Chapter 6 Lines Drawn

Aria stood stiffly in front of Kael's desk, her arms folded tightly across her chest. The brief lecture introduction had barely ended when he had signaled for her to remain behind. The reaction from the class had been immediate, whispers, nudges, curious glances thrown her way. "How does she already know him?" Aria ignored them all. She leaned toward Lili briefly. "Wait for me," she murmured before following Kael out of the lecture hall. Now she was here. Alone with him. Kael leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded as he studied her openly. The moment she stepped into the room, the pull slammed into him harder than before, sharp, undeniable, almost suffocating. He hid his reaction well. Almost. Aria, on the other hand, looked unimpressed. If anything, she seemed irritated to be wasting her time here. Kael let out a low chuckle, more amused by her expression than he should have been. "Relax," he said calmly. "You're not in trouble." She didn't relax. "The last time we met," he continued, "you were... rude. But I'll ignore that." Aria scoffed. "I recognized you in class," Kael went on. "I thought it would be better to clear the air. Maybe we could start over. Be... friends." The word sounded ridiculous even to him. Friends? His subconscious laughed bitterly. Since when do teachers and students become friends? Aria blinked in surprise, then her expression hardened. "Let me guess," she said coldly. "You followed me all the way from that party. Pretended to be my lecturer because you want to sleep with me, right?" Kael stiffened. "What?" She didn't give him time to respond. "Well, let me make something very clear," Aria continued sharply. "You are not my type. Not even close. And you never will be. So stop following me." She turned to leave, then paused as if remembering something important. "Oh, and my dress," she added, turning back. "The one your clumsiness ruined? I had to pay extra for it." She stretched out her hand expectantly. "So give me back my money." Kael stared at her for a moment-caught somewhere between disbelief and something dangerously close to amusement. Then, without thinking, he stepped closer. The pull surged violently. "Wait," he said, reaching out instinctively, not to grab, but to stop her from leaving. Aria froze when she felt his presence too close, her heart stuttering for reasons she refused to understand. She tried to step back, but the air between them felt charged, heavy. Kael met her gaze, his eyes darkening. For a brief moment, he forgot where he was... who he was supposed to be. "Don't you feel it?" he asked quietly, his voice low. "This connection. Whatever this is between us, it's not normal. We're fated"...... That was when she snapped out of it. Aria shoved him away with both hands, her eyes blazing. "Fated to be together?" she scoffed. "What, do you think this is some kind of werewolf supernatural fantasy?" She pointed at him angrily. "Listen carefully. Leave me alone, or I will report you to the school authorities. I'm not interested in your delusions." Without waiting for a response, she stormed out of the office, the door slamming shut behind her. Kael stood there in silence. He dragged a hand down his face and exhaled slowly. "First day," he muttered, "and I already messed it up." Yet despite himself, a slow smile curved his lips. Annoying. Hot-headed. Sharp-tongued. ...Cute. Lunch Break The canteen buzzed with noise, laughter, clattering trays, overlapping conversations but Aria barely noticed any of it. She stabbed her fork into her food with unnecessary force. "Such a delusional man," she snapped. "I still can't believe he said he wanted us to be friends." Lili, seated across from her, raised a brow as she sipped her drink. "Well," she said slowly, "maybe he likes you." Aria scoffed. "Likes me? Please. Men like him don't like people. They chase." Lili leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "I mean... think about it. He went through all that effort to call you into his office. That's not normal." "Or it's creepy," Aria shot back, chewing angrily. "Either way, not my problem." Lili hesitated, then added, "I tried searching him online. Nothing. No social media, no articles, no background. It's like he doesn't exist." Aria paused for half a second, then shrugged. "Rich mogul or not, I don't care. Maybe he just found his way into elite circles and thinks he's special." She took another bite. "All I want is for him to stay far away from me." "Still," Lili muttered, "it's weird. A man like that teaching?" Before Aria could respond, a shadow fell across their table. "Well, well," a sharp voice drawled. "If it isn't the campus favorite." Aria didn't look up. She already knew who it was. Annabelle. Her classmate. Her long-time tormentor. Aria slowly lifted her gaze, unimpressed. "Hey," Annabelle continued with a mocking smile, arms crossed. "Couldn't believe my eyes when I heard you spent so much time alone with the new lecturer." Lili stiffened. "Watch your mouth." Annabelle ignored her. "Tell me, Aria, was it worth it? Or did you already sleep with him?" The words hit like a slap, drawing a few curious glances from nearby tables. Aria set her fork down carefully. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" Annabelle smirked. Aria stood up slowly, meeting her eye-to-eye. Her voice was calm-but deadly. "Listen very carefully," she said. "I have no interest in you this afternoon. Get out of my way and don't spoil my meal." Annabelle's smile twitched. "Touched a nerve?" Aria stepped closer. "You've been obsessed with my life since forever. Jason chose to be my friend, not my lover and even after he left the country, you're still bitter." Annabelle's face darkened. "Pathetic," Aria finished. "Find a hobby." For a moment, it looked like Annabelle might say more but instead, she scoffed loudly. "This isn't over," she muttered as she turned away. "One day, you'll be caught." She walked off, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. Aria sat back down, her appetite suddenly gone. Lili exhaled. "She really needs help." Aria stared at her untouched food, her jaw tight. "She can say whatever she wants. I don't care." But deep down, something uneasy stirred. Because this time... Annabelle's words felt like a warning. And somewhere else on campus, Kael Ravyn felt the mate bond pulse violently, reacting to Aria's anger, her distress, her defiance. Whether she believed in his world or not... She had already stepped into it.