Chapter 5 Jealousy
Hours passed, the discussion proving far more amusing than Selene expected. Time slipped by unnoticed until the bell rang sharply, signaling the start of their break and the chance to grab a snack. Chairs scraped against the floor as students stood, voices rising as the tense atmosphere from earlier finally began to loosen. Laughter returned, conversations overlapping as everyone poured into the hallway.
Selene closed her notebook calmly and rose from her seat, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She felt it again—that familiar gaze burning into her back.
She turned around with a brilliant, easy smile, “Kai, let’s go to the cafeteria.”
Kai blinked, clearly caught off guard when Selene suddenly spoke. She stared at her in disbelief, lips parting slightly. Selene let out a soft laugh, light and effortless, as if nothing strange had happened earlier.
“Come on,” she said casually. “Are you still thinking about what I said a while ago? It was just a joke. You know that.” She tilted her head, smiling sweetly. “Why would my sister be jealous of me?”
To anyone watching, it was harmless. Just two sisters joking around.
Kai stiffened for half a second at the sudden closeness—then forced a laugh. “R-right. Of course. A joke.”
Selene squeezed her arm gently, as if reassured. “Good. Then let’s go to the cafeteria. I’m starving.”
Without giving Kai time to pull away, Selene tugged her forward, still clinging to her arm as they walked out together.
As they walked toward the cafeteria, conversations slowly died down. Students paused mid-step, others stopped what they were doing entirely, eyes following the two sisters walking arm in arm. Whispers rippled through the hallway, curious and impressed.
Selene ignored them, her gaze fixed forward as she continued walking, fingers still looped comfortably around Kai’s arm.
The moment they stepped into the cafeteria, the atmosphere shifted.
Selene moved beside Kai, posture relaxed yet confident, as if she belonged at the center of attention without needing to claim it. She radiated warmth and charm effortlessly—her laughter light, her smile easy, almost careless.
Eyes lingered longer than they should have.
A few boys straightened unconsciously. Some girls whispered behind their hands, glancing between Selene and Kai in open comparison. Even those who had never paid Selene much attention before found themselves watching her now.
Kai noticed everything.
The attention wasn’t on her, not anymore.
Selene greeted people naturally as they passed.
“Hi.”
“Good morning.”
“Hey.”
Each response came back twice as enthusiastic.
At the counter, the server beamed. “Selene! Haven’t seen you smile like that in a while.”
Selene laughed softly. “Guess I’m in a good mood today.”
Kai’s fingers tightened around her tray.
On the other hand, Christopher appeared from the other side of the cafeteria, tray in hand. The moment his eyes landed on Selene, he froze. His brows knitted together, jaw tightening as his gaze swept over her. She was radiant, effortless, commanding attention without even trying and all the men in the cafeteria were looking.
A flicker of something possessive sparked in Christopher’s eyes—jealousy, unmistakable and sharp. He straightened instinctively, as if to mark her territory, but his pulse quickened anyway at the sight of her surrounded by admiration. Even the usual alpha confidence couldn’t mask the irritation creeping into his expression.
Selene, meanwhile, moved beside Kai, lightly looping her arm through hers, humming softly as she approached an empty table. Her smile was effortless, a perfect combination of warmth and mischief. Whispers followed her every step.
“Is she always like this?” a freshman boy muttered to his friend, eyes glued to her.
“She… she’s unreal,” his friend replied, jaw slack. “Like a queen or something.”
Selene caught snippets of conversation, barely glancing in their direction. It was all part of the game. She seated herself gracefully, still holding onto Kai’s arm for a moment before gently letting go, letting Kai take the seat beside her.
As she set down her tray, several classmates drifted closer, eager to chat, laugh, or simply bask in her presence. Selene responded with light, playful charm.
Christopher approached cautiously, tray in hand, trying to mask the tension in his shoulders. “Selene,” he said, voice low and even, “it seems that starting today, you’re going to attract a lot of… attention.”
Selene tilted her head, a soft, sugary smile on her lips, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. The classmates who approached her immediately left the table.
“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be… just unbearable, having so much attention,” she said lightly, letting the words roll off like honey laced with steel.
His gaze flicked briefly to the boys still glancing her way, lingering a second longer than necessary, before returning to her face. He forced a polite smile, though the faint edge of jealousy was unmistakable.
Selene’s wolf purred beneath her skin, sensing his protectiveness and the simmering frustration he couldn’t fully hide. She leaned back slightly, stretching with effortless grace, letting the sunlight streaming through the cafeteria windows catch the glint in her eyes.
Christopher took a deep breath, then slid his tray onto the table beside Selene, seating himself with a calm, deliberate authority. His gaze flicked toward the boys still stealing glances at her, and his jaw tightened ever so slightly.
Selene’s lips curved into a soft, almost teasing smile, her wolf purring in quiet amusement.
The boys stiffened instantly, their whispers dying mid-word as Christopher’s eyes held theirs in silent warning. Selene leaned slightly toward him, her arm brushing his as she murmured sweetly, “Looks like someone’s jealous.”
Selene’s laughter floated above the cafeteria. She leaned back in her chair, letting Christopher’s presence anchor the moment, yet her eyes scanned the room with the careful awareness of a predator. Every movement, every glance, every smirk was deliberate—showing confidence, power, and just enough charm to keep everyone captivated.
Then—something shifted.
A subtle vibration pulsed through the air, brushing against Selene’s senses. It wasn’t the chatter of students, the scrape of chairs, or the clatter of trays—it was something else. Something familiar, yet electrifying.
Her wolf stirred sharply beneath her skin, nostrils flaring instinctively. The scent hit her first: rich, intoxicating. It carried a note that felt like home, like a long-lost memory she hadn’t realized she remembered. Her heartbeat quickened, each pulse resonating with the stirring of instincts she thought she could control.
Selene’s fur rose along her arms—not literally, but the sensation was real. Goosebumps rippled across her skin as her wolf nudged at her from within, restless and eager. The pull was undeniable. She could feel her instincts pressing her forward, nudging her to mark, to claim.
Her gaze lifted instinctively toward the source. Across the cafeteria, he moved with quiet confidence, unaware of the storm he had unleashed in her chest. Every step he took sent a ripple through her senses, a magnetic pull that twisted her stomach and set her wolf humming low, deep, vibrating with need.
It was a scent that made her want to circle him, to claim him, to protect him—and to never let him go. Familiar, dangerous, and thrilling all at once.
Selene blinked, heart thundering. She had smelled this once before, perhaps in dreams, perhaps in another life. And now—here he was. Her mate, her other half, standing in plain sight.
A low, almost inaudible growl rolled through her chest, her wolf’s way of greeting him, of staking a quiet claim. Selene’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile. This… was only the beginning.
Christopher, seated beside her, stiffened, sensing the shift before he could even name it. His protective instincts flared, eyes narrowing, jaw set. The boys who had been admiring Selene fell silent, oblivious to the tension threading through the cafeteria.
Selene’s gaze didn’t waver.
"I thought, Christopher is our mate?" Selene's wolf asked.