Chapter 1
MIA
College life in the small town of Maplecrest County had always been a mix of chaos and predictability. Everyone knew everyone’s business, which only added to my unease. For most people here, their mate clock went off by the time they turned fifteen. Mine? Silent as the grave. For years, I’d laughed it off with my friends, telling them I had other things to focus on like lacrosse and schoolwork. But the truth was, every day that passed without a stir in my chest felt like a force pressing down harder and harder.
“West. You paying attention?” Coach Greene’s sharp voice broke through my thoughts, dragging me back to the present.
“Yeah, Coach,” I yelled, adjusting my grip on my lacrosse stick.
The rest of the team was already forming a defensive wall, their movements quick and seamless. I sprinted to join them, pushing away the nagging doubt that crept up during every practice: What’s wrong with me?
From the bleachers, I could hear Sasha, Emily, and Lily chatting. They always came to watch, their laughter and teasing a comforting constant in my otherwise fractured world. Sasha had met her mate freshman year, and Emily and Lily weren’t far behind. They never said it out loud, but I could feel their pity every time the subject of mates came up. Even now, their eyes darted to me between plays, their silent judgment louder than the coach’s whistle.
“Focus, Mia,” I muttered to myself as I moved into position. I had no time to dwell on what I didn’t have.
We practiced for another hour, running drills under the fading sunlight. By the time Coach blew the final whistle, my legs ached, and my lungs burned, but I welcomed the distraction. Anything to stop my mind from spiraling. I jogged toward the sidelines, grabbing my water bottle from where I’d left it. My friends waved, motioning for me to join them, but I shook my head. I wasn’t in the mood for their thinly veiled concern today.
“Mia, wait,” Emily called, jogging over. “You’re still coming to the bonfire later, right?”
I hesitated, biting the inside of my cheek. “Maybe. Depends on how tired I am.”
Her brows furrowed, but she nodded, not pushing. “Cool. Just let us know. It won’t be the same without you there.”
After giving her a tight smile, I headed toward the locker rooms. The campus buzzed with life as students filed out of the field, their conversations blending into a low hum. Curious stares and the usual glances followed me everywhere. They didn’t need to say it out loud, but I could guess what they were all thinking about me.
The late bloomer. The girl without a mate.
Sliding into the cool, empty locker room, I let out a breath of relief. The faint smell of sweat and disinfectant filled the air, grounding me as I peeled off my gear and jumped into the shower. The water was scalding, but I welcomed the sting. It was better than the hollow ache in my chest.
Just as I was starting to relax, it hit me.
A strange warmth unfurled deep in my chest, spreading like wildfire. My breath hitched as the sensation grew, a rhythmic thrum that wasn’t entirely unpleasant but left me gasping nonetheless. I pressed a hand to my sternum, trying to steady myself, but the warmth only intensified. As quickly as it had started, the feeling condensed into a single, unrelenting pull.
What the hell was that?
The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. My timer—it had started. I staggered out of the shower, barely bothering to towel off as I scrambled to my locker. My hands shook as I threw on a pair of sweats and a hoodie, my mind racing. For years, I’d imagined this moment. I thought I’d feel joy, relief, maybe even excitement. But all I felt was dread.
I stumbled out of the locker room, ignoring the confused looks from my teammates still lingering nearby. The pull in my chest grew stronger, more insistent, as if something—or someone—was calling to me. My feet moved on their own, carrying me across the quad and toward the east side of campus.
The air was crisp, tinged with the scent of pine and damp earth. Shadows stretched across the cobblestone paths, and the chatter of students faded into the background. My heart hammered in my chest as I followed the invisible thread guiding me forward.
It led me past the library, through a narrow alley, and out into the open courtyard near the admin building. My breath puffed in short bursts as I scanned the area, searching for… something. Someone.
But the courtyard was missing the person my bond was directing me to. What if I had come to the wrong place?
The students around slowed their tasks, gazes following me to know my next move. This was the negative side of the timer. Even if others couldn’t see it, they could sense it as well. They could always know when your timer had started. The small crowd grew into a group of ten. People I had never seen in my life loitered around the courtyard, a few of them with their phones raised up. My chest constricted as doubt crept in. What if I’m wrong? What if this is some cruel joke my body’s playing on me?
From the corner of my eye, I caught movement. A group of students walking to the iron bench beside the fountain in the center of the courtyard. Their laughter echoed in the quiet night as they sat. Sasha, Emily, and Lily were among them, their voices carrying over the babble of water.
“Mia,” Sasha called, waving me over.
How did they get here so fast? I hated this county sometimes. I delayed, the pull in my chest tugging me forward, urging me to keep moving. But I was rooted to the spot, the weight of their gazes pinning me down. Sasha frowned, her concern evident even from a distance.
As if on cue, the laughter shifted. It wasn’t lighthearted anymore. It was mocking, cruel. Maybe it was all in my head, but everyone seemed to be staring at me, grinning.
“Guess her mate’s running late,” one of the guys in the small crowd muttered, loud enough for me to hear.
“Maybe she doesn’t have one,” another girl added, her tone dripping with condescension.
Heat rose to my cheeks as my stomach twisted. Keep moving, my instincts whispered. But my legs wouldn’t cooperate. They were rooted to the spot. It made one fact I had always tried to deny even clearer. I could be the best lacrosse player or person in the whole college and county, but if I didn’t have a mate, I was nothing.
Gaze focused on the ground to avoid the mocking stares directed my way, I fiddled with my necklace, hoping they would grow tired and leave. Maplecrest College had a few of the most intrusive kids. I had seen it happen a few times. They were as cruel as they were kind, no middle ground. Today, I happened to be experiencing their cruelty. For my sake, I hope no one was recording this or else I would be on the Maplecrest County media pages.
A voice cut through the noise, low and steady. “What’s going on here?”
The baritone snapped me out of my daze, and without thinking, I rushed toward the edge of the courtyard to escape the glares but bumped into a wall of sturdy muscles. He caught me before I could fall, his hands gripping my shoulders. I opened my mouth to offer an apology, but my breath caught as I looked up into the warmest shade of hazel eyes I had ever seen. Common sense demanded I step back and apologize, but I didn’t.
Everything slowed as the wind sent a few strands of his slightly tousled dark brown hair into his eyes. The soft glow of the fountain lights illuminated his sharp features, comprising a carved jawline, high cheekbones, and the pinkest set of lips I had seen on any man. He was a god.
“Mia, are you okay?” he whispered.
It was the same voice from earlier, and it was soothing to the ears. Wait, he knew my name. That realization sent a jolt of electricity to my brain, and I jumped back. His eyes narrowed but he gave me the space I seemed to need now. Remnants of sparks buzzed where our bodies had once been connected. Everything felt amplified, even the silence. This encounter had happened at a perfect time.
“Do I know you? How do you know my name?”
He frowned. “You don’t remember me?” I tried, really, but I didn’t know so many handsome men. Sensing my confusion, he threw me a lifeline by offering his name. “Noah Bennett Sinclair. I heard the noise on my way.”
“Noah?” I managed, my voice hardly a whisper.
“The Noah Bennett,” he offered.
I experienced the second shock of tonight. I put one foot back, and it clicked. Of course I knew him. Yes, he looked older, more serious than I remembered, but there was no mistaking that sprinkle of freckles scattered over his nose. He had changed. Noah had always been a cute guy, but now, he was the embodiment of sexiest man alive.
As the confusion cleared, awkwardness set in, wrapping around my neck in a chokehold. If I thought people would leave soon, I had been largely mistaken. This unexpected discussion had given more room for gossip.
“They are still watching, aren’t they?” He didn’t look away from me, and I felt the need to explain. “My timer.”
He nodded in understanding. “And your mate is not here yet?” I mumbled a no in reply, and in a voice low enough for only me to hear, he said, “Pretend I’m your mate.”
“What?”
Before I could process what was happening, he curled an arm around my waist and pulled me close. The warmth of his touch sent a buzz through my system that made me thrum with satisfaction. For a moment, the pull in my chest stilled, settling into something quieter and calmer.
To anyone watching, we probably looked like a couple reunited after years apart. But as I stared up at him, confusion swirling in my mind, I realized two things.
First, Noah Sinclair had saved me from total humiliation.
Second, the pull in my chest—the timer— stopped the minute I heard Noah’s voice.
Author’s Note
Hello Queens! Thank you for choosing TCLK. This is my first attempt at werewolf stories, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating this new world.
As you get further into the story, please don’t forget to drop a like, a comment, or a review. It’s the only way I can tell you’re enjoying the story, and it’s extra motivation to keep going. Most importantly, it will make my cute little writer heart so very happy.
Thanks in advance & happy reading!
Started: December 3rd, 2024
(PS: You can comment with the day you started reading. Let’s see how long it takes for you to finish TCLK).
