Chapter 5

~stefan~

All the classes were oddly boring,and most people were asleep. Except for me, Adrian and a few others. Before my mom had married Adrian's dad,I had heard of Adrian's academic excellence. I always wondered how he was able to merge his personalities together.

As soon as the last class ended, I grabbed my bag and left the room without looking back. The hallway was buzzing with voices. Most of them were about the same thing,Adrian’s welcome party later in the evening.

I had only been in this school for a short time, but it was clear that Adrian wasn’t just popular,he owned the place in a way. People moved when he walked by,they listened when he spoke…I couldn’t figure out if it was out of respect or fear. Maybe both.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t see the figure in front of me until I bumped into him. My bag slipped down my shoulder, and I stumbled back.When I looked up,I saw him,the same guy who had caught me before I could hit the floor in the cafeteria.

“Walk steady,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “And keep your eyes up.”

“Right,” I muttered.

He studied me for a moment. “Are you going to Adrian’s party tonight?”I almost laughed. “Why is everyone asking me that?”He shrugged.

“Because it’s the kind of thing you don’t miss. Everyone’s going.”

“Well, I’m not,” I said.

“Why not?”

“I just… don’t feel like it.”

He shook his head. “You need to loosen up. Trust me, it’ll be fun.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Fun for who?”“For you,” he said with a smirk.

“Come on. You might actually enjoy yourself.”I sighed. “I don’t think so.”

“Please,” he said. “Just for a little while. If you hate it, you can leave.”

It was the way he looked at me,like he wasn’t going to drop it till I agreed,that made me give in.

“Fine,” I said.

His grin widened. “Good. It’s at Adrian’s club. I’ll text you the address.”

By the time the sun had set, I was standing in front of the place. The sound of music hit me before I even got inside. I had heard from someone earlier that Adrian owned a club, but I didn’t think it would be something this big.

The place looked like it belonged to someone much older than him. It looked like it cost a lot of money.

Inside, it was even louder. The dance floor was filled with people. People were dancing in every corner, their faces flushed red from alcohol. I spotted a few classmates dancing to the beat, their arms wrapped around each other.

I looked around,and my eyes searched for the man who had invited me here in the first place,but he wasn't anywhere in sight.

Great!

I sighed

I let out a breath and made my way to the bar. If I was going to be here, I might as well drink something.

I asked the bartender to give me his strongest alcohol so I could clear my head first. He quickly handed me a glass,but I rushed to drink. The taste burned my throat a little, but it wasn’t bad.

I was halfway through my drink when I felt a presence beside me.

It was Adrian.

He didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there, looking at me like he was reading my thoughts.

Then, out of nowhere, he laughed.“Enjoying yourself?” he asked, though his tone made it clear he already knew the answer.I rolled my eyes at him and looked away.

“What’s wrong?” he said. “Too lonely for all this?”I didn’t bother replying. I just set my drink down and pushed myself away from the bar. My head was starting to feel light, and my stomach twisted uncomfortably. I needed fresh air.

But,it felt like the room blurred when I tried to walk, and before I knew it, my legs weakly gave out. I had thought I would never be saved and I'd end up embarrassing myself. But,it wasn't so. A pair of strong arms caught me before I hit the floor.

It took a second for me to realize I was leaning against Adrian's broad chest. His shirt pressed against my cheek.

My heart beat faster and faster in my chest as I thought of his facial expression. I felt a knot twist tightly in the pit of my stomach. Before I knew it, I threw up on him.

Gasps spread around us. They quickly brought out their phones to capture my embarrassment. I could hear the click of pictures being taken. My face burned.

When I dared to look up, his smile was gone. His jaw was tight, his ice-blue eyes locked on me as he spoke.

“You smell different.” My mind was racing too fast to process what he had just said,so I could only stare blankly at him.His frown only deepened.

“Tell me,” he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear, “are you my mate?”

I didn't know what to reply with. The ringing in my ear had distracted me from what he was saying.

“Mate,” he growled.