Chapter 2
Sophia PV
“Sophia dear, it’s time to wake up. The first day of school is today.” Olivia, her mother, called out from the doorway to Sophia’s bedroom. The two had been in the house for a week and Sophia had managed to unpack her room, but she hadn’t left the house once since their arrival. She was looking forward to being around other people and away from what felt like had become a cage for her. She had very few friends at her old school. The school was a mixture of humans and wolves as the pack lived on the outskirts of a town of humans. Of course, the humans were not allowed to know the identity of the wolves. This was pack law because of how the humans would not tolerate coexisting with wolves. Because of this, wolves genuinely shied away from the humans. This made the pool of possible friends even less. None of her pack mates dared to speak to her or be seen with her as directed by their Alpha. He was very cruel to Sophia and her mother after the loss of his friend, her father. There was a fear of what her life was to be next. There was a fear of this pack doing the same.
“Mom, really. You know I don’t eat breakfast.” Sophia said as she sat down across from her mother on a stool against the extending counter in the kitchen.
“It was worth a shot I guess. You are beginning to need your strength. Don’t you feel it?”
“Since we’ve been here I do. I’ll be fine, mom. I’ll be sure to eat a big lunch.” Her mom smiled. Sophia grabbed her bag and keys.
Sophia sat in the middle of the three chairs that sat along the wall that was a large window. There was nothing special about the guidance office of Foster High School or being named after the town it was located in.
“Here you are deary.” the grey-haired secretary said while handing Sophia a handful of papers. “This is your schedule and student information. This number right here is your Student ID number. Make sure and not lose that number or your locker combination, which is here. Now, your locker should be just down this hall and your first class is down the hall just passed your locker.”
“Thank you.”
“Good luck deary.”
Sophia found her locker and first class easily. Thankfully, the teacher seated her at a desk towards the back of the room. History first thing, great. Sophia watched as a few more students walked into the classroom. She heard a cracking noise and looked in the direction of the door. She watched a male walk into the doorway almost touching the top as he leaned his head forward a small amount. The air felt electrified as her eyes were drawn to him. The male rounded the row leading to where she was seated and the crackle became louder. He smiled at another student across the room. Time stopped as Sophia reached for her chest. The air became thin as she struggled to take a breath. She saw him walking in the direction of the empty desk next to her. Please goddess, not that desk. She became aware of the scent of chocolate and mint as he sat in the desk to her right. She could feel waves of heat radiating from his direction. The hairs on her neck began to stand as the air crackled like lightning around the exquisite male sitting next to her. She was forced to hug herself due to the intense pain growing stronger in her abdomen while she still struggled to breathe. Beads of sweat fell onto the desk. She could no longer resist the urge to turn and face him. The moment their eyes met the pain dissipated. She looked into his emerald green eyes and became aware of nothing but him. His mouth parted into a half smile revealing perfect white teeth and a small dimple in the corner of his mouth. A mouth she desperately wanted to cover with her own.
“Liam. Sophia. Are you two with us?” Mr. Holmes asked bringing her out of the trance she had been in observing the features of the magnificent male sitting to her right. Sophia quickly nodded.
“Sophia,” a voice said that sent shivers down her spine. She turned in the direction of the voice. Please say my name again. The male, now named Liam, was smiling a devious smile as he met her gaze with his deep emerald eyes, green like the trees she’d pass through while her wolf was running the night she moved to the town. She traveled his strong jaw covered by the short dark hair, just enough to be scruffy, to his dark hair pulled into a small bun on top of his head to his tanned neck. Sophia felt herself begin to get warm again as she looked at the spot on his neck that met his shoulder.
“Your name is Sophia?” he repeated.
“And your name is Liam,” she answered in return. Sophia noticed his muscles tense through the thin red shirt that covered them when she spoke his name. Her wolf began to howl in her mind when she spoke his name aloud. Mate, Mate her wolf called out.
“That’s right.” Liam ran his finger along the length of her bare arm. Waves of electricity ran through her body from his touch. Sparks flared from her arm and spread out to her side as his face held the same smile she had seen before. No. No. Not now. I can’t have a mate.
Sophia exited the classroom quickly when the bell rang. She did not bother to look back for Liam.
Lunch approached quickly. Sophia couldn’t shake the thoughts of the earlier exchange between Liam and herself. Even thinking his name made her want to drown in his arms. She didn’t want a mate after what she had watched her mother go through when her father was killed. Her mother lost her mate and her wolf cried out for over a year for the loss. She watched her mother torture herself in order to release the pain her heart and wolf were feeling. The loss was so great that her wolf was close to death. Her mother was close to death. Sophia did not want to have this happen to her or her wolf. She decided then to never have a mate, no matter if the moon goddess had different plans. She had to rid herself of the thoughts of Liam.
Sophia knew that her mother had brought them here to establish with her birth pack, White Moon, after the two were shunned by her father’s pack, Mystic Rain, after his death. They had been able to stay two long years and endure the hatred and torture that the pack had instilled upon them. Her mother had decided to bring Sophia to this part of the country for a better healing process and new life with another pack. Finding a mate was an anomaly that Sophia was not looking for nor was she going to become the other half to anyone. She was not willing to accept that she was made by the goddess for anyone.
Sophia scanned the cafeteria for an empty table. Why didn’t I eat breakfast? Her entire body tensed and began to warm as she felt his eyes on her. Stupid mate senses. The air crackled around them and began to heat the closer he walked to her. She felt the electricity when he gently brushed her elbow, obviously on purpose, before he sat across the table from her.
“Is this seat taken?” She trembled hearing his voice. Keep talking, please!
“It is now.” Sophia hadn’t noticed the firmness in his jawline or the calmness in his eyes or the strands of wild blonde hairs mixing with his dark hair. She hadn’t noticed the creases in the corners of his eyes that match his dimple as he smiles.
“What brings you to Foster?”
“My mom relocated to another law firm.”
“How are you liking the move?”
“Fine. Are we playing 20 questions now?”
“I just thought we’d try to get to know each other a little beings we’re m...”
“Don’t say it.” Sophia threw her hand up. “It’s not happening, Liam is it, with me. I’m not anyone’s mate.”
“Are you rejecting me then?”
“No, but I’m not accepting you either.”
“You’re kidding, right? You don’t want me, but you do want me. Impossible.” Sophia shrugged. Her wolf cried out for her mate. She grew angry with Sophia. She could feel Liam’s wolf reaching out to her wolf.
“Alright. If that is what you want.” Liam said before Sophia nodded. With those words, he was gone. The electricity and heat went with him. She heard her wolf whining as her mate walked away hurt. Sophia knew her decision was best for Liam. She was damaged and didn’t want to bring that to her mate. He deserved better than her and what she will do to him. Please let it be best for us both.
Liam PV
The halls were empty as we were late again. “Kate, you make us late one more time, so help me,” I told her sternly. She was one of those dedicated popular girls that had to have each part of her outer appearance perfect.
“Yes, Alpha.” She nodded.
I got to history class just as the tardy bell was ringing. What’s that smell? I sniffed the air and was directed to the back of the room. The air crackled as I walked down the rows towards the new face I saw. In the back sat a female that was unfamiliar to me yet I had to be near her. Thank goddess for empty desks. My wolf howled louder the closer I walked until I was next to her. Vanilla and roses. The air crackled with lightning. She began to shake the more space between us lessened. I watched as this gorgeous female wrapped her arms around her torso and began to sweat. She then turned to face me and I met eyes blue as the ocean. Her face was oval shaped with rose-colored cheeks and long flowing blonde curls hung around her face. I saw her gaze reach my neck. A smirk crossed my face. Oh yeah, this is definitely our mate.
“Liam. Sophia. Are you two with us?” Mr. Holmes spoke. I let out a low growl when she looked away from me. My wolf didn’t like her giving another male attention, even if it was our teacher.
“Sophia,” I said. Her body convulsed as I spoke her name. My wolf sat wagging his tail. He liked her reacting to us this way. My face held the same confident smile. Her eyes are the lightest ocean blue color. I could see she was staring at my neck again. “Your name is Sophia?” I asked again.
“And your name is Liam.” My muscles tensed at the sound of her sweet voice. My name has never sounded so euphoric before. Goddess, thank you for my magnificent mate!
“That’s right.” The shirt she was wearing did not have sleeves, which I found to my advantage. With my finger, I trailed a line along her bare tanned skin. Waves of electricity ran from my finger to the rest of my body. “Mate! Mate!” my wolf howled out in my mind. The class was over too soon. She didn’t even look for me.
The day seemed to drag on. Those blue eyes hadn’t left my mind. I had wanted a mate since I was a pup. My parents were the perfect example of true mates. They finished each other’s sentences. My father always made time for my mother each day, even when he was Alpha. The two still reminded me of newly mated wolves. My one request from the moon goddess has been to bless me with a mate to grow old with that is perfect for me.
There, in the front of the cafeteria, my beautiful mate was looking around uncomfortably lost. Her body tensed and I knew she felt me staring at her loveliness. My wolf whined to be closer to our mate. The air crackled while I walked to the empty table she had found to sit in. I made sure to touch her bare skin again before I sat across from her. As I saw her twitched, I knew she felt the electricity course through her veins, the same as mine.
“Is this seat taken?” I softly asked. I could see her shaking at the sound of my voice. A satisfactory smile spread unknowingly on my face from the way she already reacted to me.
“It is now,” she spoke in that harmonious voice. I had to catch my breath. Her face was more beautiful than this morning. Her eyes seemed to be darker than I remember. Her long blonde curls still hung outlining her lovely face. Thoughts of those curls in my face and hands with the smell of vanilla filled my head. Her face blushed as she looked away waiting for me to speak again.
“What brings you to Foster?”
“My mom relocated to another law firm.”
“How are you liking the move?”
“Fine. Are we playing 20 questions now?” I didn’t understand the harshness in her tone.
“I just thought we’d try to get to know each other a little beings we’re m...”
“Don’t say it.” She put up her hand to stop me from speaking. My heart sank at what she was about to say next. I had waited my whole life to be rejected by my mate. “It’s not happening, Liam is it, with me. I’m not anyone’s mate.”
My wolf reached out for hers, finding no one. He began to whine in my mind for fear of our mate destroying us with rejection. “Are you rejecting me then?”
“No, but I’m not accepting you either.”
“You’re kidding, right? You don’t want me, but you do want me? Impossible.” She shrugged. She was ripping out my heart and she just shrugged. Her arrogance was unbelievable, and I’m an Alpha. I instinctively hung my head in despair accepting defeat. “Alright. If that is what you want.” She nodded. The air became thick, my breaths grew labored and my head started to pound. My wolf needed to run in order to think and shake off what had just happened. I had to be away from her, my mate that has close to rejected me. But why?
