Ophelia

Rylan's POV

“Alpha?” Tiffany called, stopping abruptly and covering her mouth with her hand. My gaze shifted to her as she made a guilty face and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

“Alpha?” Maya chuckled, stepping away from me and wiping her tears. “Both of you are delusional losers,” she mocked, heading off.

“How dare you?” Tiffany groaned, her fists clenched as she tried to lunge at Maya, who turned to face her instantly.

“Hey, watch it!” another girl interjected, stepping between Maya and Tiffany. “You only got your way with her last time because I wasn’t there. Try it again, and you’ll leave this campus with a bald head,” the girl threatened, meeting Tiffany’s hard glare.

“Can you believe this, Rylan?” Tiffany cried, turning to me for support.

“Let her go,” I said, my eyes locked on Maya, who was now hiding behind her defender.

“You can’t do anything, douchebags. It’s two against two,” Maya taunted. Her defender shot her a warning glance, and she instantly fell silent.

Shaking my head, I grabbed Tiffany’s arm and walked away.

***

After class, I stepped out, distracted by Tiffany’s mindlink telling me she had to leave without waiting for me. Suddenly, I was drenched from head to toe by a bucket of icy water. The coldness sent shivers down my spine, leaving me gasping for breath.

“What the hell?” I shouted as the water dripped into my eyes and mouth. My phone and book were soaked.

“Whoops-a-daisy,” a mocking voice said beside me, followed by loud laughter. “Who would do such a thing in winter?” Maya teased.

“What the hell is this?” I groaned, fury building inside me.

She stepped in front of me, dropped the bucket, and casually wiped her hands. “It was an accident, trust me,” she said, her tone completely devoid of remorse. “I just wanted to see how you’d look wet. Priceless, honestly. Say cheese!” she added, lifting her phone to snap a picture.

My chest heaved as Ryker stirred within me. Clenching my fists, I spat through gritted teeth, “You’ll pay for this,” before storming off.

“Wait! I’m not done taking pictures!” she called after me, still laughing.

***

I slammed the door as I entered my room, drenched and furious.

“Oh-oh! Who did this to you?” a voice asked.

I froze, recognizing her scent but not seeing her. Spinning around, I searched the room.

“I’m not in the mood for hide-and-seek, Ophelia. Where are you?” I asked.

“Behind you,” she whispered, her soft hand resting on my shoulder.

Turning, I calmed slightly at the sight of her. Her warm amber eyes met mine, and a gentle smile played on her lips.

“You didn’t say you were coming,” I said, walking to my closet for dry clothes. “Your father almost destroyed my pack the last time you were here.”

“That’s because I ran away from home,” she replied, moving gracefully to the vanity table and sitting on the stool. Picking up one of my wristwatches, she held it against her wrist.

“Your wrist is too small for that,” I teased. “I don’t buy women’s watches,” I added before heading into the bathroom.

Returning to the bedroom, I halted at the door, noticing Ophelia’s eyes fixed on the flower vase near the entrance. She murmured something under her breath, and the vase floated into the air, spinning gracefully.

“That’s creepy,” I remarked, stepping closer.

“Shit!” she cursed as the vase crashed to the floor. “You distracted me, Rylan! Look what you made me do!” she whined, crouching to pick up the pieces.

“I didn’t know witches could get distracted,” I said, joining her.

She shot me a venomous glare. “In what universe is that heard? I'm still honing my skills!”

“Sorry. Just use your powers to fix it,” I said, standing and walking to the bed. “You shouldn’t mess with fragile things.”

“Really?” she snapped, dumping the shards in the trash. “Are you taking your anger out on me or the person who poured water on you?”

“You should go home. It’s getting late,” I muttered, collapsing onto the bed.

“You wish,” she said, sitting beside me. “Call an omega to clean this up. We’re going for a walk.” she held my hand, trying to pull me up.

“Stop it, Ophelia. I’m not interested. Go home!” I snapped.

“Peacefully or forcefully?” she asked, her voice echoing as her gaze froze me in place. Her white hair fluttered in a sudden breeze.

“Fine,” I relented. “But stop misusing your powers around me. I’m not just a wolf—I’m an Alpha from the Brook bloodline. My command can be more powerful than your spells in a real fight.”

“It doesn’t matter. You still obeyed me. Why else would you agree to the walk?” she teased, linking her arm with mine as we stepped into the corridor and headed toward the yard.

“You’re afraid I’ll burn your valuables,” she joked, plucking a daisy as we reached the yard. “But tell me, why would someone taunt the Alpha of Shadow Brook Wolves by pouring water on him in winter? And what did you do about it?”

“Use your powers to figure that out,” I said, sitting on the silver swing.

Standing behind me, she grabbed the ropes to push the swing.

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned. “Come sit.”

“Just answer the question, Alpha,” she pressed, ignoring my warning and giving the swing a push.

“You don’t listen, do you?” I grabbed her hand, spinning her around. She gasped, her chest rising and falling as she steadied herself.

“No means no, Ophelia,” I said in a low, dangerous tone, fixing her with a glare.

“Whatever,” she hissed, sitting beside me. “You didn’t have to manhandle me. My father would slaughter your entire pack if he found out.”

“And where would I be when your father does that?”

“Somewhere in Avalon, wandering,” she replied with a smirk.

I chuckled. “Silly girl.”

“So, have you sensed your mate yet?” I asked, changing the subject.

Her expression softened, and she nodded. “I sensed him on my 20th birthday last week,” she said sadly. “He rejected me. He didn’t want a witch as a mate. My grandparents were responsible for his grandparent’s death, so he hated witches. I told him I’d never harm him or his family, but he didn’t believe me. He rejected me in front of everyone.” Her voice cracked as she sniffed.

“Here,” I said, patting my shoulder. She leaned on it, and I continued, “Maybe the Moon Goddess has someone better for you. A second-chance mate.”

“I’m not interested,” she muttered. “I even had a crush on him before the bond was revealed.”

“It happens. Sometimes, the ones we care about the most are the ones who hurt us the worst. Did you accept his rejection?”

She lifted her head, met my gaze, and shook her head.

“Why not? What if he cheats on you? Won’t you feel the pain?”

“Witches feel the same as anyone else, Rylan. We just have unique abilities,” she said. “Besides, he won’t cheat on me. He’s already six feet under.”

“What does that mean?”

“My father killed him after he rejected me in front of everyone.”

“You let that happen?” I asked, stunned. “He was still your mate, Ophelia. People deserve second chances. What if he’d changed his mind?”

“I tried to stop my father, but it was too late. You know how furious he gets.”

“Remind me not to cross your father,” I said.

“You’ll only need to worry if you mess with me,” she teased, resting her head back on my shoulder.

“That means stop showing up uninvited.”

“You wish.” She smirked. “By the way, do you like the girl who poured water on you?”

Her question caught me off guard, but I said nothing.