The Coffee Incident

‎

‎Lena

‎

‎I should have known that my first day at Mooncrest Academy was going too smoothly.

‎I had found my classes.

‎I had made two friends.

‎And surprisingly, I hadn't embarrassed myself.

‎That alone felt like an achievement.

‎Mia and Sophie had spent most of the morning helping me understand the confusing world of Mooncrest. They explained which teachers were strict, which hallways were shortcuts, and which students I should avoid annoying.

‎Although, according to Mia, avoiding annoying people at Mooncrest was almost impossible.

‎"There are too many people here who think they own the place," she said as we walked through the hallway.

‎I looked around at the students passing by.

‎She wasn't wrong.

‎Everyone carried themselves with confidence.

‎Some students looked like they had been born wearing expensive clothes and carrying family names that opened every door for them.

‎I still felt like the girl who had walked out of a small town and accidentally entered a completely different world.

‎"You're thinking too much again," Sophie said.

‎I looked at her.

‎"How did you know?"

‎She shrugged.

‎"Your face gives everything away."

‎I laughed.

‎"Is that a bad thing?"

‎"No," Sophie replied. "It's just unusual."

‎"Unusual?"

‎Mia smiled.

‎"Most people here spend their time pretending to be someone they're not. You're the opposite."

‎I wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or an insult.

‎Before I could ask, the warning bell rang.

‎"Coffee break," Mia announced happily.

‎I followed them toward the cafeteria.

‎And that was where everything went wrong.

‎The Mooncrest cafeteria was almost as impressive as the rest of the school.

‎It wasn't just a place to eat.

‎It looked like a luxury restaurant.

‎Students sat in groups, talking and laughing while servants moved around delivering food and drinks.

‎I was still amazed by everything.

‎Back home, our cafeteria had old tables and simple meals.

‎Here, students were casually drinking drinks that probably cost more than my weekly allowance.

‎"I still can't believe this is a school," I whispered.

‎Mia laughed.

‎"You'll get used to it."

‎I walked toward the counter with them and ordered a coffee.

‎Maybe I was trying too hard to act normal.

‎Maybe I was still overwhelmed.

‎Because the moment I turned around with the cup in my hand...

‎I crashed into someone.

‎The impact happened so quickly that I barely had time to react.

‎The cup slipped.

‎Coffee spilled.

‎And the entire cafeteria went silent.

‎I looked down.

‎The dark liquid had stained the expensive-looking uniform of the person standing in front of me.

‎My heart dropped.

‎"Oh no."

‎Slowly, I looked up.

‎And the first thing I noticed was his eyes.

‎Cold.

‎Sharp.

‎Intimidating.

‎The second thing I noticed was that everyone around us had stopped moving.

‎Nobody laughed.

‎Nobody spoke.

‎Nobody even breathed.

‎The boy stared at me like I had committed the greatest crime in history.

‎I immediately stepped back.

‎"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

‎"Do you have any idea what you just did?"

‎His voice was calm.

‎Too calm.

‎Which somehow made it worse.

‎I looked at the coffee stain.

‎"I spilled coffee on your shirt. I know."

‎A few students around us looked shocked.

‎I ignored them.

‎"I already apologized."

‎His expression hardened.

‎"You think an apology fixes everything?"

‎I blinked.

‎Was he serious?

‎"It's coffee, not a broken building."

‎The silence around us became even heavier.

‎Mia suddenly appeared beside me.

‎"Lena..."

‎The warning in her voice made me realize I had probably said something I shouldn't have.

‎The boy took a step closer.

‎Only then did I understand why everyone had moved away from him.

‎Why everyone looked afraid.

‎This wasn't just a random student.

‎This was Adrian

‎

‎The name Sophie had whispered earlier.

‎The future Alpha King.

‎The person everyone at Mooncrest respected and feared.

‎And apparently, the person I had just offended on my first day.

‎Great.

‎Just great.

‎Adrian looked at me for a long moment.

‎Then, without warning, he grabbed my wrist.

‎My eyes widened.

‎"Hey!"

‎The entire cafeteria erupted into whispers.

‎"What is he doing?"

‎"Is she crazy?"

‎"She actually talked back to Adrian?"

‎I tried pulling my hand away.

‎"Let go of me."

‎But he didn't listen.

‎Instead, he started walking.

‎"Where are you taking me?"

‎He didn't answer.

‎My confusion quickly turned into anger.

‎I had apologized.

‎I didn't understand why he was acting like I had ruined his entire life.

‎A few moments later, he pushed open a door.

‎I froze.

‎The sign on the wall made my eyes widen.

‎The boys' bathroom.

‎I turned to him in disbelief.

‎"Are you serious?"

‎He finally looked at me.

‎His expression was unreadable.

‎"Wait here."

‎Before I could respond, he reached for his uniform jacket.

‎My eyes widened.

‎"Are you seriously taking off your clothes right now?"

‎For the first time, his expression changed slightly.

‎Almost like he was amused.

‎"Relax. I don't have any interest in you."

‎My face heated with embarrassment and annoyance.

‎"Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

‎His eyes narrowed.

‎Interesting.

‎That was the first thought that crossed Adrian's mind.

‎Nobody spoke to him like that.

‎Nobody challenged him.

‎But this girl...

‎She wasn't afraid.

‎He removed the stained shirt and handed it to me.

‎"Wash it."

‎I stared at the shirt in his hand.

‎"Excuse me?"

‎"You caused the problem. Fix it."

‎I looked at him.

‎The arrogance was unbelievable.

‎"You really are impossible."

‎He simply stared back.

‎"And yet you're still here."

‎I hated that he had a point.

‎I was new.

‎I didn't know the rules of this place.

‎And picking a fight with the Alpha King's son probably wasn't the smartest decision.

‎With a frustrated sigh, I took the shirt.

‎

‎"Fine."

‎

‎A small smile almost appeared on his face.

‎

‎Almost.

‎

‎But it disappeared quickly.

‎

‎I didn't know why, but looking at him only made my frustration grow.

‎

‎---

‎

‎Adrian

‎

‎

‎I had dealt with many things in my life.

‎Pressure from the pack.

‎Expectations from my father.

‎People trying to get close to me because of my name.

‎I could handle all of that.

‎But one thing I couldn't stand was disrespect.

‎And that was exactly what happened today.

‎I walked into the cafeteria expecting nothing more than another normal day at Mooncrest Academy.

‎The usual whispers followed me.

‎The usual stares.

‎I had grown used to them.

‎Being Adrian Sinclair meant people always noticed me.

‎They knew my name.

‎They knew my family.

‎They knew my position.

‎The son of the most powerful Alpha.

‎The future Alpha King.

‎To most people, my name alone was enough reason to keep their distance.

‎But then she appeared.

‎A girl I had never seen before.

‎A transfer student.

‎And before I even knew what was happening, a cup of coffee was spilled all over me.

‎The entire cafeteria went silent.

‎I looked down at the stain on my uniform, then back at her.

‎I expected panic.

‎An apology filled with fear.

‎Maybe even tears.

‎That was usually how people reacted when they realized they had offended me.

‎But she didn't.

‎She looked shocked, yes.

‎She knew she had made a mistake.

‎But she wasn't afraid.

‎"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

‎Her voice was sincere.

‎But there was something about her expression that bothered me.

‎She wasn't looking at me like everyone else did.

‎She wasn't seeing my title.

‎She wasn't seeing the Alpha King's son.

‎She was just looking at me.

‎Like I was a normal person.

‎And somehow, that annoyed me more than the coffee.

‎"Do you have any idea what you just did?"

‎My voice came out colder than I intended.

‎She glanced at the stain.

‎"I spilled coffee on your shirt. I know."

‎I stared at her.

‎Was she serious?

‎Most people would have been apologizing repeatedly by now.

‎Instead, she looked like she was already losing patience with me.

‎"I already apologized."

‎A few students around us looked horrified.

‎I almost couldn't believe it.

‎She was actually arguing with me.

‎"It's coffee, not a broken building."

‎For a moment, I just looked at her.

‎Who was this girl?

‎Nobody talked to me that way.

‎Not because I forced them not to.

‎Because they knew better.

‎But she clearly didn't.

‎Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the crowd.

‎I told myself it was because she needed to take responsibility.

‎Because she had ruined my uniform and needed to fix it.

‎That was the logical reason.

‎At least, that's what I wanted to believe.

‎But the moment my hand touched her skin...

‎My wolf reacted.

‎Hard.

‎A powerful growl echoed inside my mind.

‎I froze.

‎What was that?

‎My wolf had always been controlled.

‎Disciplined.

‎He didn't react without reason.

‎But now he was restless.

‎Almost desperate.

‎I looked at the girl in front of me.

‎A name I had never heard before today.

‎A girl who was supposed to be just another student at Mooncrest Academy.

‎So why did my wolf react like he had finally found something he had been searching for?

‎The thought was impossible.

‎A stray thought I immediately pushed away.

‎It couldn't be.

‎I had never believed in fate choosing my path for me.

‎Especially not with someone I had just met.

‎And yet...

‎Something about her felt different.

‎When I forcefully dragged her to the male restroom, took off my stained shirt and told her to wash it, I expected her to be embarrassed.

‎Instead, she looked annoyed.

‎"You really are impossible."

‎I almost smiled.

‎Almost.

‎Because she was right.

‎But the strange thing was...

‎I didn't hate the way she said it.

‎She wasn't trying to impress me.

‎She wasn't trying to gain my attention.

‎She wasn't pretending.

‎She was simply being herself.

‎And that was rare.

‎When she finally took the shirt and walked away, I watched her leave.

‎I didn't know why that girl bothered me so much.

‎She was just a transfer student.

‎Just another face at Mooncrest Academy.

‎So why had my wolf reacted the way it did when I touched her?

‎Why did her scent feel familiar?

‎Why did every instinct inside me tell me she was important?

‎I clenched my jaw.

‎No matter what was happening, I would figure it out.

‎

‎

‎