His unexpected mate [the green coven series]

BOTANY MEETING

ALICE POV

The next morning, as I sat in the cafeteria nursing my morning coffee (or what they called coffee, but it was nowhere near the rich espresso I longed for), Angie joined me. With a grimace and a wrinkled nose, I couldn't help but voice the questions swirling in my mind as I took the first sip of the disappointing brew. "How can they call this coffee? In 2024, how is it possible not to find a proper espresso for miles? How am I supposed to start my day now?" The girl burst into laughter, urging me to stop complaining. I pouted and pushed the mug away, silently making a mental note to find a solution to this nightmare of an average Italian, before we headed to the chemistry classroom together.

Angie appeared to be a ray of sunshine, her demeanor bright and cheerful, albeit a tad shy, with a genuine smile lighting up her face. It was comforting to have someone like her by my side, even if she didn't quite grasp the concept of real coffee—though that wasn't entirely her fault; they really should call it something else.

"Isn’t that the smell of garbage?" A blonde girl, with her fake eyelashes and who knows what else, sneered as we entered the room. Angie, visibly irritated, took a deep breath before responding, "Come on, Harmony, grow up!"

"Looks like the trash is talking! I didn’t know you had a backbone, you little brat," the blonde retorted, turning to her sidekick with a smirk. Angie glanced down, clearly embarrassed by the confrontation. Anger began to bubble up within me, her gentle smile fading away in mere seconds thanks to that fake blonde's venomous words.

Let's just say that I'm not typically one to submit easily. When it comes to confrontations or skirmishes, I'm usually all in, ready to fight tooth and nail. However, the absence of caffeine and the disruption of my usual morning routine had a greater impact than I anticipated.

I snapped in less than 10 seconds. I couldn't hold back any longer. I've never had much patience for bullies, and she seemed to be the ringleader. "Looks like the plastic surgeon decided to add a bit of silicone to your head instead of just focusing on your boobs. Or perhaps there's a lone neuron wandering around in your brain, unable to connect with any synapses."

My retort seemed to catch her off guard. She's used to being the center of attention and never being put in her place. Unfortunately for her, today she's in for a life lesson: the world doesn't revolve around her fake boobs.

Before she could muster a comeback, the professor walked in, saving her.l from my fury. All she could do was shoot me a glare.

Angie and I opted to sit together, far from the witch and her lackey, in the front row by the window.

"Thanks for having my back. She's always been a pain, and it seems like she's only getting worse as we grow up," Angie remarked.

"How do you know her?" I inquired in a low tone.

"She's from my high school.", she said with a shrug.

"Sounds like your high school had its fair share of troublemakers."

"More than its fair share, unfortunately," she sighed, her gaze returning to her notes.

The class proceeded without incident. Professor Mackenzie provided a general introduction and asked a few random questions to gauge our starting level. It was a good start to the semester.

As I waved goodbye to Angie, she responded with a playful wink. Hurrying toward the Botany classroom, I inadvertently collided with what felt like a solid wall—or rather, a rock-hard chest.

"Whoa there! Watch your step," the wall quipped.

Looking up, I found myself face to face with the guy sporting the most captivating amber eyes I'd ever seen. In that moment, I lost both my words and my ability to breathe. His sharp jawline, perfectly trimmed beard, olive complexion, and tousled brown hair, coupled with his impressive physique—broad shoulders and defined biceps straining against his snug black t-shirt—rendered me speechless.

I felt my cheeks flush as I gasped, momentarily frozen under his gaze. With a smirk, he gently nudged me forward, sending a surge of electricity coursing through me.

Regaining my composure, I stammered out an apology and hurried away, biting my lower lip in an attempt to regain focus on finding my next class.

I needed to get a grip; I couldn't afford to develop a crush on him or anyone else. It was time to buckle down and focus on my studies, no distractions allowed. Period.

Two minutes later, there he was, unmistakably in my class. Please, just let the ground swallow me whole now.

He caught sight of my flushed face and his lips quirked up slightly—a clear sign that he was enjoying my discomfort. What an as*hole. I silently wished for the floor to open up and swallow me whole; at least it would offer a quick escape.

"Are you following me? Are you my new stalker? You know, you could just apologize instead of bolting away and then stalking me later on," he teased, closing the distance between us.

The audacity. Such a jerk egomaniac, just as Val had described. Too handsome to not be a d**k.

"As if. You should be the one apologizing; I almost tripped over. No stalker here, just happen to be in the same class as you. Don’t get too excited," I shot back, rolling my eyes and surprising myself with the sassy retort. The embarrassment had been replaced by stubbornness, at least. And thankfully, my body had stopped betraying me; the flush had disappeared.

Seems like I've pissed him off. Not used to hearing a "no," huh? He's fuming! Whatever, I don’t need another psycho's attention. Had enough.

"Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that?" he growled, his voice dropping to a low, threatening tone that sent shivers down my spine—though I wasn't sure if they were from fear or something else entirely.

"Excuse me?" I retorted, internally reminding myself to stay calm and composed. Breathe, Alice, in and out. Don’t let this unbelievably handsome guy become the next regret of the year.

"Apologize. Now," he , compleately closing the distance between us in a couple of steps..

"In another life, dude. See ya," I shot back, feeling a surge of satisfaction as I managed to hold my ground. With him towering over me, almost a head taller and looking like he could easily reach 6.5 feet, clenching his fists and his amber eyes boring into mine, I took a step forward and briskly made my way to a seat as far away from the source of embarrassment as possible. Yet, the uncomfortable sensation of being watched lingered throughout the entire class.

When the bell rang, I dashed into the corridor, hastily swinging my bag over my left shoulder, eager to put some distance between myself and the weirdo.

As I hustled toward my next class, the blonde b***h and her minion intercepted me, their hands up as if to halt my progress. Lucky me!

"Listen here, little slut with the weird accent, you need to understand your place. Consider this a warning. Stay away from Alex if you know what's good for you; he's mine," she spat angrily, leaving me utterly bewildered. What on earth was she talking about?

"Whoa, sorry, I didn’t quite catch that, maybe because of my 'weird' accent. See ya," I replied with a touch of sarcasm, wondering if I had somehow stumbled into an alternate dimension during my flight over to the US.

"You've got to be kidding me! I said you have to—" She forcefully shoved me while yelling, attracting the attention of all the students nearby. She's completely unhinged. Though I'd never been in a fight before, I knew how to defend myself; Dad had insisted I take self-defense classes, always better to be safe than sorry.

"Harmony! That's enough!" A commanding voice boomed, momentarily making me feel like the ground was shaking beneath my feet. Mentally bracing myself for a potential altercation with the blonde, I couldn't help but wonder if the building was actually trembling.

I turned my head just in time to lock eyes with him once again.

So, the weirdo knows her. Is he the Alex she was referring to? Ugh, I need to get a grip. Who cares? Not me.

Suppressing the urge to put that brat in her place, despite feeling a surge of anger coursing through me, I reminded myself to focus on myself and avoid unnecessary confrontations. It's the safer option, and it's what I need right now. I can’t be involved in a fighting in the hallway.

She froze instantly, granting me the opportunity to slip away from her drama. What a queen of theatrics.