6.Trouble Looks Good on Me

Mira

After Tina finished lecturing me about how I was making the worst mistake of my life by getting involved with Klaus, I felt like my ears were ringing.

She didn’t yell.

That was the scary part.

Tina only got quiet when she was truly serious.

“Klaus isn’t someone you play with,” she had said. “He’s someone you stay far away from.”

The problem?

I already knew that.

And still… I wasn’t rushing to end things.

I didn’t tell her about the deal. I didn’t tell her about the plan. I didn’t tell her that I was basically fake-dating the most dangerous boy on campus on purpose.

Instead I promised—

“I’ll explain everything after school.”

She stared at me for a long moment.

Then sighed.

That promise was the only reason she even agreed we could even make it to lecture without a full-scale mutiny breaking out in the hallway.

---

The hallway buzzed.

Like a hive.

Everywhere we walked, heads turned.

Whispers followed.

Eyes tracked me like I was a moving target.

No one called me names.

But they stared.

And somehow… that felt worse.

Some girls glared openly. Not subtle. Not shy. Full-on death glares. One brushed my shoulder on purpose as she passed.

I inhaled slowly.

I wanted to sigh. But then Sky, my wolf, decided that was the perfect moment to be… well, Sky.

“Oh don’t pretend you’re shocked,” she said lazily. “They’re mad you touched their golden boy and now the hottest guy on campus says you’re his girlfriend. Honestly? I’d be jealous too.”

I rolled my eyes slightly. “Sky. Can you be serious for one minute?”

“No.”

She stretched like a satisfied cat.

“They can cry. I don’t care. That’s not the important thing.”

I frowned inside my thoughts. What could be worse than this?

Her answer came instantly.

“Trying to seduce our mate and make him fall for real. Obviously.”

My step faltered.

“There is no way we’re dumping his fine self,” she added happily.

“Ew. Excuse me, we ARE,” I muttered aloud before I could stop myself.

“What?” Tina asked, turning.

I blinked.

Think fast.

“Uh… stomach cramp.”

Tina narrowed her eyes. “Stress, huh? Well, don’t worry. Everything will blow over soon.”

“Are you sure?” I whispered back. “Because… everyone’s still staring like they want to murder me. I’m pretty sure half the campus is watching slow-motion edits of me crying, on the floor.”

Tina’s lips twitched. “I don’t think so. That video’s old news.”

She held up her phone.

“Now this is the new obsession.”

I looked.

And froze.

The video.

The hallway.

Klaus holding my waist.

Klaus calling me his girlfriend.

Klaus warning everyone not to touch me.

Views climbing.

Comments exploding.

My stomach dropped.

Sky growled softly inside me, excited. “Celebrity status, baby. We’re famous now. Deliciously famous.”

I swallowed. “I don’t want to be famous.”

“Too late.”

The lecture hall fell silent the second I stepped inside.

Every head turned.

My skin prickled.

“It’s okay,” Tina whispered, squeezing my hand. “I’m here.”

I nodded gratefully and sat beside her.

My eyes scanned the room.

Kevin wasn’t here.

Bella wasn’t here.

I didn’t know if that meant relief or danger.

But Bella’s friends were present.

Of course they were.

They sat three rows down, whispering behind their hands. Every time I accidentally looked their way, they rolled their eyes dramatically.

Chloe waved at me from across the room with a bright smile.

“Good morning!” she whispered loudly.

One of Bella’s friends scoffed.

I looked away quickly.

Rule number one: don’t react.

Rule number two: don’t stare back.

Rule number three: survive.

Sky did not follow rules.

She purred every time a boy glanced at me too long.

She giggled when someone tripped while staring.

She hummed when girls glared.

“Ohhh they’re jealous,” she said. “I love jealous people. They taste like drama.”

I pressed my lips together.

Not helping.

“We should give them a show tomorrow,” she added.

My heart skipped.

“Klaus already said that,” I muttered.

“And we should listen to him,” she replied sweetly. “I like his ideas.

After the last lecture ended, the campus felt unusually quiet. Most students had scattered like leaves in the wind, leaving the hallways eerily empty. I exhaled slowly, letting the tension in my shoulders melt a little as Tina tugged me toward the small café near the library.

It was one of those hidden little spots that felt like a secret safe zone—low wooden tables, wide windows that let the afternoon sunlight spill across the floor, and just enough warmth in the air to make you forget the chaos outside. I sank into a corner booth, letting my backpack fall to the floor with a soft thud, and finally exhaled again.

Tina slid into the seat across from me, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes like she was ready to interrogate a criminal.

"Okay,” she said, voice flat. “You promised me you’d tell me everything once school was over. Well… school’s over. So tell me. Is Klaus threatening you? Wait—does he have your nudes or something?”

I blinked. Nope. Not that. Not even close. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s a long story,” I admitted.

Tina leaned back, crossing her arms tighter. “Well, good. I’ve got nothing else to do today. So spill. I’m all ears. And it better be good because I’m saying this as your best friend. I know Klaus. I know him really well. You think Kevin is bad? Klaus is worse. Stop this now. Go tell him you’re not interested.”

Sky snorted inside me. Rolling her eyes. “Oh sure. Because that’s going to work. Classic human panic mode activated.”

I shook my head. “Tina… it’s not that simple.”

Before she could argue, her phone buzzed. She glanced down, then looked back at me, frowning. “Chloe. She’s asking where we are. Wants to know if you’re with me.”

I nodded. “I know Chloe. She probably thinks I’m mad because she ran off in the hallway earlier. Tell her to hurry.”

Tina muttered something under her breath, sent Chloe a text, then looked back at me. “she said she is coming.”

“I think we better wait for her,” I said.

“You’re right,” Tina agreed, glancing around the café like she expected someone to pop out of nowhere.

True to her word, Chloe appeared almost immediately, hair a mess from running. She froze for a moment, eyes wide. “Mira… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to run earlier. You know me—I don’t know how to fight. I hope you’re not mad.”

I smiled. “I’m not. I already know that about you, Chloe. No worries.”

Chloe hesitated, then whispered, “But… is it true? Are you really… dating Klaus?”

I didn’t answer. Tina spoke instead, voice calm but firm. “Yes. And that’s why I’m telling her to stop whatever’s going on there. Klaus is a chronic playboy. He’s incapable of a real relationship.”

Sky purred. “Oh, he’s capable of something. Fun. Exciting. Chaotic. Perfect for us.”

I glared at her internally. “Sky, not now.”

Chloe leaned in, eyes wide. “Mira… why? Even you dislike him. So why…”

I let out a slow breath, trying to steady myself. “Because… Klaus isn’t just anyone. He’s my mate.”

Chloe’s jaw dropped like it weighed fifty pounds. “Wait… what? Did you sell your soul in a past life or something?”

Tina frowned, leaning forward. “What do you mean he’s your mate? Didn’t you just get rejected by your mate yesterday?”

“Yes,” I said quietly, “but then I got a second chance mate.”

Both of them gasped simultaneously, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

“I don’t understand,” Chloe said, her voice small and wavering.

“Well… that night, I didn’t leave the beach house after… you know, Kevin. I stayed behind at the beach, alone.”

Tina’s eyes narrowed. “You were there by yourself? I hope you weren’t having any silly thoughts.”

I smiled faintly. “To be honest… yes, it crossed my mind. But I didn’t do anything stupid.”

Chloe exhaled dramatically, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Thank goodness. That would’ve been… so much worse.”

Tina’s impatience snapped back. “Okay, so what happened next?”

I leaned back in the booth, running a hand down my face. “I was cursing out Kevin—quietly, I hoped—and then… Klaus appeared. From nowhere. And that’s when we recognized each other.”

Tina didn’t blink. “Mira, you need to reject him. Right now. Before he—or anyone—gets hurt.”

I shook my head slowly, feeling a calm I didn’t expect. “I can’t. Not exactly. We’re not really dating… not officially. It’s a plan.”

Chloe frowned. “Explain!”

I pressed my hands against my knees, leaning forward. “Klaus proposed a deal. Fake dating. To humiliate Kevin publicly. That was the plan. Nothing more.”

Chloe’s eyes lit up, sparkling. “Ohhh! I love it! That’s genius!”

Tina’s expression darkened. “No. This doesn’t make sense. Klaus never helps anyone. What if it backfires? What if you… fall for him?”

I snorted. “No chance. Me, falling for Klaus? Please. He’s a narcissistic playboy. That’s why this works perfectly. He’s heartless. I’m clever. Simple math.”

Chloe tilted her head. “True. But don’t forget… he can be scary when he wants to be. Like… dangerous.”

I smirked, letting the tension drain from my shoulders. “Exactly. That’s why he’s perfect for this plan. Once it’s done, we go our separate ways.”

Tina huffed, frustration bubbling over. “I still don’t trust it. Mira, Klaus is Alpha’s son. That’s someone you keep away from. Believe me.”

I shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. Then my phone buzzed. I picked it up, froze at the screen. Unknown number.

I hesitated, then opened the message.

Get ready. We’re giving them a show tomorrow in class. I hope you’re a good kisser. PS: Save my number.

My cheeks burned instantly. Sky purred, rubbing against my insides like a cat kneading soft velvet. “Ohhh, Mira… we are so going to enjoy this.”

Tina’s eyes narrowed, suspicious. “Why are you blushing?”

“It’s… nothing.”

Before I could stop her, Tina snatched the phone from my hand and read it aloud. “Get ready to give them a show? Wait… kisser?”

Sky giggled in my head. “Exactly what I was thinking. We’re going to make this fun.”

Tina shook her head, exasperated. “I swear, I don’t like this one bit.”

Sky purred happily.

“Oh,” she said, stretching lazily inside me, “I like this very much.”

I swallowed.

Because the truth was…

I had no idea what I was doing.