Sydney

The color of the sea.

It consumed my thoughts as all I could see was Jaycen's brilliant sea-foam eyes as they became darker every second.

Were his eyes getting dark or his pupils getting larger? Wait isn't that like little red redding hood? No...that's what big eyes you have. Stop. Stop thinking Sydney.

I bit my lip as I felt my heart start beating faster than before. Our lips were no more than inches apart from kissing Jaycen.

Stop thinking? No, you clearly aren't thinking! This is Jaycen Freakin' Ward, A.K.A. Mr. Popular, A.K.A, the guy who likes to get into girls' pants. My trance faded. It was like something just came over me, and Jaycen was consuming my thoughts.

Turning my head away I asked advertently, "So, anything come to mind you want to share?"

It was difficult to act as though we were not intending to kiss just seconds ago.

He cleared his throat and ran his hand over his dark hair. "Oh yeah. Um, I might need a second to think on it. Mind if I ask you some questions though in the meantime?"

I shrugged despite not really planning on playing get to know one and other.

"What's your full name?"

"Sydney Elizabeth Watkins."

"Weird last name," He commented.

"Thanks..." I said questionably.

He quickly corrected himself, "No, not in a bad way."

"Okay, what about you?"

"Jaycen Peter Ward."

"Hmm." I was surprised by the simplistic, "Ok, next question," I persuaded.

"Alright, what's your favorite movie?" He looked at me waiting patiently for an answer.

"Hum...It's a tie between Pirates of the Caribbean and Day After Tomorrow, those two are masterpieces!"

He snorted, "Neither of those would be my first choice but okay."

I faked a glare, "Fine what are yours?"

"Us would be highly ranked up there, followed by maybe the newest Marvel movie, and Goonies is my go-to pizza night movie."

I grimaced realizing how much I loved all of those films too.

Jay grinned at me knowingly, "What's your favorite animal?"

"As cliché as it sounds, wolves."

This seemed to make his smile grow even more, which caused my heart to stutter.

Snap out of it Sydney! I yelled mentally to myself.

"What?" I asked Jaycen recovering from my breathlessness.

"Nothing, those are just my favorite animals too."

"Oh," I said, warmth flooding my cheeks.

Why am I acting this way!? You're supposed to detest him for recking the theater set...though maybe it wasn't him, the thought swept through my mind but I tried to ignore it, and for goodness sakes, he's just a freaking guy. A jockish brute of a guy.

"You're adorable when you blush." He cooed leaning in closer to me.

Once again I found myself feeling a tug towards him and I was falling into his chest. But, before I attacked him with my lips I quickly came to my senses.

"Stop!" I demanded and thrusted my arms between us effectively separating us.

Startled and frankly looking a little annoyed a growl escaped him.

A growl? I asked myself. No, I must've heard wrong.

"What?" He asked with his jaw clenched.

Something about his heavy voice shook me to the core and made me want to tremble in trepidation.

"I-I said stop." I stumbled, suddenly overwhelmed with fear.

It lessened slightly when Jaycen seemed to notice. He extended his arms as though to embrace me.

"No, st-stop." I said. I tried pulling away from him as the feeling of panic surmounting within me.

"Sydney what's wrong?" His voiced leaked of concern.

"I-I don't know." My body was shaking, I wasn't cold, but I couldn't stop. It was like spasms throughout my body. It was the feeling down my neck that there was something dangerous nearby but I couldn't see it and times ten.

Out of nowhere, Mat was marching over to us.

"Move you asshole, you're scaring the crap out of her."

Now, a massive growl came from Jaycen causing Mat to stumble back away from me.

There's no doubting it that time. It was a growl.

"You do not tell me what to do!" Jaycen yelled at Mat.

Mat swallowed hard as though he physically couldn't go against Jaycen's words.

Instead, he turned his attention onto me. "Syd, are you ok? What's wrong?" Mat asked taking my hand in his.

"Do. Not. Touch. Her."

Mat let go as though he was touching fire.

Whatever was happening to my body seemed to lessen enough for me to speak, "Don't tell him what he can and cannot do."

"Sydney, don't." Mat forced himself between me and Jaycen in this confined space, as if to protect me.

"Excuse me, what's going on back there?" The teacher asked, now walking towards us.

It was then I realized everyone's eyes were on us. Iris looked on the scene with a mixture of confusion and revulsion by this sudden commotion.

Great now she thinks I'm a drama girl who cries about my dad then gets in a toss-up over guys.

"Mathew, get out of my way." Jaycen's strong voice came from the other side of Mat.

I gripped Mat's arm, apprehensive.

The teacher came barreling towards us. "You three," The teacher's long pointy nail polished finger snapped around pointing to Jaycen, Mat, and I. "Detention. After school today."

"Wha-" Mat was cut off.

"No talking back. After school!"

"But I-" I started to protest, but she interrupted me once more.

"Lunch, with me." The teacher said turning her attention on me.

My mouth fell open in shock.

"Don't talk to her that way." Jaycen finally said.

Some students gasped and my jaw about dropped. Everyone's attention was now solely on him and him only.

"What did you say Mr. Ward?" The teacher asked quietly. Her fists balled into fists on her hips challengingly.

"I said, do not talk to Sydney that way. Would you like me to say it in another language for you or do you just need me to say it slower for you?" Jaycen asked slowly, leaning forward on his desk intimidatingly.

Who is this guy?

The teacher's cheeks turned red enough to match her. "Lunch detention and tomorrow after school with me, Jaycen."

"Wouldn't you like that," Jaycen shot back.

Now my jaw really did drop.

Red blush consumed the teachers' cheeks as she realized what he had just accused her of.

Her glare sharpened, "I'll be reaching out to your parents Mr. Ward and your coach." Her attention turned on me, "And you are not welcomed back. I'll be speaking to Mrs. Hays about this."

My stomach dropped, but before she could pester us, more the bell shrieked and everyone was out of their seats and out the door surely to spread the word about this drama.

☽✣☾

Mat

"Just great." Sydney groaned, butting her head into my upper arm.

I chuckled and wrapped my arm around her shoulders letting her head rest against my shoulder.

She flinched slightly when I gave a reassuring squeeze but didn't pull away.

"It'll be alright, detention might do you some good," I said goodheartedly despite that mere idea of the two of them alone in a room together made my skin crawl.

"How's your brother?" I whispered down to her.

Sydney had texted me the previous night saying something had happened.

She swallowed hard visibly. "I found him smoking last night after he went off on my mom."

Her words had my legs freezing. I grabbed both of her shoulders to pull her to face me.

"Did he hurt you?" I asked with a protective growl in my voice. Without realizing it the growl had emanated from my throat

causing her to look at me with uneasy.

My gaze locked with Sydney's but over her head, I saw Jaycen lurking along the hallway seemingly watching us.

I let go of her shoulders.

"No." Her voice pulled me back down to our conversation. "He came home a little after I did, and Mom was asking if he was home, and he went off on her. I went after him upstairs and found he was smoking...I talked to him and I think-" Her voice cracked. "I think I finally got to him."

"What did you tell him?" I pressed on.

"I asked him if this is what Dad would have wanted for him. Aaron said Dad left us and I told him that we all knew better than that, and he would turn out to be the same person that killed Dad if he kept up with what he was doing." By now Sydney had tears in her eyes.

Screw Jaycen. I pulled her into a small hug.

When she was calm enough she cleared her throat signaling for me to step away. "Thanks," she wiped the evidence of tears away with her sleeve. "I didn't let him finish, but now I want to know what Aaron meant. Mean I find it difficult to believe he thinks our dad willingly got hit by a drunk driver, so maybe he meant something else."

"What happened to you!?" Emily came rushing to our side.

Sydney blinked away her tears and turned towards our friend.

"I'm not too sure." Sydney mumbled mindlessly.

"Everyone has heard about the fight!"

"Oh," Was all Sydney sounded.

She may not know what happened back there, but I did.

Or at least I think I did.

In all my years of knowing Jaycen, which was since birth, he had never acted this possessive over any girl. Not even back when we were friends did he act like that.

Is Sydney Jay's mate?

No, she couldn't be since Sydney was only human. I had known Sydney since the start of middle school and never once did she smell of werewolf or act like one.

"Mat?" Sydney brought me back from my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"What was wrong with him?" She asked me.

My eyebrows raised as I looked at her, confused. "Who?"

She cocked her head towards him across the mildly busy hallway and said, "Jaycen." He was leaned against a locker nearby on his phone, "It felt like an overwhelming fear and my body went haywire."

"Ohh! Sydney has a cru-ash! Sydney has a cru-ash!" Emily chanted rhythmically.

Sydney shook her head. "No. That isn't what it was. It was... different."

What she felt had been Jaycen's dominant alpha presence. It could be extremely uncomfortable to werewolves but overpowering to humans.

I lied to her, "I'm not too sure."

"Why did you come over during class?" She asked me, both her and Emily staring intently to me.

"Oh, I thought he was giving you trouble, or going to give you trouble."

"Ah." She nodded in understanding. "Well, thanks."

Emily looked at me. "So all three of you now have after school detention?"

I laughed. "I do. But Syd and Jay, no. They got something a little different."

Emily's head snapped to the annoyed Sydney.

"Jerk," Sydney whispered under her breath to me then looked back to Emily.

I smiled and cried, "You know you love me!"

"Oh shut up you two! Sydney tell me you only have after school detention!" Emily looked at her with a piercing glare.

"No can do my Sunburst. I was to tell her I have to drive you and Meg home, but then she gave me lunch detention too. Jaycen ended up getting lunch, after school today and tomorrow because he said the teacher would like him alone."

Emily started into a burst of giggles.

Sydney glanced at me, and we both paused.

"What's so funny?" Sydney asked concerned.

Emily was usually the goody two shoes of the group. She normally took transgressions seriously.

"I just realized, you have to spend lunch with Jaycen, all by yourself and after yesterday...Gosh, you'll break. You're not good with guilt." Emily flicked her finger towards Sydney. "This is gonna be awesome to hear about."

Sydney gasped, "Matty call 911, something's happened to my kind and caring Em!" Sydney said placing the back of her hand to Emily's forehead. "This is bad! She might be dying," Sydney turned her attention to our friend, "Sweets, lay down everythang will be alrigh'." Sydney said in a southern accent, trying to help Emily to the floor.

"Ha ha ha." Emily joked. "Very funny, but I'm serious. It'll be very interesting to hear about tomorrow."

"Aren't you concerned I'll tell him that you and Meg helped me? Aren't you concerned I might break and fall to his knees and he'll make me his personal notepad by making all the girls he asks out, write their numbers on me? And in Sharpie no less!?" Sydney cried.

"You better not!"

After that, the two started talking about the prank they pulled on the lacrosse guys last night.

I had no clue they were going to do that, and while yes it was pretty damn funny, now I was on edge.

Not for my wellbeing, no, but my friends. I feared for their safety. I would protect them at any cost because they were like my family to me when my family wasn't, but I knew that when the werewolves' from the lacrosse team found out that my friends had played the prank on them they would push my friends off the edge. They would stop at nothing to get their revenge on Sydney, Meg, and Emily for humiliating them.

"Hey ladies, I gotta take a piss, be back in a few." I told the girls.

With slightly disgruntled looks per my verbiage, the girls nodded acknowledging my leaving as they went on talking about some new movie now.

I slipped through the crowd and into the men's restroom.

"-aven't found her yet." A familiar male voice spoke.

There was no answer to the man.

"I know, I know. Just give me a few days to find his mate. So far I haven't seen him with anyone specifically."

I crept deeper into the restroom. This person was obviously a werewolf by the topic of conversation.

Not very smart talking where anyone could hear. But where have I heard that voice? I asked myself bending over to see the person who was talking's shoes.

"Watch it, brother, or have you forgotten your place?" A growl came from the stall.

He's a werewolf, and a high rank by the pressure of his presence. It wasn't Jaycen that's for sure. Didn't smell like him or sound like Jaycen either.

"I know I need to find her soon before he marks her for his."

More silence.

"Jaycen will pa-" The voice was cut off by a group of boys flooding the bathroom talking about football.

I was pushed to the side as the door swung open, but when I went back towards the stall that was being used it was open and empty.

Glancing around as guys took up urinals, I found no one I knew that had that voice.

We need to alert the soon-to-be-alpha. My wolf told me.

Yeah, I know. I was reluctant to talk to Jaycen though. Do you recognize anyone with that voice? I asked my wolf rushing out of the bathroom.

The bell rung.

No, but we need to find out why he wants the alpha's mate. My wolf was stern.

We need to find out if Syd's his mate. I told him stooping down the hallway towards my class.

Yes we do. So let's talk to Jaycen.

We will in detention.

Oh, what fun. My wolf said sarcastically.

☽✣☾

EDITED JUNE 18 2020