Chapter Five

Rieka Varon PoV:

After my little outburst on my brother, which was understandable in my opinion, I looked up for the first time to be met with the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. They're brown, but they're like a hazelnut with different brown shapes mixed in. They say brown eyes aren't particularly attractive, but only a few people can see the beauty that lies behind them. We probably stare at each other for longer than we should, and the more I become mesmerized by her futures, the more I feel something inside me. A storm longing to be let loose and claim what is rightfully ours. Before this feeling overwhelms me, I do my best to calm myself down and activate my most confident self. "Like what you see?" I smirk as I feel and see her eyes still on me. I asked her, breaking her stare and making her visibly nervous knowing I had caught her staring. She didn't realize I was staring at her.

“Ehm no … I mean, yes... no, ugh... I mean thank you for defending," she rambles, clearly nervous. She is adorable. Her cheeks turning a light pink color, her facial expression when she is frustrated with herself, or her brows clutching together. I can't help but think it's adorable, which makes me soft. Oh, hold on a second... I'm not supposed to think that way about her just yet. I don't even know what her name is. Rieka, get a grip. But before I can think of anything else, my werewolf appears to take control of the situation, making me feel more confident and at ease than I should. "Don't worry, I'm just kidding. By the way, my name is Rieka. Do you want me to show you around?" I asked confidently, already holding out my hand. What are you talking about, wolf? What are your thoughts? I mean, I'm confident, but not that confident, especially with such a lovely lady as her. Maybe it's a good thing, but all I'll tell my wolf is to keep it down. It still bothers me how quickly the werewolf in me reacts to her. But why is that?

Getting out of my head, I focus on her and notice the hesitation in her eyes, which vanishes in an eye blink as she nods and takes my hand. I have a strong feeling pulsing through me, as if my entire body is on fire, and I am feeling the need to protect and care for the girl next to me, keeping her close. I try to shake this feeling as much as I can by suppressing my inner wolf. I start walking down the halls, eager to show her around and make her feel at ease. "My name is Rosalie, but please call me Rose," she says, lightly smiling. That smile is stunning, just like her name. "A lovely name for a lovely girl," I tell her confidently, and seeing her blush only adds to my ego knowing I have that effect on her. "How about we begin our tour?" "That sounds good to me." She smiles at me, making my heart warm.

I walk with her through the halls, showing her the classrooms for the subjects she will be taking. We actually looked at our schedules and realized that we had almost every class together except the ones we chose. While she studies "Health and Physical Education," I study "Architecture and Design," which means we only study English, Mathematics, Science, and History together. That means we might get to know each other better if she's comfortable with me around her. Next, I show her the location of the office, which she already knows because Ethan showed her. Following that, I continued my tour by visiting the teachers' office, the principal's office, and the sports hall, where we saw my brother and some of his friends playing basketball. Ethan notices us and approaches with a light smirk on his face. "Would you mind doing us a favor and joining us for a little game?" He asked, a twinkle in his eyes and a slight smirk on his face. "I'm not good at it, so I'd rather not," Rose says, adding a nervous laugh at the end. Unfortunately, I know my brother and know that he does not take the hint; worse, we agreed that he would get to know her, but it appears that we need to reverse the situation. "Come on, sweetheart, that's no excuse. Come on, I'll teach you some throws." He simply takes her bag and places it before taking her hand and leading her to the basketball hoop. I notice her staring at me, unsure what to do. I simply give her a nod to let her know I'm available if she needs me. She gives me a slight nod and a small smile. As I watch him teach her how to throw, I struggle to keep the heat from rising in my body. Just the way Ethan stands behind her, trying to touch every part of her body even if it isn't necessary. I could feel her discomfort and anxiety rising as I sensed her emotions. She throws the ball into the loop, with his assistance, and jumps up, excited. Though I still feel the tension in the air, seeing her all excited makes me clam down a little. "You did fantastic!" My brother says he's going to pick her up and spin her. I immediately feel her stiffen and the fire within me rise. I didn't realize it until I felt the bench heating up and creaking because I was holding it too tightly. He makes her feel uneasy, and I have a strong desire to take her and drag her out. My werewolf is literally starving for freedom. I storm out before I lose control, opening the door with a BANG and running to the next bathroom in the hopes that some water will cool me down. I walk into the bathroom and splash cold water in my face. Calming my breathing with a technique taught to me by my mother.

Inhaling deeply and counting to four. One... Two... Three... Four. I'm holding my breath for 7 seconds. One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven. 8 seconds of exhalation One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight.

I can feel myself coming down from my high. Repeating the exercise until both I and my werewolf are completely calm. I'm not sure why she triggers me, or rather, why she triggers the wolf in me. I definitely need to discuss it with my mother or father. When I look in the mirror, I notice the golden in my eyes gently fading back to their forest green, indicating that I have calmed down and the beast has been tamed for the time being. Oh no... I left Rose and Ethan alone. Oh, no. I dash back into the sports hall, seeing that everyone has left. That is not good. She's probably thinking the worst of me right now. I need to find her and hope that my brother acted appropriately. I grab my bag from the bench and sprint out the door to my first class of the day. I hope she's there, because if she's not, I should be concerned. Not that I don't trust my brother, but he doesn't know when to stop and frequently crosses lines without considering the consequences. I walk into the History class room, take a look around, and find Rose in the back of the room reading something in front of her. I approach her and notice an empty seat. "Hey, can I sit here?" I inquire, smiling at her. She raises her head, frowning slightly, before nodding and giving me the cold shoulder. I sit down and take my belongings before our teacher enters and begins his lesson. I'm having difficulty concentrating during the lesson. I always steal a few glances from her when I see her focused and interested. I'm sorry for leaving in such a hasty manner, but otherwise I'd have a lot to explain. The majority of the information should be kept private. But how am I supposed to explain to her why I just ran out? It's not like I needed the beast under control, or that I didn't feel good seeing how my brother touched her, seeing them close, and feeling the strong desire to claim her and protect her at all costs. Ugh, Rieka... Stop thinking and get a grip. I feel a nudge and look over to Rose before I can continue spiraling in my own thoughts. "What made you leave so abruptly earlier?" She asks in hushed tones. I regret leaving her, but as I previously stated, I couldn't stand there without risking losing control. "I'm really sorry for just leaving, especially since I know you don't like my brother. But, uhm... I wasn't feeling well earlier, so I went to the restroom." I explain it to her, and I'm not even lying. I'm just choosing to ignore the reason why I didn't feel well. "Oh, don't feel bad. I was simply curious. Ethan wasn't all that bad after you left, but you're right; I still don't like him that much. Don't worry, he just brought me here." She smiles lightly, but it causes me to furrow my brows. Ethan is capable of acting appropriately. I'm blown away. "What's up with that expression? You didn't expect that from your brother?" With a teasing tone in her voice, she asks. "To be honest, I didn't, I say, laughing slightly. But maybe he can behave on occasion." "Perhaps he can" She smirks at me, clearly attempting to get under my skin. Before I can add anything to our conversation, I hear our teacher say, "Miss Varon, if you find my lesson so boring, you have the privilege of going and stopping to disturb my teaching." I look at our teacher, literally seeing daggers flying my way. Rose is also suppressing a laugh that is about to break out. I just stare at her before returning my gaze to my teacher.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but it will not happen again." He simply nods and continues with the lesson. That's going to be an exhausting day.

To be continued....