Chapter 2 THE MARK

“What do you mean I’m your mate? That is impossible. I have a boyfriend,” I gasped. 

“Do you think the Moon Goddess cares about that?” His eyes finally met mine. 

I squeezed the file in my hand. 

Chase was the only one I wanted. Nobody else. How could I be mated to him?

“I don’t want to be mated to you,” I quickly said.

How could something so unfortunate have happened from only a handshake?

He adjusted his coat. “I don’t want to be mated to you either. I didn’t come here to look at girls.”

“Break the bond then.”

“Yes, of course.” He adjusted himself before he began to speak. “I, Dante Rodriguez, son of Francisco Rodriguez…”

Francisco Rodriguez?

That name sounded even more familiar. I was sure I had heard it somewhere.

“…hereby revoke my mating bond with Sophie,” he said with a stern look on his face.

I waited, but nothing happened. I wasn’t even sure something was supposed to happen. I had never had to revoke a bond before.

“Did it work?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he began to draw closer to me. I stumbled backwards until my back hit the wall behind me. “What are you doing?” I asked. 

“Wait a second,” he said and grabbed both sides of my jacket. Pushing it aside, he began to undo my shirt. 

I quickly let go of the file and it landed on the ground. I wrapped my arms around his, and he stopped, his eyes snapping to meet mine.

My heart heaved. Was he a pervert?

“Do you want the bond broken?” he asked. 

I quickly nodded. “Yes… but…”

He didn’t hesitate, nor did he let me finish my words. He continued to unbutton it and instantly stopped at my chest. His eyes filled with red on the left corner of my chest. His teeth clenched as he mumbled the words…

“I knew it.”

Knew what? 

I followed his eyes to my chest and my hand flew to my mouth instantly. On my chest was a mark. It looked like a tattoo. It was round, and in the middle was the drawing of a lion with a crown on its head. 

“This… this is the first time I’m seeing this,” I stuttered. “I don’t have a tattoo…” I looked up at him with trembling hands.  

He pulled away from me and turned around, pacing for a few seconds before he turned to face me. “That is my family crest. When our men find their fated mates, it appears on them. I have one like that on my chest. We are born with it.”

I quickly zipped up my shirt. “How do we get it off?”

His eyes fell to the floor and he scratched his head. Suddenly his brow raised as an idea struck him. “I got it. There’s an old friend of my family, a witch here in New Orleans. She knows everything. She can help.”

I nodded.

“Stay behind after school. I’ll take us there. Is that okay?” he asked.

I nodded again. “Yes, of course.” I adjusted my jacket and slowly picked up the envelope from the ground. 

“Do… do you still want me to show you around?” I asked.

He rolled his eyes. “Sure. Why not?”

I stood in front of him as I showed him around the school, my voice trembling as I spoke. Something about his presence made me shake. 

I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.

Was it even possible for a half-breed to mate?

“Here,” I said as I stopped in front of a classroom. “We have chemistry right now.” 

Without a word, he walked past me and into the class. 

The place fell quiet instantly.

I walked in behind him. The chemistry teacher, a male, froze as he saw us. “Mr… Mr. Rodriguez?” he stuttered. 

My brow raised. I had never heard him stutter a day in his life. 

He was really strict. 

“Oh my God, who is that?” Brianna asked in disbelief. I looked at her sitting beside Chase. She curled her brown hair with her fingers, her eyes scanning Dante. 

“He is so handsome,” Kate, another girl, put her hand over her mouth. 

“Class, Mr. Rodriguez is going to be in your class from now on. Treat him kindly and with respect,” Mr. Salvatore, the chemistry teacher, spoke.  

“Hi, Salvatore,” the girls giggled. It was obvious they were already falling for him. 

How pathetic. 

He bowed his head to the teacher and turned to walk deeper into the class, towards an empty seat. 

I followed closely behind, but as I walked I suddenly stumbled against something hard. I fell forward and my body slammed hard against the ground.

The students all burst into loud laughter.

I quickly stood and wiped myself with my hands.  

Dante turned to face me and then his eyes scanned the class. He seemed to have something to say, but he swallowed his words and moved to sit. 

“Sorry,” Kate said in a mocking tone. “Watch your steps next time.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and giggled. 

As I moved to sit, my eyes met Chase’s. He instantly looked away, pretending he didn’t see me. 

I sat on a chair before Dante’s and placed the file on the table.

“Dante,” Brianna said as she turned to face him, “your girlfriend just fell face flat on the ground and you didn’t say anything. Why? Did you guys break up?” Her tone was enthusiastic. 

“No,” he responded in a low tone, almost as if he wished the answer was yes.

But I was used to it. 

He never showed care when we were not alone. I always assumed he wasn’t the type to show public affection. 

After school closed, I stayed in class and did Chase’s homework and mine. I finished fifty-five minutes later and immediately rushed to the school’s hockey rink. 

The boys were sliding on the ice as they practiced. It didn’t look like tryouts. These were all the members of the hockey team. 

I looked to my side and there was the coach with a notepad in his hand. I quickly walked to him, panting heavily as I dropped Chase’s bag on a desk, mine still hanging on my shoulder. 

“Coach McCall?” 

He looked at me. Some strands of white hair stuck out of his hat. “Yes?” His voice was hoarse. 

“I thought tryouts were happening?”

He nodded. “Yes. Actually, it has happened. I chose a member already.”

I froze. “So soon?” I looked into the hockey rink, trying to figure out who he had chosen.

“This is the last year of college, Ms. Weathers. It’s urgent. A complete team is needed as fast as possible.” He took a step forward, placing the whistle around his neck between his lips.

Immediately he blew on it. The boys stopped playing and began to slide off the ice.

“Be here by 4:00 p.m. tomorrow for official practice, everyone!” the coach shouted as he walked out of the large door. 

The boys all took off their helmets and tossed them to the ground.

Instantly I recognized Dante. He had gotten in?

Lucky.  

Dante’s eyes lingered on me. It was obvious he hadn’t expected me to be there, and then he looked away. 

Chase took off his gear and placed it beside the other guys’. “Did you do my homework?” he asked. 

I nodded with a smile on my face. He nodded back and walked past me to get his bag from the benches.

I quickly moved to grab a bag on the floor. It was the one I used to carry the boys’ things to the bathroom every day. As I put the helmets in the bag, Dante’s voice got my attention. 

“What are you doing?” 

I turned to face him, watching the curious look on his face. 

“She helps the members of the hockey team clean up every day,” another member answered. 

He didn’t cast a single glance at him. His eyes were fixed on me. “Why?”

“She’s helping her boyfriend,” Chase answered as he approached us. 

Dante scoffed. “Is she dating the entire hockey team?” he asked, looking around in disbelief. “Why does she have to help everyone?”

“Relax, man. Just enjoy it,” Chase tapped his shoulder and began to walk out.

“And you are just going to leave her here?” Dante asked. 

Chase turned around, this time in anger. “What is wrong with you, new boy?”

“It’s okay. I can handle it,” I stepped forward. 

Dante looked at me. “Put those helmets down. They should all clean them themselves.”

Chase hissed and tossed his backpack to the ground. He marched towards Dante, clenched his fists, and landed a blow on Dante’s face.  

I gasped. So did the other boys on the team. Dante’s lips were bleeding. 

I quickly ran to Chase and grabbed his hand. “Stop!” I shouted. 

Chase shoved me aside and I slammed hard against the ground. “Argh!” I shouted in pain. 

Dante’s eyes turned red. He grabbed Chase and a violent fight started. 

The boys shouted, cheering for Chase. I stood up from the ground, watching with my mouth open. 

Chase ripped open Dante’s jersey and instantly froze. 

They both panted heavily and I heard the boys murmur.

Why… why did they suddenly stop?

Chase stumbled off Dante’s body. “That… that mark on your chest,” he stuttered, wide-eyed.

He recognized the mark?

What did it mean?