Chapter 106

Chapter 106
Riley’s P.O.V
I was counting down the days.
Eighteen.
Eighteen meant everything. The first shift. The first howl. The first taste of what it really meant to be a wolf, not just a girl pretending to be brave. It meant finally meeting my other half—my mate. The one person the moon had chosen for me. The one I was destined to be with.
And I was so ready.
My fingers tapped a rhythm on the window of the car as it drove me to school, the sky still a little gray from dawn. The campus looked the same—marble hallways, polished floors, banners hanging like old promises. But everything inside me was shifting. Restless. Wild.
I wanted more than rules and perfect grades. I wanted my wolf. I wanted freedom.
The moment I got to school, I found Zoey lounging against the wall near the lockers, chewing on a stick of gum like she owned the place. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.
“Morning, future she-wolf of legend,” she teased, looping her arm through mine as we started walking toward first period.
I grinned. “Thirty-seven more days.”
She blinked. “You’re actually counting?”
“Of course I am,” I said, clutching my books tighter. “The moment I turn eighteen, I shift. I finally feel my wolf. And maybe—just maybe—I find out who my mate is. You don’t get it, Zo. That’s… everything.”
She snorted. “Yeah, yeah. Soulmate. Forever love. Destiny. Blah blah blah. Honestly, it sounds kind of intense.”
“It’s supposed to be,”I said, bumping her shoulder. “It’s sacred.”
“But what if your mate sucks?”she said bluntly. “What if he’s like, ugly? Or controlling? Or obsessed with sluts?”
I laughed despite myself. “I doubt the Moon Goddess would pair me with a womanizing bro.”
“You never know,”she said, eyes wide with faux horror. “But seriously, Ri… You’re so focused on this mate thing that you’re missing out on all the fun stuff. Like, why wait for some mystery man when you could just date now? Get some experience. Make mistakes. Fall in love with the wrong person. That’s what being young is for.”
I paused. “You think I should have a boyfriend? Now?”
“Why not? You’re hot. You’ve got that whole innocent-but-mysterious Alpha daughter vibe. Trust me, guys eat that up.”
I bit my lip, feeling the heat crawl up my neck. My thoughts flickered to Rhys—the boy from the club. The boy who had kissed me like he’d already claimed a part of me. The one who showed up at school yesterday and flipped my entire world sideways. Every time I thought about him, my chest tightened. My body remembered him before my heart could catch up.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled.
Zoey tilted her head. “Or is this about him?”
I went still. “What?”
“The guy from the club,” she said, eyes narrowing with interest. “The one you haven’t stopped thinking about.”
“I never said I was—”
“You didn’t have to.”
I sighed. “It’s complicated.”
She gave me a sly grin. “Complicated is code for hot.”
We laughed, the sound echoing through the hallway as the bell rang.
Classes flew by in a blur. I took notes. I answered questions. I smiled at the teachers. But every time I looked up, I scanned the halls for him. For Rhys. That was his name now, apparently. Rhys. It suited him. Dark. Sharp. Like a blade wrapped in silk.
By the end of the day, my nerves were on fire. I was dying to be alone, but Zoey tugged at my arm as we walked out of class.
“Library,” she said. “Ten minutes. I need to grab a book. Wait for me?”
“Sure,” I said, forcing a smile.
The library was quiet, dimly lit with tall windows casting slanted light across the rows of books. I sat at one of the back tables, flipping through a textbook, trying to focus. But my mind kept drifting to Rhys. His smirk. His voice. The way he looked at me like he already knew what I tasted like.
I checked the clock.
Still no Zoey.
I stood up, wandered to the end of the aisle, peeking around the shelves. “Zoey?” I called softly.
No answer.
I turned—and froze.
Arms wrapped around me from behind. Strong. Sure. Familiar.
Hot breath touched my ear. “Miss me?”
I gasped, every muscle in my body tensing. His mouth was so close. So warm. His scent wrapped around me—leather, pine, and something darker. Something dangerous.
“Rhys…” I whispered, already breathless.
A low hum rumbled in his chest. “Thought about you all day.”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Too late,” he murmured.
His lips brushed my ear. I shivered.
Then—his hand slid down. Bold. Possessive. His fingers found my thigh, tracing slow circles as I leaned back into him, helpless.
“Should I stop?” he asked, voice barely a whisper.
I knew what I should say. I should push him away. I should run.
But my body betrayed me.
“No,” I breathed. “Don’t.”
His mouth found mine before I finished the word, devouring it. My knees went weak as he lifted me slightly against the shelf. His fingers slipped under my skirt, up, up—
I gasped as his fingers found my panties, then slipped beneath.
One finger slid inside me.
I choked on a moan, clutching at his arms.
“Ohhh gosh,” I whimpered, trying not to cry out too loud.
“Riley!”
Zoey’s voice cut through the haze like a blade.
Rhys vanished.
Like mist.
I stumbled back against the shelf, heart slamming in my chest.
Zoey appeared around the corner, brow furrowed. “What happened? Your face is red.”
I stared at her, still trembling, breath catching in my throat.
“I—uh—nothing. I was just… looking for you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” I lied, brushing my hair behind my ears and pretending to straighten my skirt. “Hey… that new guy everyone’s been talking about—who is he?”
Zoey blinked. “Oh. Rhys?”
My stomach flipped.
“That’s his name?” I asked, voice too casual.
“Yeah. Rhys Blackthorn. Moved here from the Northlands or something. Everyone’s obsessed already. You should’ve seen the junior girls at lunch. They were practically drooling.”
I nodded, trying to stay calm. But the name echoed in my head like a spell.
Rhys.
His name had a rhythm. A weight. A promise I wasn’t ready for.
Why did I feel like I already belonged to him?
Why did my body light up whenever he touched me?
And what was I supposed to do when I turned eighteen… and he wasn’t my mate?
Because deep down… I already knew.
That kiss.
That touch.
That fire.
It wasn’t going away.