The Feeling I Couldn't Explain

CHAPTER 4

Ethan's POV

The moment I walked away from her, I knew something was wrong. I kept moving through the crowded fraternity house, pretending nothing had happened. Music blasted around me. People laughed. Someone called my name from across the room.

I ignored them. My fingers tightened around the cup in my hand as I pushed through the crowd. I couldn't stop thinking about her. That girl. The freshman I'd bumped into.

I hadn't even gotten a good look at her before I'd walked away, yet somehow, she had managed to get inside my head. And I didn't understand why. My body felt strangely charged.

There was a rush moving through my veins that I couldn't explain. It was almost like every nerve in my body had suddenly come alive. I stopped near the hallway and took a deep breath.

What the hell was that? I'd felt attraction before. Obviously. I had a girlfriend. I knew what it was like to find a girl beautiful.

But this wasn't that. This was different. Much different. For one ridiculous second, all I wanted was to turn around, walk back to her, and pull her close.

I wanted to know what she smelled like. I wanted to hear her voice. I wanted to I shut the thought down immediately. No. Absolutely not. I rubbed the back of my neck. I didn't even know her. She could have been anyone. And judging from the way she looked around the party, she was definitely a freshman.

Probably eighteen. A freshman I'd bumped into for less than ten seconds. So why the hell was I standing here thinking about her? I glanced toward the kitchen.

I could still see her in my mind. Those eyes. That expression when the drink spilled onto her dress. The slight irritation in her face. Then there was the way she'd looked at me.

For a moment, our eyes had met. And something inside me had shifted. I swallowed. No. It was nothing. It had to be. I had a girlfriend, Serena. If she somehow found out I had spent the last five minutes fantasizing about a girl I'd just met, she'd lose her mind. And honestly?

I wouldn't blame her. I wouldn't tolerate Serena doing the same thing to me. So why was I doing it? I looked down at my drink. Maybe I'd had too much to drink. That was the easiest explanation. I'd been at the party for hours. The music was loud.

The atmosphere was intense. Maybe my brain was simply messing with me. I took another sip and tried to focus on something else.

Anything else. "Yo, Ethan!" I looked up. One of my friends waved from across the room. I forced a smile and walked over.

"Where have you been?" "Nowhere." He laughed. "You've been standing there looking like somebody just told you the world was ending." "I'm fine." "You sure?" "Yeah." He studied me for a second before shrugging. "Whatever." I nodded. The conversation continued, but I barely heard any of it.

My attention kept drifting toward the kitchen. Toward her. I didn't even know her name. That was the part that bothered me most.

Who was she? Where was she from? What was she studying? Why was she at the party? Why had I felt that way when I touched her? I clenched my jaw. Then a thought entered my mind. A thought so absurd that I almost laughed. She can't be my mate.

I stared at the floor. No. That wasn't possible. My heartbeat suddenly became heavier. Not after all these years. I hadn't experienced anything like that before. Not once. And I had spent years hearing stories about mates. About the bond. About the feeling of recognition.

The instant pull. The way your wolf supposedly knew before your mind did. But those were stories. At least, that's what I'd told myself.

I had never expected it to happen to me. Especially not now. Especially not with her. I shook my head. "No." The word left my mouth quietly. My friend glanced at me. "What?" "Nothing." I turned away. It couldn't be.

She wasn't my mate. I didn't even know her. I hadn't heard her name. I hadn't spoken to her for more than a few seconds. And she was just some freshman. A beautiful freshman, admittedly. But still a stranger. My wolf stirred somewhere deep inside me.

I felt it immediately. That restless energy. That sudden awareness. It was as if my wolf had been waiting for something. For someone. I pushed the feeling down. "Calm down." I muttered under my breath. The wolf didn't listen. Instead, it seemed almost agitated.

I closed my eyes for a moment. The memory came back again. Her standing in front of me. Her black hair falling over her shoulders. The blue dress.

Her eyes. The strange sensation that had hit me the moment we'd collided. I opened my eyes. This was getting ridiculous. I needed to leave.

I scanned the room. Then I saw Serena. She was standing near the staircase with a group of girls, looking beautiful as usual. My shoulders relaxed slightly.

There. Something familiar. Something normal. I walked toward her. She noticed me almost immediately. "There you are."

She smiled and wrapped an arm around mine. "Where have you been?" "Just talking to the guys." She looked at me suspiciously. "You disappeared."

"I needed some air." She smiled. "Well, you're back now." I nodded. But even as Serena stood beside me, my mind betrayed me.

I thought about the freshman again. I wondered where she had gone. I wondered if she was still at the party. I wondered if I'd see her again.

I hated that I wanted to know. I looked across the room one last time. She wasn't there. Good. That should have made me feel relieved.

Instead, I felt disappointed. I frowned at myself. This was exactly why I needed to forget the whole thing. She was a stranger.

I had a girlfriend. There was nothing between us. Nothing. Whatever I'd felt was just some weird reaction. It didn't mean anything.

At least, that's what I wanted to believe. Serena tugged on my arm. "Come dance with me." I smiled. "Okay." I followed her toward the crowd.

The music grew louder as we moved closer. I tried to focus on Serena. I really did. But something felt wrong. My wolf remained restless.

And beneath all the noise, I could still remember the exact moment I'd collided with that girl. The rush. The heat. The pull.

The impossible feeling that I'd finally found something I'd never even known I was looking for. I shook my head. No. She wasn't my mate.

She couldn't be. Not after all these years. Not when our families had spent generations warning us about certain bloodlines. Not when I already had a life.

Not when I had Serena. I forced myself to smile as Serena danced beside me. But deep down, I knew one thing. I hadn't imagined that feeling.

Something had happened when I touched that girl. And I was terrified of what it might mean. Because if the impossible thought in my head was actually true…

then meeting that mysterious freshman wasn't an accident. And I had a feeling I'd see her again.