Coincidences

Date

Raven had been curiously watching everyone in his classes. He had to hide smiles or little chuckles from leaving him. Teenage werewolves were really, really bad at hiding the fact they were wolves. He saw three already by lunch who had flashed their eyes at a friend in teasing dominance displays, a few teachers reprimanding them with harsh whispers.

More often than not since that morning, Raven couldn't really think about anyone other than his mate. He wanted to see him again. Needed to see him again. His wolf was curled into a nervous ball with little whimpers leaving him. They were both scared about how their mate would treat them. What they were like as a person. Sighing again at his thoughts straying, Raven closed his locker, looking down the hall to see Tyler hurrying the opposite direction from the cafeteria. Cocking his head to the side, his brows furrowed with confusion, wondering where the blonde was going.

"Do you like chess?"

Raven stiffened, immediately whirling around as the scent of freshly printed paper and warm tea hit his senses. Light brown eyes gazed into his black, Raven's breath catching at the handsome man before him. He was leaning casually against the lockers beside Raven's, arms crossed. He was only an inch or so taller than Raven himself. His wolf going crazy in excitement, before huddling down nervously at Raven trying to ease him. His mate asked him a question and he probably looked like a gaping idiot!

"I, um, yes?" Raven said, looking confused at the man whose smile widened.

"Ethan Hill. Play a game with me?" the man smiled so charmingly, Raven felt his heart quake in his chest at that look alone. His wolf nudged and whined for Raven to do so, swallowing nervously.

"Sure, I guess," Raven said, hoping he sounded nonchalant. Or human.

"Sweet! Let's go!" The man said, pushing off the lockers, waiting for Raven to walk beside him. Raven shyly shuffled the hair over his eyepatch further, hoping to hide it better. Ethan was walking on his good side, peeking over to see the man's light brown eyes had been watching him hide his eyepatch. Ducking his head with embarrassment, Raven looked away, willing his heart to not leap out of his chest.

"So these are my peeps. They might look like meat heads but they actually have enough brain cells to play a few games with me. Short games, mind you, but you looked like a challenge," Ethan smirked, getting playfully shoved at the table he walked to that was surrounded. Raven felt himself pale, many of the wolves around the table a mix of alpha and beta warriors; warriors in training if they were in high school, he assumed.

"Don't worry new blood, we don't bite. This asshole though, you should watch out for," an alpha woman chuckled, Ethan shoving her with a scowl. Raven felt his stomach squeeze at that, dark eye glancing to his mate's mouth. Ethan moved to the other side of the table, Raven lifting a brow seeing a chess board already set up.

"I commonly play during breaks. Take a seat?" Ethan asked, lifting his hand out. Raven swore he saw a flicker of nervousness in the man's eyes, looking shyly at his group of friends who seemed to happily chat without a care in the world. Like Raven wasn't some nobody who had randomly tried to shove himself in. Slowly and with trepidation, Raven unslung his backpack, sitting across from the handsome man.

Ethan was suddenly beaming at him, Raven feeling his cheeks pink, shuffling his bangs over his eyepatch again. A nervous tick he hadn't been able to stop.

"So, what's your name?" Ethan asked, Raven's cheeks turning a darker shade at a few of his friends trying to hide their chuckles. Ethan's gaze sharpened on them, Raven's heart skipping, feeling his mate's power. Dominant gamma.

"Raven Winters."

"Well, Raven Winters, I do hope you aren't a sore loser," Ethan smiled, Raven lifting a brow at the man, trying to hold back a smirk. His mate was cocky. Raven did indeed love chess, learning how to play it from studying several books at the library, beating his family easily in the game. Whenever they did go to the library, he'd pop onto one of the computers to play chess there.