Game On

~Ryan

I stood in front of the mirror adjusting the collar of my black dress shirt. Polite enough for my father’s liking, but still me. I put on a dark tailored trousers, an expensive watch, sleeves rolled once to show some of the tattoos crawling up my forearms.

I wasn’t going to pretend to be something I wasn’t. Before heading out, I made a call.

One of my personal guards picked up on the first ring.

“There was a girl in this house yesterday,” I said, voice low. “Not too short, maybe 5’6 or 5’7. Long dark hair, thick and silky. Body like a fucking sin, heavy tits, small slim waist, wide hips, big ass that fits perfectly in my hands. Nerdy glasses and a beautiful face. Find her.”

The guard hesitated. “Boss… that’s not exactly a lot to go on.”

I smiled coldly. “Should I do it myself?”

He chuckled nervously. “No, sir. I’ll handle it.”

“Good.”

I ended the call, grabbed my keys, and took the matte black Cybertruck. The drive to the school was smooth. When I pulled up, students immediately started gathering, whispering loudly enough for my hybrid ears to catch every word.

“Damn, who is that?”

“He looks like a model.”

“Is he a new teacher?”

“Bro, he’s fine as hell…”

I smirked. Handsome? I know exactly what I look like. I'm more than handsome.

The strange feeling hit me the second I stepped into the school building, a pull low in my chest, like a magnet trying to drag me somewhere.

My wolf and vampire sides both stirred at once. She’s here. The girl from yesterday. My angel. The one I marked and filled. I could almost taste her on my tongue again.

But I couldn’t pinpoint her exact location yet. Not with all these students around.

I went straight to my father’s office.

He was already seated behind his big mahogany desk, looking every bit the Alpha, powerful, authoritative, and disappointed in me before I even opened my mouth.

“Ryan,” he greeted, voice guarded. “You came.”

“You summoned me,” I replied flatly, dropping into the chair opposite him. “Here I am.”

We exchanged a few stiff pleasantries. He welcomed me back to the pack territory in his cold, calculated way. Then he got straight to business.

“I want you to take over the school. Become the new face of this institution. The students need strong leadership, especially with everything that’s coming.”

I leaned back, smiling without warmth. “I refuse.”

His jaw tightened. “You’re still as stubborn as ever.”

“If that’s everything, Father, I’d like to leave. I told you I’ll handle the political matters. The school is not my concern.”

I stood up before he could argue further. The pull in my chest was getting stronger now. She was close. Very close.

As I reached the door, my father spoke again, voice heavy with warning.

“Whatever you’re planning, Ryan… don’t become the monster we all fear you already are.”

I glanced back at him, eyes cold. “Too late for that, I became all that when you casted me out.”

I stepped out of his office, the strange magnetic pull tugging at me harder than before. Somewhere in this building was the girl I fucked senseless yesterday. The one whose taste and scent were now burned into my memory.

And I was going to find her.

I walked through the hallway with both hands dipped casually into my pockets, ignoring the whispers and stares following me like a shadow.

That magnetic pull in my chest was still there, faint but persistent. She was somewhere in this building.

I wasn’t paying much attention when I bumped into someone.

Books scattered across the floor. The lady quickly bent down to pack them, giving me a perfect view of her cleavage.

I looked at her properly, hoping for a second it was her, but it wasn’t.

I frowned, openly disappointed.

“I’m so sorry!” she said quickly, straightening up with her books clutched to her chest. “Are you one of the new teachers here too?”

I scoffed, lips curling. “No. I’m the Alpha’s only heir.”

Her eyes widened in recognition and she immediately bowed her head respectfully. “Oh! Welcome back, sir.”

She was fine, pretty even. Huge tits barely contained by her white shirt, the last two buttons deliberately left open like she wanted attention. But she wasn’t her. The pull in my chest didn’t react at all.

I tilted my head, staring at her exposed cleavage without shame. “Is this how female teachers dress nowadays?”

She flushed deeply. “My bad,” she muttered, quickly trying to button up with one hand while holding her books. Her fingers kept fumbling.

I watched her struggle for a moment, amused. When she finally gave up and extended her free hand for a handshake, she smiled nervously. “I’m Sophia. It’s really nice to meet you.”

I kept both hands firmly in my pockets and gave her a slow, lazy once over.

“You’re beautiful,” I said flatly. “And hot. But you’ll need more than a pretty face and open buttons to make my hands leave my pockets.” I smirked. “Nice to meet you, Sophia. Carry on.”

Her face burned with embarrassment. She muttered something and hurried away, clutching her books tighter.

I exhaled through my nose, already bored.

The strange pull in my chest suddenly flared stronger, almost tugging me toward the direction of the training grounds. My wolf stirred. My vampire instincts sharpened.

There you are.

I started walking again, a dark smile slowly spreading across my face.

“Run all you want, angel. I already marked you. You’re not getting away that easily.”

Then I bumped into someone again.

This time, I recognized her instantly.

Aria, my step sister.

She froze for half a second before her eyes widened in disbelief. Her gaze dragged slowly over me from head to toe, almost like she was trying to confirm I was real.

Then she launched herself at me. “Ryan?!” I wondered how she recognized me, probably because she saw some of my photos.

I barely had time to react before her arms wrapped around my neck. I caught her automatically, steadying her against me while students passing through the hallway openly stared.

“You’re back?” she gasped, pulling away just enough to look at my face again. “No one told me you were back!”

A small smirk tugged at my lips. “Surprise.”

Aria looked exactly how I remembered her, still dramatic, still loud, still incapable of minding her business even though she was so young.

Before I could say another word, movement behind her caught my attention.

And suddenly… Everything else faded.

A girl walked toward us from down the hallway, dressed in fitted brown training wear that hugged her body perfectly.

Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders in soft waves, slightly messy like she’d rushed out after practice.

My wolf went dead silent. My vampire side sharpened instantly.

Her.

The girl from last night. The girl whose scent still haunted my senses.

A slow smile spread across my face.

I ignored whatever Aria was still rambling about and stepped past her, straight toward the girl.

The moment she recognized me, her entire body stiffened. Shock flashed across her face first, then annoyance.

“Well,” I murmured, stopping in front of her. “We meet again, angel.”

She scoffed softly, clearly caught off guard. “You…”

“Wait,” Aria interrupted, blinking rapidly between us. “Elara… you know my brother?”

Elara.

The name settled in my mind like it belonged there.

I repeated it quietly under my breath. “Elara…”

God, even her name sounded dangerous. She glared at me instantly, realizing I’d heard it.

Aria looked confused. “Hold on, what’s going on here?”

“Nothing,” Elara said quickly.

“At all,” I added lazily.

Aria narrowed her eyes suspiciously. I looked at her calmly. “Give us a minute.”

“Ryan…”

“A minute, Aria.” Something in my tone made her pause. She looked between us one last time before groaning dramatically.

“If either of you kill each other, I’m blaming both of you.” Then she walked off.

The second she disappeared around the corner, Elara turned to me sharply.

“My glasses.”

I tilted my head innocently. “What about them?”

“You know exactly what about them.” I reached into my pocket slowly and pulled them out. Her eyes immediately locked onto them.

Cute.

“You can come get them from my room later.”

Her jaw dropped slightly. “You cannot be serious.”

“I usually am.”

“I’m not playing games with you.”

“Neither am I.” I watched frustration flicker across her face before my gaze drifted lower, toward the towel wrapped carefully around her neck.

Interesting. “Let me see your neck.”

Her hand moved instinctively to the towel. “No.”

The reaction alone confirmed it.

A dark satisfaction curled inside me. “Elara…”

“No,” she repeated firmly. “And that mark means nothing.”

I scoffed softly, taking one slow step closer. “I expected you to know exactly what it means.”

Her breathing hitched slightly, but she stood her ground. “It means,” I continued quietly, “that I marked you as mine.”

To my surprise, she smiled then she folded her arms.

“And me saying it means nothing,” she replied sweetly, “means I rejected you.”

Silence.

For the first time in years, I genuinely didn’t know how to respond immediately.

She looked entirely too pleased with herself. “I, Elara Lockwood, reject you.”

I stared at her.

Then suddenly, I laughed. Actually I laughed. A deep, genuine sound I barely recognized myself.

Because this? This had never happened before. No one rejected me, ever.

And somehow, instead of pissing me off… it entertained me, it interested me more.

Elara looked almost annoyed by my reaction.

“It would be nice,” she said coolly, adjusting the strap of her bag, “if you stayed out of my sight and pretended you didn’t know me.”

Then she brushed past me.

The scent of her hit me instantly again, warm and addictive enough to make my instincts stir violently beneath my skin.

I watched her walk away without stopping her.

She made a mistake. She thought rejecting me ended this. It only made me want her more.

My smile widened slowly before I turned around and headed back toward my father’s office.

When I stepped inside, he looked up immediately. “Something else?”

I leaned lazily against the doorway. “I changed my mind.”

His brows furrowed slightly. “I’ll take the school.”

Silence. Then, slowly, satisfaction crossed his face.

“I’m glad to hear that Ryan.”

I smiled coldly. He thought this was about responsibility, about legacy, about finally becoming the heir he wanted.

It wasn’t.

One girl, that was all it took. Elara Lockwood. I repeated the name in my head again and chuckled quietly to myself.

Yeah.

Things in this city were about to become very interesting.