Chapter 3: Wolfy Tingles 1

Yumi's POV.

-

“…and uh, that’s what happened.”

Avoiding their prying eyes, I hurriedly snatch a huge bite from my beef burger. They’re both not saying anything and I feel weird for spewing all I just did. I just told them the tale of meeting their favorite celebrity and they’ve just gone mute. I shift uncomfortably, finding the silence suffocating.

“OMG! Girl!” They explode, startling me gravely.

I almost get a heart attack and I frown at them, calming my frantic heartbeat with a palm over my chest. “What the heck is wrong with you two? You scared the shit out of me.”

My voice simmers down to normal and they show me apologetic smiles.

“I did say you might be mated to him,” Zainab drawls playfully.

“Oh my, how did you evade his eyes? I’m so curious,” Zana leans over the table.

“Uh…” When I do think about it, I actually don’t know.

“…It just sort of happened. I found them to be the most attractive, fascinating, and astonishing orbs in the universe but, I didn’t feel that ‘Magnetic’ pull you all go on about,” I confess earnestly, brows creasing with befuddlement.

“That’s strange…sure you’re not a Witch in disguise?” Zainab’s grin grows wide and gives her a very creepy look.

I grimace at the ugly sight. “Trust me, if I was one, I’d cast a terrible spell on him."

“But, I do think you’ve both initiated something. At least I know he won’t let you off the hook easily. Geez! What am I even saying? You’re the only woman it doesn’t work on! He’s gonna come back hunting for you,” Zana acts out dramatically and I panic visibly.

“What? Hunting…me? B-but why?”

The girls exchange looks and burst into a round of laughter, making me sneer at them to keep shut.

Zainab chuckles with dissipating laughter, “Ah…haha! We were only joking. But…he will come after you to know why you didn’t fall.”

I gulp at that and sweat glides down my temple. “Should I run away? Do I need to leave the country?”

“Trust me…that won’t work. He’s memorized your scent and he’ll go to any lengths to have you.”

“Hey…Zana, stop siding with him. Or you told him you know me?” I gasp.

She shakes her head, negating my assumption, “No…but, he might pick your scent from me. We’re friends and always together after all…”

“…or maybe from the pups that attend your kindergarten,” Zainab chirps in, making a sudden realization dawn on us like a heavy dark cloud.

I look over to Zana doing the same.

“Uh…he won’t pay attention to little kids, right? I mean…many people can possess the same scent, right?” I don’t even sound hopeful enough and Zana’s silence affirms it. My shoulders slump and my face gets stricken with worry.

“I’m afraid not, Yumi. Everyone possesses different unique scents. And he’s an Alpha with super enhanced and heightened senses…he will find you."

There’s a way she says it that makes me literally see myself being watched by two penetrative black holes from an unknown space. I gulp on nothing and try to change the gloomy topic. “Say…we do need to get the new futons for the kids tomorrow and more stuffed toys.”

Zana gets distracted and quickly jumps in, “I almost forgot! Should we leave in the morning? It’s a weekend so…” She trails off on thoughts.

“I think that’s perfect. Wanna come along, Zainab?”

Zainab shakes her head against the invitation, “I’m sorry. Someone needs to keep an eye on Eliza till Nate gets back. I opted for it, well, seeing as you’re both gonna be busy and all.”

I beam at her, reaching over the table to hug her. “Thanks, bestie! I’ll appreciate that a lot”. She pats my back gently, “Hehe, you’re welcome."

I settle back down and we consume the rest of our lunch and leave the cafeteria for our next class.

-

“He’s still sleepy. Is his mother here yet?” I ask a staff, patting the back of the little boy resting his face in the nook of my neck and fast asleep.

She nods with a smile, “She just got here, I’ll go get his things”.

After she goes over to the back of the classroom to retrieve his stuff, I step out of the classroom and into the hallway, strolling down till I’m out of the building.

I see the grey Chevrolet and tap the kid, “Allison, your mom is here”.

He stirs in his sleep and I feel him move his face away and I look up to see him rubbing his eyelids with the heel of his hands. “Wakey Wakey, baby boy,” I sing to him and he smiles sleepily.

His teacher comes to join us and we walk to his mother’s car. His mom steps out, “Oh my, he must’ve played a lot today”. She collects him from me.

“Yes, and he made some nice drawings too. They’re in his backpack,” I tell her and she looks very pleased. “Thanks. We’ll leave now, bye.”

Allison waves at us just before he’s taken into the car and I watch them drive off. I turn around to see the other kids being picked up by their parents, siblings, and other relatives. We’ve got more wolf pups attending the school than human children.

The thing Zainab said about Henry Slater tracing me by my scent lingering on the pups floats into my mind and I gulp in tension. I hope that never happens. I know it seems as if I’m the only woman who hates him in the world, and I badmouth him to no end. But, it’s not like I’ve got any prejudice against him. Karma can’t be so hard on me.

Zana had to leave before me after she received a message from her brother being in town. So I’m strolling home at 5 p.m all by myself. There are people around. Not many, but still counts. I fish out my earplugs from my bag and play some music so I feel less lonely right now.

Along my casual walk, I begin to notice weird sensations prickling my skin. Now, I’m not exposed anywhere else other than my face, feet, and hands. It further intensifies and I’m forced to stop walking to actually check for any crevices in my clothing, only for my eyes to meet with an unfamiliar glistening, fire-brick red ‘Ferrari 812 Superfast’. I scamper back, off the sidewalk, and onto someone’s front lawn.

The driver’s door comes open and a long leg clad in deep-black pants steps out. A black Oxford lace-up shoe glistens under the evening sun and its matching pair emerges as well. A tall form slips out of the hot ride and my breath ceases when I see who it is.

How did he find me so fast?! I scream mentally. All my mental panic alarms go off loudly in my head against this goddamn super-chili-hot hunk of a male. Why are werewolves so good-looking?!

I then find myself walking off the lawn and back onto the sidewalk, ignoring his blaring presence and strolling on. But his voice stops me.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Such an Alpha command! But I’m not a wolf so I feel no weight of compulsion nor submission to him.

“Where else, to my home?” Maybe I shouldn’t have sounded so rude. But I can’t care. I have to leave ASAP!

I hear the sound of a door slamming shut and dread coats me when I realize he’s walking behind me. I steal back glances to see him talking to someone over the phone. His dark shades cover those charming orbs and his free hand adjusts his black tie. He’s in a super expensive three-piece suit and his hair is in a quiff hairstyle.

I face forward, determined to increase my pace but I look back again and don’t see his car. Where is it? Or he called someone to come take it? Wait a sec…This means he’s ready to trail me to my apartment!

“Um…don’t you, uh, have somewhere important to be right now?” I cold sweat trails down my temples at the silly question.

“How could you resist my eyes?” He counters my question with his and I frown, turning around to face him.

“Don’t know, just happened-”

My eyes saunter around to see many people loitering in the street and gawking at him. All the ladies are acting strangely with the way their eyes are fixed on him and glowing like they’re in some sort of magic-induced trance.

Those damn eyes of his!

By the time I avert my eyes to him, his towering frame is right before me and I yelp, holding my chest in a gasp. He doesn’t budge and moves his hand to touch me. I back away like he’s a ball of flame and spits irritatedly, “Don’t touch me”.

His hand hangs in the air and I move further back. There’s this weird silence between us and he’s also gone stone still. “I don’t know what you want with me, but you’ve got no right and permission to touch me. And stop following me…you’re creeping me out.”

I turn away, put back my earplugs, sink my hands into my hoody’s pocket, and walk away while bobbing my head to the beat of the Hip-hop song. I glance back no more and neither do I feel that sensation until I arrive at the front of my apartment building.