Chapter 25: Dmitri Volkov

She saw him gazing at her with his eyes and found herself locked in a stare-down as he walked towards her. She could never back out from the intensity of his gaze. His gaze was so focused on her that she should have felt uncomfortable, but she didn't even flinch a little. Instead, she met his cold stare boldly, and was trying to outstare him instead. Her wolf growled in warning, inviting an odd lip curl from him.

"Adrianna, see who I have got with me," said Okashi when she reached her.

Adrianna didn't get up from her place and said a meek "Hi" to all of them, much to Okashi's discomfiture. She had bragged so much about Adrianna and had asked them to meet her, which they had surprisingly agreed to, and now she was behaving oddly. "What is wrong with this girl," she thought. Why can't she be a little friendly?

Nate observed Okashi's discomfort, and said, "Can we sit here?"

Adrianna, who was still reeling under the effect of the devil's presence, managed to nod. Keisha on the other hand, was keenly observing her and held him tightly. They sat down together like a couple with Keisha sitting beside him.

Once they were all settled, Okashi introduced them to Adrianna. "This is my friend Adrianna. She is a chemistry major." She paused, looked at Adrianna and pointed at each of them. "This is Nate, Liam, Keisha, and Dmitri."

Before anyone could say anything, he looked at her and said, "Hi, I am Dmitri Volkov."

Adrianna looked at him and replied, "Hi…"

Her eyes went to his parted lips and his handsome jawline. She gulped. She turned her head away to avoid getting hurt seeing them together. All she wanted at that moment was to rip Keisha into pieces. Her wolf growled at her. Even though she had learnt to control her emotions very well, his close proximity was becoming difficult to bear. Was it possible that he was thinking the same about her?

While Okashi continued to talk to Nate and Liam about the college, Adrianna had to force herself to sit down amongst them. She found it strange how her wolf wanted to connect with him at the basic level. It can't be love, she convinced herself. To be in love, you had to spend time with the partner;, at least, that was what Okashi had told her. So was it lust? Or maybe passion? She looked at him again, and her eyes became watery, her mind falling back into an emotion she was beginning to get tired of. So what if it was love? So what if it was strong? Did it even matter? With Keisha around him, Dmitri would never take her. This stupid infatuation was just in her eyes. Her wolf was not agreeing with her.

Was he here to brag about Keisha? She wanted to escapef this situation and run away from these emotions. She wondered how her life was slowly getting wrapped around a man who was already with someone. At the moment, she hated herself more than that she hated him. She just waited for all this to finish as soon as possible.

Okashi had gone to grab coffee. When she returned with tray of coffee cups, she offered a cup to everyone except Adrianna. Adrianna shook her head at her friend, and smiled.

"What are you doing Adrianna?" asked Keisha, picking up the paper cup.

Adrianna thought, "Trying to mentally rip you in pieces," but she coughed and said, "I am sorry, I don't understand."

Keisha grew impatient, and said, "What major are you?"

"Oh! I am a chemistry major," she replied uninterestedly.

They heard Okashi giggling as Nate asked her a question, to which she answered, "My classes will be over by 4PM. You can drop me home."

"What a coincidence! My classes will also be over by 4PM," he said.

Okashi looked at him with admiration and her face reddened a little. Adrianna rolled her eyes.

Then, she heard Dmitri addressing her with a slightly irritated tone.

"Not going to have some coffee?" Dmitri asked Adrianna. His wolf was finding it difficult to restrain himself, not wanting to sit away from her. He was very furious about the fact that she wasn't paying heed to him.

"No, I don't like it," she answered flatly.

His mood went south. "What country do you live in? Who doesn't drink coffee here?" he said, much to her surprise.

Adrianna looked at him with disgust. "Having coffee has got nothing to do with habitat," she replied, equally as irritated, and again, turned her face away.

Keisha laughed at Dmitri's dark humor. She enjoyed it when he belittled people.

Taking a sip from his cup, he narrowed his eyes and said sarcastically, "Well, let's try to get along as we are going to the same college."

Adrianna could sense his hostility, and with a contorted face said, "There's no need. I am fine."

"Don't give me that look Adrianna. Here, have some coffee," he said, looking at her with grimace while offering her his cup. "Sharing the same cup will improve our friendship," he added. Then he looked at others and asked, "Don't you think so?" Except Keisha, whose face had darkened, they all agreed with smiles.