(Isabella)
My heart raced the moment I locked eyes with him, those deep ocean blue orbs sending shockwaves through me.
"You don't remember me? You kissed me yesterday," he teased, his sexy voice a rich blend of confidence and mischief that made everything inside me dance with chaos.
"Oh, hi, cupcake." I flashed him a playful smile, complete with a wink, trying to play off the tension I felt.
He chuckled, a rich sound that made my stomach twist. "You're bold for a kid," he remarked, shaking his head as if amused.
Kid?
"Hey, who do you think you are?" I shot back, my eyebrows knitting together in disbelief.
"Someone senior to you," he replied, that teasing smile never leaving his face.
Senior to me? My mind raced. He couldn't possibly be a teacher...he looked too young, too vibrant.
"Senior to me in what sense? I'm in my final year," I retorted, trying to uphold my pride. We had to be classmates at the very least.
"As long as you're in high school, you're a kid," he declared, a smug grin stretching across his face.
Who does this guy think he is?
"How old do you think I am?" I glared at him, feeling defensive. I might not be very tall, but I certainly didn't look like a child. I was 19; I had every right to call myself an adult.
"Young enough to be my younger sister, and she's your classmate," he replied with a hint of mischievousness.
Who... is he?
Just then, the bell rang, cutting banter short, probably signifying the start of class.
"Okay, I have to go. Bye," he said, casually striding away, all while heading straight into my classroom.
I scoffed quietly to myself. He was just another high school old hag trying to feel among. How childish!
As I entered the classroom, I noticed everything was mysteriously calm and orderly, students now looking prim and proper rather than the chaotic bunch I had seen moments before.
There he stood at the front of the class, exuding an effortless authority that had everyone in rapt attention. I shrugged off the weird feeling and found my seat behind Maya.
"So class," he began, his voice steady and authoritative. "Your previous teacher is currently on maternity leave, and it looks like I'll be stepping in as your class teacher." My jaw dropped in surprise.
He's a teacher? And now... he's my class teacher?
The room erupted into applause, students cheering and whooping in excitement. It sounded more like a rock concert than a classroom.
With a simple lift of his right palm, the chaos fell into silence as if he'd cast a spell.
"And we also seem to have new students in our midst," he announced with a warm smile that lit up his features. "New students, please rise and introduce yourselves."
My stomach churned. Not this introduction phase.
Maya stood up first, her posture confident. "I'm Maya Saunders from Golden Haven Pack. My parents own Saunders Textile, and I just moved here from Silver Hollow."
Silver Hollow is just another dominant and mundane pack trying to find its place between the mythic and the modern. My family and I were also kicked out.
"Good. Nice to meet you, Maya," he responded, genuine warmth in his tone.
"Thank you," she replied softly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Next person," he said, scanning the room with inquisitive eyes. I rolled mine, fully aware that it was my turn now.
I reluctantly stood. "Isabella Parker."
The moment I spoke, the room fell into a shocked hush, all eyes turned to me as if I'd announced the end of the world.
"Just that?" a girl challenged, her brow arched with disbelief.
"Am I supposed to begin listing out my righteousness and unrighteousness?" I shot back, annoyance creeping into my voice.
"Duh," she replied, flipping her hair as if the response elevated her status.
"Nice to meet you, Isa," Calvin said, and I forced a smile.
"Be good to them, class," he instructed, and the students nodded in unison, their attention completely captivated by him.
Maya and I sank back into our seats, and he turned to the board, writing 'Mathematics' with a flourish.
Oh boy! He's not just any teacher, he's the teacher of the subject I hate the most.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said, turning back to the class. "I haven't introduced myself yet to you new students."
"I'm Calvin Rayn..."
"Alpha Calvin Rayn," the entire class chorused in unison, and my breath caught in my throat.
Alpha?
The weight of his title settled in like a thick fog. The sheer implication sent my heart racing.
"Okay," he chuckled, his warm eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. "I'm Calvin Rayn, Alpha of the Golden Haven Pack and your Mathematics professor."
Oh, moon goddess, what have I done? In a moment of reckless action, I had kissed my Alpha, my Mathematics professor, and my teacher!
"So you see, Isa, I'm really senior to you," he continued, his gaze playful yet firm as it met mine. I nodded, a blush creeping up my cheeks—he was undeniably more than just senior; he was my alpha in every sense of the word.
"And you're just a kid to me," he added lightly, and suddenly, all eyes were on me, the intensity almost suffocating. I could feel the daggers of jealousy aimed sharply from the feminine gazes surrounding me.
"Relax, I never asked him out," I said, rolling my eyes in an attempt to brush off the glaring attention.
"Now, let's get started with today's lesson," he said, his demeanor shifting from casual to authoritative. "Mathematics might seem daunting, but it's a subject that lays the foundation for many things in life. You need to approach it with an open mind."
As he delved into the topics, I tried to remain focused, but my thoughts kept straying back to the intensity of the previous day and our unexpected kiss. I felt heat creep up my cheeks whenever I caught a glimpse of him at the front of the classroom. His voice was alluring, but not effective enough to pull me into this thrash called Mathematics. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't understand it. I'm a star student, but just not in Mathematics.
He moved around the classroom, asking questions and encouraging participation. "Maya, let's say you have an equation here..." He pointed to a problem on the board, engaging her in a discussion. She answered quickly, and he nodded approvingly.
Then he looked towards me, "Isa, can you solve this one?"
Caught off guard, I quickly scanned the problem. My heart raced, but I forced myself to concentrate. "Maybe," I answered, approaching the board boldly. One thing about me, I never lack confidence.
As I tried to write the solution, I could feel the eyes of my classmates boring into my back, their whispers soft yet present. I took a deep breath, focusing on the problem rather than the gossip swirling around me.
In a few minutes, I handed the marker back to him. He fell speechless not from amazement, but from disappointment. "Isa..." he trailed off.
"Boo!!!" The whole class erupted except from Maya and another girl who strangely looks a lot like Calvin. Might be the sister he talked about earlier.
"Silence!" Calvin ordered, his voice reverberating in the room.
"I will not accept that in my class," he added.
"Actually I don't a give a fuck, they can keep booing their asses off," I said and walked back to my seat. The shock written on Calvin's face was palpable but I don't care.
"Meet me in my office before the end of today, Isa," he said.
"Yes, sir," I answered uninterestingly.
As the class went on, the mood shifted back to the routine of numbers and equations, but the air felt thick with unspoken tension. I could feel Calvin's eyes occasionally drifting toward my direction, his expression a mix of frustration and intrigue.
Calvin continued explaining mathematical concepts, but the terms felt distant to me. I tried to focus, scribbling notes as a way to appear engaged, but all my mind could conjure were thoughts about hugging my pillow. As he roamed around, I caught him glancing at me when he thought I wasn't looking, the corners of his lips curling into a subtle smile before he would refocus on teaching.
"Alright, class, that will be all for today," he announced.
Oh, thank goodness!
"Remember to turn in your assignments tomorrow," he reminded as he packed up his things.
With one last glance at me, he walked out of the class.
My phone beeped, breaking through the chatter around me. I pulled it from my bag and found a text from my mom: "Have you arrived at school?"
Since my parents had to rush off to work this morning, I had to navigate my first day all on my own.
"I just finished math class," I replied, tapping my fingers against the screen.
Within seconds, my phone chimed again. "Good. Please be good, Isa, and don't cause trouble."
I rolled my eyes and tucked my phone back into my bag, only to look up and find two handsome boys looming over me, their expressions mischievous.
"Well, what do we have here?" one of them smirked, his eyes glinting with playful challenge.
"A newbie you don't want to bully," I shot back, matching his smirk with one of my own.
It was the classic high school scene: the bullies made their entrance on the first day, eager to establish dominance. But I refused to be an easy target.
"Oh, come on, Isa, we're the good guys, we promise," the other one chimed in, his smile disarming.
"Well, I'm not exactly a good girl," I retorted with a grin.
"It was nice meeting you," the first guy said, giving my shoulder a friendly pat before they sauntered off. I watched them go, feeling more empowered.
Maya, who had been quietly observing, turned to me with a grin. "You're hot, Isa. I want to be like you."
"You should just be yourself," I advised, leaning back in my chair with a relaxed demeanor. "Just don't let them walk all over you."
Just then, a girl approached, the girl who looked strikingly similar to Calvin. The only differences were her long hair and the dimples gracing her cheeks.
"Hi, Isa," she beamed, her smile brightening the air around us. I returned her greeting with a nod, curious about her.
"I'm Clara Rayn. My brother is the guy that just left the class," she explained, and I nodded again, putting the pieces together.
"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me. I'm the class president," she added, her voice full of enthusiasm. I gave another nod.
"Okay, bye," she smiled again and left.
Just then did someone stride into the classroom...angry kitty from yesterday, the one who seemed like Calvin's girlfriend.