Chapter 1

Jael stood at her locker, rifling through a jumble of textbooks and notebooks, searching for her math homework. Harmony High School bustled around her, the sounds of slamming lockers, laughter, and hurried footsteps filling the hallway. It was an ordinary day in the small town of Anepi, and she was just another high school senior counting down the days until graduation.

"Hey, Jael! Ready for the math test?" Seraphine's voice broke through the noise. Seraphine, with her blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes, always had an air of unshakable optimism.

Jael turned, a smile spreading across her face. "As ready as I'll ever be. Where's Mara?"

"Right behind you," Mara said, her tone laced with mischief. Jael jumped, spinning around to find Mara grinning. Mara, with her dark curls and sharp wit, was the wild card in their trio.

"One of these days, Mara, you're going to give me a heart attack," Jael said, laughing.

"That's the plan," Mara replied with a wink.

The three girls fell into step together, making their way to their next class. As they walked, they talked about their plans for the weekend, the latest school gossip, and their dreams for the future. For Jael, these moments with her friends were the highlight of her day, a welcome distraction from the monotony of school and the pressures of impending adulthood.

In the classroom, they took their seats, and Jael couldn't help but glance across the room at the new student, Roal. He was an enigma, a foreign exchange student with striking features and an aura of quiet intensity. Tall and athletic, with sharp features and unique, almost otherworldly eyes, he drew the attention of everyone around him without even trying.

Jael had noticed him on his first day, and since then, she had found herself inexplicably drawn to him. There was something about his quiet demeanor and the way he seemed to observe everything with a thoughtful gaze that intrigued her. She had never worked up the courage to talk to him, though, content to admire from a distance.

As Mr. Thompson, their math teacher, began reviewing the material for the upcoming test, Jael did her best to focus. Still, her thoughts kept drifting back to Roal. She wondered what his life was like, what had brought him to Anepi, and what secrets he might be hiding behind those mysterious eyes.

When Mr. Thompson called on her to answer a question, Jael snapped back to reality, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She stumbled through her response, and Mr. Thompson moved on, but not before giving her a knowing look. Seraphine and Mara exchanged glances, barely suppressing their giggles.

After class, as Jael and her friends gathered their things, Seraphine nudged her with a knowing look. "You've been staring at him again, Jael."

Jael felt her cheeks flush. "I have not."

Mara laughed. "It's okay, Jael. He's intriguing. Why don't you just talk to him?"

Jael shook her head. "I wouldn't know what to say."

"Just be yourself," Seraphine encouraged. "Who knows, maybe he's just as curious about you."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and the students began to file out of the classroom. Jael lingered behind, stealing one last glance at Roal as he left. With a sigh, she turned to follow her friends, feeling a strange mixture of curiosity and fear.

As they walked to their next class, Mara continued to tease Jael, but there was a warmth to her teasing that made Jael feel supported. "Seriously, Jael, you should go for it. What's the worst that could happen?"

Jael smiled, feeling a bit more confident. "Maybe I will."

Later that day, as she sat in the cafeteria with her friends, Jael spotted Roal sitting alone at a table, engrossed in a book. She took a deep breath, considering Mara's words. Maybe it was time to step out of her comfort zone.

For now, she decided to take it one step at a time. She would start with a simple hello. As she returned to her conversation with Seraphine and Mara, she couldn't help but steal another glance at Roal, wondering if their paths would cross in a more meaningful way.

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Across the cafeteria, Roal sat with his book, but his mind was elsewhere. He had noticed Jael's stare—who wouldn't, even without his heightened senses when she was so obvious with it—her warm smile and curious eyes standing out in the sea of faces at Harmony High. There was something about her that drew him in, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He knew she wasn't his mate; there were no tingles, earth-shattering shakes within his heart, or a sudden tunnel vision and possessiveness. Not like they had ever looked into each other's eyes for him to know, but even the basic enticing scent was missing.

He watched as she laughed with her friends, her eyes occasionally drifting his way. He wondered if despite all the missing signs, she felt the same pull, the same inexplicable curiosity he felt about her. If she wasn't his soulmate, then what could she be? He wished he was back home to ask Alpha Ben, but thoughts of home made him grimace and bury his head further into his book, shoulders hunched.

Roal knew he should focus on his studies, on the reason he had come to Anepi, keep his head down and peacefully round up his transfer program but he couldn't help it. There was a part of him that hoped, maybe just once, the world would be in his favor and he would have a chance with such an intrigue. But he's been here days and hasn't been able to say a word to anyone past Han and May, the middle-aged couple he was staying with for the duration of his transfer, which was three months. Did he even want to get involved with her? Somehow he knew that would just be trouble.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Roal gathered his things, casting one last glance at Jael. He wondered when she would finally come to talk to him. He had heard her friends nudging her to do so and a part of him was excited, anticipating the end of this little game they were playing, or would it be the beginning of a more exciting one. He didn't realize how blinding the smile on his face was at that thought.