James's POV
I enter the doors of the school, half convinced yesterday was just a fluke and the half convinced I should just wait it out until his birthday. However, I'm a dumb fuck who is way too stubborn for my own good. Yesterday, I realized just how often I had seen Carramel and I had never noticed.
How? I'm not sure, though Alex claims my head is too far up my ass to see the simplest of things. I told him to shut the fuck up before I shove him up there next. Let's just say that my head still hurts from when he smacked me upside the head. With his fist. To my cheek. Hard.
I walk through the halls using my nose to follow the smell of Carramel to her locker. I put on my award winning smile as I approach her before I clear my throat last minute, aware of how easily Omegas scare.
"Good morning, Carramel." I greet as she turns around. Her frown turns into a smile but I notice it's not a friendly smile but merely a polite one.
'Guess I'm not the only one who disregards your presence.' Sloan snickers in my head. His ever presence support shining through immediately.
'I hope you step on your tail.' I answer and ignore his over dramatic gasp that comes. Sloan is the most sarcastic little shit I've ever met in my life. It worries me a bit when my pack figures out just how bitch my wolf is and not the domineering asshole wolf that other Alphas have.
"Good morning, Alpha James." She says back, averting her eyes as she turns back to her locker, grabbing the test of her books and enclosing her back inside.
"Just James is fine." I lean a bit closer and let my smile slip into one that has the girls melting in the spot.
"Ok. James. Well class is about to start. See you later." She waves shyly throwing one last polite smile over her shoulder before she's swallowed by the crowded hallways.
I stand there for a second, not understanding what exactly happened. Flabbergasted, I think the word is. I hear a loud laugh over my shoulder and turn to look at the source finding a red faced Alex laughing at me.
"You should see your face! She dismissed you so fast, what did you do, ask to smell her underwear?" I'm usually immune to her teasing but this is my Mate. My Mate that seems completely uninterested in me. I huff and turn to walk away from Alex.
I curse myself when I remember I can't exactly walk away from Sloan, sadly.
'You couldn't have said anything else? Maybe: Come sit with me at lunch, I need a tutor, Would you like to suck my dick and choke on it after school? There's so many options and you went with 'Just James is fine.'?! Disgusted!'
Tired already of my snarky wolf, I block his conscious from mine and finally arrive at my own locker. I gather the few books I need and head to Leader's Development. This is the class that all uprising leaders in their territories must take all four years, preparing us for whatever position that we hold within our communities. I walk into the class and take a seat beside Artemis, the upcoming Crowned princess of the Faerie Court here in Kaulike.
The Faeries' hierarchy is a bit different from my own. They don't have a Queen. The only one who can hold that position is their Love deity, the Affection Queen that they pray to. The leader of the Court is the Crowned Prince or Princess whoever was born first. The other children of the royal family can choose to be a Prince or Princess and help through the Court or they can asked to be released of their duties after they have found their Mate.
It's a respectable species, and the fairness and equality they preach in her small kingdom in her section of the city, made us very close friends very fast along with her and Alex.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, I see Alex enter the classroom and immediately turn to Artemis.
"Whatever he tells you, remember he's full of gas and bullshit. He's lying and deserves to fall into a pit of legos." I tell her seriously. Her face only shows amusement however as she watches Alex take the seat across from me.
"Good morning, Artemis." Alex greets. The gleam that's growing in his eyes, making me want to stuff black licorice in his mouth.
"Cut the crap, Lex." She responds, leaning forward over the desk towards him. "Give me the tea." I gasp, shocked, though not really, at the betrayal she shows me.
"And to think, I was going to buy you that white chocolate chip muffin you love so much at the cafe today." I shake my head in mock sadness knowing she would cave immediately. And she does not disappoint.
"What are you talking about, James. I hate Alex, he's a sell out." She says pulling back to cross her arms over her chest. Alex glared at her in disbelief as he scoffs.
"Says the one that just folded for a muffin!" Our banter is quickly shushed before either Art or I can answer.
"Hello, Class." Ms. K walks in as confident and stunning as ever. "My Mate's Monthly started last night. So. Let's talk about that." Giving is the flor as always, her attempt at letting us lead the class always refreshing.
"Incubi don't have Monthlies!" Someone shouts.
"Exactly correct. Tell us why." She says, going to take a seat on the edge of her desk.
"They need sex to survive, they only change if they find their Link, that's when only their Mate can please them." Another says.
"But whoever their Link is, they will fall into their Monthly. Let's say they get a werewolf lover. Their cycles would synch up and they would take on whatever the Monthly is for that species." Artemis adds as she picks the gunk from out her nails.
" Very good. Now tell me something I don't know about the Enchanted."
And the class continues like that. The students teaching each other and Ms. Z guides us along my favorite class of the day.
****
Lunch can not come fast enough. After LD, my day went to shit, I ripped my Economics textbook, was late to Species Bio, and stepped in an unknown puddle in Gym. In my socks.
At this point I was ready to haul Alex and Art out of here and head to the Cafe, sick of this place for the day. I had been so bored in Ecs, I had even let Sloan come back, but he quickly got bored with the teacher as well and went to sleep on me. Stupid wolf.
The only thing grounding me to this school right now is the promise of seeing Carramel. I walk to my locker, happy to see Alex already there waiting for me. "Hey, Lex." I greet, my voice sounding every bit as tired and worn out as my body feels.
"Hey, James. Still sulking about this morning, I see." I decide not to look at him like the strong smart Alpha I am. Because if I did, I would punch the smug look I'm sure he's sporting straight off his hairy face.
"Where is Art?" I ask back. Not meaning to add the growl to the words but they give the desired effect and gets Alex off my back enough for me to breath.
"She's meeting us in the cafeteria. She has to drop something off to her brother in History."
I toss my books in my locker only keeping my wallet before I almost slam the door. But I catch myself. Too many sensitive ears and feelings around to blindly let my dominance leak out in frustration like it wants to.
Alex and I quickly head to the cafeteria, waving and speaking to those who do so to us.
I'm stopped on the way by none other than Jessica. My lip damn near curls in disgust but I catch it. Her hand tries to wrap itself around my arm but I kindly unwrap her hand and step back, feeling Alex right behind me offering his support.
The tension in my mind and muscles has Sloan stirring out of his sleep. 'Not this loose pussy ass bitch, again.' He snarls, apparently not happy to be met with her face as soon as he wakes up.
"Hey James, I know you were just having a bad day yesterday so I'm here for you."
"Yesterday was a good day and I meant it when I said our Platonic had run it's course. But today? Today is a bad day. A very bad fucking day. So please walk, but make it away." I side step her and walk into the cafeteria. Not watching where I'm going I stumble right into a soft small body, my arms immediately catching the person as the applesauce in their hands land on my shirt.
I stare down at the stain and slowly look up, trying with all my might to reign in my temper. Once my eyes meet Carramel's I immediately cool a couple degrees, but she just looks terrified standing here in my arms.
Great. Just great.