Chapter 1: Mate

ALICIA

“Oh my goodness, did the Triple A just stare at you?” I jerked a little bit when I felt someone grilled my arm and instinctively, I swivelled immediately in shock as I tried to push off whoever it is out of my arms.

First time in school and someone was already creeping up on me.

“Umm, who are you?” I queried, wiggling out of the person's grasp while she looked at me expectantly.

The entire halfway was crowded as I tried to locate where my class was. The first time in high school could be very terrifying.

And now, I'm been questioned by someone I don't even know and even worse is the fact that she's acting like we're best friends.

“Oh I'm so sorry, I'm Bella but don't try to avoid the question. They're still staring at you, oh my goodness.” She squealed, her face turning red in excitement while I raised a brow in confusion.

“Hi Bella. Who is staring at me?” I didn't have the time for this and my social anxiety says no to this kind of conversation so I'd really appreciate it if she can get off my case.

I followed her line of sight and it ended on the three people I wasn't expecting to see on my first day of school.

Arnold, Alexander and Adrian. Oh, that's what she meant by the Triple A.

“No, I…I don't think they're staring at me.” I dismissed immediately picking up my pace so I didn't have to face them head on.

“They are and you shouldn't look so scared about that. I know you're a new girl so I'll walk you around it. The Triple A are the most influential students in our school, most popular too. It's really a privilege if they've been staring at you.” I paused in my tracks and turned to stare at her for a minute.

“They're the most popular?” I questioned and she nodded frantically while I felt the saliva dry up inside of my glands.

All the more reason why I had to stay away from them if I wanted to have a normal school life, it wouldn't be so fun declaring myself as the step sister to “the most popular” boys in school.

This was all mum's fault. I wasn't against her getting married again but she didn't think about how this was going to affect me in blending in.

“Thanks for the information, I guess. I have a class now.” I stated hurriedly and without waiting for Bella to say another word, I walked off as fast as I could.

“Find me later in the cafeteria. I'll give you a little tour of the school, new girl.” She yelled from across the hall and that caused heads to turn to her direction immediately but I kept moving without trying to reply her.

She obviously was the type that could strive with all amount of attention in her but I?? That wasn't for me.

I got to class and found my assigned seat and settled in but I couldn't shake off what Bella had just told me.

Yesterday was the first I ever saw my step brothers and I had literally sprinted out of the dinning room because of them. I wasn't ready for any kind of connection and i would really thank the goddess if it remained like that.

“The school really did their thing in admitting a lot more freaks and nerds this season, don't you guys think?”

I unzipped my bag and brought out one of my many manhwa novels to pass my time on since it seemed like the teacher in charge of this class was running late.

“Hey, freak. I'm talking to you.” Someone slammed her hands on my desk and I looked up to stare at her.

High school is a bitch and the students in them? Even greater bitches.

“Unfortunately, this is my first time here. So that means, I don't know the amount of freaks and nerds that was admitted last season but umm, good for them I guess.” I reiterated and went back to reading my manhwa when she snatched it from me.

“Is that sarcasm? Are you being sarcastic?” She yelled and the entire class’ attention was now fixated on the both of us.

I didn't even want attention now whoever this is, was making the wrong type of attention settle on me and I wasn't finding it in a slightest bit funny.

“Normal people are able to decipher and sarcasm when they hear it. Give it back.” I stated and she scoffed as she began tearing my manhwa into pieces.

“It's your first day here and you don't even understand the meaning of respect. You're not going to thrive very well here.” Rage filled up my veins like a burning inferno as I gritted my teeth trying to get myself to calm down.

My wolf had already stood up in the back of mind, twirling and groaning as she tried her best to stay calm even though all she wanted was to have absolute control.

My brows twitched and I could almost feel my claws protruding but I quickly put my hands inside of my pocket to conceal it taking slow, repeated and rehearsed breaths.

“Fuck this.” I muttered under my breath and grabbed my bag and before anyone could even blink, I was already at the door.

“You should do that more often, loser. Run away.” Their outburst of laughter echoed off in my head as I ran towards my locker and pressed my back to it, sliding down slowly onto the ground.

The entire hallways and locker space were deserted, everyone was in class and this is exactly the kind of scene that would work for me right now because I needed to clear my head.

I was a thread like string close to disrupting my plan of living a normal school life all because of some bully and to top it off— that manhwa was my favourite.

I used the back of my finger to block my nostrils as some kind of strong scent wafted through the hallway. What was that? I think that has to be coming from the cafeteria.

I scented like mint, pine wood and the smell of earth after a heavy downpour. Oh how much I love the rain.

I stood up to my feet as I wondered what to do and where to go now that I had just left class for my own sanity.

My stomach tingled like a whole barn of butterflies had been stock in there and I could see my wolf wiggling her tail in excitement.

“Mate.” She purred softly and I stood up immediately.

“What? She can scent him? Our mate?” I squeaked and she nodded as she began leading me to follow the scent.

“Are you sure he's the one though?” I asked as I tried not to burst from excitement while I took a corner only to bump into a wall— No someone rather.

“Can you watch where you're going?” The person uttered pushing me off and I shifted my hair that had scattered around my face.

“I'm sorry.” The scent was strongest now that I was standing right in front of this person but I couldn't even bring myself to stare up at him.

The shyness of the year award should be handed over to me alongside my flowers.

“What the hell. Alicia?” I jerked up immediately. How did he know my name…I placed my hands on the top of my mouth as my eyes nearly bulged out of their socket.

“Alexander?” My step brother?

“Mate.” My wolf purred slowly, laying on her belly like she was been tickled and I took few steps away from him in fright.

“Mate?” I heard him mutter but not just that, the rest of his brothers, they had all just called me their mate?? Surely the moon goddess has to be playing with me.