"What are you doing here?"
The voice was cold, sharp, and very human. Yuna opened her eyes, gasping for air, and found herself staring up at Noah Phillips.
He stood over her, shirtless, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His dark hair was messy, his jaw tight with barely controlled anger. But it was his eyes that made her freeze. They still held a faint glow, fading slowly back to their normal deep brown.
"I could have killed you," Noah said, his voice low and dangerous. "I thought you were something else."
Yuna scrambled backward on the floor, her heart still racing. "You... you were going to attack me!"
"Yes." Noah didn't sound apologetic. "You shouldn't be here."
"Well, you shouldn't go around thinking whatever you want and trying to kill people! Jeez!" Yuna snapped, her fear quickly turning into anger. She had already had the worst day of her life. She didn't need this.
Noah's expression didn't change. He grabbed a shirt from the nearby bench and pulled it on, his movements precise and controlled. "I don't understand."
"Understand what?" Yuna got to her feet, brushing off her jeans.
"You smell different."
Yuna blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Different from other students. Different from..." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.
"Well, I smell like shame and disgrace and humiliation," Yuna shot back. "You don't have to spell it out."
Something flickered across Noah's face. His body went rigid, and for a moment, he looked like he was fighting with himself. His wolf stirred inside him, restless and insistent. The mate bond clicked into place like a lock turning, and Noah's entire world tilted.
No. Not her. Not now.
"I think you should leave," he said, turning his back to her.
"Why? You own the court?" Yuna challenged, crossing her arms. She knew she was being difficult, but she couldn't help it. Something about Noah made her want to push back, to stand her ground.
But she couldn't deny what she felt. A pull, warm and insistent, tugging at something deep inside her chest. Her wolf purred, pressing against her skin, drawn to him in a way that made her stomach flutter.
She had just been humiliated by one boy. She wasn't about to let another one see her as weak.
"Leave," Noah repeated, his voice strained.
"Unless you tell me why you think you can chase me away, then I'm ready to make this air suffocating for you."
That did it.
Noah moved so fast Yuna barely saw him. One second he was across the court, the next he was right in front of her, his hands slamming against the wall on either side of her head. She was caged in, trapped between his arms and the cold concrete behind her.
Their faces were inches apart. Yuna could feel the heat radiating off his body, could hear his ragged breathing. Her own heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
Noah stared down at her, his jaw clenched. Her heartbeat was wrong. Too fast, too irregular. Not like a werewolf's. His instincts screamed at him, caught between two primal urges: kill the threat or protect the mate.
Yuna's knees went weak. She hated how her body betrayed her, leaning slightly toward him even as her mind screamed at her to run. This guy looked like he wanted to kill her, but some twisted part of her was definitely enjoying this.
"Your heart," Noah said quietly, his eyes searching her face. "It doesn't beat right."
"Maybe because you're scaring me to death," Yuna whispered, but her voice came out breathless instead of angry.
Noah's gaze dropped to her lips for just a second before he caught himself. He pushed away from the wall abruptly, putting distance between them. The loss of his warmth made Yuna shiver.
"You need to go," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Now."
Yuna straightened, trying to regain her composure. "Fine. I was leaving anyway."
She grabbed her bag from where she had dropped it and headed for the exit. Her legs felt shaky, and she hated that he could probably see it. When she reached the door, she paused and looked back.
Noah stood in the middle of the court, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, watching her.
"What's your problem anyway?" Yuna asked.
Noah's expression was unreadable. "Stay away from me."
"Why?"
"Because my wolf recognizes you as prey," he said flatly. "Next time we cross paths, I might not stop myself from killing you."
Yuna's blood ran cold. She stared at him for a long moment, trying to figure out if he was serious. The look in his eyes told her he was.
"Why?" she asked again, quieter this time.
Noah turned away from her. "Just stay away, Yuna."
The way he said her name, like it hurt him, made something twist in her chest. But she didn't ask again. She pushed through the door and left, her mind spinning with confusion and fear and something else she couldn't name.
Behind her, Noah stood alone in the darkness, his wolf howling inside him. The mate bond pulsed with every step she took away from him, but he forced himself to stay still.
His father's words echoed in his mind. Kitsunes are dangerous. Cunning. They'll destroy everything you love.
But Yuna didn't smell like a kitsune. She smelled like something else entirely. Something his wolf wanted to protect and possess.
And that terrified him more than anything.
