The Alpha’s Mate

Chapter 3- Meeting Him

Majority of the seats were occupied, leaving me to settle into the nearest empty one. Almost immediately, I sensed eyes on me, accompanied by hushed whispers circulating throughout the room.

"Is she crazy? Why is she sitting in his seat?" a girl muttered.

"Someone hurry, get the new girl before she pisses him off," another person whispered.

It seemed everyone was doing a poor job at keeping their voices down. I couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious "he" they were referring to. Unaware of any assigned seats, I decided to relocate to the unoccupied seat next to me, especially since everyone appeared strangely concerned.

In a scene reminiscent of a teen drama, the atmosphere shifted as I rose from my seat. The door swung open, revealing a face both familiar and unfamiliar—the same guy from the picture in Principal Greene's office.

Dressed in a snug grey T-shirt and dark denim jeans, he moved with a confidence that demanded attention. His arrival echoed like a silent proclamation, and as his eyes swept across the room, it seemed as though he possessed the ability to draw the very air from its confines. An undeniable magnetism radiated from him, holding everyone's gaze. Uncertain whether it was my imagination or the surge of teenage hormones, my entire body tingled as his gaze locked onto mine.

Approaching without breaking the intense eye contact, he spoke in a deep, velvety voice, "Princess, you're in my seat." His hazel eyes, the most beautiful I had ever seen, held a captivating allure.

I glanced down, realizing I was so busy checking him out, I hadn't moved to another seat like I planned to. Blood rushed to my cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't realize this was your seat. I was just getting up to move," I mumbled.

He smiled, his captivating smile making my heart skip a beat. "No, it's okay, you can sit there," he replied, casually taking the seat next to me. His eyes lingered on me, and his gaze carried an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine, making my body feel hot and sweaty.

Seriously, what was up with this guy? And why was I so flustered around him?

Suddenly, the teacher rushed in as the late bell rang, a tall and lean man with ivory skin. "Good morning, class. I hope everyone had a good weekend. Today will be simple. We'll be starting the next play on our curriculum, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Read Act one, and then the rest of class time will be yours." As he settled at his desk, burying his face in his arms, I couldn't help but assume that he must have had a very good weekend himself. Hey, at least he didn't make me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. I would've died from embarrassment.

Great, I thought. I've already read the book at my last school. It was the one where the son murdered his dad and slept with his mom or something like that. I decided to refresh my memory with some online notes.

I tried to focus on studying, but I could still feel the hot, popular guy's heated gaze on me. After a few awkward minutes of silence, I cleared my throat and met his persistent stare. He showed no signs of looking away, evidently unconcerned about appearing like a complete creep. "Um, hi, can I help you with something?" I asked, irritation seeping in my tone.

His lips curled into a playful smirk, revealing deep dimples that seemed to carve into his cheeks like craters. "Nope, I'm just admiring the beauty in front of me," he said, his hazel eyes locking onto mine with a magnetic intensity. "What's your name, princess?"

There goes that nickname again. Princess. It sent a shiver down my spine, and my entire body seemed to catch fire. "Angelique," I managed to respond in a hushed tone, uncertain if he caught my name amid the chaotic beating of my heart.

"Angelique," he purred, his voice a sensuous melody, "a perfect name for someone as enchantingly beautiful as you are."

My name rolled off his tongue like velvet, each syllable caressing the air. Holy s**t, was it hot in here, or was it just me?

"Uh, thanks. What's yours?" I inquired, capturing my bottom lip between my teeth. His gaze fixated on the subtle movement, and he moistened his lips with a slow, deliberate flick of his tongue, sending heat straight to my core.

"Dante Greene. I'm surprised you haven't heard about me," he said, his eyes dancing with amusement, as if he could sense the effect he had on me.

Could you imagine? I would literally die right now if he knew why I kept shifting in my seat. Gushes of heat were currently pooling in my underwear like a relentless waterfall, and the more he spoke and stared at me like a predator locked on its prey, the more intense it got.

Ugh, teenage hormones. No one has ever made me feel this way; I don't know what the hell has gotten into me!

"I've literally been here for like five minutes, so no, I haven't heard about how popular you are, Mr. Dante," I replied, trying to be irritated by his cockiness, but really, it was doing strange, wonderful things to my body.

The coy smile remains on his face. "Damn, what a pity. I usually don't have to talk myself up."

"Yeah, I'm sure I probably would've heard about how girls just start tearing their clothes off when you walk into a room, huh?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.

I wonder if I'd be one of those girls.

No. Stop. I'm not thirsty like that!

He chuckled lightly. "You know, that really doesn't happen as often as you think it would."

I feign a pout. "Aww, I'm sorry to hear that."

By now, I'd completely ditched the classwork and my full attention was on him. It was a first for me, actually having a guy pay attention. I'm usually the quiet, nerdy girl who sits at the front of the class and doesn't make friends. So, his genuine interest piqued my curiosity. I couldn't help but wonder why he was drawn to me. Clearly, I wasn't his usual type, but hey, maybe my attempts at a little reinvention were starting to work.

He casually checked the clock at the front of the classroom and then shifted his gaze back to me. "What are the rest of your classes for the day? Maybe we have more than one together?"

I got out my phone and carefully examined the picture of my schedule (I wasn't about to take any chance of losing that crucial piece of paper). "Uhm, study hall, Statistics, and Psychology."

A slight frown of disappointment creased his forehead. He glanced down at his phone. "Damn," he mumbled after a long moment.

"What's wrong?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've seemed to have lost my number. Can I have yours?" he asked with a poker face, seemingly looking straight into my soul.

I couldn't suppress the girly giggle that escaped me. "Wow, that was a good one. I don't think your girlfriend would find that very funny."

There was no way a guy this hot was single, right? There had to be girls throwing themselves at him.

He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Lucky for me, I don't have one," he answered softly, his gaze lingering on mine, "but you do look a lot like my next one."

I giggled again, feeling the warmth spread to my cheeks. "Is that so?"

"Was that good enough to get your number?"

I pretended to ponder, running my fingers along my chin. "You know what, I think it was."

He handed me his phone, and I swiftly typed in my name and number. A look of accomplishment spread across his face. "Damn, that was easy."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment, realizing he could probably get anything easily from me at this point.

"Shut up," I mutter, my fingers grazing the defined muscles of his bicep as I playfully slap it. A surge of electricity courses through my arm, an intense sensation that sends shivers down my spine and ignites every nerve ending in my body. It's a bewildering rush, leaving me breathless and utterly captivated. What the hell was that?

The way his eyes widened let me know that he felt it too, but he also brushed it off with a casual demeanor. "So, is it okay if I text you during your study hall then?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded softly, aware that we only had a few minutes before class was supposed to end. Swiftly, I closed all the tabs on my laptop and stowed it away in my backpack. The bell rang loudly, prompting me to grab my bag and rise from my seat. I waited until most of the other students had filed out of the door before I followed them. I could feel the warmth of Dante's body as he trailed closely behind me. Stepping through the doorframe, I found Jasmine waiting for me in the hallway. Her gaze followed Dante as he silently walked past her.

"Hey, dummy," she called after him. He gave her a dismissive wave and continued walking down the hallway. I stared in the direction that he disappeared, silently wishing he would come back. The desire to see him again surprised me; after all, why was I missing someone I just met? And why did I want to know everything about him?

My thoughts were interrupted when Jasmine grabbed my arm and started dragging me down the hallway. "Hey, Angel, how was your first class? I forgot to mention that my twin was in your class. Did you meet him?"

I simply nodded, "Yeah, I didn't really get to talk to him much, but he seems like a really nice guy."

She scoffed, still scowling in his direction. "Yeah, every girl he meets seems to think that. Stay far away from him, okay? He's a dog!"

It was interesting how she was so cheerful towards everyone but her own brother. I'm guessing this was a sibling thing. She rolled her eyes, a hint of frustration evident in her tone. "Seriously, Angel, he's trouble. Don't let those charming looks fool you, you'll only get hurt."

A nervous, fake laugh escaped from my mouth, "yeah, duly noted." But why did a part of me still want to find out how much trouble he was?