Chapter 3

**Zaina**

My heart was beating so hard against my rib cage I bet everyone could hear it. I was properly panicking at this point. I had taken too long to decide to get out of here and the square had become so crowded in under a minute. I tried to pull Maddy with me towards our Physics class but she was resisting.

"Come on Zai, don't you want to get a look too? I heard his muscles are spectacular"

Shit. She was under the spell too, but I couldn't be here. I rushed towards the Physics class but the door was packed and there was no way to get through. I tried pushing through them but they kept shoving me further outside.

"Hey watch it!"

"Ugh, get out of the way!"

I looked around in panic, but the only way that was clear was the front of the school and that where He was coming in from. Every doorway was filled with girls drooling over him and I had to make it out of here without drawing attention to myself. Maybe I could hide behind the staircase or something. I started to make my way there through the crush of bodies and then the chatter became louder and there was some giggling going on in the front. He must be in the square now.

I turned to see where he was heading to make sure I was going the opposite direction and then I caught Ms Delaneys eye. She started jerking her head to back where I was coming from, and making shooing signs with her hands. I turned back and tried to get to the Physics class but the girls had pressed in, everyone trying to get a glimpse of Him, hoping to catch his eye and gain his favour. I kept getting shoved further out to the front and every time I checked it seemed like Ms Delaney was getting closer and closer. I was near tears at this point trying to get to the back of the crowd. And then silence.

"And what do we have here?"

That was his voice, there was no mistaking it. I'd heard it enough times from the times I'd hide out in Ms Delaneys office closet to be able to place it anywhere. I stopped moving and closed my eyes, willing myself into invincibility.

"Have you been holding out on me Ms Delaney?"

"I- I don't know what you mean. Come, come we mustn't delay. I'm sure you have tons of things to do, let's not waste time-"

"Oh this I have time for. This, I will make time for Ms Delaney. You, girls. Over there. Move."

I could feel the girls around me shifting and I shifted with them. I made sure to stay behind a girl that smelled like jasmines and summer rain. I heard steady foot falls walking in our general direction. And then nothing.

"If you don't mind stepping aside my dear"

His voice was so close now. Oh my gods I had to get out of here. I opened my eyes only to freeze as the smell of summer rain was swiftly replace by a rich scent of smoky pine forest dipped in dark chocolate.

"Will you not face me?"

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. He was definitely talking to me but I had my back to him. I contemplated running away but there was nowhere to go, the girls in front of me were wide eyed staring at the man behind me. Some with fear, a lot with admiration, some even had envy mixed in as they glanced and sneered at me.

"Girl, I will not repeat myself!"

"Mr Moore, please, " Ms Delaney pleaded. Her voice was now closer.

"LOOK AT ME!" He snarled and grabbed my arm to whip me to face him.

I looked up at him and my breath hitched. He was truly gorgeous up close. His strong, chiseled jawline and perfectly sculpted features gave him an aura of divine masculinity. He had a prominent, yet not overly large, nose that added a touch of regal elegance to his appearance. His thick, lustrous hair cascaded in dark waves, framing his face and falling effortlessly to his shoulders. Each strand seemed to be kissed by the sun, reflecting subtle hues of chestnut and mahogany. But his eyes, oh my gods his eyes. The deep, captivating eyes were the most perfect shade of obsidian I'd ever seen. And right now the smouldering intensity of those eyes left me breathless. How could something so beautiful be so evil?