an answer or just noises?"

Lange rubbed his shin under the desk, shooting me a death glare over his shoulder and then answered. 

"Correct," Hale said. "Thorne, one more disruption and you're out."

I leaned forward, whispering just for Lange. "Oops. My foot slipped."

He whipped around. "Slipped my ass. You're doing it on purpose."

"Prove it," I hissed back.

Jaxon was dying next to me, shoulders shaking. "You two are like an old married couple already."

"Shut up," Lange and I said at the same time.

Kael rolled his eyes. "Children."

The rest of class I kept it up subtle. Dropped my pen so it rolled under his chair, then "accidentally" kicked his bag when I reached for it. He grabbed it back, snarling under his breath. "Stop."

"Stop what?" I said innocently.

By the end the whole back row was giggling every time I moved. Lange's face was flushed, eyes angry and shiny like he was one prank away from exploding. Good. Let him hate me. Maybe he'd request a room change. Let him leave and take his stupid scent with him.

My wolf whined at that. Sad. Pathetic. I shoved it down hard.

Evening came and I hit the showers early. I needed to wash off the day. Wash off his scent that stuck to me like glue.

The door banged open midway through.

Lange.

Small and petite like a twink. Too pretty for a boy with that pissed-off look on his face, hair wet from sweat or something, eyes blazing.

He marched straight up to me. I was drying off, towel around my waist, but he didn't care. Grabbed my shoulders and shoved me back against the tile.

Hard my towel slipped down and I was getting hard fuck what if he saw it. I tried to make sure he concentrated on my face. 

"Leave me the fuck alone," he said. Voice low. Shaking. Acting tough, but his hands were trembling on my skin.

I stared down at him. He was shorter. Thinner. Face too smooth. Lips too full.

My wolf surged. *Touch him, bite him and claim him. Mine.*

I grabbed his wrists. Not hard. Just enough to hold him there.

"What are you doing?" I growled.

"Stopping you," he snapped. "The pranks. The stares. The bullshit. Leave. Me. Alone."

His breath hitched. His scent flooded me, books, nerves, something sweet and warm that made my head spin.

I wasn't whatever this was. But my wolf didn't care.

It wanted him.

I shoved him back a step. "Get off me."

He backed up, chest heaving. "Stay away."

Then he turned and left. Door slammed.

I stood there, heart pounding like it was trying to escape my ribs. My wolf howled inside angry, sad, and desperate. 

I punched the tile hard. My knuckles split.

Pain shot up my arm but it wad Better than the ache in my chest.

I wasn't doing this. Not with a boy. I would never do this. 

But Lange was ruining everything.

Fuck it I couldn't stop thinking about him. I would never love a small desperate attention seeker wanna be brave and not wanna be a twink twink. I'd make sure he regretted ever stepping his foot into this academy and confusing my wolf. He had to be using some sort of dark magic and I was definitely going to find out.