Today, I had my first kiss.
We didn't plan it. And it was with a complete stranger.
Since early childhood, I have pictured what my first kiss would feel like. I anticipated the electric rush I would feel and the undeniable spark that would emerge when the right person kissed me. In my mind I saw my wolf awaken and identified him as my destined mate.
In my large college environment, I believed I would eventually meet someone who both quickened my pulse and earned my complete trust.
My mother’s feelings for my father never matched my own emotions.
I dated someone for several weeks, but our relationship never felt quite right. I persuaded myself that when I became eighteen and my inner wolf
emerged, she would identify him as her mate. Maybe I was just overthinking. Love should have manifested as a gentle flame that lasted over time instead of an explosive display of fireworks.
But the Moon Goddess had other plans.
The corridors of Limassol Shifter Academy surrounded me when an unfamiliar sensation settled within my chest. When Andreas was close to me, I never felt this unfamiliar sensation. This was different—unfamiliar.
Students had already left the halls to attend their classes, leaving the corridors mostly deserted. The soft echo of my footsteps faded when I turned the corner until an unexpected noise halted me completely.
There was a soft giggle.
Then, there was a quiet murmur. "You are so naughty, Andreas."
Marina’s voice.
My stomach churned.
Andreas responded with a quieter "Only for you, babe" as his lips stayed pressed to hers.
I felt sick.
My mind rejected the truth for a brief moment. My boyfriend. He should have been my partner.
I stepped back as my surroundings dimmed while my heartbeat raced. Betrayal’s recognizable odor invaded my lungs and choked me. The next class I had with Andreas was ceramics, which I never wanted to take, but he persuaded me it would be enjoyable.
Fun.
I wanted to throw up.
Movement across the hall caught my attention as I turned away. A broad-shouldered man of enormous height stood watchful over me. His eyes piercing and unreadable—met mine. He wasn’t someone I recognized.
I didn't fear him, but his gaze made me feel exposed in an unsettling way.
"Andreas, stop," Marina giggled again. "You understand that we are impervious to detection." What if your girlfriend finds out?"
"She’s in class. She’s never late. Don’t worry."
My jaw clenched.
A slow-burning anger crept through my bloodstream. Not heartbreak. Not sadness. There was only pure, seething disappointment.
The man sitting across from me scrunched his eyebrows together before his eyes looked down toward my face. The moment of realization hit me as I noticed tears streaming down my face. After brushing away the tears, I rushed out of the room.
I sensed their voices approaching closer.
"Elena?" Andreas's voice was laced with shock. "What are you—"
I didn’t let him finish.
I whirled around to face the stranger and seized his shoulders to pull him close to me. His body tensed, but he didn’t resist. I shut my eyes tightly, but we kissed before I could stop myself.
His lips were warm. Soft. Their taste carried a sweet essence reminiscent of honey and marshmallows.
But he didn’t move. He didn’t kiss me back.
My position shifted as my hands moved to the base of his neck. My heart pounded wildly, my mind blank. I didn’t know why I did it. Maybe I wanted Andreas to hurt. The endless wait for something insufficient had worn me down.
Perhaps I wanted to steer the direction of my own future.
Whatever it was, I let it happen.
Breathless in the distance between us, I came face-to-face with his stare. The darkening of his stormy gray eyes made me feel their intensity as they locked with mine. Those eyes held an unreadable quality, which caused an odd chill to run through my body.
I was still gripping him. I pressed myself against him tightly.
My breath caught, and I retreated to touch my lips while feeling warmth spread across my face.
What did I just do?
His deep, smooth voice carried his words as he said, "I need to get to class." This marked the first time he ever spoke directly to me.
I wanted to ask his name. I wanted to say something—anything.
Before I could speak, I spun around and started walking away.
Andreas and Marina had already disappeared.
I had no idea what just happened. Facing Andreas at this moment was beyond my capability.
As I moved through the hallway, I sensed a stranger watching me from behind.
"There is only one class available," the receptionist informed me while looking at her computer screen.
"And what class is that?" My voice was steadier than I felt.
"Shifting and Combat."
My stomach twisted. I hadn’t shifted yet. My wolf still hadn’t come. But combat? That, I could do.
"Anything but ceramics."
The receptionist frowned. "Are you sure? Are you safe from bullying? I can inform your father—"
"No!" My response was too quick. Too sharp.
The last thing I wanted at the moment was my father's involvement.He held the position of Alpha Committee leader while maintaining a close professional association with Andreas's father.
"It’s nothing like that," I lied smoothly.
She appeared doubtful but eventually nodded and, after a brief pause, printed my updated schedule. Your first class assignment is Shifting and Combat 101 conducted by Professor Nikos. The class is in the arena. You can head there now."
The arena.
I had visited the arena only a few times, and my visits were primarily for combat training. I exhaled slowly, gripping my new schedule.
I didn’t know how I could survive a semester with moving classes when shifting still eluded me.
My eighteenth birthday was days away. My plan was to head back home to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. Even though my eighteenth birthday was approaching, I expected my transformation into a wolf to happen by now, but everything remained the same.
As the youngest wolf student Limassol Shifter Academy had ever accepted, I began my journey in one of the top institutions for werewolf and bear shifter education. I remained the only student who had not yet developed the ability to transform.
Still, that didn’t mean I was weak.
As my mother did, I belonged to the Aether wolf lineage. The Moon Goddess granted us superior power, which made our kind stronger than the others.
Even though I hadn't yet accessed my powers, I underwent extensive training with top gamma warriors throughout my entire life. My father ensured that I learned how to fight, whether my wolf was present or not.
I paused outside the arena doors when I arrived. Wolves growled throughout the arena as they engaged in their sparring matches.
Opening the doors, I pushed them aside and entered the space.
My lungs filled with the smell of sweat mixed with earth. Wolves engaged in battle while their claws cut through the air. The fights kept everyone's attention, so I became invisible to them all.
Then, I saw him.
A gigantic wolf positioned himself at the arena's distant edge, where he observed all the matches taking place. The lights made his dark fur look as though it had a blue sheen. His sharp eyes swept across the room until they stopped on me.
Something about him felt…familiar.
Then, he shifted.
My breath became trapped in my throat.
It was him.
The stranger from the hallway was present.
I kissed the man.
My professor.
Who was he?
