Chapter Three

River’s POV

“He likesss youuuu.”

Jax and Hunter, most specifically the former, kept teasing me nonstop ever since Kian suddenly ran away to the opposite direction of where he was supposed to go. I internally smirked at how cute he looked while completely ignoring my two friends.

We are now on our way to meet Zane and Caleb. They texted Hunter that they are at the restaurant owned by Jax’s parents. The latter was grumbling since he doesn't want his mothers to know what he's doing. Even if it's just going to a mall where one of their many restaurants rests.

Serious family blood feud? No. His parents, especially his alpha mother, just want to tease him. More likely.. to baby him too much.

The moment we got inside, Jax ratted straight to Zane and Caleb about what just went down. I almost tried to stop him with my pheromones, but Hunter stepped in to stop me. “Calm down, jeez. We’re a pack, remember?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “I swear if this happens to any of you, I’ll return the favor tenfold.”

Hunter and Jax merely shrugged as Caleb and Zane were shocked. In their own way. They don't really show it, but they are obviously intrigued by Kian.. and my inner Alpha hates it. 

I flinched. Surprised. Not just that the feeling hit me so hard, but that it showed. I clamped down on it instantly, jaw tightening, but Zane’s sharp gaze had already locked onto me. 

“Whoa,” he said, leaning back in the booth, one eyebrow lifting slowly and deliberately. “That’s… intense.”

Caleb nodded, eyes narrowing like he was piecing something together right in front of us. “Yeah. We’ve never seen you react like this to anyone, River. Not even close.”

Jax, traitor that he was, just grinned and rested his chin in his hands. “Told you. It’s different with this one.”

My jaw clenched harder. I shifted my weight, crossed my arms. Tried to look unbothered, in control, anything but the way my instincts were roaring mine loud enough I swore they could hear it. “It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Hunter said, quiet and knowing. “You’re already marking claim without even being near him.”

Heat crawled up my neck. “I am not—”

“You are,” Caleb cut in, blunt as always. “Your scent shifted. Sharp. Possessive. Even I caught it.” He tilted his head, studying me. “So… who is he really? Because ‘childhood neighbor’ doesn’t explain that.”

Hunter smirked. “Did we ever mention he’s a beta?”

And that did it. Caleb and Zane’s jaws dropped. Tsk. They are overreacting. Kian’s special to me because I grew up with him. I want him safe and protected while he’s here at Westbrook. But, if I open my mouth and say something, they will just tease me more and bother Kian about it.

I bit my tongue and looked away, toward the window, but all I could see was Kian’s face. Flushed, flustered, running away like he couldn’t stand to be looked at too long. My chest tightened, something warm and fierce curling right alongside the irritation.

“He’s… Kian,” I said, quieter than I meant to. “Just Kian.”

“Just Kian,” Jax repeated, deadpan. “Sure. And I’m an Omega.”

Hunter huffed a laugh beside me. “For what it’s worth? He looked at you the same way, River. Like you hung the moon.”

My breath caught before I could stop it. I didn’t say anything then. I couldn’t. But somewhere deep down, that snarling, protective thing inside me settled, just a little.

Jax went inside the kitchen and asked for takeouts. He cheerfully came back to us carrying lots of paper bags and grinned. “Both of my mums are not here!”

Zane rolled his eyes as Caleb and Hunter helped Jax hold some of the bags. As we walked, we talked about the medical books that I found at the bookstore. They said we would have a small study session later at our packhouse.

More precisely.. a pack condominium.

Hunter built it for all of us since, well, again, we are a pack. He even designed it from the ground up, spacious and private, with something in mind that none of us fully understood until it was finished. 

That if, or when, any of us found our mate, started a family, built something of our own, we’d never have to leave. Each of us has our own full wing, separate entrances, enough space to breathe and be apart… but all connected, just a short walk down the hall, close enough to be there in seconds. 

He shrugged when we first pointed it out, because it is honestly crazy to build a whole-ass condo for your friends, even though it is your pack. We even told him that what if one day we’ll all grow apart, and away from each other. Not to mention, we are still students too. He chuckled like it was the most normal thing in the world. “Why would we ever be apart?” he’d said simply.

Now, walking side by side with them, bags in hand, the thought settled soft and steady in my chest. This was home. Not just a building, but ours.

Home..

Hunter nudged my arm gently. “You’re thinking awfully hard over there.”

I huffed, shifting the bags in my hands, and kept my eyes forward. “Just… thinking.”

“About Kian?” Jax sing-songed.

I didn’t answer. But I didn’t deny it either, until we finally arrived and had a fucking serious study session.

------ 

Caleb and I went to the university the next morning. We still have a week before classes start, but we need to pass some papers from our electives. Besides, we also need to submit the required health clearance and finalized our enrollment to prepare for our clinical rotations since we're already in our third year.

"Why are we doing this again for those three? They can fucking submit these themselves." Caleb suddenly snapped. He is so livid because he doesn't like to be told what to do. Since, he is the youngest son of a mafia. Which of course, only a few knew, including our pack.

Pack nowadays are all about chosen family. Not specifically just for relatives, or like in the past where it is needed for survival. 

So, to summarize, he is part of our pack, at the same time, he is also still a part of his family's.

And within our pack, they assigned me as their leader, just because I have more patience than all of them combined. And, they all listen to me even back when we weren't a pack yet.

I smiled at Caleb. Trying to light up the mood. "Because you lost your silly games, and I'm the one who always does this stuff."

He merely huffed and muttered something under his breath. They played rock, paper, scissors a while ago. The one who lost will be the one to accompany me. I already told them I can do it myself, but these are the rare times where they don't listen to me.

Caleb and I finally got everything turned in. Our own, and Including our friends’ as well. We were told that they will just email us our schedule and enrollment confirmation within the next forty-eight hours, so we didn’t have to linger any longer than necessary.

The second we stepped out through the university’s glass doors, Caleb let out a heavy breath and rolled his shoulders like he’d just escaped a war zone. “Finally. I was this close to marching back in and telling them exactly what I think of their paperwork.”

I huffed a quiet laugh, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets as we started down the steps. “You say that, but you never actually do it.”

“Yet,” he muttered darkly. “Give it time.”

We’d barely reached the sidewalk when I bumped into someone.

“I’m so sorry.” Both of us said at the exact same time. I immediately kneeled down beside him, hands moving fast to gather the scattered books, and then I froze when our fingers touched.

Kian.