The Guardian's Mate

Chapter Nine: Rivals

Sophia Pov

By the time Ethan and I entered the classroom, I was already regretting coming to school.

The whispers had followed me through every hallway. Some students stared openly. Others pretended not to look while stealing glances whenever they thought I wasn't paying attention. I kept my eyes forward and followed Ethan toward the back of the room.

The history classroom was already crowded. Students sat in small groups, talking and laughing while waiting for class to begin. As I slipped into my seat, my eyes wandered across the room.bThen I froze. Damien. He was sitting three rows away. His Beta, Carter, occupied the seat beside him.

My stomach immediately tightened. What was he doing here? I stared for several seconds. Has he always been in this class?bI searched my memory. History wasn't exactly my favorite subject. Most days, I kept my head down and tried to avoid drawing attention to myself.

But surely I would have noticed him.

Wouldn't I? Or had he recently transferred?

Maybe this was his first day. The more I thought about it, the less certain I became.

A chill ran through me when Damien slowly turned his head. His eyes met mine instantly. The corner of his mouth lifted. Not a smile. A warning. My pulse quickened. I immediately looked away.

The classroom suddenly felt too small. Too crowded. Too suffocating. Thankfully, Ethan chose that moment to sit beside me.

The tension in my chest eased slightly. Not much. But enough.

A few minutes later, the professor entered the room. Conversations died down immediately. Everyone settled into their seats. The lesson began.

At first, I tried focusing on the lecture. The history professor was discussing ancient territorial conflicts and the development of early societies.

Normally, I would have found it interesting.

Today, I couldn't concentrate. I was too aware of Damien's presence. Too aware of Ethan sitting beside me. Too aware of the invisible tension stretching between them.

Every time I glanced in Damien's direction, I found him staring at Ethan. And every time Ethan looked up, his eyes found Damien. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved. Yet somehow the air between them felt charged. Like two predators silently challenging each other.

The professor continued teaching, completely oblivious. After nearly thirty minutes, he finally stopped speaking.

"Let's see who's actually paying attention."

A collective groan filled the room. The professor smiled. "I'll ask questions."

More groans followed.nI lowered my head slightly. Please don't pick me.

The professor pointed toward a student near the front. "Who can tell me the primary cause of the Second Border Conflict?"

Silence. Nobody answered.

The professor sighed. Then a voice spoke.

"The dispute over resource-rich territory and trade routes."

I blinked. Ethan.

The professor nodded approvingly. "Correct."

Several students turned around. Ethan simply shrugged. The lesson continued. Another question. Another silence. Another answer. This time Damien answered first.

The professor smiled. "Excellent."

A strange look appeared in Ethan's eyes.

Then another question came. Before anyone else could answer, Ethan did.

Then Damien answered the next one.

Then Ethan. Then Damien. Then Ethan again.

I stared in disbelief. Were they seriously competing? Even the professor began noticing. His eyebrows lifted.

"Interesting."

The classroom had become unusually quiet. Students who normally avoided participating were now watching the unexpected contest unfold. Question after question. Answer after answer. Neither of them missed. Neither of them hesitated.

Even when the professor asked questions nobody else seemed capable of answering.

They knew everything. Dates. Names. Historical treaties. Political movements. Military conflicts. It was ridiculous.

At one point, the professor actually laughed. "I should just let the two of you teach the class."

A few students chuckled. Ethan smiled politely. Damien smirked. Neither looked particularly amused. I honestly didn't know whether to be impressed or concerned.

The competition felt less academic and more personal. As if they were trying to prove something. Eventually, I heard whispering behind me. I tried ignoring it.

Then my name caught my attention. "Sophia."

My shoulders tensed. The girls sitting behind me lowered their voices.

Unfortunately for them, they weren't quiet enough.

"Have you noticed Ethan?"

One girl nodded. "He's different."

"Exactly."

"Different how?"

The first girl glanced toward Ethan. "He's always been smart."

"Everyone knows that."

"So?"

"So he never answers questions."

I frowned.

Never?

The second girl looked surprised. "Seriously?"

The first girl nodded. "He usually sits quietly."

"Then why is he answering everything today?"

Neither girl spoke for a moment. Then one of them whispered the answer. "Because of her."

Heat immediately rushed to my face. I didn't need to ask who they meant.

Me. They were talking about me.

Embarrassment settled heavily in my chest. I stared at my notebook and pretended not to hear anything else.

Thankfully, class ended soon afterward.

Students quickly began gathering their things. I released a quiet breath of relief.

One class down. Only the rest of the day to survive.

Unfortunately, Damien wasn't finished. As students filed out of the room, he deliberately brushed past Ethan. The two men exchanged a look. Just a look. Nothing more.

Yet somehow it felt like a threat. A challenge. A promise. The tension lingered long after Damien left.

By lunchtime, I was exhausted. The constant attention. The whispers. The stares. It was draining.

Ethan seemed to notice. "You okay?"

I nodded automatically. A lie. But an easy one.

We carried our trays into the cafeteria and found an empty table near the windows.

For the first time all day, things felt normal.

Almost peaceful.

I picked up my fork. Ethan took a bite of his food. Then the room fell silent. Every conversation stopped. The sudden quiet immediately put me on edge.

Slowly, I looked up. My heart sank. Damien. He stood a few feet away. Carter and several pack members stood behind him. The entire cafeteria watched. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.

Damien's eyes settled on me briefly before shifting to Ethan. A slow smile appeared on his face. Trouble.

The realization hit me instantly. Damien hadn't come to talk. He had come to make a statement. Without warning, he stepped forward. Then slammed his hand into Ethan's tray.

The plate flew across the table. Food crashed onto the floor. The sound echoed through the silent cafeteria.

Gasps erupted around the room. I froze. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. The tray spun across the tile

s before finally coming to a stop.

For one long moment, absolute silence filled the cafeteria. Then Ethan slowly rose from his seat.