Golden retriever

The students of class 1-A stopped what they were doing as they watched this sudden development in the ongoing catfight between the Mad Queen and the Peasant Princess.

Celine couldn't believe what was happening. This blond guy, who she had never met before, was kissing her hand as if she was a princess being courted by a knight.

"Kyaaa!" Pepper cheered. She moved towards Celine's ears and whispered, "who's the hottie?"

Celine shook her head and said, "I don't know."

"Well, it's great. The new Queen Bee already has an Alpha to support her. You're on your way to disrupt the social ladder of the class!" Celine didn't know if Pepper supported her or supported Stacy's downfall.

Stacy stood up. Her hair was in disarray, and her eyes were looking like a rabid raccoon ready to bite whatever was in her way. She faced the blond stranger.

"Excuse me! Who are…," Stacy's first words were strong and hostile, but as soon as the gentle blond man smiled at her, her voice soon turned into a higher pitch with a flirtatious undertone. "Who are you?"

Stacy moved closer to him, her hands slithering like a snake towards his chest. She had already forgotten her boyfriend lying on the floor with his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"I am Milo Winchester, and I…," Milo raised his hand and pointed at Celine, "am hers."

"Kyaaa!" Pepper's high-pitched voice rang in Celine's ears, but nothing could confuse her more than the warm smile coming from Milo. It seemed insincere.

"I'm sorry. I don't know you," Celine said as she walked away from the scene. She already had enough drama for one day; a scandal shouldn't pile on top of it.

Just as Celine walked away, a leg suddenly moved in front of her feet, tripping her down. As Celine saw the marbled floor approaching her face, she looked at the foot that tripped her.

It was brown leather shoes for men, and when she looked up to see who it belonged to, she saw that it was Milo, snickering at her attempt to run away. Milo tripped her intentionally.

She was now more confused than ever. Just a minute earlier, he protected her and said all these things about belonging to her and even kissed her hand. But now, he tripped her—with malice!

As Celine fell, Milo took her hand and stopped her face from falling face-flat on the floor. They looked like two dancers performing a choreographed dance called dip.

Celine looked up at Milo and saw that he was enjoying the gasps and looks of shock among the spectators. He wanted this. He wanted the attention. Celine would have let go of his hands if it wasn't the only thing that prevented her from falling.

Having milked the moment, Milo then pulled Celine closer to him. Her body twisted towards him until her face landed directly on top of his chest, her hands laying on top of it.

Milo's body was different. He was warm, almost exuding steam from his skin and almost burning her hands from touching it directly. It was the complete opposite of that vampire.

The two of them looked at each other, feeling each other's breath swirling into each other. His blue eyes distracted Celine, and the world around them almost seemed to disappear. It was just him and her.

'No!' Celine thought. She pulled herself away from Milo's warm embrace before she got too caught up in it, but he only pulled her closer. Her face was squished into his chest as he hugged her without inhibitions.

"Why are you doing this?" Celine asked.

Milo smiled and put his head near her ears, obscuring his mouth from the crowd—they just think they're being intimate. He said, "just go with it. Didn't you want to become the new Queen Bee? I can be your Alpha, your partner in crime, your soul to my mate."

Milo's sweet words almost made Celine reconsider the proposition for nearly a second. However, climbing the social ladder was not in Celine's 4-year college plan.

"Get off me!" Celine said as she pounded on Milo's pectoral muscles. There was little she could do considering her arms were constricted, and his muscles seemed to be steel.

Milo chuckled. "Too late. Don't you see their reactions?"

Celine didn't know what he meant by that, so she peeked out of Milo's arms. Pepper and her friends were cheering them on as their new Queen Bee, while Stacy and her friends were glaring at her as if they wanted to pulverize her.

"Half of the class considers you the new Queen Bee, and Stacy hates you for that. Do you think she's the type of person to let go of grudges? She'll want her throne back."

"I'll give it to her." Celine glared at Milo.

"Heh…it's cute that you're so naive. But Stacy won't stop. She'll keep harassing you until you drop out of class, and she'll stop at nothing to achieve it. Why do you think she keeps that muscle-headed boyfriend with her?"

Celine stopped struggling and closed her eyes. Why do all these problems keep slapping her in the face, she thought. Can't she just study in peace?

"I…I…won't do it. I'll deal with whatever comes by myself." Celine raised her foot and slammed the heels directly onto Milo's pinky toe, dealing the maximum damage.

"AHHH!" A high-pitched shriek followed Celine's step, but it was not the voice she expected. She looked up at Milo's face and saw that he still had that devilish grin on his face.

If she didn't step on Milo's foot, who did she step on? The answer to that question revealed itself when Celine suddenly felt a hard tug on her hair. Someone pulled her head back with such force that it almost made her tumble.

"Celine Dacker, you bitch! Fine, we'll see who the Queen Bee is!" Stacy screamed, with strands of Celine's hair in her hands. She would have brawled with Celine right then and there if not for Milo standing behind her with an intimidating smile.

"Girls! Let's go!" Stacy said as she snapped her fingers and walked out of the room with her friends, leaving Celine stewing in her emotions.

Celine herself was ready to throw hands with Stacy. If there were something that would get her blood boiling, that would be someone grabbing her hair like that. She immediately got a flashback in kindergarten when she punched a boy for tugging on her hair.

That bitch, Celine screamed in her head. She only had two interactions with Stacy, but both ended up in chaos. It was the first day of school, and she had already got a nemesis.

"Fine! We'll see who's the Queen Bee!" Celine retorted, even though Stacy and her friends were already out in the hallway, unable to hear her.

Seeing this, Milo couldn't suppress a broad grin on his face. Even though his eyes seemed gentle, there was this blimps sharpness that would pop up. It was as if he planned everything that happened.

However, no one could see it. All they could see was his pretty smile and adorable blond hair. Some of the girls in class already nicknamed him as the 'golden retriever.'

From his physical appearance, golden retriever was an appropriate nickname. However, Celine would not be fooled. She saw the foxy and cunning actions he took to orchestrate everything. From kissing her hand to tripping her foot, and even up to making Celine and Stacy fight with each other.

"I knew you would cave. Deep down, you want that spot, don't you?" Milo said as he whispered in Celine's ears. His breath reached her ears and tickled her in the right spot.

Celine cringed away from Milo and said, "you-you sly fox! You planned that, didn't you?"

Milo shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You wanted Stacy and me to fight so that I would have to fight for the Queen Bee!" Celine pointed her fingers at him.

Milo smiled and stared at Celine's index finger pointed right at him. He raised his hand and touched his index finger with hers. Immediately, a lighting spark occurred between them.

Celine flinched from the tingly sensation, but Milo stepped forward and caught her wrist. "Don't deny our chemistry. The Earth wills it."

Celine was speechless and couldn't move. From the very first time that they had met, Celine saw Milo's eyes as someone who was shrewd and scheming. She felt that he was hiding his true intentions with his charming smile and disarming nature.

However, when she looked at his eyes right then and there, she saw sadness. For some reason, he seemed to be grieving, with his somber eyes and slightly slanted eyebrows. She knows sorrow when she sees one.

Then, it vanished. His only genuine emotion lasted for half a second before it was replaced with a shallow smile. Celine forced her hand away from his wrist and walked away from Milo. Milo stayed behind and watched her back as she left.

Far away from the epicenter of Celine and Milo's interaction, a man was sitting in the corner of the room. He witnessed the whole thing from start to finish, from flirting to physicality. His eyes glowed red as he watched Celine.