02: Intoxicating Scent

Conrad

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, happy birthday. Happy birthday, my baby." I pulled my sheets and cover my whole body with it when I heard someone singing a happy birthday. I don't have to open my eyes to know who's singing because I already know it's my mother and Maddox, and my mother knows how much I hate my birthday. There's no particular reason why I hate it, it's just that I can't stand the awkward silence after singing the happy birthday song, I can't seem to find the right words to say.

"Come on, you need to wake up now, Conrad. Your mother gets up so early to bake you a cake. Can you just at least blow the candle?" Maddox said and I can't help but take a deep breath, he really knows how to make someone feel guilty.

"Okay," I said sparingly and I don't have a choice but to get up causing my mother to smile. She was holding the cake that she baked for me.

"Happy birthday," I can't help but smile when I saw my mother holding a cake with a batman figure on top of it. Looks like she's still thinking I'm five years old, not that I'm complaining. I appreciate it so much and I know that the cake taste so good.

"Thanks, mom. Thanks, Maddox," I said before I make a wish and then blow the candle.

Just like how I celebrate my birthdays before, I sliced the cake and give my mother and Maddox each a slice. After that, they went back to the pack house since Maddox has to do border patrol while my mother is helping others prepare the food for the pack warriors.

I was left in the house alone and I don't mind it. I kind of like having the house all by myself, I like the silence.

My day went so fast and before I knew it, I just found myself rushing to get out of the classroom because I'm pretty sure that Betty won't stop annoying me about going to the club with her. The first thing she said when I sat beside her this morning is about how excited she was going to the club after class and I straight answer her no, which she purposely does not understand. I don't want to go to the club, it's not my thing and I'm sure I'm not gonna enjoy it. Jeez, I sounded like a nerd and I'm not even smart, to begin with, I mean I like studying. Or maybe I'm a nerd and that's the reason why Ryker always orders me to do his assignments and projects.

"Where the hell are you going, Conrad!" I heard Betty shouting but I just ignored her and acted like I didn't hear a thing. I keep on walking, more like running.

I can't help but smirk while I was on my way toward the exit and I heard Betty cursing me to death because I just ran away without saying anything to her. I know that she'll force me and guilt trip me just so I would come with her to the club, but I want to see her try until she gets tired of inviting me eventually.

While I was walking down the hallway, I suddenly froze when an intoxicating fragrance of rosemary and vanilla scent seeps through my nose. I don't know what was happening but I can feel my body getting excited and after a few seconds, I suddenly realized something.

"Mate," I said softly to myself and I can't help but smile at the thought of my mate. I look around trying to find the source of the intoxicating scent but then the students suddenly flooded the hallway making it so hard for me to follow the scent of my mate.

"What the hell?" I cursed when my mate's scent slowly faded away and my body is starting to panic.

"My mate is here," I said softly to myself and I would be jumping in joy right now if only I wasn't in the middle of the hallway. My mate is just around the campus, what I'm not so sure about right now is if my mate is also a student here. What if my mate is a teacher? Gosh! I don't care anymore, I just want to find my mate right now.

I stayed in the hallway for quite some time, hoping that I get to smell those intoxicating scents of my mate again. I was walking around the hallway for half an hour now when my phone suddenly rang, I take a deep breath when I pick up my phone and saw Ryker's name on the screen. I want to ignore his call so fucking much but then I don't want him to get angry at me so I have no choice but to accept the call.

"Alpha Ryker," I said softly on the other line but then my brows furrowed when I didn't hear anything from Ryker, it feels like I'm talking to a mute, the only thing I can hear on the other line was his steady breathing that for some inexplicable reason kinds of calm me down. Fuck! Why am I feeling like this?

"Hello? Um, can you call me later? I'm still in the middle of the class and the teacher will gonna confiscate my phone if she ever caught me talking to someone." I gulp hoping that Ryker won't catch me lying to him. I was breathing nervously and I was waiting for Ryker to tell me how I'm such a bad liar but then all I heard on the other line was his steady breathing. Okay, this is weird but then I just shake the thoughts out of my mind and bravely ended the call, I'll face Ryker's wrath later but now, I need to focus on finding my mate.

My mate should still be in the hallway and also trying to find me. I'm fucking sure my mate also got a whiff of my scent.

I don't know how long I have been standing in the hallway trying to find my mate but to no avail. This is so frustrating, knowing that your mate is just around but you have no idea where he/she is.

"Maybe I'll start finding my mate tomorrow," I said softly to myself and start walking towards the parking area. I have no choice since most of the students have gone home already. I have a better chance of finding my mate tomorrow morning.