Chapter 2 - Troy

~Alice’s Point of View~

“Would you hit the damn gas already we’re so late and you drive like my dead granny,” I yelled at the driver.

I rolled my eyes. Stupid servants, never get anything right. You have to babysit these people just to make sure they do their job properly! It’s exhausting!

It was my second year at NASA and I already had quite the reputation. Image was everything and I needed to maintain it at all costs. I mean how can I expect to find the mate of my dreams if I slack off? No! He would have to be perfect and I needed to be perfect for him.

I looked at my hands in my lap and twiddled with my thumbs. I hated to be late. If someone was in my room I’d rip her hair right out of her scalp!

After a few minutes the welcome sign for the school finally came into view. North America Supernatural Academy. Seems like their PR person should be fired but then again no one went here just because of the name. You went here because you were the best of the best. The wealthiest, more importantly.

“Gregory, you dented my Louis Vitton luggage last year and I had to replace it. I should have taken it out of your pay! You will take the utmost care of my things and put them in my room before you leave,” I snapped. 

“Yes Miss Alice,” he said, dryly. I huffed.

Okay so I actually loved my new Prada set more but he didn’t need to know that. Daddy certainly didn’t need to know that either. 

“Miranda! Ohh thank the goddess,” I yelled just as soon as the car came to a stop.

I wanted to burst out and see my BFF but I had to wait for grandpa to get the lead out. Finally my door opened and I threw myself at her. I gave her a quick little kiss on the cheek and she returned it.

“You look sooo tan girl,” she raved.

“We summered on the yacht mostly but of course there were lots of detours,” I giggled, thinking of all the hot males I’d dated.

“I want to hear all the juicy deets! I didn’t get to go anywhere, mommy wasn’t feeling up to it,” she said, looking sad. 

Miranda’s mom had been sick on and off for years, it was just terrible. I hated sick people though, how icky! So I never visited her at home, I only saw her at school. I had to always remember to give her the appropriate level of understanding and pity. But not to overdo it. My psychiatrist said it came off as condescending when I did that. 

We were both she-wolves and our fathers were wealthy CEO’s. Mine in the tech industry and hers in textiles. She was just about the only suitable female who could be my BFF. The others I tolerated because it was expected and sometimes a girl needs an entourage.

“I already made it known that we were getting our same rooms as last year,” she said, proud of herself. 

“Oh thank the moon for that, can you imagine facing the dining hall? Watching sloppy neanderthals eat with their hands like they’ll never get another meal,” I said, horrified at the thought.

“I do have some bad news though,” she said, as I carefully eyed Gregory with my bags.

“Don’t tell me it's about Colton,” I said, gasping and being far more dramatic than necessary. 

“Oh no, he’s all good as far as I know,” she said, blushing.

A pang of jealousy hit me deep in my gut. Colton Whilshire was the governor’s son and the star of the football team. He was NASA’s most eligible yet most unavailable bachelor. But I was utterly determined. He was as Alpha as it could possibly get and if I didn’t make him my mate I would be devastated.

She quickly recovered from the mention of his name and we sat down. Not that I didn’t think Miranda wouldn’t be good enough for someone like him, but I mean … I was just   obviously the better and most logical choice. Rumor had it he was promised to some female in Europe.

I waited impatiently while she played with her skirt. I was sure my resting bitch face was saying it all but Miranda was often oblivious to my silent tantrums. I had to get a bit testy sometimes to get my point across even with her.

“So we both got signed up to show around freshman at orientation this afternoon,” she said. I could tell she enjoyed making this little announcement. I gritted my teeth.

“And how exactly does one ‘get’ signed up if they don’t do it themselves,” I asked, plastering on my best smile.

She looked away, guilty as sin. I rolled my eyes. She was too damn nice.

“I overheard the student council president saying they were overwhelmed and didn’t have enough people and…” she trailed off.

“Well I’m sure my person can just tag along with someone else,” I said, sharply.

“Oh no you can’t stand him up! That would be so rude. Nothing like ‘hey welcome to NASA figure it out on your own since we don’t care about you,’ or something,” she said, in shock.

“But I don’t … care. I’ll probably get some lowly scuzzy flea bag with a constant boner who tries to follow me around. What if he falls in love with me and stalks me! How will you sleep at night with that on your conscience,” I said, getting up and beginning to unpack.

She let out a louder than necessary sigh and just kept on, trying to wear me down.

“Well your guy’s name is Troy, obviously I don’t know what he looks like but the name is pretty hot. Think about how extra activities will look on your resume,” she said, getting to her feet. 

I waved her off. I was literally only fit to be a trophy wife, I would never, ever ‘work’. And who was she kidding? She probably wouldn’t either.

Four hours later Miranda was slapping a nametag on my chest as I glowered at her. How does she always manage to get me involved in these do-gooder functions!? Our school was supposed to be the most elite but of course they had to let in a small percentage of scholarship students. I wiggled my nose, picking up on a few that surely could use a bar of soap in their new student packets.

“Come on Alice, it'll be fun,” she said, rushing away from me. She knew better than to stay close when I was like this.

Ten minutes, that’s all this creton was getting from me. I needed to go over my schedule and ensure my advisor didn’t screw it up like she had last year. I simply couldn’t handle any classes before 10am, beauty sleep was essential. And if all went according to plan I’d have some late nights with my dream loverboy.

“Alice,” a deep voice bellowed just behind me. Great, probably some caveman, some--

I turned to see the hottest male my eyes had ever laid eyes on. I immediately froze, my jaw slacked and my hand stopped midair as I was about to lecture him about not wasting my time.

He was simply massive. A wall of muscle. He had pitch black hair, eyes bluer than the sky on a clear day. His skin was almost glowing, his tall frame towered over me like he was my protector. Like he would keep anything from harming me. He had a strong jawline with a bit of a pointy chin and was totally clean shaven. But there were some little sideburns that almost screamed bad boy. Rebel. Hmm, he needed a leather jacket.

What I should have been noticing was that he was the worst kind of dangerous. But I couldn’t care about that right now. He was the definition of beefcake with arms and broad shoulders that barely were held in by his shirt. Tattoos peeked out of his neck and his sleeves, begging me to follow them.

Suddenly a big hand waved in front of me, snapping me out of the weird suspended trance.

“You are Alice right,” he asked. My head moved on its own and nodded, my eyes not leaving his. I finally put my hand down, and tried to fix my face. What the hell? It was as if my brain left my body for a minute. Certainly all common sense had flown the coop.

“Ready to go then,” he asked, practically shooing me along.

He seemed utterly unphased by me and yet here I was … a blithering idiot!! Snap out of it stupid!

“Yes! This way,” I said abruptly, trying to take control but not walking in any particular direction. Once we had left the library I’d walked us absentmindedly to my house. 

“This doesn’t look like an academic building,” he said, getting a piece of paper out of his pocket. 

My eyes watched his every single movement with precise measure. I had to know what he was doing, my body demanded I get closer to him but that was ridiculous. I took a deep breath and inhaled him, cedar and something metallic. I couldn’t place it. Weird.

His pale blue eyes met mine as he handed me a paper that he’d fumbled to open. Was I making him nervous too? He’d certainly not let on if I had. Our fingers touched briefly and I was shocked to find his hand was cold. He was a werewolf, that much was obvious. But wolves are very warm creatures. Something about that other smell of his, I needed to pinpoint it.

“This is my schedule if you wouldn’t mind, maybe just pointing to the important places I’ll get out of your hair,” he said, smiling.

His perfect white teeth shone brilliantly from behind his deep red lips. His dark hair looked freshly cut, I’d like it a little longer. I’d like something to grab onto and--

“Alice,” he asked.

“Huh, yes,” I said, immediately looking at the paper. 

I saw him shifting his weight out of the corner of my eye as I looked down, maybe he was nervous too. What the hell was wrong with me?! I was Alice Westin and I did not get flustered by a male! I was always the one making them into speechless buffoons!!

“Oh goddess you poor thing, 8am classes everyday? That’s just awful,” I said, lifting my head.

“I’m an early riser,” he said, staring straight into my eyes. He didn’t blink and I was sure I didn’t either. I cleared my throat.

“Okay so math is the gaudy tan building over there that needs a good power wash. Literature is just beyond the athletics building in a giant mushroom looking theater like pile of sticks topped with a dome. Chemistry is in the math building and auto mechanics…” I said, almost with a snort.

Why did a wealthy shifter need to know that? I didn’t even know they taught that here.

“Is where,” he asked, waiting for me to finish. Oh he was serious about it. Hmm.

“Well I don’t know that one. Why do you even have that class,” I asked, truly curious.

“Some of us like to be useful with our hands,” he said, snatching back his schedule. 

I carefully eyed his large hands, they looked rough and like he was used to manual labor. Oh my goddess, He’s a scholarship student! How could I not have seen it? I finally took in his obviously mall ready shirt, his basic jeans and … work boots? I have been drooling over the help??

“Thanks for your time. I’ll let you get back to … whatever it is YOU like to be useful with,” he said, turning to walk away. 

My hands balled into fists, ready to tell him that I was very good at … at … hmm. I’d think of something!