Escaping My Obsessive Alpha

CHAPTER 17: CLARY’S POV

For the past two days, something had felt… different.

Nothing dramatic.

Nothing supernatural.

Just… strange.

Sometimes I’d feel a sudden warmth on the back of my neck.

Sometimes the air behind me would shift as if someone was close too close but when I turned, nobody was there.

Sometimes my wolf stirred restlessly, like she wanted to sniff the air or spin in circles.

I blamed stress.

Human life was overwhelming enough.

But today?

Today felt worse.

I stood by my locker, gathering my books for my next class, when my wolf suddenly jolted awake inside me.

Move.

The command wasn’t words, but instinct sharp enough that I jerked back.

And then...

I bumped into someone.

Hard.

My books went flying, and I would’ve fallen if a strong arm hadn’t grabbed me around the waist.

“Oh... I’m sorry...!” I started.

But the moment I looked up, the rest of my sentence disintegrated.

It was him.

The new boy.

Tall, broad-shouldered, impossibly composed, with eyes that looked carved from something ancient and unreadable.

His presence hit me like a physical force ... warm, intense, almost too big for the hallway.

My breath stuttered.

He stared down at me, his hand still steadying my waist.

His touch wasn’t inappropriate just supportive but something about it sent a faint heat rushing up my neck.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

His voice was deep. Smooth.

The type that made you want to answer without thinking.

“I...I’m fine.” My face warmed. “Thank you.”

For some reason, I couldn’t look away from him.

It wasn’t attraction ... not exactly.

It was confusion.

Recognition.

Like a whisper at the back of my mind saying You’ve seen him before, even though I knew I hadn’t.

He bent down to pick up my books before I could.

“No, I can...”

“It’s fine,” he said quietly.

He handed them to me, and our fingers brushed.

A tiny spark zipped up my arm.

I snatched my hand back like an i***t. “Sorry.”

Why was I apologizing for having fingers?

His expression didn’t change much, but something flickered in his eyes... something dark and intense and confusing.

“I’m Dimitri,” he said finally.

The name suited him.

Sharp. Strong.

Too big for ordinary classrooms.

“I’m Clarice,” I replied. “Well... Clary. My friends call me Clary.”

His eyes softened at the nickname.

Barely, but I noticed.

“I’ll remember that,” he said.

And for some reason, that felt… significant.

I took a step back, trying to steady myself. “Um. Welcome to the department. I If you need help finding anything, the buildings can be confusing.”

“I’ll find my way,” he answered. “But… I wouldn’t mind if you showed me.”

He said it calmly, but my stomach flipped anyway.

My wolf pressed forward, curious, alert.

Who is he? Why does he feel familiar?

Before I could respond, someone called my name.

“Clary!”

I turned.

Adrian jogged toward us, smiling like always, his bag slung carelessly over one shoulder.

He reached me and casually placed a hand on my shoulder.

Normal.

Friendly.

Nothing strange.

But Dimitri...

Dimitri went unnaturally still.

Not angry.

Not hostile.

Just… still.

Like a predator freezing before a leap.

A sharp tension spread through the air.

Adrian didn’t seem to notice. “I’ve been looking for you. We’re supposed to check out the assignment list before the crowd gets crazy.”

“Oh, right.” I nodded. “I almost forgot.”

He smiled and squeezed my shoulder lightly, the way he always did when he was joking. “Good thing you have me, then.”

A low sound rumbled close by.

Deep. Quiet.

Almost inaudible.

I blinked and turned toward Dimitri.

He was staring at Adrian’s hand.

Not his face.

Not his smile.

Just the hand on my shoulder.

His jaw twitched.

Rylan suddenly appeared behind him like he’d teleported.

He grabbed Dimitri’s sleeve. Hard.

“Don’t,” Rylan hissed under his breath.

Dimitri exhaled sharply through his nose and looked away, though tension still radiated off him.

He wasn’t glaring, but the air around him felt… sharper.

Adrian finally noticed the tension and glanced between us. “Uh... did I interrupt something?”

“No,” I said quickly. “We were just...um, talking.”

Dimitri’s gaze flicked to me again, and something inside me fluttered unexpectedly.

Adrian stepped slightly closer to me — not in a possessive way, just friendly...but Dimitri’s body went rigid again.

Rylan elbowed him.

Hard.

“Anyway,” Adrian continued, “Clary, should we go?”

I hesitated.

For a strange moment…

I didn’t want to walk away.

Dimitri’s presence felt like gravity.

Pulling.

Steady.

Impossible to ignore.

“I’ll… see you around,” he said, voice low.

I swallowed. “Yeah. Sure.”

Adrian tugged my hand lightly. “Come on.”

I followed him partly because I needed to breathe again but as we walked, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing back.

Dimitri stood exactly where I left him.

Staring after me.

Rylan slapped a hand over his face, muttering something that looked suspiciously like a prayer.

I faced forward again, trying to shake the feeling tightening inside my chest.

This shouldn’t affect me.

He was just a classmate.

A stranger.

But still...

Why did my wolf whisper, Turn around?

Why did my heart feel like it recognized him?

And why…

why did the idea of him watching me walk away send a strange warmth down my spine?

I exhaled slowly.

This was going to be complicated.