Chapter 11: The Scent of Trouble

CALEB’S POV

I eased my Porsche 911 Turbo S into Crestwood’s parking lot, the engine’s growl fading as I killed it. The morning sun glinted off the car’s sleek black curves, a $200,000 statement of my status as an Alpha’s don, a far cry from the punishment my father had intended when he banished me to this disgusting world. I’d messed up again—crossed a line in the pack, defied him one too many times—and he’d shipped me to this human-infested city to hunt for the supposed Moonborn, a girl destined to destroy him. I didn’t ask questions. Questions got you scars and four full moon of torture in the dark basement. I just nodded, packed, and left the pack for this concrete jungle.

I stepped out, my boots hitting the asphalt, my leather jacket creakin. The campus buzzed, students spilling from cars, their eyes locking on me. Girls whispered, their giggles sharp, their stares hungry. “Who’s that hottie?” one hissed, her phone flashing. “God, he’s gorgeous,” another cooed, twirling her hair.

I smirked, my green eyes scanning them—blondes, brunettes, all predictable, all irrelevant. Their attention was a game I played well, but I didn’t care. She-wolves, human girls, they were all the same: distractions. My father’s training—grueling, brutal, a forge of blood and pain—had burned any softness out of me. I was here for one thing: the Moonborn. Nothing else mattered.

I strode through the gothic arches of Crestwood’s main hall, my presence parting the crowd like a blade. Whispers followed—girls swooning, guys sizing me up, their jealousy a bitter tang in the air. I ignored them, my senses sharp, my wolf, Talon, pacing inside me. The clue I was given was thin: a female student, powerful but unaware. I’d been in Novella a month, blending in, enrolling at Crestwood to sniff her out. No luck yet, but I was patient. Predators always were.

I reached the history classroom, my first class for the day, its door creaking as I entered. The room hummed with chatter, students slouched in chairs, their eyes snapping to me. I chose a seat near the back, my backpack thudding to the floor, my posture relaxed but alert.

Girls leaned closer, their perfumes cloying, their whispers loud. “Oh my goodness, did you see his car?” one giggled.

“I bet he's rich,” another muttered.

A guy scoffed, “Show-off.”

I let it slide, my gaze drifting, my wolf scanning for any hint of her—the Moonborn’s scent, her power.

Then she walked in. Red hair like a wildfire, pale skin freckled, green eyes downcast. She moved quietly, her sneakers soft on the tiles, her backpack slung low. No makeup, no pretense—just raw, unpolished beauty that hit me like a punch. Talon stirred, his growl low, a strange warmth curling in my chest. Her scent—jasmine, rain, something wild—tickled my nose, unfamiliar yet electric. She didn’t glance at me, didn’t swoon like the others, just shuffled to a seat in my row, one chair over. My wolf perked up, alert, but I brushed it off. Just another human, I told myself, but my eyes lingered, tracing her profile, the way her hair fell like a curtain.

She sat, pulling out a lollipop, its wrapper crinkling. She popped it in her mouth, her lips closing around it, her focus on her notebook. No glances, no giggles, no care for the storm of attention around me. That alone made her different. Every she-wolf, every human girl I’d met threw themselves at me—my looks, my wealth, my Alpha blood. But her? She was a blank wall, and it pissed me off as much as it intrigued me. Talon whined, sensing something I couldn’t name, a pull I didn’t trust.

I stared, my eyes locked on her, memorizing the curve of her jaw, the freckles dusting her nose. She must’ve felt it, because her head tilted, her green eyes meeting mine. My breath caught, my wolf growling louder, a strange heat flooding me.

Her gaze was wide, curious, a flicker of confusion in it. “Excuse me,” she said, her voice soft but sharp, pulling the lollipop out. “Do you… want one?” She held up a second lollipop, her hand trembling slightly, her cheeks flushing.

I blinked, caught off guard. “No, uh…” I cleared my throat, my voice low, my smirk automatic. “Actually, yes.”

I reached for it, my fingers brushing hers, a spark jolting through me. Talon snarled, the sensation unfamiliar, dangerous. I pulled back, unwrapping the candy, my eyes still on her. She ducked her head, her hair hiding her face, and I fought the urge to keep staring.

The door swung open, and the air shifted, heavy with dread. My wolf tensed, hackles rising, sensing a threat. I looked up, and my blood ran cold. Sebastian Wolfe stood there, his green eyes blazing, his blazer sharp, his presence like a storm. My sworn enemy, the bastard son of Veron, my father’s closest ally. We’d clashed since we were pups—his arrogance, my defiance, our hatred was like a fire that never died. What the fuck was he doing here? Teaching? My jaw tightened, my fists clenching under the desk.

Sebastian’s gaze swept the room, landing on me, then flicking to the red-haired girl beside me. His eyes narrowed, a flash of something—possession, threat—crossing his face. Talon growled, sensing his wolf, Maximus, ready to pounce.

Sebastian strode toward us, his boots heavy, his voice cutting through the room’s hum. “Caleb Reed,” he said, his tone icy, a challenge in his stare. “How about we have your seats changed?”

The class went silent, eyes darting between us. I leaned back, my smirk sharp, my voice dripping with defiance. “What’s the matter, Prof? Scared I’ll steal your spotlight?” I didn’t move, my gaze locked on his, my wolf itching for a fight.

His jaw twitched, his eyes flashing gold, a warning. “Move, or I’ll make you.” His voice was low, authoritative, the professor card played with precision.

The girl beside me froze, her lollipop pausing mid-air, her breath hitching. I saw it then—the way Sebastian’s gaze softened on her, protective, almost tender. My wolf snarled, a strange jealousy spiking, though I didn’t know why. This girl meant something to him, and that made her a weapon.

I stood, slow and deliberate, grabbing my backpack. “Fine,” I said, my tone mocking. “Wouldn’t want to distract the professor.”

I moved to a front-row seat, my eyes flicking back to her. She was staring at her desk, her cheeks red, her hands twisting her pencil. The class whispered, their voices a low buzz—gossip, speculation, the usual human noise.

Sebastian didn’t return to the podium immediately. Instead, he stepped closer to her, his hand reaching out, patting her hair gently, like a lover soothing his mate.

“Miss Hart,” he said, his voice soft but carrying, “don’t let charming boys distract you from your studies.”

The lollipop slipped from her mouth, hitting the desk with a clack, her jaw dropping, her eyes wide with shock.

The class gasped, whispers erupting. “Is he serious?” “She’s with the professor now?” “What’s her deal?” “Such a whore.”

My wolf roared, jealousy flaring, a fire I couldn’t explain. I didn’t want her—not like that—but seeing Sebastian claim her, even subtly, lit something dark in me. I knew him. He didn’t care about females, not since Vanessa betrayed him with his brother Ethan, his supposed mate. That betrayal had broken him, turned him cold, but the way he looked at this girl was different. Intense, possessive, like she was his world. It wasn’t just attraction; it was deeper, something I couldn’t place, and it pissed me off.

Sebastian chuckled, a low, arrogant sound, and strolled to the podium, launching into a lecture about ancient empires. I barely heard him, my mind racing, my eyes darting back to the girl. She squirmed, her discomfort clear, her gaze fixed on her notebook, avoiding everyone.

Whispers grew louder, venomous. “I can’t believe she’s leeching onto the professor now,” a girl hissed.

“First him, now the new guy?” another sneered.

I frowned, my wolf pricking at their words. What did they mean? Rumors, lies—something about her was off, targeted, like she was prey.

Who is this girl? And why is Sebastian so drawn to her?