The Packs Connection

New Beginnings and Old Tensions

Hours later, after several drinks and plenty of small talk with June and Sienna, they finally decided to call it a night.

As they made their way back to their dorm room, Nova felt like her brain was on overdrive. She couldn’t stop thinking about Kade and the pull between them. She knew there was something, she wasn't just imagining the entire thing. they had chemistry .The night had been filled with unspoken words and sharing mysterious glances at eachother, and now, with the quiet of their dorm room settling around them, Sienna wasted no time prying at Nova for answers.

“nova, you cant lie to me.. I saw the way you and Kade were looking at each other all night. You guys might think nobody noticed, but the only one dumb enough to not know what was going on was Dina. ,” Sienna said as she stripped off her clothes and tossed them into a laundry basket. “What’s going on there?”

Nova hesitated to answer, flopping onto her bed. “Nothing’s going on. I have a boyfriend, remember? Nothing could ever come of it, but he is... so.. Handsome” She grinned. Even thinking about it gave her flutters in the stomach. She couldn't avoid the chemistry between them.

Sienna sat down on her own bed, giving Nova a devious smile. “ Soooo, you gave him your number?”

Nova bit her bottom lip, then nodded. “Yeah… but it’s just as friends, you know?”

Sienna’s grin widened with excitement. She could hardly contain herself. “Oh, I don’t buy that for a second. "I don’t think you do either.” Nova shook her head while laughing. “I’m serious. He’s… complicated. He’s got a girlfriend, and I’ve got Dorian. It’s not like that.”

“Yet.” Sienna smirked. “But honestly, I don’t like Kade’s girlfriend, Dina. Nobody does. She’s got a whole ‘queen bee’ attitude, and everyone’s just sick of it. Kade’s too good for her, we all think so. . And you’re better than her by a loooong shot.”

Nova’s heart skipped abeat once again, but she tried to push the thought away. “I don’t know. It’s too soon to figure anything out. I don’t even know what I want right now.” Sienna leaned back on her bed, a mischievous look in her eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kade makes things interesting. He’s not the type to let something or someone like this go.” Nova groaned, pulling the blankets over her head. “I can’t think about that right now. "I need to sleep.” Sienna chuckled. “Yeah, okay. But if you wake up tomorrow and start texting Kade, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” They both settled into bed, the sounds of the night fading into silence, She didn't know when she fell asleep, but it happened quickly.

Nova woke up with the remnants of last night's party still playing in her head. The first thing she thought about was Kade—how handsome he had looked, how they’d exchanged numbers, and how his eyes had lingered on her all night. But then, her thoughts shifted to his girlfriend, Dina. The way Dina had glared at her—like a territorial predator—made Nova’s stomach sick.. She hated the feeling of being caught in the middle of something that wasn’t even her fight. She already despised Dina, and for good reason. Was it a good reason? Why did Nova care anyway, Kade didn't belong to her. Dorian did.

Before she could move onto the next thought, She froze. Dorian. She shot up in bed, the need to hear his voice suddenly overwhelming. Scrambling for her phone, she dialed his number and waited. The line rang a few times before Dorian answered, his voice warm and comforting. “Nova! I’m so glad you called. How’s college life treating you?”

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the guilt building up inside her chest. “It’s been good,” she lied smoothly. “Just a quiet night, unpacking and getting settled in. Then I went straight to bed.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re okay. "I miss you,” Dorian said, his voice soft with affection. “I’ve been thinking about you. I’m just a drive away, you know. If you want, I could come see you this weekend. Nova felt a tightness in her chest at the thought of seeing him. She loved him, she did. But something about Kade lingered in her mind, and it unsettled her. “No, Dorian, that’s not necessary,” she said quickly. I’ve got class this morning, so I can’t stay on the phone. But we’ll talk later, okay?”

There was a brief pause before Dorian responded, “Alright. Just know I love you, and I’m here if you need anything.”

“I love you too,” she replied, forcing a smile even though she wasn’t even sure what she was feeling at that moment.. They said their goodbyes, and Nova hung up, trying to shake the uneasy feeling creeping up on her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching out the kinks in her body. The weight of the morning started to set in—she had to get ready for class. She grabbed a quick shower, rinsing off the smells of cigarettes and alcohol from the night before. Nova didn't even smoke, so the smell was so disgusting to be around. Wolves have a heightened sense of smell, and she hated it when humans smoked. But , this is college. That is what she asked for. a small price to pay for her new-found freedoms, then dressed in a casual outfit that was comfortable but put together enough for her first day of college classes.

As she was finishing up, Sienna walked into the room, a cheerful smile on her face and a box of doughnuts in her hand. “Good morning!” she said brightly, her eyes twinkling as she noticed Nova was awake. “I brought you some doughnuts and coffee. You’re going to need the caffeine after last night.”

Nova groaned, rubbing her temples. “I feel like I got hit by a truck,” she muttered, already regretting the drinks from the night before. The headache was real, and the lack of sleep didn’t help. She accepted the coffee with a grateful smile and took a sip, the warm liquid doing little to calm the storm brewing in her mind.

“Are you okay?” Sienna asked, noticing Nova’s discomfort.

“Just a little headache,” Nova said, forcing a smile. “I’m not used to drinking like that.”

“Well, that’s what college is for, right? Figuring out your limits.” Sienna winked, taking a bite of a doughnut. “You’re gonna be fine. And hey, your first class isn’t far from here. You had better get moving if you don’t want to be late.” Nova checked the time and cursed under her breath. “Oh my God, I’m going to be late!” She rushed around the room, grabbing her bag and scrambling to gather everything she needed. Sienna laughed as Nova ran out the door. “Good luck! I’ll see you after class!” Nova hurried down the hallway toward the building where her first class was. When she burst through the door, the professor’s eyes landed right onto her, and a quiet hush fell over the room.“late on the first day, are we...” he said, raising an eyebrow in a teasing manner. “What’s your name?” “Nova,” she replied, slightly flustered. “Nova Reyes.”The professor nodded and gestured toward an empty seat. As she quickly made her way to the seat, she tried to shake off the anxiety from rushing. She sat down and pulled out her notebook, trying to focus. But just as she settled in, the door opened again, and to her shock, Kade walked in. Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat as he glanced around the room. His eyes found hers, and for a moment, everything else faded. He smiled, and to her disbelief, he walked straight toward her. He leaned down, his voice low as he whispered, “Mind if I sit here?”

Nova’s mouth went dry. She didn’t know if it was the lingering effect of last night or the fact that he looked even better up close in the light of the classroom, but she found herself nodding before she could stop herself. “Sure,” she managed to say, forcing herself to look anywhere but at him as he slid into the seat next to hers. His cologne, that intoxicating scent from last night, wafted toward her, making her head spin. Kade smiled again, that devil-may-care grin that seemed to make him look even more irresistible. “It’s funny running into you like this. I didn’t think we’d share the same class.”Nova didn’t know how to respond. She was caught off guard, but she had to remind herself that she couldn’t get distracted. She had a boyfriend. She had class to focus on. But then again, she had a feeling this was just the beginning of a complicated situation. a very complicated situation indeed.