7

~ Xander’s POV ~ Soon it was time for lunch. All of us, the pack members who attend, usually gather together in the hallway before going into the cafeteria together. Since we were little, we were taught to always eat together as one family because that will strengthen our bond. As we entered the cafeteria, everywhere became quiet. People stopped eating to look at us. It happens all the time. I wonder when they are going to stop acting as if we are the Kardashians or the Royal family. Since our pack owns the majority of the school shares, we have our own special seat. Our food is also different, and we don’t have to join any queue because we have people serving us. As I walked into the cafeteria, I was hit with the sweetest scent ever. It smelled like fresh roses and lavender, and there was something unique about the scent. “Mate!” My wolf, Austin, shouted happily in my head. “Huh?” That was the only word I could produce. “That’s our mate's scent, dummy!” Austin mocked me. Never in my life did I think that I would find my mate on this day and in this school, for that matter. I tried looking around to see if I could get the exact direction she is, but I couldn’t because of the aroma of the foods. “Xander, are you coming, or are you going to just stand there?” Alissa asked, and that's when I realized that I had been standing in the same position by the door for about three minutes. I dragged myself to our table, even though Austin wanted us to roam around the cafeteria until we found our mate. “That’s creepy, Austin! The majority of the people in this school are humans.” I guess my mate is a human too, or else she would have scented me too. After we sat, everyone turned their attention back to their food. Thank the heavens, the atmosphere is less dense now, and I can concentrate and find the location of the scent. After looking around, I finally found her. Although I can’t see her face because she has her back turned to me. The only features I could see are her long ginger hair. "Please turn around," I prayed silently because I wanted to see her face. And as if she could hear me, she immediately turned her head and made eye contact. "Wow" is the only thing I could say. Her smooth face was glowing, and it complimented her big, soulful eyes, which stared at me with curiosity, and her pink lips... "Oh my God!" I felt my heart beating very fast. I can’t believe I am feeling this way just by looking at her face. "Just wait until we hear her voice and kiss those beautiful, tempting lips and…” Austin went on and on ranting. “Wait, hold it there and stop corrupting my mind,” I warned him. “I am in our mind, moron!” Austin snapped back at me. I looked at her again, only to see that she had turned back to her table. But I couldn’t stop looking at her. A few seconds later, she turned to her back again to see me staring at her. Her friends must have seen her because she turned, and they started talking. Next thing, they were looking at me. Well, I guess they must be talking about me. A few minutes later, I saw her get up and leave the cafeteria with a frown on her face. “She looks as if someone has offended her. Who dares try that while we are here!” Austin shouted furiously. The thought of it made me grab the spoon in my hand so hard that it broke. Everyone at the table turned to look at me with a curious look. “Mind telling us what all that is about?” Allen, the son of the beta and also Alissa’s mate, asked me. “What are you talking about?” I replied nonchalantly. “We saw you stare at the girl since we entered the cafeteria until she left. You were still looking at her,” he stated. “Well, there is nothing wrong with looking at my own mate, or is there?” I said, waiting for their reaction. My sister Alissa was the first to recover from her shock and shouted, “Did you say your MATE?”