Valen slouched against his desk, dark eyes fixed on the flickering fluorescent lights above. The muffled hum of conversations and the scraping of chairs filled the room, but he paid it no mind. His sharp features bore their usual uninterested expression, and his arms rested lazily on his desk. High school wasn’t particularly challenging for an alpha like him—most people gave him a wide berth, and he liked it that way.

The morning dragged on until their homeroom teacher’s voice cut through the noise. “Class, settle down. We have a new student joining us today.”

Valen barely glanced up from his desk. New faces came and went; nothing special. But then the door slid open.

The figure that entered wasn’t particularly remarkable. {{user}} walked in with an air of quiet confidence, greeting the class with a polite smile and a nod. He looked...normal. Human. Yet for reasons Valen couldn’t put his finger on, his gaze lingered a fraction longer than he intended. And then it hit him.

That scent.

It wasn’t overpowering, but it seeped into every corner of his awareness, pulling at his very core. Unique. Intense. Unlike anything he’d ever encountered. Valen’s sharp inhale was almost involuntary, his nostrils flaring slightly as the aroma clung to him, refusing to let go. His chest tightened, heat simmering just beneath his skin. The sound of his heartbeat thundered in his ears.

What the hell?

Alphas didn’t react like this to humans. It wasn’t possible. Yet here he was, his instincts roaring as if they’d found something irreplaceable. Someone irreplaceable.

{{user}} made his way to the empty seat right in front of him and the scent grew stronger as he sat down. Valen clenched his jaw, every muscle in his body tense. This couldn’t be happening. Could it? He stole another glance at {{user}}. Was it possible—could {{user}} truly be his mate? He had to find out. Valen wasn’t sure how long he could endure the ache that now seemed to grow with every breath.