the bookworm's alpha

chapter 13

                                                            Luciano's P.O.V.

        "The weirdest thing happened last class," Rei said as I sat down next to her.

"And what happened?" I asked after kissing her on the cheek.

"These two girls told me that I was out of your league." she giggled.

She definitely is.

"Really, now?" I hummed.

"Yeah." Rei nodded.

"Well, they would be right," I murmured. "You are out of my league."

"I am?" she uttered.

"Definitely." I nodded. "You're out of everyone's league."

"How?" Rei asked, her eyebrows scrunching up together.

"You act like you don't care what people think of you," I replied, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "You're apart of a dying breed. There are not very many people who have a love for books like you."

"E-erm." she looked away from me. "That's- ah- that's the whole plan. It- it makes people think you don't care, and thus making them less interested to get to know you."

"That's a terrible plan," I mumbled.

"My father told me that I have something along the lines of autophobia, which is fear of abandonment." she laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Some push people away others surround themselves with other people. I-uhh- I tend to not even let people get close enough for me to push them away... normally."

"Normally?" I hummed, pushing some of her hair back, out of her face.

"You-you're the rare exception." Rei sighed, tenderly placing her head on my shoulder. "Yet I'm terrified that you're going to leave me."

"I will never leave you," I murmured. "Not unless you want me to, and even then it will be difficult for me to do so."

       It feels like time slows to a stop when I'm with Rei. I'm normally so punctual with timing, then she came along and I get so succumbed to wanting to know more about her that I forget there's even such thing as time.

Thankfully I haven't been late to anything all that important, yet.

But getting to know my mate and protecting her should be one of my top priorities if not the only priority, right?

"What are you thinking about, brother?" my younger sister asked, coming up and sitting next to me.

"My mate," I admitted.

I glanced at Lilly from the corner of my eyes.

"Ahh." she hummed. "She's not a very social person is she?"

"Now that I think about it she's not." I murmured. "She would rather read than talk to someone. It makes her unique."

"Even you, her mate?" Lilly wondered.

"Probably." I chuckled. "She absolutely loves reading. When she's reading, she looks very calm and her facial expression changes constantly depending on what's going on in the book she's reading. It's quite cute."

"I can see that." Lilly breathed out. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I'm unable to see myself with anyone else."

"Aww." she cooed. "how cute."

"Shut up," I muttered, throwing a pillow at her.

        "Why are bookworms always depicted as being frail and weak?" Rei huffed as she closed her book and put it back in her bag in frustration.

"And you say you do this to relax?" I remarked.

"Yes." she nodded, her eyes shut in annoyance. "So, so relaxing. It's so relaxing that sometimes I just want to scream."

"I can see that," I chuckled, wrapping my arm around her as she leaned into me. "You seem very relaxed."

"Mhmm." Rei hummed. "But- I mean, seriously, they make the bookworm carry a ton of thick, heavy books yet say that there weak. I don't know about the literary world but thick books that they describe them carrying are heavy and it takes strength to carry them. I mean, come on, is it really that hard?"

She's talking really fast.

"I guess so." I shrugged, not knowing how to respond.

"It shouldn't be that hard," she muttered, a puff of air leaving her parted lips.

"It will be alright." I murmured.

I would have said more, but the bell cut me off.

"Well," Rei breathed out. "I guess lunch is over. Time to go back to class."

"Yeah," I nodded. "Let's go."

"Let's." she smiled, standing up and picking her stuff up.