Alpha Jarek

Lilith's POV

"Miss, we've arrived. Miss!"

A voice pulled me from sleep. I jolted awake, nearly smacking my forehead on the seat in front of me.

"We're at school now, miss," the driver said.

My eyes shot to the seat beside me--empty. I looked outside the window and caught a glimpse of a tall figure walking away.

Daegan. Of course he didn't wake me.

That was just like him.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I scrambled out of the car. I needed to get to class fast--I hadn't finished my homework thanks to Kieran keeping me busy all weekend.

Soon after, my best--okay, only--friend at this school, Brielle, arrived. She plopped down next to me, already mid-sentence.

"You didn't finish the homework?!"

I looked up and met her wide, shocked blue eyes. My face immediately felt hot.

It wasn't totally my fault. If it weren't for Kieran...

"Almost done," I said, flipping to a blank page in my notebook. "Just a little left."

Brielle suddenly leaned in, and the soft scent of citrus from her shampoo floated over to me. She always smelled light and clean--completely different from the suffocating dominance of the Blackthorn alphas.

"You're so pretty, Lili."

There it was--her daily compliment. She said something like that at least three times a day, and I still had no idea how to respond.

But today, her gaze froze.

"Wait... do you have a boyfriend?"

My heart stopped. I instinctively pulled back so fast my head almost hit the locker behind me.

Damn it, Kieran. Damn the mark. Damn our instincts.

"There's a hickey right here," Brielle whispered, pointing toward my neck. "Someone definitely kissed you."

My brain scrambled for a lie. My throat felt dry.

"It's just a bug bite," I said, too quickly.

She scrunched her nose. "It must've been a huge one. That looks painful."

"It's... it's fine." My voice was barely a whisper.

Thankfully, she let it go and changed the subject. "Lili, do you want to sleep over at my place tonight? My parents are out of town."

My whole body tensed.

Ever since moving into the Blackridge Pack, I'd gotten used to being judged. I wasn't sure if Brielle's parents would be like her... or if they'd try to keep her away from me too.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Brielle pouted. "My brother's not home either... come on, please?" She tugged at my sleeve, her voice soft and pleading. "I'm always alone. You'd be my first friend to ever come over."

My ears caught the quickening beat of her heart--she was nervous.

"First?" I was honestly surprised. With her bright personality, I thought she'd have people over all the time.

She looked down slightly, her smile dimming. "I used to have friends... but they weren't real. Their eyes always had something else behind them."

And then I understood.

It wasn't that Brielle didn't have friends. It was that she could tell which smiles were fake. And she'd decided I was real.

The least I could do was return that trust.

"Okay," I said softly. "I'll come home with you tonight."

After school, I didn't wait for Daegan. I texted the driver and followed Brielle instead.

Daegan wouldn't care anyway.

Her house wasn't far from mine, but it felt completely different--warm, inviting, like an actual home instead of a cold estate.

Brielle was so excited she practically dragged me inside before the car had even fully stopped.

"Our chef is amazing--" she started, then froze mid-sentence.

A pair of men's dress shoes sat by the entrance.

"Jarek?" Her voice jumped an octave.

I followed her gaze and saw a tall figure sitting on the living room couch.

Something in me pulled back instinctively.

Maybe it was because I was getting close to shifting for the first time, but I was way too sensitive to Alpha energy lately.

And this one... this one felt dangerous.

"I'm home for a few days," he said, setting aside his tablet.

Then he stood and walked toward me with calm, smooth movements.

"Hi, I'm Jarek. Brielle's brother."

He held out a hand--large, clean, perfectly trimmed nails. Everything about him screamed control.

I hesitated, then took it. The moment our skin touched, a faint spark ran up my arm.

I nearly pulled back, but his fingers lightly squeezed mine. Not rough, but enough to leave me uneasy.

That feeling stayed with me the rest of the night.

Later, when someone knocked on the guest room door, I realized I should've trusted my instincts.