Natasha

When I woke up next, I felt a heavy weight across my waist. Shit. I must have slept so deeply that I wasn’t awakened by my usual nightmares. I blinked at the dim light of the bedside table lamp. I turned my face to the side and found myself looking into the man who I met last night. My throat became paper dry when I saw that he was naked. I looked down and saw that my gown was still on, bunched up on my waist. Damn it. My heart raced, when I recalled what we did last evening. 

My eyes drifted from his face to his torso and I saw a tattoo. It was that of a wolf entwined in rose vines with thorns. It covered all of his left chest and a portion of his biceps. It was difficult to look away. It was a tattoo that left me with a lot of questions. But I had to ask them later, that is if we ever meet again. I was resolved never to meet him again. His hair had fallen over his forehead and I had this strong urge to brush them back. His scent filled my nostrils, and I couldn’t help but peck his cheek. 

I glanced at my clock. It was 5 a.m. Holy Shit. I removed his arm that was so possessively wrapped around me and glided across the bed. I was without panties and didn’t bother to look for them. I had to get out of this place before my aunt and uncle came back home. When I got up, I looked back at him. He stirred a little and then went back to sleep. I picked up my heels, my phone and stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me. 

When I checked my phone, there were a dozen missed calls and the same number of texts from Nicole. I couldn’t blame my poor friend. I had had a wild night—one that would soon become a distant erotic memory. 

--- 

It was my first day at the Black Moon high school or BMHS. Nicole had picked me up. “Stay with me Lisa, okay?” she warned me. She showed me around the large, elegant halls that were our classes. I had never been to a real school, so every bit of it overwhelmed me. I knew that my last year in BMHS was going to be enthralling. Our classes were held as per the schedule. Nicole and I went to the training arena for our mandatory sports period. 

“Why is it mandatory?” I asked. This was plain stupid. 

“That’s because Alpha Jacob doesn’t want the young ones in his pack to lose their edge while we are studying. Eventually, we all have to do something about the pack whatever business we own,” Nicole replied as we reached the wiring that surrounded the arena. 

From the corner of my eye, I saw a small crowd gathering which mostly contained girls. They murmured eagerly at something. The crowd swelled in a few minutes. 

“The de Vries are here!” 

“Gods, I would so do the eldest brother.” 

“His dick is massive!”

“I will be happy with the younger one.” 

More chuckles. 

“The Andersons are here too!”

A girl squealed. In the training arena, I saw a few boys. They weren’t exercising. They were just passing a football around them. And they were all gorgeous. Wearing white jerseys that molded with their bodies and red shorts, they looked drop-dead handsome. But the attention of the girls was only at three boys who were talking amongst themselves. Nicole’s eyes went to them and she paled. 

I touched her hand and she genuinely shivered. “What happened?” I asked.  

“That one is Artemis de Vries,” she pointed with her chin to the boy with blond hair, sharp jawline with a cleft and a tanned skin. He was the tallest amongst them. “Son of Jacob de Vries, Alpha of our pack.” And that information sent me into a tizzy. Fuck. “And those are Anderson brothers standing with him, Duncan and Gilbert.” Nicole’s voice was shaky. “They are the sons of the Beta. Stay away from them because they are real trouble. If you want a peaceful life in this pack, you better be non-existent in the school.” She turned to face me and cupped my cheek. “When I ask you to stay away, I really mean it. We omegas always keep our eyes down when they walk.” 

I was here only for a year and I couldn’t afford any more vagaries than the last night. This morning when I returned home, I had texted Nicole back that I was fine but I was chided by her at length. Thankfully, my aunt and uncle hadn't yet arrived. 

I threw another look at them and the hair on my nape rose like needles when my gaze locked with the winter gray eyes of the man I had met last night. He was walking towards the boys without his shirt and looked painfully handsome. My world stopped, tilted and then started spinning at god-speed. In the broad daylight, he looked regal, domineering and lethal. 

“Apolllooooo!” a girl from the crowd shrieked. And I freaked. He stared at me with crazed interest as if he was going to kill an enemy. 

“Oh fuck!” Nicole held my hand and started pulling me away from the crowd. 

I was so shaky that I allowed myself to be pulled away by her. I was so sure that I would never meet this guy again, so sure that we would never cross paths, that dread pricked its thorns in me. Did he study here? He appeared a bit old to study here. 

“That is Apollo de Vries, elder son of the Alpha of the pack. He is not only the heir of Alpha, he runs his father’s business as well and these people own half this place. This school belongs to them. You just don’t want shit with them. They will make your life miserable, especially Apollo.” 

I was so jittery that I mumbled something incoherent. I didn’t want to have anything to do with them. I hoped that he forgot me and that I was just another woman in his life. I was sure he had many. “Then why is he here?” Definitely a playboy!