The Human at Alpha Academy

Chapter Fifteen

“Ow, ow!” Aiden hooted as I climbed down the ladder into the pool.

“You look freaking hot, birthday girl.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks.”

“Why don’t you come sit on my lap?” he asked.

I swallowed hard. Tempting… very tempting. But not in front of the others. And definitely not in front of Iris and Vince, it would be too much. I loved having them here for my birthday, but part of me wished I could be alone with the Darken tonight.

Then again, maybe it was better this way. I deserved answers before anything could happen, especially after how distant they’d been lately.

“The water is so warm,” Iris said as she slid into the pool after me.

“That’s all body heat,” Colton explained. “We’re Ancients. Our bodies tend to run hotter than regular wolves. Just three of us in a pool like this, and it heats up like a hot tub.”

“Wow,” I murmured, swimming across the water. Warmth seeped into my muscles. I tried not to think about the last time I’d gone swimming, with my parents just weeks before… my first birthday without them. I shoved the memory aside.

“So… where’s Theo?” I asked, glancing around.

“He should be here any minute,” Rhys said, checking his watch.

Supposedly, the party was his idea. Yet he was late. Again. I wondered if he was avoiding me.

“Anyway, how’s your first semester going?” Colton asked.

“It’s… going,” I shrugged.

“Whose class is your favorite? And I will be offended if it’s not mine,” Aiden said with a grin. I knew he was joking. History of Werewolves was boring as hell.

“Actually… I like yours,” I admitted.

“You’re kidding. It’s boring as hell.”

“I like history,” I shrugged again. “The more we learn about past mistakes, the less likely we are to repeat them.”

“Sometimes true… sometimes not,” Aiden said, swimming over. He stopped in front of me, hands gripping the pool edge on either side, trapping me between them.

I swallowed. Being this close, his honey-brown eyes locked on mine, it was too much.

“Sometimes… people, even werewolves, do things they know will complicate everything. And yet… they do it anyway,” he murmured.

All. The. Swoons.

“Aiden..” I heard Colton start, but his voice blurred into background noise as Aiden lowered his head and kissed me. Wet, warm, tasting of pool water, the kiss pressed with months of tension.

I kissed back, slow at first, hesitant because of Theo.

Except Theo wasn’t here.

So I kissed him back fully, letting the heat take over. Arms around his neck, tugging his wet hair, legs wrapping around him, pulling him impossibly close.

When we finally broke apart, breathless… wow. Just wow.

“Ahem.”

I glanced over my shoulder. Theo stood there, frozen, eyes wide. Crushed. The look on his face, if I had ever doubted his feelings, that ended it. He cared. I had hurt him.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, voice quiet, strained. “I went to pick up the birthday cake.”

Then he turned and walked inside without another word.

“Holy s**t,” Vince muttered behind me. “This feels like the middle of a rom-com… except it’s not funny.”

I climbed out of the pool and ran toward the house. But before I could reach him, a wave of dizziness hit. My vision blurred. My eyes fluttered shut. And then… I fell, hard, into the ground.