The Guardian's Mate

Chapter Ten: Pushed Too Far

Ethan Pov

I hated the cafeteria. The noise. The crowds. The smell of hundreds of different meals mixing together.

Everything about the place irritated me.

For years, I had avoided eating there whenever possible.

Most days, I grabbed something on the way to class or ate somewhere quieter.

Today was different. Today, I was here because of Sophia. The moment I entered the cafeteria, dozens of conversations stopped. People stared. Some tried to hide it. Most didn't. Their eyes moved between Sophia and me. The whispers started immediately. I ignored them. I had spent my entire life learning how to ignore attention.

Being the son of Alpha Liam Blackwood came with its own complications. People watched. People talked. People judged.

None of that mattered. What mattered was the woman sitting alone near the corner of the room. Sophia.

She sat with her shoulders slightly tense, pretending not to notice the attention surrounding her. But I knew she noticed.

I could smell her anxiety from across the room.

My wolf stirred uneasily. Protect her. I grabbed a tray and joined the line. The human food didn't exactly excite me.

Still, I loaded my plate before heading toward her table.

The moment I sat down beside her, several students openly stared. Sophia looked uncomfortable. I understood why.

Every eye in the room seemed focused on us.

"How's your day going?" I asked.

She glanced at me. A little surprised by the question. "Fine."

I smiled. "That sounds convincing."

For a moment, something close to amusement appeared in her eyes. Not happiness. Not quite. But it was progress. And after everything she'd been through, I would take every bit of progress I could get.

Then the atmosphere changed. My wolf noticed it first. The scent. Damien. The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly. Conversations quieted. Students looked away. Others watched with open curiosity. Fear spread through the cafeteria like wildfire.

I slowly looked up. Damien stood near our table. Smiling. The sight alone irritated me.

The man practically lived for attention. He carried himself like he owned everything around him. Including people. Especially Sophia. My jaw tightened.

Damien looked directly at me. Then at Sophia. Then back at me.

"Having lunch together?" he asked casually.

I ignored him. Sophia immediately became tense. Her heartbeat accelerated. Fear. My wolf growled.

Damien noticed. His smile widened. "Interesting."

Still, I said nothing. My father's words echoed in my mind. Never reveal what you are. No matter how angry you become. No matter how difficult it gets. Control comes first. Violence comes second.

I focused on my food. Pretending Damien wasn't there. Unfortunately, Damien wasn't interested in being ignored. He stepped closer. Then closer again. Until he stood directly beside our table.

The entire cafeteria had gone silent. Everyone was watching. Waiting. Expecting something to happen.

Damien leaned forward. "You know, Ethan, I've been curious." I continued eating. His smile twitched. Clearly, he wasn't used to being ignored. "I've heard a lot about you."

Still nothing. Sophia looked ready to disappear. The tension surrounding our table was becoming unbearable.

Then Damien made a mistake. A very big mistake. He grabbed my tray. And flipped it. Food crashed onto the floor. The tray clattered loudly against the tiles. The entire cafeteria gasped.

For a second, absolute silence filled the room. My wolf exploded with rage. The urge to stand up and tear Damien apart nearly overwhelmed me.

I could feel my muscles tightening. Could feel my control slipping. He wanted a reaction. That was the entire point. He wanted to make me angry. Wanted me to be reckless. Wanted me to be exposed.

I slowly rose from my chair. Every eye in the cafeteria followed me.

Damien smiled. Certainly he had won. Certainly he had succeeded. Instead, I smiled back.

His confidence faltered slightly. I tilted my head.

"Is that the best you can do?"

The smile instantly disappeared from his face. Good. For the first time all day, I saw genuine anger in his eyes. Not arrogance. Not amusement. Anger. Exactly where I wanted him.

Several students exchanged nervous glances. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The cafeteria had become a battlefield.

Damien stepped closer. "You think you're funny?"

I shrugged. "I think you're trying too hard."

A few students looked shocked. Others looked terrified.

Sophia stared at me. Probably wondering if I had lost my mind.

Damien's fists clenched. His self-control was disappearing. Good. Let everyone see who he really was. His jaw tightened. Then suddenly—

He punched me. Hard. The blow connected with my cheek. Pain exploded across my face. The force would have dropped an ordinary human. I barely moved.

The cafeteria erupted. Gasps filled the room. Someone screamed. Several students jumped to their feet. My wolf roared inside my head. Fight. Kill him. Destroy him.

Every instinct demanded blood. I could feel my claws trying to emerge. My bones are threatening to shift. It would have been so easy. One second. That was all it would take. One second to become the monster hiding beneath my skin. One second to reveal the truth. One second to kill Damien.

But then I remembered my father's voice.

Control. Always control. I swallowed my rage. Forced my wolf back. Forced myself to remain human. Then I punched Damien.

Hard.

Not with werewolf strength. Human strength. Just enough. His head snapped sideways. He stumbled backward. Shock filled his face. He hadn't expected me to hit back.

Students immediately scattered away from our table. The cafeteria descended into chaos. People shouted. Phones appeared.

Someone ran toward the exit. Damien recovered quickly. His eyes burned with fury. He looked ready to attack again. Honestly, so was I.

The difference was that I knew exactly how dangerous things could become if I lost control. A second fight wouldn't stay human for long. Fortunately, someone intervened.

"Enough!"

The voice echoed through the cafeteria. A senior teacher pushed through the crowd.

Several staff members followed behind him. Their expressions were furious.

The teacher positioned himself between us.

"Both of you. Now."

Neither Damien nor I moved. The teacher pointed toward the door.

"Principal's office."

The room remained silent. Hundreds of students watched. Waiting. Judging. Whispering.

I glanced toward Sophia. Concern filled her eyes. For some reason, that bothered me more than the punch. Because she looked worried about me. And that was a dangerous thing. For both of us.

Without another word, Damien and I followed the teacher out of the cafeteria.

Side by side. Like two soldiers walking toward a battlefield. And somehow, I had a feeling the principal's office was only the beginning of our problems.