Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Domestic Warfare

Ansel's POV

My life was a carefully constructed deck of cards. One wrong move, one heavy scent, and the whole thing would come crashing down.

And now, the school board had decided to throw a 220-pound hurricane named Kendric Zillman right into the middle of it.

"Watch the equipment! If you scratch that bag, it’s coming out of your tuition," I snapped at the two freshmen helping me move my gear into the "Unity Suite."

I wasn't being a jerk—okay, maybe I was—but my hockey bag didn't just contain skates. Tucked into the hidden lining was my lifeline: six months' worth of Blocker-X. It was the only thing standing between me and the "Omega" label that would end my career. Zora had been awfully worried ever since she heard the news, I was too. She had tried to suggest a whole lot of things to prevent me from staying with Kendric but then again, there was nothing I could do exactly.

“I'll call her once I settle in,” I let out a sigh as I stood in front of the door.

I walked into the suite, and the smell hit me immediately. Sweat, expensive leather, and that overwhelming, aggressive Alpha pheromone.

My sleeping wolf stirred to Kendric mere presence.

Ok— that was weird.

He was shirtless—of course he was—lugging a crate of protein powder that looked heavy enough to sink a boat.

His muscles shifted under his skin, and for a split second, my breath hitched as my wolf stirred again, this time more aggressively as his scent invaded my nostrils.

Why the hell was my wolf causing such a fuss?

Not because I liked it, I told myself. It was just biological repulsion.

"You're late, Princess," Kendric grunted, not even looking at me. "I already took the bigger room."

"In your dreams, Zillman." I shoved past him, my shoulder clipping his arm. "The rooms are identical. And put a shirt on. This is a dorm, not a locker room."

I spat, clenched my fist, hoping my wolf would calm the fuck down.

"My rent, my rules," he shot back, finally turning to look at me. His hazel eyes were dark, tracking my movement with so much focus that made my skin prickle. "And keep your 'Ice Prince' attitude out of the kitchen. I need space for my meal prep."

I didn't argue. I had a more urgent mission. I ducked into the bathroom and locked the door, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Fin… what was that about?”

I transcended into the link between me and my wolf to see him fully awake and purring.

He didn't reply and I didn't care to ask again.

I pulled a small, amber vial from my pocket. My hands were shaking—just a little. The "Blocker-X" was potent, but living with a dominant Alpha like Kendric meant I couldn't afford a single slip-up. I swallowed the pill dry, grimacing at the bitter aftertaste.

I opened the medicine cabinet to hide the rest of the supply behind a stack of boring, over-the-counter vitamins.

THUD. THUD. THUD..

The door rattled under his knock. It nearly felt like he was following me at this point.

"Ansel ! I need to use the bathroom. Now."

"Use the guest bathroom downstairs!" I yelled, frantically shoving the vials to the back of the shelf.

"The guest bathroom is out of order. Open the door before I kick it in."

I took a deep breath, adjusted my expression into one of icy indifference, and swung the door open but not without warning my damn wolf first.

Kendric was standing there, looking agitated. His gaze immediately darted past me to the open cabinet.

I slammed the mirror shut, the glass rattling.

"Privacy, Zillman. Ever heard of it?"

He narrowed his eyes, leaning into the doorway. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off him. He took a deep, slow breath, his nostrils flaring. My heart stopped, my wolf growling again.

Oh shit.

"What is that smell?" he muttered, his voice dropping.

"Cleaning supplies," I lied, my voice steady even though my heart was beating so fast, I feared he might have heard it. "Unlike you, I prefer things extremely clean."

He didn't move for a long moment. He seemed to have picked up a scent and though I had no need to worry, I feared that he might have genuinely smelled something given the fact that he was a dominant Alpha. The blockers were working but having him this close to me was still a risk.

“Can you move aside? You're in the way,” I tried not to sound bothered, though I truly was in a haste to dash out.

"You’re weird, Ansel ," he finally said, stepping back just enough for me to breathe. "And stay away from my protein shakes. If I find a single 'organic green juice' in my fridge space, I’m throwing it out the window."

"Touch my food, and you’ll find out how strong of a punch I can actually throw," I retorted, brushing past him.

I walked into my new bedroom and shut the door, leaning my head against the wood.

Shit!

My skin was buzzing, my wolf still chaotic but not giving a reply.

It was going to be a long semester. I just had to keep my head down, keep my pills hidden, keep Fin from making things worse with his bratty attitude and stay as far away from Kendric Zillman as possible.

Because if he ever found out what I was, our squabbles would be the least of my problems.