4: The Condition

(ZEHRA'S POV)

I stopped dead in my tracks. It was like I saw something in front of me that prevented me from taking another step.

That voice. I knew exactly who's the owner of it. Even without turning around and looking at who it was, I knew that it was none other than Alpha Xanth.

Why is he here? To punish me for going to this part of the University?

Questions flooded my mind in an instant. I unconsciously held my necklace's pendant. My brows furrowed the moment I felt that the two pendants were separated. My heart started beating fast like it was getting out of my ribcage. I held on to it tightly to make them as one again. I straightened my back when I heard a groan. I slowly turned my body to face Alpha Xanth behind me. His head was bowed down and he was breathing deeply.

I was tempted to touch him but I restrained myself. He's an alpha and I was just nobody. I don't have any right to be associated with him.

I took a step backward. My breathing hitched when the Alpha looked at me. I unconsciously gulped because of his gaze's intensity. It was like he was digging through my well-being.

I froze in panic, not knowing what to do, as I took his domineering appearance. I wanted to run and leave the place but I couldn't get the strength to do it. When I was about to step sideways, I saw two people running towards us—the twins.

"You're here." Khrey stated the obvious. I almost rolled my eyes and he noticed it. He laughed amusingly. "What brought you here, newbie?" He then asked.

My throat felt dry. I gulped and they all saw it.

"Curiosity, right?" Khryx asked.

I couldn't answer them because I don't know why I was there in the first place. The last thing I remembered was turning away from the library because I saw Caira leaning on the door.

Was my mind really that clouded that I don't even know why I ended up going to that part?

(XANTH'S POV)

I was just staring at her intently. My mind was in chaos. The scent suddenly faded like it wasn't there in the first place. It vanished just like that.

Did I really smell that scent? Or was it just my imagination?

But I was sure as hell that I really smelled the scent.

Who is this girl? Who is Zehra Heyerdahl?

The moment I got near her, the scent vanished. Did she do something about it? But she's just an ordinary girl. She doesn't have the ability to do that.

Or she had?

No one knew her. That's very suspicious. She just came here out of nowhere. And her scent, it was different.

Who is she really? Why is she here? Is it for the good? Or she's here because of something?

That thought made my jaw clenched. I will never let her cause trouble anywhere in the valley—especially to my pack. We might have saved her from her bullies but I will never let her get away if she does something bad. I will not hesitate to break her neck and crush her tiny body.

"This is not the right place to stroll around, newbie." Khrey said.

One of the my brows rose high when she glanced at me. I could see fear in her eyes but she immediately looked away and faced the twins.

"I'm sorry but I really need to go."

And just like that, she ran away. All we could do was to watch her disappear from our sights.

She was already out of my sight but I was still looking were she vanished. The only time I removed my gaze there was when I heard Khrey's voice.

"What should we do about her?" He asked.

Khryx also looked at me attentively, waiting for my answer.

"Look out for her." Was all I said before turning and walking away from them. After a while, I heard footsteps following me.

(ZEHRA'S POV)

I went straight to my class after running away from the trio. The teacher still wasn't there but some of my classmates were already on their respective seats. As usual, all eyes were on me the moment I entered the room but I couldn't care less. I was already used to situation like that.

I was always seated at the back because no one wanted to sit beside me aside from one person, Laria. She was an Omega from the Blood Moon Pack.

I don't know what came to Laria's mind that she chose to sit beside me. She could have chosen to sit with those popular girls but she didn't.

And speaking of her, I sighed when I saw her entering the room with a grin as wide as Nebraska. Her eyes were fixed to me as she walked towards me.

"I'm not late." She happily said after settling herself on her chair.

"For the first time. "

"Mean." Laria pouted.

I couldn't help but laughed at her."You looked like a duck." I said, restraining myself from laughing more.

Laria could bring out the other side of me...that only my family could. Maybe that was the reason why we clicked as friends. I can see Zahra in her. I wish that she wouldn't end up just like her. I couldn't afford to lose one more important person in my life.

"Let's change the topic." Laria said and sat properly on her chair but her face was facing me. "Do you know a thing called 'mate'?" Curiosity was visible in her voice. "Do you also have something like that where you came from?"

I wanted to laugh. Nobody knows my real identity. I almost forgot that they didn't consider me just like them because of my scent.

Mate. I knew about that. Other term for that is 'soulmate'. It was the destined one for a wolf given by the Moon Goddess.

"Why did you ask?"

She shrugged. "Just curious. All I know is your name. I don't even know why you ended up here when in fact, you can live your life freely with those humans."

"You don't have to know, Laria. " I said, sitting properly and facing the front because I saw our teacher already entering the room.

From my peripheral view, I saw that Laria's eyes stayed on me for a moment before she released a sigh of defeat and turned her attention to the teacher.

I fought the sleepiness I was feeling, afraid that I will be sent to the detention office. Laria asked me once again about the 'mate' thing but I just told her to listen to the teacher.

I held my necklace's pendant and my mind wandered to what happened earlier. The next time I'll let myself be in that situation, I'll be in big trouble.

I was back to my reverie when someone snapped their fingers in front of my face. I saw Laria looking at me with furrowed brows.

"Are you okay?" She then worriedly asked.

I nodded before roaming my eyes inside the room. Our classmates are already leaving the room and the teacher was nowhere to be seen, maybe she already left.

Laria waited for me to finish putting my things inside my bag before she pulled me out of the room. But we stopped on the doorway when we came face to face with someone.

"Going somewhere, ladies?" Khrey had this annoying smirk plastered on his face.

Students nearby stopped what they were doing to look at us. Curiosity about what was happening was visible in their eyes. Some even stepped closer to us.

"Cafeteria." Laria bravely answered. "And you're blocking our way, Beta." She added.

People watching gasped at her bravery, including me who was looking at her, mouth slightly opened. But Khrey just smiled at her amusingly.

"I like your bravery." He said.

Laria rolled her eyes. "Thanks but I don't feel the same way." I held her arm to stop her from talking but Laria didn't pay attention to me. "It's rude to block someone's way so be a gentleman and don't block our way."

"Your tongue will be the death of you."

It was as if the time stopped. His voice was so cold that it sent shivers down my spine—everybody's spine. We stood there frozen, watching the man walk towards us.

I gulped when he stopped a step away from us. I wished for the ground to open and just swallow t

us.

"I'll let you go in one condition." He said, staring directly at me.

Silence. No one dared to talk. Everyone was waiting for his next words.

My heart was already beating fast. My grip on Laria's arm tightened when he started talking.

"Tell me who you really are."