Chapter 7

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. Lips that look designed for kissing. It’s almost offensive.

Focus, Zahra. Focus.

It’s Sebastian Blackwood. Fuck. Future Alpha of Silver Dawn. And he’s standing here, talking to me, like this is normal.

My brain, however, has apparently clocked off for lunch.

I glance around and realise half the cafeteria is staring at us. Great. Centre of attention, and not in the way I’d ever choose.

Sebastian clears his throat, still smiling. “Errm. I’m Sebastian Blackwood.” He extends his hand.

“I… it’s nice to meet you,” I manage, and wince internally at how awkward that sounded.

He doesn’t seem to notice. Or he’s kind enough to pretend he doesn’t. “May I sit down.”

“What.” I blink, then cough like that’s going to fix me. “Yeah. Sure. Feel free.”

He slides into the seat across from me, easy as anything, his presence turning the air around our table into something heavier. “Hey, Zahra. I’ve noticed you in a few of my classes lately. You’re quite the standout.”

I narrow my eyes, trying to recover some dignity. “Really. I didn’t realise I was under surveillance.”

He laughs, warm and unbothered. “Absolutely. I was in your advanced maths 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.”

Heat creeps up my neck, irritating and impossible to ignore. I keep my expression flat anyay, because I refuse to let him see he’s thrown me.

Sebastian leans forward slightly, curiosity sharpening his voice. “Did I also see you at training this morning. I’m interested in your pack’s methods. They’re 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 Silver Dawn.”

Right. That makes sense. Sort of.

Sebastian’s dad, Alpha Andrew, is the younger brother of our Alpha Lucas. Blood Moon is known for producing lethal fighters. Silver Dawn is known for producing money. 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. Not exactly terrifying.

Lucky for them our packs are allied. Blood Moon covers their backs when things get ugly.

And now here’s Sebastian, trying to overhaul their whole training system. I can already picture Alpha Lucas practically salivating at the chance to show off Blood Moon’s “secret recipe” for elite warriors.

“Oh, really,” I say, forcing my tone into something casual. “Our training is intense. It’s not just physical strength. It’s strategy, adaptability, learning how to think under pressure.”

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

I nod, because he’s not wrong. “It can be. People get comfortable with what they know, even when it’s not the best option. You need buy-in from key members first. Once they see results, the resistance usually drops.”

Sebastian’s eyes brighten, genuinely interested. “That’s really helpful. I’ve been trying to work out how to make changes more palatable. Maybe we could talk more about this sometime.”

“Sure,” I say, and I mean it. If I can influence anything outside this pack, even a little, that matters. “I’d be happy to help.”

His smile flashes again, and I hate how easily it gets under my skin. “Awesome. I’ll take you up on that. But I need to grab my Beta, Max, for something. It’s been great talking to you, Zahra.”

“Yeah,” I manage, still trying to act like I’m not internally spiralling. “See you around, Sebastian.”

He walks off like he didn’t just hijack my entire nervous system.

I’m still staring after him when Sienna drops into the seat beside me and Abby practically launches herself into the spot Sebastian vacated.

“OMG,” Abby whisper-yells, grinning like a lunatic. “Girl. What was that.”

“I don’t really know,” I say, shrugging like I didn’t just forget how language works. “He asked if he could sit down, then talked about that question in maths and our training program.”

Abby’s eyes go wide. “No. That was way more than that. Sebastian Blackwood was flirting with you.”

“Don’t be stupid,” I scoff. “No he wasn’t. He wanted to ask about implementing our training at Silver Dawn and how it would be received. That’s all.”

Sienna snorts. “How are you so clever and still blind when a boy flirts with you. He approached you. He leaned in. He smiled the whole time. If he wanted basic information, he could have asked his uncle, or Delta Greg, or literally any of the future leaders.”

“I told you,” Abby adds, gleeful. “He likes you.”

I roll my eyes and keep eating, mostly to hide the fact my face is still too warm.

“Anyway,” Sienna says, nudging my arm, “happy birthday. You still up for heading to the diner after school. Birthday burgers.”

“Erm. I have training.”

Sienna gives me a look. Not unkind. Just firm. “Zahra, you have to let loose sometimes. You can miss one session this week. No more excuses.”

She’s not wrong. One evening won’t destroy my progress. And if I’m not at home, I can avoid my dad just as effectively at the diner as I can at training.

“Okay,” I say, pretending it’s not a big deal. “I’m in.”

“Yay,” Abby squeals, and between the two of them I get nearly crushed to death in a hug.

When they finally let me breathe, I glance up and spot my brother and his friends over Abby’s shoulder. Future Alpha Alexander. Future Gamma Oscar. Future Delta Eliot. They’re sitting with Kelly, Rosa, Sabrina, and a couple of other groupies.

The girls are flicking their hair, giggling, batting their eyelashes like demented chickens. The boys are staring over at us.

Zach has a frown on his face.

Oh good. I must have looked too happy.

Like Dad, he obviously hates my joy too.

I roll my eyes and go back to my lunch.

The rest of the day is a whirlwind of lessons. I do catch Oscar and Eliot turning in their chairs when I walk into Biology, but I ignore them and head for my usual bench at the back. I don’t have a lab partner, and I prefer it that way. No one to babysit through group work while I try to maintain my grades.

I feel eyes on me intermittently through Mrs Webster’s lecture on molecular biology, but I keep my focus on the projector screen and pretend I’m too engrossed to care.

When the bell rings, I grab my things and head straight for my locker to meet Sienna and Abby.