Alpha in the Field

Too Close to Comfort

Maya

The words from his teammates stayed in my mind long after I walked away. No matter how much I tried to forget them, they felt heavy in my chest. I focused on my morning lectures, taking notes, but I lost my concentration every few minutes. I found myself looking at the doors, expecting to see him.

And then I did.

Adrian leaned against the wall across from the lecture hall. He looked casual, but it felt like he was there on purpose. His arms were crossed, and he looked at me the moment I stepped out of class. He didn't move closer or say anything, just stood there as if he was waiting for me. My steps hesitated, and I hated that my heart raced when I saw him. I forced myself to walk past him, staring at the ground and pretending I didn’t see him.

By the time I reached the cafeteria, I felt a bit calmer. But when I sat down with Stella, she looked at me, expecting me to say something. Then she spoke, lowering her voice.

"You know he followed you here, right?"

I froze mid-bite and quickly turned to the entrance. Adrian was across the room, sliding into a seat at a table full of his teammates. His attention didn’t waver, even with the noise surrounding him.

“Don’t look,” Stella muttered, snapping her fingers to pull my gaze back. “He’s trouble, Maya. I’ve seen this before. He picks someone, and it never ends well.”

My jaw clenched. “I don’t care what type he goes for. I don’t want to be part of it.”

“Then stay out of it,” she replied simply, sipping her drink. “Because if you let him get close to you, it’s going to become messy fast.”

I pushed the rest of my food onto the tray, my appetite gone. “I can handle him.”

She gave me a pointed look, as if she didn’t believe a word I said, but she let it go.

*

The day dragged on, and I wondered if I had imagined his presence, if I was just making him seem more significant in my mind.

“You're slouching,” Adrian’s voice came out low and cold. “You should stand up straighter.”

I turned to him, my chest tight with annoyance. “Excuse me?”

“Posture says everything,” he continued, ignoring the irritation in my tone. “If you let people see hesitation, they’ll use it against you.”

My lips parted, ready to snap back, but the steady way he watched me made the words dry up. There was no smile this time, no smirk, just a quiet observation that twisted my stomach with irritation.

“You don’t get to—” I paused, taking a deep breath. “You don’t know me.”

“Not yet,” he said simply. Then, with calm certainty, he stepped aside, leaving the path clear.

I stood frozen for a moment longer, gripping my books so tightly that my fingers began to hurt. When I finally walked away, my mind was spinning.

By the last class, the stares started. A couple of players from his team exchanged glances as I passed, their voices low but not low enough.

“That’s her,” one muttered.

“She’s not gonna last long.”

I dropped into my seat, staring blankly at the board while the professor’s voice blurred in the background. My chest was tight, my head aching so bad.

By the time the lecture ended, I couldn’t sit still anymore. My pen tapped against the notebook, my leg bounced, and the heat crawling up my neck made it impossible to breathe normally.

And then I saw him again. Argh! Must he always be this desperate and annoying!

I stormed straight up to him. “I’m serious. You need to leave me alone.”

His gaze dragged slowly over my face, it was steady. “You don’t get it, Maya. You’re already mine. Whether you like it or not.”

The words hit me harder than I expected, my breath catching in my throat. I stumbled back half a step, anger and confusion tangling in my chest.

“You don’t even know me,” I shot back.

“I know enough,” he said, the arrogance in his tone making me want to scream, yet I couldn’t pull my eyes away.

I turned sharply, shoving through the crowd toward my next class, determined not to let him see how rattled I felt.

Just suddenly, I could hear an argument and trained back to see Adrian with another player. “You don’t run this team,” the player hissed.

Adrian didn’t raise his voice, didn’t back down. He just stepped in close, one hand gripping the guy’s jersey and forcing him back against the wall with a sharp precision. His expression was controlled, his voice low and dangerous as he spoke. “Try that again, and you’ll regret it.”

The teammate froze, their eyes wide, and after a long tense moment Adrian released him, walking away like nothing had happened.

When the bell rang, Stella was waiting at the door, her eyes narrowing as soon as she saw me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I shook my head quickly. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” she pressed, looping her arm through mine. “What did he do? Because if he’s already playing games—”

“He’s unpredictable,” I cut in quietly, lowering my voice so no one else would hear. “One second he’s arrogant, the next he’s… I don’t even know what he is. It’s overwhelming.”

Stella frowned, pulling me aside. “That’s exactly why I told you to stay clear. He doesn’t do normal. If he’s interested, it’s going to consume you.”

I didn’t answer, because a part of me already knew she was right.

By the time evening rolled around, I tried to shake it off with a session in the campus gym, stretching and focusing on the routine that usually calmed me. Stella left early, promising to catch up later, and I stayed back to finish.

When I stepped outside, the cool air hit me, and I pulled my jacket closer. I wasn’t looking when I bumped into someone on the path, causing my bag to slip off my shoulder.

“Be careful,” a deep voice said.

I quickly looked up, startled. The guy wasn’t from Adrian’s team. His jacket had the logo of their rivals. He smirked as his eyes moved over me.

“I see why everyone’s talking about you,” he said, mixing mockery with curiosity.