BRYCE
I didn't sleep.
How could I, when my wolf was pacing restlessly inside my chest, whining and clawing like I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life?
I lay in my narrow dorm bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the events of the party over and over in my mind. Specifically, I kept replaying her.
Sloane Pierce.
Even her name felt dangerous on my tongue.
I shouldn't have gone to that party. I knew better but a Beta named Kia had told me that I needed to come before sophomore year got too intense. He'd somehow gotten to me, and in a moment of weakness, although I had put on a strong facade I'd agreed which was the biggest mistake of my life.
The party had been exactly what I'd expected. It was loud, crowded, reeking of alcohol and privilege. I'd planned to show my face for ten minutes, then leave. No one would notice because no one ever noticed me except she had.
I rolled onto my side, punching my pillow in frustration. My body was still humming with adrenaline, with something I didn't want to name. The moment she'd approached me, I'd known I was in trouble.
She'd been beautiful in a way that felt almost unfair. Dark hair that fell in perfect waves past her shoulders, pale skin that seemed to glow in the dim party lighting, and those eyes, dark, intense, predatory.
She'd moved through the crowd like she owned it, like she owned everything and everyone in that room and maybe she did but what had really gotten to me, what had made my wolf sit up and take notice in a way that.
I'd smelled plenty of Alphas before, most of them reeked of aggression and dominance, pheromones designed to make Omegas submit. I'd learned to block it out, to not let it affect me but Sloane's scent had been different.
Rich, intoxicating, with notes of vanilla and something darker, and more dangerous. It had wrapped around me like silk, making my head spin, making my wolf whimper and press forward like it wanted to—
Fucking hell! Hell no. I wasn't going to think about what my wolf had wanted.
I sat up abruptly, running my hands through my hair. My room was still dark, the first hints of dawn just starting to creep through the window. I'd been lying here for hours, tormenting myself. The worst part was that when she'd told me she was going to kiss me, part of me had wanted to let her.
A huge, traitorous part of me had wanted to see what those blood-red lips felt like against mine, it wanted to know if she tasted as good as she smelled, and it wanted to feel those elegant hands on my body and that was exactly why I'd said no because wanting someone like Sloane Pierce was a death sentence for someone like me.
She was an Alpha, wealthy, powerful, and dangerous while I was a poor Omega on a scholarship, trying to survive long enough to graduate and get my family out of poverty.
We existed in completely different worlds, and any interaction between us would only end one way, which is with me getting hurt.
So I'd done the smart thing, I'd said no I'd walked away even if my wolf was still howling about it hours later.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, and I grabbed it, grateful for the distraction.
Mira: Can't sleep either?
I frowned, it was barely five in the morning.
Me: How did you know I was awake?
Mira: Sister intuition. Also, you're always awake when you're stressed. What happened?
I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Should I tell her? She'd warned me about Sloane specifically. She'd probably say "I told you so" and then lecture me for three hours about staying away from dangerous Alphas but Mira was also the only person I could really talk to about this.
Me: I went to a party last night, and I made a mistake.
Mira: Oh god. What kind of mistake? Do I need to come back to campus?
Me: No, nothing like that. Just... ran into someone I shouldn't have.
There was a long pause, then my phone rang. Of course she'd call.
"Tell me everything," Mira demanded the second I answered. "And don't leave anything out."
I sighed, getting out of bed and moving to the window. The campus was quiet at this hour, peaceful. "It's not a big deal—"
"Bryce Carter, if you say it's not a big deal one more time, I'm driving back there right now."
Despite everything, I smiled. "Okay, okay, I went to a party at the Blue Moon house—"
"You what?" Her voice went shrill. "Are you fucking insane? I specifically told you to stay away from—"
"I know," I cut her off. "And I was planning to leave after ten minutes but then..." I trailed off, not sure how to explain what had happened.
"But then what?" Mira pressed.
"Sloane Pierce approached me."
Silence, complete, utter silence, and then: "She what?"
"She approached me, she said she was going to kiss me for some dare or something, I think. There was a whole crowd watching." The memory made my stomach twist with embarrassment. "and I said no."
More silence.
"Mira?"
"You told Sloane Pierce no?" Her voice was strangled, like she couldn't decide between horror and pride. "In front of people?"
"Yeah."
"Holy shit, Bryce. Holy shit."
I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of the window. "I know. I fucked up."
"No, I—" She paused. "Actually, I'm proud of you. Nobody tells that entitled bitch no, you have more guts than half the Alphas on that campus."
"I don't feel gutsy, I feel like I just painted a target on my back."
"You probably did," Mira said bluntly. "Sloane doesn't handle rejection well from what I've heard, she doesn't handle rejection at all."
"Great, that makes me feel so much better."
"But," Mira continued, her tone softening, "you did the right thing. You stood up for yourself, and you didn't let some arrogant Alpha push you around just because she wanted to play with you."
"She smelled really good," I blurted out, then immediately wanted to take it back.
Mira was quiet for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"Her scent, it was... different, not like other Alphas." I struggled to find the words. "My wolf reacted to it strongly."
"How strongly?"
"I don't know, it was weird, and intense." I rubbed my chest, where my wolf was still restless. "But it doesn't matter. I'm staying far away from her."
"Good plan." But Mira sounded worried now. "Bryce, promise me you'll be careful. If your wolf is reacting to her like that, it could mean—"
"Don't," I cut her off. "Don't even say it."
Mate bonds were rare, especially between Alphas and Omegas from completely different social classes and even if they weren't rare, I didn't want one. I'd seen what the mate bond did to people, it made them irrational, dependent, and vulnerable.
I needed to be strong, focused, and independent not tied to some arrogant Alpha who saw people as toys.
"Okay," Mira said gently. "I won't but just... be aware, okay? And if she starts bothering you, call me immediately."
"I will."
"I mean it, Bryce. I don't care if it's three in the morning, you call me."
"I promise."
We talked for a few more minutes before Mira had to go get ready for work. After we hung up, I stayed at the window, watching the campus slowly wake up.
Students started trickling across the quad, heading to early morning classes or the gym. Normal people living normal lives, and unaware that I'd just done something monumentally stupid.
My phone buzzed again, and I glanced at it expecting another text from Mira but instead, it was from a number I didn't recognize.
Unknown: You made quite an impression last night.
My stomach dropped. No. No way.
Unknown: Don't worry, I'm not mad. Actually, I'm intrigued. Nobody's ever said no to me before, Bryce Carter. You've made yourself very interesting.
How did she get my number? How did she even know my full name?
My hands were shaking as I typed back.
Me: Leave me alone.
Unknown: Now where's the fun in that? See you around, beautiful.
I stared at my phone, my heart pounding. This was bad, this was very, very bad but a small, traitorous part of me, the same part that had wanted to let her kiss me felt a thrill at her words.
Beautiful.
She'd called me beautiful.
I shook my head violently, as if I could physically dislodge the thought. No, I wasn't going down this road. I wasn't going to let some entitled Alpha get into my head.
I had classes to focus on, a degree to earn, and a family to support. Sloane Pierce was a distraction I couldn't afford even if my wolf was still whining for her scent.