Chapter Three.

Aleric Dolce POV.

Speeding down the pavement of the campus, the hum of my bike was powerful beneath my thighs, its vibrating sound sending a surge of adrenalin through my veins as I raced onto campus.

Instantly, an unusual sweet scent filled my nostrils, making a hard gulp run down my throat and my golden eyes glowed due to how inviting it smelt.

I could feel my wolf getting excited, his reaction to the smell was more like a warning, a feeling that he would lose it if I didn't find the source of that sweet, addicting scent and claim her soon enough.

I activated my senses, riding my bike faster as I sped onto campus, my mind completely forgetting that I was racing with my gangs previously as my only focus was on finding her. My Mate.

Scanning the crowd of girls who were jumping at the sight of my biker gang zooming into campus; I didn't give a damn about the college girls like I did before cause what mattered most to me was to find her, and I was sure that she was present on campus.

Then I caught it again—her sweet, inviting scent. A mix of honey, sunflowers, and lavender.

She was the one. The only person who could make my wolf stir and act the way he did. I knew she was somewhere among the crowd that was rushing forward to meet us, but as if guided by instinct and my senses, I turned in a different direction away from where my gangs were headed, and a shrill cry pierced the air, “Ahh!”

I hit the brakes just in time, narrowly avoiding a collision, and immediately got down from my bike, pulled my helmet then moved my gaze to the ground where I saw a beautiful pair of amber eyes staring back at me.

She had a cute baby face, which somehow made my heart flutter, her dark ink hair dancing along with the cool wind, and I felt my wolf growl within me.

MATE!

I knew my wolf was craving for her; her scent was like a drug, prompting an urge for me to mark her, to claim her as my mate but I refused to listen.

My sixth sense told me that something was wrong; I felt it in my guts, so I listened intently to the sound of her heartbeat cause that was what got me worked up.

My brows knotted into a displeased frown, unable to process why my mate's heartbeat would be freaking slow!

Her heartbeat was too slow for my liking, far different from that of the werewolves, which usually beat much faster than what I heard from her chest.

"Damn it! The moon goddess must be kidding me right now," I was in disbelief.

"Why on earth didn't she see a Beta, a Gamma, or anyone else? Why would I, Aleric Dolce, the heir to the Lykoria Throne, be given a human as a mate when I'm not some random Wolf she could throw anyone at?!" I cussed telepathically, very annoyed by what was happening.

I furiously raked my fingers through my hair, then darted my gaze to her face again, fury and disgust burning in my eyes as I glared hard at her, and she gave me a confused look, which I unexpectedly found adorable.

I diverted my gaze away from her face immediately to avoid myself from falling for her cause I could not imagine myself being mated or falling in love with a weak human. It would be such a shame and disgrace to my name to have a weak human as my mate and Luna.

I needed a Mate who was strong enough to stand by my side while I ruled my pack and not a human who could die anytime soon due to their lifespan or would be a burden on my shoulders while always falling victim to my enemies.

But I knew that if I wanted any clear answers about my claims, I had to touch her while also hoping that I wouldn’t feel the spark that signifies that she was my mate.

Shifting my gaze to where the girl had been, I was stunned to find it empty with no sight of her.

"Dammit!" I kicked my bike in frustration. "Where the hell did she go?!"

"Aleric," I heard someone call my name in a tender voice. I moved my gaze In the direction of the voice, I saw a blonde-haired girl holding a chocolate bar, her face all red with her gaze fixed on the ground.

"What do you want?!" I demanded, my tone sharp. She flinched, but I couldn't bring myself to care; my mind was consumed by thoughts of the human.

"Um… it’s been over a week since you came to college," she stammered, nervously fidgeting with the chocolate bar. My patience was wearing thin, my lips pursed, fists clenched and veins straining against my skin.

"I was worried about you. I thought you might not be feeling well since you missed lectures. But seeing you now, looking healthy, really warmed my heart. So I thought of giving you one of my favorite chocolate bars as a welcome-back gift." She held it out, smiling brightly at me as she expected me, the future Alpha of the Lykoria pack, to accept such a low-quality gift.

I angrily shoved her out of my way like she weighed nothing and she fell helplessly to the ground due to my strength.

I heard whimpering cries from behind, which I guessed was from the blonde, but I didn't feel remorseful, nor did I bother to spare her a glance as I walked away.

My senses heightened about to trace her smell when I saw the human I was searching for anxiously sprinting toward me, her eyes filled with worry—but not for me. She was focused on the girl behind me, rushing to help the blonde.

I deliberately grazed my fingers on her bare skin. The moment our skin touched, it was like a jolt of electricity coursed through me, igniting a tremor I couldn't shake off.

It hit me then: the human was my mate.

Damn! I can't let anyone know this. I have to either reject her or treat her like an enemy—cold and indifferent as if she's no different from my foes and slaves.

I slid my hands into my pockets, striding into the college building when I heard her call my name, making me halt in my tracks, my brows furrowing.

"Aleric Dolce!!"

I turned casually to see her marching toward me; her face flushed like an adorable, angry bird. It was amusing, but I kept a neutral expression, raising an eyebrow.

"What sort of human are you?!" she demanded, stopping just in front of me.

"Who in their right mind would push a lady to the ground like that? Do you realize how much you've hurt her? Do you even have a heart? She was worried about you, yet you just shoved her aside like she meant nothing!" she scolded.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a deep sigh. I was not in the mood for this drama, and being this close to her was intoxicating—a warning that I needed to back off before my wolf took over and compelled me to mark her as my mate.

Brushing off her words, I kept walking toward the college entrance when she suddenly grabbed my wrist from behind.

"I'm not done talking to you! Are you just going to walk away? Don’t you think you owe her an apology after what you did?" she demanded, and I finally snapped.

My thirst unexpectedly grew intensely as I swiftly slid my hand out of her grip. She let out a gasp when I pulled her tiny waist towards me and her plump breast slammed into my hard chest. I pushed her to the wall of the college building while my hand caged her against the wall like a predator.

As our eyes locked, I could feel the tension in the air, my tooth aching to sink into her skin as I titled my head into the crook of her neck.

She squirmed, trying to break free, "What’s wrong with you? Let me go! Someone help! Please, save me from this devil!" But no one moved. They all knew better than to interfere with me.

"What's going on here?" I glanced toward the voice and saw our college president stepping out of the building, but I didn’t shift my position.

My burning eyes fixed on her terrified face as she swallowed hard, still trying to escape my grip.

Leaning down to her average height, I was about to let my fangs out when I suddenly felt a hard kick on my groin, and I instantly fell to the ground, letting out a guttural groan as I held my shaft between my legs.

The little runt slipped away once she found the chance to because the President had butted in, taking my focus away from her for a moment.

"Run as fast as you can, bumblebee, but you can't hide. I will find you, and when I do, you will regret ever coming to this school." I swore to myself watching her petite figure sprinting away.