0005

Asher’s Pov

Something woke me.

At first, I thought it was another one of the strange dreams I’d been having ever since the semester started. My body felt unusually alert, and my wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin as though it had sensed danger before my mind had caught up.

I opened my eyes and stared at the dark ceiling of my bedroom.

The suite was completely silent: no footsteps, no voices, and no sounds coming from the hallway.

Even so, my wolf refused to settle.

“What’s wrong?” I muttered under my breath.

It answered with a low, impatient growl inside my head.

I sighed and sat up, rubbing a hand over my face before checking the time on my phone.

2:17 a.m.

Too early to be awake. Too late to fall back asleep easily.

Then I noticed it. A scent drifted through the room so faintly that I almost convinced myself I had imagined it.

Fresh snow, wildflowers, and something warm that reminded me of vanilla after rain.

I frowned. That scent didn’t belong in our suite.

Our floor was reserved for Alpha students and team captains. The scents I was used to were sharp and dominant, carrying the familiar confidence of wolves who spent their entire lives proving they were stronger than everyone else.

This one was different. It was soft, calm, and strangely comforting.

The moment I inhaled it again, my wolf became unusually quiet, not because it was satisfied but because it was listening.

“What is that?” I whispered.

Without thinking, I climbed out of bed and opened my bedroom door.

The scent became stronger. It floated through the hallway like an invisible trail, leading toward the living room.

I followed it slowly. Every instinct told me to stay alert.

Instead, an unfamiliar feeling settled over me. Peace.

It didn’t make sense. A real Alpha should never lower his guard around an unfamiliar scent.

Yet every step I took made me feel… safe.

The living room was dimly lit by the moon shining through the large windows overlooking the ice rink.

At first, I thought the room was empty. Then I saw Rowan.

She was curled up on the couch beneath one of the blankets from the storage cabinet, fast asleep with a book resting on her chest.

A small lamp on the coffee table was still glowing beside her.

She must have fallen asleep while reading.

I smiled despite myself. She was probably studying until exhaustion finally won.

Then my wolf surged forward so suddenly that I had to grip the back of the couch to steady myself.

“Protect her.”

The thought wasn’t mine. It came from somewhere much deeper.

My wolf.

I frowned. “Calm down.”

It ignored me completely. Every instinct inside me screamed that Rowan was vulnerable.

That someone could hurt her. That I should stand between her and anyone who tried.

I had never experienced anything like it before, not with my teammates, not with my ex Bianca, not with anyone.

Confused, I took another cautious step closer. The scent became stronger.

It definitely belonged to Rowan, but that was impossible.

She was a Beta. Beta scents weren’t supposed to affect an Alpha this way.

I crouched beside the couch, careful not to wake her.

Her breathing was slow and even, but tiny lines of worry creased her forehead as if she were trapped inside an unpleasant dream.

A strand of chestnut hair had fallen across her face.

Without thinking, I reached out to brush it aside.

My fingers stopped just before touching her.

What are you doing, Asher?

I quickly pulled my hand back. This was ridiculous. She was my roommate. Nothing more, nothing less.

My wolf clearly disagreed. It growled again, softer this time, almost sounding… possessive.

I stood so quickly that the coffee table rattled.

“No.”

The word came out sharper than I intended. I refused to believe whatever my instincts were trying to tell me.

I was tired. That’s all.

Sleep deprivation could make anyone imagine strange things.

I turned toward the kitchen, hoping a glass of water would clear my head.

As I passed the hallway, I noticed Rowan’s bedroom door standing slightly open.

Probably because she’d been too tired to close it.

I hesitated.

Normally, I would never invade someone else’s privacy.

But something felt off. The protective feeling still hadn’t disappeared.

Almost against my better judgment, I pushed the door open just enough to look inside.

The room was neat, almost too neat.

Her hockey gear was lined up carefully beside the wall.

Books were stacked on the desk. Clothes had been folded with military precision.

Everything looked normal, except for one thing.

The mattress had been pulled away from the wall just enough to reveal several empty drawers scattered across the floor.

Someone had searched this room. My heartbeat quickened.

I stepped inside. “Rowan?”

She didn’t answer. Of course she didn’t. She was asleep in the living room.

I crouched beside the open drawers. There were clear signs that someone had been looking for something specific.

Nothing else had been disturbed, not the clothes, nor the books.

Just the hidden storage beneath the bed. A bad feeling settled in my stomach.

Had someone broken into our suite?

If they had…Why only search Rowan’s room?

I looked around one last time before quietly leaving and closing the door behind me.

The scent still lingered in the air, stronger now. Almost hypnotic.

I glanced toward the couch again. Rowan shifted in her sleep, pulling the blanket closer around herself. The protective instinct returned so suddenly that it caught me off guard.

Without thinking, I walked to the coat rack near the entrance, took my spare hockey blanket, and gently draped it over her.

She sighed softly but didn’t wake.

I stared at her for a long moment.

Who are you?

The question echoed through my mind again, not because I thought she was dangerous.

Because nothing about her made sense anymore.

************************

The next morning, sunlight poured through the windows as I finished making coffee.

The smell of toast filled the kitchen.

I had barely taken my first sip when Rowan burst out of her bedroom.

She looked pale, far too pale.

Her eyes darted around the suite as though searching for something.

“Have you seen a small black case?” she asked without even saying good morning.

I frowned. “What kind of case?”

“It was…” She stopped herself.

“My vitamins.”

“You lost them?”

“I thought they were in my bag.”

She opened every cupboard, every drawer, and even looked behind the couch.

“I can’t find them anywhere.”

Her hands were trembling, not dramatically. Just enough for me to notice.

“They can’t just disappear.”

I set my mug down. “When did you last have them?”

“Yesterday morning.” Before practice.

“I think.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

She closed her eyes for a second. “I was in a hurry.”

I watched her carefully. Whatever was inside that case… It mattered more than ordinary vitamins ever should.

“I’ll help you look.”

She immediately shook her head. “No.” The answer came too quickly.

“I mean… it’s probably nothing.”

I leaned against the counter. “Rowan.”

She looked up.

“If someone took something from our room, that’s a problem for both of us.”

For a brief moment, guilt flashed across her face.

Then she forced a small smile. “You’re right.”

We searched the suite together for almost twenty minutes.

Nothing.

Finally, Coach Brooks’ message appeared on both our phones.

Mandatory team meeting in fifteen minutes.

Rowan slipped her phone back into her pocket.

“We’ll be late.”

“We’ll look again tonight.”

She nodded, though she didn’t seem convinced.

As we walked out of the suite, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had crossed a line.

Someone had entered our home.

And whatever they’d stolen…It wasn’t random.

******************

Across campus, hidden behind the empty equipment room, another student stood alone.

Bianca Wolfe turned a small black case over in her hands.

She had found it the previous afternoon tucked beneath one of the benches outside the practice rink after noticing it fall from Rowan’s bag.

At first, she had planned to return it. Then curiosity had won.

She pressed the release button, and the case clicked open.

Inside were several silver capsules and a folded medical prescription.

Her smile slowly faded as she read the label.

Omega Scent Suppressant.

Bianca’s eyes widened. “No way…”

She looked toward the hockey arena where Rowan was walking beside Asher.

A slow smile spread across her face. “So that’s your secret.”

She carefully closed the case and slipped it into her jacket pocket.

“This is going to be interesting.”