Chapter 10

Zahra's POV

I look up and I’m momentarily blinded by the sheer perfection of the face in front of me. Seriously, how does one human manage to have chocolate-brown eyes that look like they could make a girl forget her own name? And the rest of him; straight nose, chiselled jaw, perfect eyebrows (like, are those real?!) and lips that seem designed for kissing; just makes it worse. Focus, Zahra, focus!

It’s Sebastian Blackwood, fuck, future Alpha of the Silver Dawn Pack. And here he is, talking to me. My brain, however, appears to have taken a fucking nap. I can’t seem to form a coherent thought, much less a sentence.

I glance around and realize several people are staring at us with their jaws practically on the floor. Great, now I’m the centre of attention, and not in the way I’d hoped. I look back at Sebastian, still mute, waiting for someone to yell, “Gotcha!”

“Errm, I’m Sebastian Blackwood,” he says, extending his hand.

“I, I, it’s, nice to meet you,” I manage to stammer. Brilliant, Zahra, now you’re not only incoherent but also a poster child for awkwardness.

“May I sit down?”

“What?” I’m having a full-on internal meltdown. “Oh,” “cough” “yeah, feel free.” FML!

Sebastian slides into the seat across from me, his smile so disarming that for a moment, I forget about the sad excuse for food on my tray. “Hey, Zahra. I’ve noticed you in a few of my classes lately. You’re quite the standout.”

I blink, caught off guard. “Really? I didn’t realize I was under surveillance.”

He laughs, and it’s the kind of laugh that’s warm, easy, and thoroughly distracting. “Oh, absolutely. I was in your advanced math class this morning and heard that question you threw at Mr. Varner. Pretty impressive. I didn’t understand a single word, but it sounded smart.” His smile widens, and for some reason, it feels like the cafeteria got a little brighter.

I can’t help but feel a small spark of pride, though I try to keep it cool. My face, however, has other ideas, and I can feel the heat creeping up my neck. Unsure of how to respond, I settle for a small smile in return.

Sebastian leans in slightly, his curiosity evident. “Did I also see you at training this morning? I’m pretty interested in your pack’s methods. They’re so much more advanced than ours. My uncle and I came to watch because we’re trying to convince my dad to adopt some of them for our pack.

Okay, let’s break this down. Sebastian’s dad, Alpha Andrew, is the younger brother of our Alpha Lucas. While Blood Moon is practically legendary for producing some of the toughest fighters in the kingdom, Silver Dawn… let’s just say they’re known for their Alpha’s business acumen, not their warriors. Alpha Andrew has his claws in all sorts of profitable ventures in both the werewolf and human worlds, so their pack is rolling in it.

Their warriors, though? Yeah, not exactly terrifying. But lucky for them, our packs are allied, so Blood Moon warriors help cover their tails when needed.

And now here’s Sebastian, apparently trying to overhaul their entire training system. I can already picture Alpha Lucas practically drooling at the opportunity to show off Blood Moon’s “secret recipe” for producing elite fighters.

“Oh, really?” I say, my curiosity piqued. “Well, our training is definitely intense. We focus a lot on not just physical strength but also strategic thinking and adaptability.”

“Exactly,” he says, nodding. “That’s what I’ve heard. I’d love to get your take on how your pack as a whole, copes with the training regime, introducing something new can be a tough sell, right? I want to make sure it’s not an unrealistic expectation”

I nod, understanding his concern. “It can be. People in our pack are used to certain methods, and changes can be met with resistance. It’s all about showing the benefits and getting buy-in from key members. If they see the value and the improvements, they’re more likely to accept the change.”

Sebastian’s eyes light up with genuine interest. “That’s really insightful. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make these changes more palatable for our pack. Maybe we could discuss this more in detail sometime?”

“Sure,” I say, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. “I’d be happy to help with that. Maybe we can find a way to bridge the gap between our training methods.”

He gives me a dazzling smile, and I find myself smiling back despite my nervousness. “Awesome. I’ll definitely take you up on that. But for now, I need to grab my Beta Max for something. It’s been great talking to you, Zahra.”

“Yeah, definitely,” I manage to say. “See you around, Sebastian.”

As he walks away, I’m left with a mix of excitement and disbelief. I might have survived that conversation without embarrassing myself too much, and it looks like there might be a chance to make a real impact on how their pack trains. And if Sebastian’s attention is any indication, this might be the start of something interesting.

I smile to myself as Sienna flops down beside me, and Abby practically launches herself into the seat Sebastian just vacated.

“OMG, girl, WHAT WAS THAT?!” Abby whisper-yells at me, grinning like a lunatic.

“I don’t really know,” I say, shrugging. “He just asked if he could sit down and then talked about something I asked in math this morning and our training program.”

“Oh no, that was waaaay more than that. Sebastian Blackwood was flirting with you!”

“Don’t be stupid, no he wasn’t,” I scoff. “He just wanted to ask about implementing our training at Silver Dawn and how it would be received among the pack, that’s all.”

“How are you so clever but can’t see when a boy is flirting with you? He was smiling more than I’ve ever seen him smile, leaning toward you, his body language was very flirty, and he approached you. If he wanted to know about training, he would have asked his uncle or Delta Greg or even any of the future leaders.”

“I told you; he likes you!!”

I roll my eyes at Abby’s last comment and, trying to hide my blush, continue with my lunch.

“Anyway, happy birthday! You still up for heading over to the Diner after school to celebrate with birthday burgers?”

“erm…I have training.”

“Listen, Zahra, you have to let loose sometime. You can afford to miss one session this week, and I know you’re always ahead of your So, no more excuses.”

Sienna had a point. I could afford to miss tonight’s training. If I wasn’t going to be at home, and actually go out for a change, I could avoid my dad at the diner just as effectively as at training.

“Okay, I’m in.”

“Yay!” They both squealed and hugged me.

I glanced up after being nearly squashed to death by my best friends and spotted my brother and his friends over Abby’s shoulder. Future Alpha Alexander, future Gamma Oscar, and future Delta Eliot were sitting with Kelly, Rosa, Sabrina, and a couple of other groupies. The girls were all flicking their hair, giggling, and batting their eyelashes like demented chickens or something, while the boys were all staring over at us. My brother had a frown on his face.

Oh good! I must have appeared too happy. Like Dad, he obviously hates my joy as well. I roll my eyes at him and return to my lunch.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of lessons. I did notice Oscar and Eliot turning in their chairs when I entered Biology, but I ignored them as usual and headed for my bench at the back. I didn’t have a lab partner, but I preferred it that way, no one to babysit through group projects to maintain my excellent grades.

I felt eyes on me intermittently throughout Mrs. Webster's lecture on molecular biology, but I kept my focus on the projector screen, pretending I was too engrossed to care. When the bell rang, I dashed off to grab my things and meet Sienna and Abby at my locker.