The moment I stepped onto Silver Ridge High's campus, I could feel it. The weight of hundreds of eyes watching me, sizing me up, judging. It was nothing new. My pack and I had just moved to this town, and starting over meant blending in. Or at least, trying to.
But blending in had never been my strong suit.
I kept my head down, my dark waves cascading over my shoulders as I walked through the parking lot, my boots barely making a sound on the pavement. Beside me, my beta and best friend, Kian, leaned in and smirked.
"They're already staring," he muttered under his breath.
I rolled my eyes. "Let them."
The truth was, I was used to being watchedâbut for different reasons. No one outside of my pack knew what I was. They didn't know that beneath the quiet, unassuming girl I pretended to be, there was an alpha stronger than any they'd ever seen. A hybridâhalf-werewolf, half-something else. Something... more.
But as far as the rest of the world was concerned, I was just Rae Arden, the new girl in town. And I intended to keep it that way.
I walked through the halls, my senses sharpening. The smell of different wolves hit me instantly. An established pack ran this town, and if their scents were any indication, they were strong. Not that it mattered. My pack and I knew how to stay in our laneâat least in public.
But then I felt it.
A spark shot down my spine, making me freeze mid-step. My wolf stirred, growling low and deep. My heart pounded, my breath catching in my throat.
Mate.
I turned my headâand met the eyes of the most powerful-looking alpha I had ever seen.