CHAPTER TWO - THE SMELL OF DESTINY

Aria froze, her violet eyes locking with Lucas's intense golden gaze. The parking lot seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in a bubble of charged silence. Lucas took a step forward, his voice low and tentative. "Hey... Aria, right? I'm Lucas." Aria tensed, forcing herself to maintain a neutral expression. "I know who you are." He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, a gesture that betrayed a hint of nervousness beneath his confident exterior. "Look, I just wanted to introduce myself properly. You're new here, and as the Alpha's son, I try to welcome everyone." "That's... considerate," Aria replied, her tone carefully measured. "But unnecessary. I'm sure you have better things to do with your time." Lucas's brow furrowed slightly. "Actually, I was hoping we could talk. There's something-" "There's nothing to talk about," Aria cut him off, her voice sharp. "We're classmates. That's it." His eyes widened, a mix of hurt and confusion flashing across his face. "But surely you felt... I mean, when our eyes met in the hallway..." Aria's heart raced, but she kept her expression cold. "I felt nothing. And if you're implying what I think you are, you're mistaken." Lucas took another step closer, his scent washing over her. It took all of Aria's willpower not to lean into it. "Aria, please. You can't deny the mate bond. It's-" "There is no mate bond," Aria snapped, her violet eyes flashing. "And even if there were, I'm not interested. I came here to study, not to get tangled up in pack politics or teenage romances." Lucas recoiled as if she'd slapped him. "I... I don't understand. How can you just dismiss this?" Aria's mind flashed back to her father's cold eyes, his brutal training sessions. His voice echoed in her head: "Love is weakness, Aria. And we cannot afford to be weak." She shook off the memory, steeling herself. "Look, Lucas. You seem... nice. But whatever you think is happening between us, it's not. I'm not the girl you're looking for." Lucas's jaw clenched, a flicker of determination in his golden eyes. "I don't believe that. I've never felt anything like this before, and I know you felt it too." Aria turned away, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze. "You're wrong. Just... leave me alone, okay? It's better for both of us." Without waiting for a response, she strode away, her heart pounding. She could feel Lucas's eyes on her back, but she didn't look back. Later, in her small apartment, Aria sat at her desk, trying to focus on her homework. But Lucas's face kept invading her thoughts. She groaned, pushing away her textbook. "Get it together, Aria," she muttered to herself. But as she stared at the blank page of her notebook, she found herself sketching golden eyes instead of math equations. Aria's mind wandered to the way Lucas had looked at her, with such open vulnerability. It was so different from the cold, calculating gazes she was used to. She imagined his strong hands, wondering how they'd feel intertwined with hers. Then she shook her head violently, disgusted with herself. "Stop it," she hissed. "He's just another entitled Alpha brat. You can't trust him." But even as she tried to convince herself, her treacherous mind replayed the electricity she'd felt when their eyes met. Aria slammed her notebook shut, frustrated. She paced the small room, trying to shake off thoughts of Lucas's broad shoulders and kind smile. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. "I don't even know him. And I can't afford distractions." She flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help wondering what Lucas was doing right now. Was he thinking about her too? Aria groaned again, burying her face in her pillow. It was going to be a long night. The next morning, Aria approached her locker with caution, still on edge from yesterday's confrontations. Her eyes widened as she saw the colorful array of flowers adorning it. "What the hell?" she muttered, glancing around nervously. Other students were already whispering and pointing. Vanessa's voice cut through the chatter. "Well, well. Looks like someone's got a secret admirer." Aria gritted her teeth, ripping the flowers down. "I don't know what you're talking about." Vanessa smirked. "Oh, please. We all saw how Lucas was looking at you yesterday. But trust me, honey, you don't want to go there." "I'm not going anywhere," Aria snapped. "And neither is Lucas. This is probably just some stupid prank." She shoved the flowers into a nearby trash can, ignoring the stares and whispers that followed her down the hall. In physical education, Aria tried to blend into the background. But as the class began a game of dodgeball, her instincts took over. A ball hurtled towards her face with surprising speed. Without thinking, Aria executed a perfect backflip, dodging it effortlessly. The gym fell silent for a moment before erupting in cheers and whistles. "Holy shit!" someone yelled. "Did you see that?" Aria landed gracefully, cursing herself internally for the display. She risked a glance at Lucas, who was staring at her with undisguised admiration. The coach blew his whistle. "Alright, alright, settle down. Cross, where'd you learn moves like that?" Aria shrugged, trying to downplay it. "Just... natural reflexes, I guess." Lucas's friend, Vulcan, grinned at her. "Natural reflexes? That was like some ninja-level stuff!" Aria forced a smile. "Thanks. Can we just get back to the game?" As play resumed, she could feel Lucas's eyes on her. She deliberately avoided looking in his direction, focusing instead on playing just well enough not to stand out further. After class, Vanessa and her friends cornered Aria in the bathroom. Vanessa's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Listen up, new girl. I don't know what your game is, but stay away from Lucas." Aria raised an eyebrow. "I told you yesterday, I'm not interested in him." One of Vanessa's friends, a redhead named Brittany, scoffed. "Yeah, right. We all saw how you two were looking at each other." "And that little acrobatic display?" Vanessa added. "Please. You're obviously trying to get his attention." Aria's patience was wearing thin. "I'm not trying to do anything except get through the year without drama. So back off." Vanessa stepped closer, her voice low and threatening. "Consider this your final warning. Lucas is off-limits. Got it?" Aria met her gaze coolly. "I don't take orders from you. Now, if you'll excuse me." She pushed past them, her heart racing. As she left the bathroom, her phone buzzed with a text. Her blood ran cold as she saw it was from her father. "How's the integration going? Remember your mission." Aria swallowed hard, shoving the phone back in her pocket. She couldn't afford any distractions, especially not handsome Alpha heirs with kind eyes. In pack history class, Aria's stomach dropped as the teacher announced partner assignments for a project. "Aria Cross and Lucas Kane," the teacher called out. "You'll be working on the Great Pack Wars of the 18th century." Aria closed her eyes briefly, steeling herself. When she opened them, Lucas was already making his way towards her desk. He sat down next to her, offering a tentative smile. "Hey, partner. Looks like we'll be spending some time together after all." Aria kept her eyes on her notebook. "Let's just focus on the project, okay? I want to get a good grade." Lucas nodded, his smile fading slightly. "Of course. So, where should we start? I was thinking we could focus on the Battle of Silver Creek. It was a turning point in the war." Despite herself, Aria found herself drawn into the discussion. "That's not a bad idea. But what about the political maneuvering leading up to it? That's often overlooked." Lucas's eyes lit up. "Good point. We could analyze how the different pack alliances shifted over time." As they worked, Aria couldn't help stealing glances at Lucas. The way his brow furrowed in concentration, the enthusiasm in his voice as he discussed pack history... it was oddly endearing. She caught herself smiling at one of his jokes and quickly schooled her features back into neutrality. "We should probably wrap this up. Class is almost over." Lucas looked disappointed but nodded. "Sure. Same time tomorrow to continue?" Aria hesitated, then gave a curt nod. "Fine. But just for the project." As she gathered her things, she could feel Lucas's eyes on her. She hurried out of the classroom, her heart pounding. After school, Aria headed to the parking lot, eager to escape on her motorcycle. But as she approached, her heart sank. Both tires had been slashed, the rubber hanging in tatters. A note was stuck to the seat: "Consider this a warning. Stay away from Lucas." Aria crumpled the note, fury and frustration washing over her. She kicked the damaged tire, letting out a string of curses. "Looks like I'm walking," she muttered, shouldering her bag. As she started down the sidewalk, a sleek black car pulled up beside her. The tinted window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.