Sired to the alpha

6

Mondays were always a drag. Josh and I had a running joke about how they should be banned, or at least rebranded as “Pre-Tuesday” to make them seem less miserable. But today, I didn’t feel the usual dread as we strolled across campus, sipping on overpriced lattes from the coffee cart by the library.

Josh was mid-rant about the injustice of our economics professor assigning a paper over the weekend. “Honestly, who does that? It’s like she doesn’t realize we have actual lives.”

I laughed, nudging him with my shoulder. “You spent your entire weekend binge-watching reality TV. You had time.”

He gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “Excuse me, Evangeline, but ‘Love Island’ is a cultural experience, not mindless television. I was expanding my horizons.”

“Right,” I teased, taking another sip of my latte.

As we approached the lecture hall, Josh’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it and groaned. “Group chat drama. Lizzie and Taylor are fighting again, and I’m being dragged in as the mediator. Why can’t people solve their own problems?”

“Because you love the attention,” I said, grinning.

“Guilty,” he admitted, flashing me a cheeky smile as we headed inside.

The lecture hall was already buzzing with activity, students settling into their seats and chatting before class started. Josh and I slid into our usual spot near the middle, close enough to hear but far enough back to avoid being called on.

That’s when I saw him.

Ryker.

He was sitting a few rows behind us, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place. His dark hair was slightly messy, and he had that same unreadable expression I’d seen before—calm, detached, and yet somehow… watchful.

I froze, my breath hitching in my throat.

“Earth to Evangeline,” Josh said, waving a hand in front of my face. “What are you staring at?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly, turning back to face the front.

Josh followed my gaze, and his eyebrows shot up. “Wait. Is that—oh my god, it’s him, isn’t it? Mysterious rain guy?”

“Shh!” I hissed, my cheeks heating up.

Josh smirked, clearly enjoying this way too much. “Wow. He’s even hotter in fluorescent lighting. That’s rare.”

“Josh,” I muttered, burying my face in my hands.

But I couldn’t help it. My eyes kept drifting back to Ryker, like some invisible force was pulling me toward him. At one point, I swear he caught me staring because his lips quirked up in the faintest hint of a smile, and then—he winked.

I whipped my head around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. Josh, of course, noticed immediately.

“Oh. My. God,” he whispered, practically vibrating with excitement. “He winked at you! You’re living in a w*****d story, and I am here for it.”

“Please stop talking,” I begged, sinking lower in my seat.

Josh snickered but didn’t press further, though I could feel his knowing gaze on me the entire lecture.

When class ended, I shoved my notebook into my bag as quickly as possible, eager to escape before Josh could make things even more awkward.

“Hey, Evangeline.”

I froze at the sound of his voice.

Turning slowly, I found Ryker standing a few feet away, his hands tucked into the pockets of his leather jacket. He looked completely at ease, like he hadn’t just caused my brain to short-circuit with one simple wink.

Josh nudged me with his elbow, barely suppressing a grin. “I’ll catch you later,” he said, practically skipping out of the room and leaving me alone with Ryker.

“Hi,” I managed, my voice coming out higher than I intended.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes studying me in that same unnervingly intense way. “You’re free now, right?”

“Um… yeah?”

“Good. Come get coffee with me,” he said, his tone more like a statement than a question.

I blinked, caught off guard by his straightforwardness. “What, like… now?”

He nodded. “Now.”

I hesitated, glancing toward the door as if Josh might magically reappear to save me. But then Ryker gave me that half-smile again, and I felt my resolve crumble.

“Okay,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Great,” he said, his smile widening just a fraction. “Let’s go.”

As we walked out of the building together, I couldn’t help but feel like the universe had just shifted in some inexplicable way.

And for once, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.