Chapter 2 Strange attraction

Owen's POV

I stared blankly at the principal, who was starting to get pissed off because I wouldn't utter a word. However, she couldn't complain, or she risked losing her job or worse, losing all the donations. My father owned this school and the entire pack, so she had to do everything possible to please me. My mind drifted from her to a certain auburn-haired girl.

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Dawson. It was just the normal protocol so that other students don't start to act out," she said anxiously. I could see beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Can I leave now?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Leave? Of course, you can. It's not like you are being punished or anything," she said, laughing loudly. I stared at her without even a smile. When she saw my expression, her smile faltered abruptly. She cleared her throat awkwardly. I picked up my bag and stood up.

"I apologize once again for the trouble. My regards to your father," she called out after me as I walked towards the door. I stopped. Something felt odd; it was strangely too quiet. I was supposed to be hearing growls, curses, and yelling, but I heard nothing. I pushed the door open and stepped back. Immediately, as the door opened, a bucket of water was thrown inside. I quickly stepped out of the way, and the water splashed all over the principal's office, desk, and clothes. I kind of expected something like that to happen.

"Mr. Hunter, come in right now," the principal called out, still in shock. Her clothes were drenched, but I couldn't care less. I hung my bag on my shoulders before stepping out. I met with the raging face of Nolan. I ignored him and headed towards class. He went in and shut the door with a bang. I could hear his voice from a long distance.

"Mr. Hunter, please calm down," the principal pleaded.

"Don't tell me to calm down. Why did you call him in before me? It clearly shows you chose to believe his side of the story. I'm going to call my lawyers. I will sue you and this school! I won't spare any of you!" he ranted loudly. I shook my head and headed toward my history class. The class became eerily quiet the moment I walked in. I walked towards my seat without looking at anyone. My eyes met with a pair of warm brown ones, and she stilled when she saw me. The sunlight streaming through the window cast a soft glow around her. She shined brightly.

She slowly walked towards me, her wavy auburn hair dancing with each step, her lips pink and inviting, her brown eyes sparkling brightly. Our eyes locked briefly in a fleeting moment of connection. It felt like there was a magnetic field around us, drawing us closer. I felt a certain warmth emanating from her presence, a comfort I had never felt before. I understood exactly what was going on. She was my mate. That was the only explanation for this attraction. I was never the type to get attracted to a girl easily, no matter how pretty or intelligent she was.

Yet, I felt attracted to this pretty stranger I had never met before. Our eyes conveyed our thoughts, and I could tell she felt the exact same way. The teacher cleared her throat, snapping us out of our thoughts. I had completely forgotten she was even here.

"What..." the teacher started, but Nolan kicked the door open and stormed in angrily. He walked towards me but stopped when he saw her also standing there. His whole demeanor changed for a while.

"You, scram," he ordered while still staring at me. The boy sitting next to him swiftly scrambled to his feet and hurriedly moved to another seat.

"Mr. Dawson, Mr. Hunter, it's nice of you to join us. Please take your seats," the teacher said. I walked towards my seat, and as I passed by, the students fearfully made way for me, while Nolan also sat in his seat.

"Miss Gonzales, do you want to introduce yourself?" the teacher asked her. She shook her head in a negative response.

"Alright then, please take this seat instead. There must have been a mix-up," the teacher said, pointing to a seat in the front row. She quietly sat there as the teacher continued with the lesson. My gaze absentmindedly drifted towards Genevieve. Her name tag, placed in front of her uniform, caught my attention. Each student had one, and Genevieve did. That name resonated continuously in my mind like echoing bells.

"According to the history of..." someone loudly popped their gum, interrupting the teacher. She paused but then continued speaking.

"What I was saying was..." the gum popping persisted, and I already knew who was responsible.

"Boringggg," Nolan rudely commented, causing the students to burst into laughter. The teacher glanced around awkwardly but didn't say anything. When the bell rang, Nolan was the first to grab his bag and leave the classroom, and the rest followed.

"Students, don't forget to submit your assignments on time. They will be part of your assessment," she reminded. I also grabbed my bag and headed out. The students immediately scattered upon seeing me approach. Some ran away, while others cowered. They whispered about me, thinking I wasn't listening, but I heard every word. I chose to ignore them.

"Did you see what happened this morning?" one student asked another.

"I didn't have a chance to. I arrived late, but I heard Deadly Snake and Raging Beast had another fight," the other whispered excitedly.

"Of course. I have a video of the fight. They both still look so handsome," she replied. As they noticed me approaching, they quickly turned toward their lockers. I continued walking towards the cafeteria, immediately I stepped in, and the chatter died down, leaving only whispers. I found an empty table and sat down. As soon as I sat, everyone at the table and row vacated their seats. The head chef, responsible for the kitchen and meals, approached me promptly.

"Good morning, sir. What would you like to have today?" he asked politely. I scrolled through my phone and showed him a picture of what I wanted.

"That's not on the menu," he started, and I stared at him.

"But we'll make sure to prepare it for you right away. It'll only take a few minutes," he said before leaving. I continued scrolling through my phone absentmindedly and unintentionally accessed Genevieve's social media page. Immediately, I turned off my phone, wondering what I was doing. The head chef returned soon after, bringing all the food I had ordered.

I stared at the food without any interest. I had lost my appetite and no longer desired food.

"I've lost my appetite," I told him, picking up my bag. He looked at me in shock.

"You should at least try the food, sir. You won't regret it," he insisted. The already quiet cafeteria became even much quieter as everyone eagerly awaited my response. I turned around and left, disappointing everyone. I wanted to go to the library and get some rest away from everyone before the next class started. While scrolling through my phone, I accidentally bumped into someone.

"What the hell?" she cursed, falling to the floor and rubbing her forehead. She must have bumped it on my shoulder. I was about to walk away from the clumsy girl. It wasn't my fault if she couldn't see where she was going. Until I noticed it was Genevieve.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise. The question came out naturally, even though I rarely spoke unless necessary. It took some people a whole year to hear what my voice sounded like, and for others, even longer. I only ever spoke to my family, except for today, which was a first. I spoke to a stranger. But she's no stranger. She's your mate, Genevieve. A voice countered. It could just be a coincidence; nothing was certain.

"I'm okay. Thank you for asking," she replied, getting up on her feet and using my hand for support. I snatched my hand back in shock, realizing I had offered a helping hand without even realizing it. I stared at her, and the electric atmosphere between us was undeniable. She broke eye contact first, picking up her books.

"Thank you again, Owen," she said before rushing off. Hearing my name roll off her tongue felt like fresh honey from a beehive. It stirred something inside me, something I couldn't explain or make sense of, no matter how hard I tried. I continued on my way, but then I felt something under my shoes. I bent down and picked it up. It was one of Genevieve's colored hairpins. I held it tightly in my enclosed fists, watching Genevieve's retreating back.