Chapter 7 She's Special
Zion
Seeing Phoenix Mathews in a female version—or whoever this girl pretending to be him is—really piqued my interest. Her bright pink lips practically begged to be kissed, tempting me every time I looked at them. Lucky for me, we're in the same dorm; now I can see her whenever I want.
She’s different.
Ever since we bumped into each other at the hospital, she's been like a magnet pulling me in. Her scent—hazelnut chocolate—made my mind waver. My wolf side craved her more than any other girl in this school.
Now, here she was, sitting across from me, shifting awkwardly and glancing at everyone one by one. She seemed intimidated by Hayden, but I thought she's strong enough to stand up to him—just like she did last night. It’s one of the things about her that stirred something deep inside me.
“Get it yourself. You still have hands,” Hayden said, his voice flat, directing the command at the fake Phoenix, who remained seated quietly.
I played the role of the spectator between them. Hayden’s always cold, while she tried to obey, though I heard a faint growl from her now and then. I could’t help but smile as I chewed on the scrambled eggs Finley made.
“Sure.” Phoenix’s response is curt, her mouth full. “I’d like some milk. Is there any left?”
“There’s one bottle left. Want me to warm it up?” Finley offered, turning on the stove, and Phoenix nodded quickly, her mouth still full.
The dining area connected directly to the kitchen, and with all five of us around a big table, it felt cramped—especially for someone tall like me. I tucked my legs under the table so everyone can actually start enjoying their breakfast.
At first, I never cared about others' comfort. In fact, I was usually the one making things uncomfortable. But everything changed after my mom had an accident and lost her sight. Yeah, even werewolves could go blind from accidents. I couldn’t handle it at first.
Slowly, I started adapting, avoiding unnecessary conflict. Though I still dated almost every girl at Livingstone, I admitted I haven’t completely shed that old image. It’s fun having them fawn over me.
“Zion, get the team ready in half an hour. Coach Cooper’s coming. I’ve got some business to handle,” Hayden said, still focused on his phone, not even looking at me.
After a quick glance at his phone, he left the room. I finished my breakfast and asked Phoenix to help me set up the equipment in the training room. Practice didn’t start for another two hours, but I didn’t want to hear Hayden complain if the room’s not ready when he arrived.
“Can’t you wear a shirt?”
I turned from the strategy board and glanced at her. After pinning a red tack on the board, I met her gaze. “I’m hot. Is that a problem for you? If you’re hot, you can take yours off too.”
Her eyes widen, and I chuckled. I said it on purpose, just to saw if she'd stand her ground. Crossing my arms, I waited for her reaction, but she stayed still.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s nothing to say. I’ll just lower the room temperature instead of taking my shirt off.”
“There will come a time we’ll shower together, Mathews,” I said, lowering my arms and turning back to the strategy board. “Should be fun. We’ll whip towels at each other.”
She didn’t laugh, but I cought a snort as she adjusted the AC to lower the temperature.
That familiar hazelnut chocolate scent hit me again, even stronger now. I glanced at Phoenix, who's placing her phone charger on the table. Every second brought me closer to her. At first, she didn’t notice as I moved silently, but then she shifted back, bumping into the edge of the table.
“Your scent… are you wearing perfume?” My voice drops, low and almost reluctant as I tried to keep my distance.
“No. What are you doing? Keep your distance, Glass!” she snapped, but I heard the breathlessness in her voice.
“I can’t. Your scent draws me in automatically.”
I cornered her. Her head tilted back, meeting my chest as she lowered her gaze in submission. My thumb brushed under her chin, tilting her face up to meet mine. I leaned in, letting my lips brush against hers in a single, irresistible kiss.
Strange...
Instead of pulling away, Phoenix met my movements, her cold, delicate hands resting gently on my chest without any resistance. It made me want to push further, to demand more from her.
But I paused, noticing she’s not breathing. Her innocent expression brought me back to reality. What the hell am I doing?
“I’m sorry. I went too far.”
I rushed to the bathroom, splashing water on my face. This was insane. If it were any other girl, I’d have kissed her right here. Five minutes usually did the trick, but with Phoenix... I couldn’t.
I knew this will either push us to avoid each other or forced us to pretend it never happened. I felt like an idiot, completely enchanted by her scent. I ran my hands through my hair, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
\[She’s your mate, Zion. That explains why you’re drawn to her scent. Mark her soon!\]
I hears Kirk’s voice, urging me toward Phoenix. But this is more complicated than anyone can imagine. We’re on the same esports team, and I didn’t want to be tied down to any one girl. They’re just too much trouble.
After splashing my face with cold water and drying off, I stepped out of the bathroom. She’s gone. Only Adonis and Finley are in the training room, just arriving. I didn’t even bother asking about Phoenix and decided to track her down myself.
But when I get to her room, she’s not there. Sharpening my sense of smell, I followed her unique scent down the hall and up the stairs, finally reaching the access door to the rooftop. There she was, staring out at the forest behind the school.
“I was looking for you, Mathews.”
“Why were you looking for me?”
“I wanted to explain. I didn’t mean to... well, I don’t know what happened. Your scent was so damn enticing. Don’t you realize?”
“I can’t smell my own scent, Glass. Listen, I’m still normal, so don’t cross my boundaries here.” She pointed to herself, “Consider what happened a mistake. I don’t want anyone else to know, especially Hayden. He’s already giving me enough trouble. I hope you’ll keep your distance. For the team’s sake.”
“I know you’re a girl, Mathews. Whoever you are, Phoenix. You’re the one causing trouble for the team. You’ve been lying to us.”
Phoenix’s mouth dropped open. She looked away, avoiding eye contact, her face turning whenever I tried to meet her gaze. She’s not like other girls.
Not just words.