Goosebumps couldn't be any more accurate for Ashlee. She was getting them while feeling the warmth of someone's lips above hers. Her mind was filled with emptiness and random thoughts of still being in a dream. But ruefully, it wasn't any dream.

She jerked away from him, the realization hitting her hard as she tried to stand back on her stumbling feet. She took her mask off, revealing the wounded cheek, which she didn't care about anymore.

Her eyes met Kyle's, showing the ire of annoyance as she wiped away her lips.

"The fuck do you think you are doing?" Ashlee burst out, punching his biceps, which were hard enough for her.

"I lost control," Kyle muttered, pinching his eyes.

"Oh! You think?" Ashlee snapped. Why was she so worked up? It's not like it was a real kiss. She was wearing a mask at least. Their lips didn't even touch to that extent.

"It's actually because of you," Kyle promptly came back to his senses and wasn't going to let Ashlee win this time at least.

She scouted, turning her head around. "Me?" She pointed at herself. "You are the one who kissed me first. You sick pervert!" She scowled, gritting her teeth.

"What did you just call me?" Kyle dared her through his eyes to call him that gross name again.

"Why? You lost your hearing? Sick pervert!" She barked and turned on her heels to leave the room. But how could Kyle let her leave just like that?

"You think you will get away with that?" His voice was seductive and intense. His eyes stayed on her wounds as he stepped in front of her, making her step back as he slowly stepped forward.

"S..Stay away from me. I'll scream." Ashlee bumped into a chair and trembled on her legs.

"Scream. Let me hear," Kyle grinned mischievously. He couldn't be a nice person. This thought was plastered in Ashlee's mind. She never thought anyone could be a good person.

Every man she ever met just wanted to hurt her or sleep with her. There was no in-between. He couldn't be any different.

Suddenly, the door opened. Caspian, the class monitor, entered, watching both of them with confusion. What were they doing? Ashlee actually talking to someone was new, even for him.

"You both are late for class," he informed them without bothering to ask what was going on.

"Excuse me." Ashlee slightly bent and walked past Kyle.

The whole day, Kyle stuck around her like glue. He wouldn't even let her alone in the restroom. That made it clear to her he was a total pervert. Maybe a sex addict.

The Art class was thankfully not a silent class to be called, which made it easy for Ashlee to talk to Kyle. No one would care how and about what they talked. Well, what she thought at least.

"What do you seriously want from me?" She let out a frustrated sigh, knitting her brows at Kyle.

"You," Kyle replied in a single word, without taking his eyes off the painting he was doing.

"Yeah, from me. What do you want?" Ashlee repeated herself, not understanding his answer.

"I want you." He made it clear to her without even looking at her.

"Yeah, as if it is ever going to happen. Listen, whoever you are, just leave me be. Let's not bother each other." Ashlee stared at him, expecting a yes or okay as an answer. Kyle took his eyes off the painting and looked at Ashlee.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Hm?" She gave him a tight smile with a bargaining look.

"No." Kyle exchanged the same tight smile with her and went back to drawing his painting. Is he actually enjoying the school? A human school?

"But why?" Ashlee whined, kicking her feet on the ground.

"I told you already. It's not in my hands. You are my mate. I can't help it." He once again looked at Ashlee and continued, "And neither can you."

"Ugh!" Ashlee growled and looked around. Suddenly her eyes met Crista's cold stare on her.

"What the fuck?" Ashlee muttered under her breath, quickly looking away from her. It was normal for her to get startled. Crista never looked at her like that in class before.

As an Alpha, fortunately, Kyle could hear Ashlee's every word, even if she would just mouth it. He was blessed with enhanced hearing power and strength, as his sister was blessed with healing powers. Every wolf was blessed with something completely different.

Though there were always others with the same power, it mostly depended on how they used it and improved it through training. Kyle was better at his powers than any other wolf. His father made him train himself roughly through hot melting days and cold freezing nights.

Kyle's eyes met Crista's. She was still focused on Ashlee. Not liking Ashlee was one thing, but now watching her talk to a new kid was something Crista couldn't bear.

Kyle didn't do a thing and let her be. He knew there would be a lot of new opportunities for him to teach every single person a lesson in life. Who hurt his mate to this extent? He still couldn't figure out how Ashlee could be this strong and endure such hardships like they were nothing.

"Don't tell me you are going to have lunch with me too," Ashlee asked as soon as she remembered she wouldn't be having anything for lunch. Her mother couldn't afford to get her school meal card, and her uncle wasn't much fond of her being healthy or not. He was just a pervert.

"You should be honored," Kyle replied, grabbing his not-too-much—or should I say two—textbooks and stuff.

They reached the lunch hall filled with a noisy and eager crowd. Ashlee looked for an opportunity to sneak away. She never ate a thing at school, but she didn't want Kyle to know about it. It would embarrass her to death.

"Where to?" Kyle grabbed her from her bag as soon as she tried to prowl away from him.

Fuck! Ashlee squeezed her eyes, biting her lower lip. "Um.. actually," she rattled her fingers with one another.

"I know you don't have the card," Kyle spoke first, saving her the confession. She looked at him wide-eyed. "A stalker should know this much," he added and pulled her into the line, filling her plate with everything.

He used his card to pay for the meal. Ashlee quietly followed him and sat beside him, staring nervously at her plate. This was the first time she had this much food on her plate, and there was no one making her cringe to eat it.

"Don't start crying now," Kyle mocked her, feeling deeply proud of himself without any worthy reason.

"Thank you," Ashlee muttered in a heavy voice, holding back the welling tears threatening to shower from her eyes.

"Eat up." Kyle wasn't that good at handling these kinds of situations. Especially when someone was grateful to him, he would just become flustered. He surely wasn't someone Ashlee expected; however, he was someone she needed.

Ashlee just took some bites, and the devil himself came to disturb one thing she was having happily in her life.

"Hey Ashlee." Crista took a seat in front of Kyle, dramatically flipping her hair and placing her food on the table.

Ashlee stopped her spoon, keeping it back on the plate. Surely, she was going to eat her brains out. Why bother eating food when she was going to get full from Crista?

"Hey Kyle. I'm Crista. Ashlee's good friend." She made it very obvious that she was going to get Kyle and Ashlee separated. But what misunderstandings she harbored inside that shithole named brain of hers. Only if she knew they were mates and nobody could get them separated.

"Surely. You are," Ashlee folded her arms across her chest, resting back on her chair.

"By the way, I'm really good in class. So Kyle, if you ever need any help, you know where to find me, right?" Crista stared weirdly at Kyle, which she thought was her tempting stare.

"No, I don't." Kyle sternly replied, focusing on his food.

Crista nervously let out an awkward laugh, looking at both Ashlee and Kyle. "Um, I'm always around," she went for it again, "You can find me in any empty classroom. On any desk. In every position." She bit her lip, showing her cleavage more as her legs under the table rubbed Kyle's from up and down.

"How about Ashlee's desk?" Kyle stopped eating, firmly glaring into Crista's eyes. Even Ashlee was shocked at what he was saying.

"No," Ashlee whispered, tugging at his jacket. He gave an assuring smile to Ashlee and got back to Crista.

"Wh..Um. Maybe I should leave," Crista grabbed her plate with shivering hands.

"You should. And fair advice, don't mess with Ashlee because I don't give warnings." He clenched his jaw, emphasizing how serious he was with his statement.

Crista just looked at him anxiously and left as quickly as she could.

"Explain." Ashlee's gaze was set on him, asking for valid reasons to justify his actions.

"I won't love you, but as my mate, I can't let you live this wretched life." He went back to eating, ignoring Ashlee's frustration.

"Oh, cut the crap already. I'm not your mate or whatever, and I never asked you for help." With that, she left him alone at the table. Maybe having a quiet and nice meal for once wasn't written in her life.