C7 Chapter Seven

James Pov

Ugh, the freaking school bell finally decided to grace us with its presence. Like, seriously? Did it get lost in the Bermuda Triangle of Boring Lessons? Anyway, I bolted out of there faster than you can say "pop quiz," practically dragging Drake along with me. Alina. Where was Alina? I'd scoured every single classroom, cafeteria included, but she was MIA. Like, literally vanished.

This was bad. Like, really bad. I pictured Alina's face, all cute and pouty from my rejection, and my wolf whimpered in my head. Ugh, I did not need this guilt trip. But seriously, how could I be with her when my heart belonged to Hailey? It wouldn't be fair, you know? Like, leading Alina on a merry chase and then bam! Rejection round two? No way.

Except, I hadn't seen Alina all day. Not a single glimpse of her fiery red hair or those captivating emerald eyes.

"Dude, are we ever leaving this torture chamber?" Drake grumbled, yanking his arm out of my grip. "Or are we planning a sleepover here?"

Ugh, focus James! Alina, not Drake's impatience. "Yeah, yeah, let's go," I mumbled, following behind him like a lost puppy.

"What's wrong, man? You look like someone stole your favorite protein shake," Drake said, eyeing me like I'd grown a second head.

"Nothing," I lied, forcing a smile.

"Uh-huh," he said, clearly not buying it. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

Great. Just what I needed. A lecture on my lying skills. "Look, it's nothing important, okay?"

"Important or not, you look like you're about to combust," he said, his brow furrowed. "Wait, do you know anyone named Alina?"

Alina? Should I tell him? Ugh, curiosity was a killer. "Maybe," I hedged.

He literally gasped. Like, dramatically gasped. "Alina Brynn?"

"Yeah, her," I sighed. "Why? You know her?"

"You don't?" He looked at me like I'd sprouted another head. "Dude, seriously?"

See? This is what happened when you kept secrets. Especially secrets this big. "Nope," I admitted, feeling a cold dread pool in my stomach.

"She's, like, the Alpha's daughter," Drake said, his voice barely a whisper. "From the Shadow Light Pack."

My. Freaking. Word.

I just royally screwed the pooch, didn't I? Like, stuck my foot so deep in it, I was practically wearing the entire kennel. An Alpha's daughter? Rejected? This wasn't good. Not good at all. Visions of a grumpy, war-mongering Alpha Brynn stomping down on our territory flashed before my eyes. Ugh, the last thing I needed was a freaking pack war.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath.

"What happened?" Drake asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I can't even explain it," I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Try me," he said, his voice firm but kind.

So, I spilled. Everything. From finding my mate (cue the internal squeal) to realizing it was freaking Alina (cue the horror movie music). And then, the worst part: the rejection. Except, it wasn't exactly a rejection, more like she beat me to the punch.

"You're an idiot," Drake said, his voice surprisingly calm.

I flinched. "Hey! That's not helpful."

"It is what it is, man," he said with a sigh. "Look, you gotta apologize to her tomorrow. This whole 'I love Hailey' thing isn't going to fly. You're gonna be Alpha, you need your mate by your side."

Except, that's the thing. A part of me, the traitorous, lovesick part, wanted Alina. But the other part? The logical part? It screamed for Hailey. I was so freaking confused!

"I... I don't know," I stammered, the words catching in my throat.

This was torture. My wolf was whimpering like a kicked puppy, and I felt so freaking torn. Did I want Alina? Did I not? Ugh, what a mess!

The guilt gnawed at me like a starved wolf. Why, why was I even thinking about her? Alina was a closed door, a path I shouldn't have gone down in the first place. Yet, here I was, with Hailey draped across my lap, and all I could see were Alina's stormy grey eyes.

Hailey was perfect. Every inch of her, from the cascade of blonde hair to the way her smile could light up a room, screamed "keeper." We fit together like puzzle pieces, our personalities a delicious blend of fire and ice. So why did my traitorous mind keep flitting back to Alina, a woman who wouldn't give me the time of day?

Hailey's voice, a sweet chirp, yanked me back to the present. "Hey there, stranger," she teased, her fingers trailing a playful path down my arm. I forced a smile, the guilt twisting in my gut.

"Hey," I managed, my voice husky. "What took you so long?"

The lie tasted like ash in my mouth. Every passing second felt like an eternity, the anticipation for Hailey's arrival a cruel joke considering where my mind kept wandering.

"Traffic," she chirped, oblivious. "But I'm here now." Her lips, soft and yielding, met mine in a kiss. I should have melted, should have lost myself in the familiar warmth. Instead, I felt a hollowness bloom in my chest, a cold counterpoint to the heat of her touch.

My hands, on autopilot, found their way to her hips, pulling her closer. The hunger in her kiss was a delicious spark, but it failed to ignite the inferno I craved. Through the haze, a vision of Alina flickered – defiant, passionate, everything Hailey wasn't.

Shame washed over me, acrid and bitter. Here I was, with a beautiful woman in my arms, and all I could think about was another. The weight of betrayal, of using Hailey, pressed down on me. I pushed her away gently, the movement surprising her.

"James?" Her voice, laced with confusion, snapped me fully back to reality. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied again, the word a hollow echo in the room. God, I was a mess. Hailey deserved better than this fumbling, guilt-ridden parody of a boyfriend.

Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile. "Just… lost in thought for a second." It was a pathetic excuse, even to my own ears.

Hailey's eyes, usually sparkling with amusement, held a flicker of concern. She crawled back into my lap, her touch tentative this time. My heart ached for her, for the way I was hurting her without even meaning to.

Her lips brushed mine, a soft, questioning kiss. My traitorous body responded, a flicker of heat warring with the cold coil of guilt. Her touch, usually electric, felt distant, muted.

"Let's just stay like this," I mumbled, defeated. The words were a betrayal, to Hailey and to myself. As she settled against me, her warmth a mockery of the fire I couldn't seem to find, a single, wretched thought echoed in my mind: I wished it was Alina.