Chapter 2

• AURORA’S POV
• Jon doesn’t move. He just stands there, looking at me like I’m supposed to understand what he just said.
• I don’t.
• “You’re… what?” I ask, glancing at Cali for some kind of sanity check.
• She looks just as stunned. “Did he just say mate? Like… soulmate? Or like… kangaroo mate?”
• Jon ignores her, his green eyes locked on mine. “I know this sounds crazy, but you’re my mate. My-“
• “Nope.” I cut him off and take a step back. “I don’t know what you think is happening here, but I’m not your anything.”
• Something flickers in his expression, something almost hurt but he schools his face quickly. “You don’t understand yet.”
• “You’re right. I don’t.”
• And I don’t plan to.
• I turn on my heel and walk away, ignoring the stares, the whispers. Jon Drago can take his weird Australian nonsense and keep it far, far away from me.
• The first half of the day goes by pretty quickly thankfully because I’m already sick of everyone talking about Jon.
• Soon enough, it’s lunch break and Cali and I head over to the cafeteria.
• Jon hasn’t tried to talk to me again, but I catch him watching me from across the cafeteria. Cali is having the time of her life with this.
• “So, let’s review,” she says, poking at her fries. “New guy shows up, calls you his mate, and now he’s been staring at you like a lovesick puppy for the past twenty minutes. You should go talk to him.”
• “No.”
• “Why not?”
• “Because that’s how horror movies start.”
• Cali snickers. “Or romance novels.”
• I groan, pushing my tray away. “I need air.”
• She wiggles her eyebrows. “Try not to get kidnapped by your mysterious new admirer.”
• I roll my eyes and step outside, into the quieter part of campus. The air is crisp, autumn sneaking into the breeze. I close my eyes for a second, breathing it in-
• And then I crash into someone.
• Hard.
• I stumble back, expecting some annoyed senior to cuss me out. But when I look up, my words freeze.
• White hair. Piercing blue eyes. Pale, flawless skin.
• I don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him before, always sitting alone, always watching people like they’re beneath him.
• He transferred here late last year and was the talk of the entire school for the rest of my freshman year. It got annoying real quick. Like, girls, I know this man is fine and all, but y’all should calm the fuck down. Now, Jon has taken his place.
• I don’t think I’ve ever heard him speak, but right now, he’s staring at me like I’ve just done something impossible.
• His cold blue eyes narrow. “You…”
• “Uh… sorry?” I say awkwardly. “Didn’t mean to run into you.”
• He doesn’t respond. Instead, he takes a slow step forward, his head tilting slightly, like he’s studying something invisible. His expression shifts from confusion to disbelief, then something darker.
• “No,” he mutters, almost to himself. “That’s not possible.”
• My skin prickles. “What’s not possible?”
• He doesn’t answer.
• Instead, his hand snaps out, faster than I can react, gripping my wrist. Not hard, but firm. His touch is ice cold.
• And then, in a low, tense voice, he says,
• “Mate.”
• I yank my hand away, my pulse hammering.
• “What the hell is wrong with you people?”
• I take a step back, half-expecting him to lunge at me or something. He doesn’t. He just stands there, staring like I’ve grown a second head.
• “Who even are you?” I demand, rubbing my wrist where his fingers had been. It still feels cold, like his touch left an imprint.
• His gaze flickers to something behind me, and I follow it, only to see Jon standing a few feet away, watching us.
• Oh, fantastic.
• Jon’s jaw tightens. He takes a slow step forward.
• “Step away from her,” he says, voice low and dangerous.
• The white-haired guy doesn’t move. Doesn’t even blink. Instead, his lips curl into something between a smirk and a sneer. “How interesting,” he murmurs.
• Jon’s shoulders tense. “This isn’t your concern, Arc.”
• Arc. So that’s his name.
• But if memory serves me right, Jon just joined the school today and Arc has been here for more than a month. What in the-
• Arc shifts his gaze back to me, something calculating in his stare. Then, slowly, too slowly, he takes a step back. “As you wish.”
• He gives me one last unreadable look before turning and disappearing around the corner, silent as a shadow.
• I exhale sharply. “What the actual fuck?”
• Jon steps closer, his expression still tense. “Are you okay?”
• I take another step back. “No, I’m not okay! First, you call me your mate out of nowhere, and now he does too? What is this? Some kind of prank?”
• Jon runs a hand through his hair, exhaling. “It’s not a prank, Aurora.”
• “Then what is it?”
• Jon hesitates. Like he’s debating how much to tell me.
• I fold my arms. “Spit it out, Drago, or I’m walking.”
• He sighs. “You’re… different. Special. You don’t know it yet, but Arc and I, our kind, we can sense it. And when we do… we don’t get a choice.”
• I narrow my eyes. “A choice in what?”
• Jon looks at me, green eyes burning. “In who we belong to.”
• The words send a shiver down my spine.
• Because the way he says it… it doesn’t sound like a confession.
• It sounds like a warning but I’m definitely just loosing my mind right?