RONAN

The note in the locker.

The academy feels different this morning.

I walk through the halls, the scrape of my boots echoing for too long.

I feel a lot of eyes on me as I walk, the incessant whispers in my ears

" He is a transfer student,"

"The General's son,"

" The one who made Kieran notice him,"

Each sentence lands like candle wax on my skin and harden immediately.

I keep my face blank,like it doesn't affect me,but inside I'm scared, each word reminds me of yesterday's note.

As I pass a group of students a beta there smirks and says.

" Careful Nightshade, Kieran Vale doesn't look twice at anyone unless he plans to break them."

I meet his gaze, tilt my head slightly.

" Then I'll make sure he gets bored fast,"

I quip back at the beta.

A few of them laugh,but I can feel the tremor under my own voice.

I force a smile on my face but deep down, unease slowly creeps in and their laughter follows me.

It feels like even the walls know and are saying the same thing.

He knows

As soon as I reach my locker, I swipe my key card over the scanner, a small click, then the door opens.

As it opens up something flutters out, a little white note.

A folded piece of paper lies on the floor, no name,no seal , no address

I squat down to pick it up, my heart beats wildly in my chest.

" You hide it well,"

That's all it says.

A chill runs through me, the words heavier this time.

my fingers tremble before I quickly shove the note into my pocket.

Someone knows, or someone suspects me.

My eyes darted up immediately.

I quickly scan the corridor to look for unusual eyes or persons.

I look left and everyone seems engrossed in their own world.

At the right side end of the hall.

Kieran stands there, with his hands in his pockets.

watching me with his unreadable expression on his face.

And he starts walking towards me.

The air feels thicker suddenly, I can hear my own pulse, heavy and quick.

" Any problems Nightshade?" He asks in a lazy voice, but his eyes are sharp

"No, problem." I lie quickly crumpling the note in my pockets.

" Good, let's keep it that way."

He walks away but not before I see the smirk lingering on his lips.

It feels like a confession and a secret all at once.

And the bell goes off very sharply.

++++++++++++++++

RONAN

The Academy library is silent except for turning of pages and faint breathing from people sitted around me.

I sit in the back corner, pretending to study Rules of the society, a book full of oppression if I may say.

I go tense as that subtle but heavy alpha scent hits me.

why me?

He is growing a habit of showing up where ever I am these days.

Kieran pulls out the chair beside me, dragging it close enough that his knees nearly brush mine and sits.

" You're awfully quiet lately." He whispers, his voice low and dark.

"Maybe I ran out of insults to throw at you."

I reply with looking at him.

"Little one," he says softly .

"you're getting tense, I see a few eye bags which means what ever you're hiding, is getting to you and you are losing sleep over it."

He concludes, too precise.

" Would it make you sleep better, if I wasn't hiding anything."

I ask him softly, equally baiting him too.

He smirks as he is enjoying our conversation as he turns and faces me directly.

He tries to read me, the silence stretches and becomes very heavy.

Immediately my phone buzzes.

a message flashs across the screen.

An unknown sender.

" Since he is close to you now, you should tell him before I do."

My pulse spikes as I start looking around me, trying to find this suspicious person.

He's gaze sharpens, trying to see my phone I quickly snap it shut.

"Who is texting you?"

He asks,

"No one."

"No one makes you pale like that, huh." He's voice darkens

He then leans forward, dropping his voice to dangerous whisper.

"If someone is threatening you, I need to know"

"You don't need to know anything about me." I fire back.

Our eyes lock, as I face him head on, and a myriad of emotions pass through his face, I can't get a read on him.

Then without warning, he hooks his hand around my chair and pulls me forward, until I'm between his legs.

" You keep saying that,"

he whispers of the words brush my throat

"and yet you keep letting me get closer, Ronan."

He stands up and leaves before I can respond, his scent the only evidence of his presence.

+++++++++++++++++

As I walk down the hallway after spending 30 more minutes in the library.

I hear talks about how they've posted an emergency drill for now.

" I heard Kieran requested it by himself,"

" I'm sure Nightshade has something to do with it."

And as I get to the hall I check the list to see that Kieran and I are partners once again.

After changing to some sweats, I go to the fight hall, thank the stars my suppressant is fixed to my thighs today, safely out of sight.

"Kieran Vale and Ronan Nightshade to the ring."

The instructor voice rings out.

" If you wanted a chance to hit me, you could've asked nicely" I say.

Kieran Smirks, " you would have said no."

" You would still have done it anyway."

As the spare starts, with him trying to grab me, and pin me to the floor.

" You're distracted, Nightshade, focus."

His grin widen as he corners me, his movement very predatory, my pulse quickens.

One second I'm dodging him, the next I'm pinned against the wall, his hand braced to catch my head the other gripping my wrist.

" You talk to much, Vale."

I say to him shakily

" Then stop listening, Bello( handsome)."

As the endearment throws me off.

" You keep pretending you're not afraid of me," Kieran asks lightly.

" Why?"

" Because that isn't what this is."

For a second we both forget the fight, as the air is tight around us.

Then the instructor's whistle breaks us apart.

After the fight, I go back to the dorms, to catch up on my sleep.

As I walk in my room, my phone pings again.

" You think he is your protection from me, Omega."

Well if he is my protection, why does he feel like the threat and protection all at once.

A knock on my door breaks me from my thoughts.

I open it and Kieran stands there, jacket unbuttoned, rain dripping from his hair

"You missed patrol," Kieran asked his voice low with a bit of edge.

"And you came to remind me?"

"No."he says simply "I came to see if you let me in,"

I hesitate but still step aside.

He steps into my space and walks around my room slowly, scanning everything like a secret, his gaze stops at the crumpled note I received last night.

"What is that?" he says so softly, I might not have heard him.

" A souvenir from the stalker, I have." I tell him.

" I think you like the attention." He says while chuckling.

I glare at him, as the air gets heated between us.

He turns and steps closer, too close for my comfort.

" You're crossing the lines, Kieran." I tell him softly, licking my lips.

" You keep drawing them too close, Bello." He whispers back at me

My throat tightens, I can't look at him directly not when he is this close, so my gaze slips to his lips.

" What do you want,Kieran?"

" To see which of us breaks first."

At that moment he leaves before anything can happen, closing the door quietly behind him.

I'm left standing there, my heart pounding wondering if the danger from the blackmailer is worse than him.

That night was particularly thrilling as my dreams where filled with him.

My alarm rings, I grab my phone and a message pops up.

" The president isn't your enemy, but he'll become one if he finds out what you are."