One Night With My Alpha Professor

Audrey

Tonight was the night of the New Year’s Eve dance—and it was also the night that I was supposed to finally sleep with my boyfriend, Max. But as I looked around the crowded ballroom, I couldn’t seem to find him.

I grabbed my skirt and looked everywhere for him, all the while praying that Linda wouldn’t find me tonight. Linda O’Malley: one of the most popular girls on campus… and my biggest bully. She targeted me just because I was the only human amongst an entire academy full of werewolves.

She had tried to shave my head several times because I was born with a streak of silver hair, which is considered ominous to werewolves. I had begun dying it black ever since.

Strangely, she wasn’t anywhere to be found tonight, either; which was odd considering that she always loved to be the center of attention. I was relieved, to say the least.

Linda’s bullying had come to a head three months ago, when she was bullying me in the storeroom. Max had rushed in and interrupted her; that was how we met. He said it was love at first sight.

He was my hero.

“Your dress is so cute, Audrey.” I looked up at the sound of a familiar voice to see my best friend, Tina, swaying slightly in front of me with a glass in her hand. Her compliment made me blush. I had made my dress myself—as I often did with all my clothes.

But this dress was special. To make my first time together with Max memorable, I had even made my own lingerie, which I was wearing beneath my dress.

“Thanks, Tina,” I replied with a smile. “Have you seen Max, by the way?”

Tina furrowed her brow, then shook her head. “No. I figured he was with you.”

I frowned. The dance had started, and everyone was dancing with their partners. Meanwhile, I had just spent the past ten minutes hiding in the corner, texting Max to ask where he was. But he never replied.

Tina, noticing my frustration, reached out to touch my arm. “Maybe he’s just in the bathroom,” she suggested. “Maybe he drank too much.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but then shut it again with a sigh. I hoped that Tina was right, and that was all it was; Max had been growing a bit distant lately, but I had chalked it up to school getting to him.

“Well, I need to use the bathroom,” Tina said, finishing the last of her drink. “We’ll see if we can find Max along the way.”

“You’re the best, Tina.”

“I know I am.”

With a grin and a shake of my head, I took Tina’s arm and followed her out of the crowded ballroom. The air was less stifling out here in the quiet, dimly lit hallway, and I felt like I could breathe.

But that all changed when we heard the sound of two familiar voices floating out of a nearby utility closet. Max and… Linda.

“...only dating her because of that stupid dare.”

“It’s gone on for so long now. How could you put up with her all this time?”

“It was hard. But it’s almost over…”

Tina’s hand tightened around mine. “Audrey—” she began, but I cut her off with a shake of my head and gestured for her to go to the bathroom without me. She pursed her lips for a moment, watching me worriedly, before she left.

As I watched her go, my curled up into a tight fist around my skirt—so hard that I thought my nails might rip straight through the lace.

Everyone at this academy hated me, everyone except for Tina. I had accepted it at this point.

But not from Max. Not from the sweet boy who supposedly fell head over heels for me three months ago. I had thought that he was… different from the others. That someone had finally seen me for me and didn’t care that I was a human, or that I was a bookworm, or that I was a fashion addict.

Apparently, I had been dead wrong.

“I’d never truly be interested in someone like her,” Max’s voice rang out. “Honestly, I thought she was super smart, too; so I’m surprised she actually fell for it.”

“Ah, well. I guess all those books she constantly has her nose in don’t teach her what men actually want.”

My heart clenched in my chest, and at that moment, all I wanted to do was get away. Somewhere safe, somewhere secluded, anywhere but here.

But I was too slow. Before I had a chance to run, the door suddenly creaked open the rest of the way. I whirled around, my heart pounding, to see Max standing in the doorway just as I suspected.

His brown eyes widened into saucers the moment he saw my tear-streaked face. “Audrey!” he gasped. “What are you—”

I didn’t give him a chance to finish. Pulling back my shoulders, I tilted my chin up at him in the most defiant pose I could muster.

“We’re through,” I said.

And before he could even come up with an answer, I spun on my heel, picked up my skirt, and ran away.

Thank the Goddess it never came to that, I thought to myself wryly as I slipped into the Academy’s private bar. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I slept with him; likely he would tell everyone, use it against me in some way.

Hastily wiping my tears away, I slid onto one of the barstools and ordered a drink—rum and coke. I didn’t like alcohol that much, but I needed it tonight.

I sighed softly as I leaned on the bar, sniffling. A moment later, the bartender shoved my glass over to me. I took it with a muttered “Thanks”, and took a sip.

My phone buzzed in my purse, and I slipped it out with a sigh. Multiple texts: some from Tina asking where I was, which I quickly replied to. The others, however, were from Max.

“Audrey, it’s not what you think,” he pleaded. “Please, let’s just talk.”

I shut off my phone with a huff and stuffed it back into my purse. Talk. Yeah, right.

I had no interest in hearing more of his lies. All I wanted to do was take a deep gulp of the liquid in my cup, and I did exactly that.

But I wasn’t sitting there for long, however, when I suddenly felt someone bump into me. Before I could steady myself, I lurched forward—and spilled my drink on the sleeve of a man sitting beside me.

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” I breathed, momentarily forgetting my heartbreak. I quickly grabbed a nearby napkin and began dabbing at his jacket without even thinking twice about it. “Here, let me get that for you—”

“Stop.”

The man’s gruff voice, combined with the sudden sensation of his cool fingers around my wrist, left me too breathless to even speak.

It seemed as though I didn’t need to. Because not even a moment after the man’s striking gray eyes met mine from beneath his shock of black hair, a voice rang out across the bar.

“Audrey! There you are. What are you—”

Max’s eyes narrowed as he stormed up to us, a look of jealousy and anger flashing through his features. Before I could even tell him to buzz off, Max was reaching for my wrist to yank me away from the stranger who he clearly thought was his replacement.

But when Max met those gray eyes, he froze, his mouth hanging open.

“S-Sir,” he stammered, taking a step back as he bowed his head in respect. “I didn’t know that was you.”

Audrey

I shot a puzzled glance between the dark-haired stranger and Max. There was no way I recognized who this man was. But Max didn’t elaborate on how or why he recognized him.

When the man didn’t respond, Max stepped forward and placed himself between the two of us.

“I’m so sorry for the trouble, sir,” he said, grabbing my hand. “My girlfriend must be pestering you. I—”

“Ex-girlfriend,” I corrected Max through my teeth. Ripping my hand out of his grip, I stood and folded my arms across my chest. “I thought I told you that we were through.”

There was a long, tense silence between the three of us then—Max looking at me with panic, the dark-haired stranger blinking bemusedly from behind his glass of whiskey, and me staring daggers at Max.

Then, with a self-satisfied smirk, I stepped up to the man and grabbed his arm. I curled the fingers of both hands around his forearm, feeling a slight blush color my cheeks as I felt sinewy muscle beneath.

“This is my new date,” I said, jutting my chin out at Max. “And I would appreciate it if you would leave us alone.”

Max’s eyes widened at my words. “A new date?” he echoed. “You expect me to believe that?”

I merely gritted my teeth in response and inwardly prayed that this man wouldn’t expose me—that he would just play along until Max left me alone.

“Don’t make a scene, Audrey,” Max said, his voice almost lost beneath the din. “Let’s go—”

“She said, no.” The man suddenly stood then to his full towering height. He was easily over a foot taller than me, his muscular frame crowding around me. I felt my cheeks turn an even deeper red as he looped one arm around my shoulders, tugging me closer.

Max blanched. “I really don’t believe—”

The man’s arm tightened around me, and then suddenly the room was tilting beneath me. He was dipping me, his strong arms cradling me not even a foot above the floor.

“Just play along,” he whispered, placing our faces close and using his body to block Max’s view so that it looked like we were kissing.

At that moment, the sound of bells chiming erupted through the bar. The other patrons cheered and clinked their glasses, couples kissing and friends hugging.

It was officially the new year.

“I…” I murmured, unable to find any words. Here, this close, with his long, dark hair cascading around us, with the scent of his masculine cologne and the sweet tang of whiskey on his breath…

I couldn’t help it. I had to taste him.

Without a second thought, I cupped his stubbly face in my hands, pulled him the extra distance, and pressed our lips together.

He tasted like liquor, and his stubble bit at the soft skin on my cheeks. But neither of us pulled away. Not until the bells had stopped ringing.

When we finally pulled our lips apart, there was an undeniable heat between us. His gray eyes had gone husky looking at me, his fingers digging into the silk sash around my waist. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still.

And then he placed me upright once again, and I felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me.

“Well?” he asked. “It’s officially after midnight, my dear. Shall we…?” He nodded his head to the door, indicating for us to leave. Together.

I nodded hastily—just wanting to get out of here. Getting out of here with him wasn’t the most unappealing idea, either.

“Yes,” I said. “Let’s—”

Before I could finish, the world was moving again—only this time, the man was picking me up in his arms princess-style, my skirt trailing over his elbow. Then, without so much as a second glance, he strode toward the door and kicked it open.

As we emerged out into the snowy courtyard, all I could see over the man’s broad shoulders was Max watching with a stunned expression.

But then the door closed behind us, casting the courtyard into silence, and I was left all alone with the handsome stranger.

A few paces away from the door, the man gently set me down. I placed my hand on his arm to steady myself, feeling my heart throb beneath his gray gaze. Here, the falling snow seemed to mute all other sounds except our own heavy breathing.

“T-Thank you,” I managed, finally releasing my grip on his arm and stepping away. “I’m not sure if he would have left me alone otherwise.”

The stranger simply nodded. “I’m happy to help,” he said, turning. “Goodnight. And Happy New—”

But I panicked. Before he could turn fully, my hand was shooting out of its own accord. I darted my gaze upwards through my lashes, fixing him with a hard stare.

A great plan to get revenge on Max flashed through my mind.

“Wait,” I blurted out. “I don’t want you to go.”

The man quirked an eyebrow at me. “He’s gone. You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m not worried,” I said, momentarily licking my lips—I could still taste the whiskey from his kiss, and it made the warmth in my low belly almost unbearable. Then, I smiled at him.

It took all of one second for the man to understand what I was getting at. A ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips. “My place isn’t far from here, you know.”

…

His apartment smelled like old books and fresh ink. The light of a small lamp on the bedside table illuminated the room, and a chill worked its way inside through the open window.

My tongue already tasted like wine. He had poured us each a glass when we arrived, and I had sipped it as he showed me around the various rooms of his place—he had said that I was free to wander wherever I wished while I was here, a very gentlemanly offer.

But I didn’t care about that. All I cared about was this moment.

The moment when his fingers deftly pulled open the last button on my skirt and let it fall to the floor.

As the fabric cascaded around my ankles, revealing my porcelain white skin and homemade lacey lingerie, there was a brief silence. I felt myself shifting my weight slightly from foot to foot as his gray eyes roamed my body, finally coming to land on my breasts.

“You made this, too?” He asked, one finger tracing the line where my bra ended and the small mound of cleavage spilled over.

I nodded, suppressing a shudder at his delicate touch. “You like it?”

“Like it?” Suddenly, he was grabbing me by the hips with both hands and tugging me to where he sat on the bed. I stumbled forward, catching myself with my hands on his shoulders. I bit my lower lip as his fingers worked their way over my ass and thighs. “I love it. You’re very talented.”

I couldn’t contain my grin. Leaning down, I went to kiss him—but then I stopped myself.

“You never told me your name,” I murmured. “You already heard mine: Audrey. But what should I call you tonight?”

He smirked and carefully traced one finger along my hard nipple through my bra. I felt him slip the lace down, exposing one breast, which he cupped gently in his warm hand. So gentle, for such a large man.

“Edwin,” he said softly. “I’m—”

I didn’t let him finish. Rather, I lunged forward, pressing him down into the bed as I straddled him, sitting my hips down on the hard warmth that was straining in his pants.

And I kissed him for the second time that night.

…

The soft sounds of Edwin’s steady breathing beside me were a comfort, but I couldn’t relax. I had long since sobered up, and was finding it quite difficult to sleep now thanks to the alcohol.

Glancing over at Edwin to make sure he was still sleeping, a slight smile tugged at the corners of my lips. For my first time, it had been… perfect. His member was wide and warm, filling me to the brim. But his movements had been gentle and slow, his kisses passionate.

I could still feel the blazing trails his lips and tongue had made down my body. Down in my groin, blossoming outwards, was the heat left over from where he had kissed me down there. Not just with his lips, but with his tongue.

Such a gentleman, I thought to myself as I rolled over.

Grabbing my phone, I noticed an email notification from my advisor and tapped on it. I squinted my tired eyes as I read the content.

“Happy New Year, Audrey! I just wanted to let you know that your teaching assistant application has been approved; you will be working with the fashion design professor, Edwin Brooks. Please see the attached…”

The rest of the email was lost to me, then, as I glanced over at Edwin’s sleeping form. Edwin wasn’t the most common name…

No, I thought to myself as I got up, making my way to the bathroom. It was just a coincidence. Likely my professor was an old man—

But then I felt my foot touch something on the floor. Looking down, I realized that I had kicked Edwin’s pants in the dark. Something had slipped out of the pocket.

An ID card.

Furrowing my brow, I bent down to retrieve it and felt my heart stop when I saw those words illuminated in the moonlight.

Edwin Brooks.

It is exactly the same as the name in the email.

Audrey & Edwin

Audrey’s POV

I had all but fled from that apartment, away from the sleeping Edwin, away from the smell of old books and ink—away from the place where I had just lost my virginity to my damn professor.

It couldn’t be true, I thought to myself as I hurried out into the hallway, taking care not to wake him, and practically sprinted down the stairs. There was no way I had just slept with my professor. Surely it had been a coincidence and nothing more.

But even then, something in my stomach told me that it hadn’t been a coincidence. And I couldn’t take any risks.

…

Sliding into my seat at the cafe, I sipped at the foam on my coffee and tugged nervously at my sweater. I had knitted the sweater myself—a cozy dark red wool with black buttons up the front—and normally it provided me with more comfort than any of my other garments ever did.

But not today. No, not when I had slept with my professor last night.

“You said you asked about canceling your student assistantship?” Tina, my closest friend, asked as she slid into the seat across from me. She glanced up at me from behind her red hair and pushed a stray curl out of the way. Her hair was always wild, but that was part of what I loved so much about her.

I nodded stiffly. “Yes. But my advisor warned me that it would cause me to be blacklisted. It would prevent me from taking on any campus work, even part-time.”

Tina furrowed her brow as she looked at me. “I just don’t understand why. You’re both consenting adults, and it’s not like either of you knew. I doubt it would get in the way of your teaching assistantship work, so long as you both act appropriately from now on.” She paused then, sipping her coffee. “Who was the professor in question, anyway?”

I frowned and passed a hand over my face, steeling myself. I had told Tina about last night, seeing as how she was my best friend, but I hadn’t told her who the professor was yet.

“Edwin Brooks,” I finally whispered, keeping my voice low so as not to be overheard.

Tina’s eyebrows shot up instantly. “You mean that hot new professor that everyone’s been talking about?” she asked incredulously.

I clenched my jaw, indicating that she was correct. Tina’s hand shot out and grabbed mine. “Audrey… You know we both have a class with him this semester, right? And that he’s the owner of Brooks Designs?”

All at once, I felt as if my stomach had dropped straight into the floor below me. I stiffened in my chair, my eyes widening into saucers.

Brooks Designs… It was the one luxury fashion brand that I had always dreamed of working for. It was part of the reason why I had worked so hard throughout high school, so much so that I had begun attending college at just sixteen years old.

To not only sleep with the professor of my teaching assistantship, but to also have a class with him and to have him be the owner of my most longed-for company? How could it get any worse?

“Goddess,” I groaned, leaning back in my chair. “Tina, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“Hold on.” Tina pulled her hand away and tapped at her phone screen for a few moments before thrusting it toward me. “This was him, right?”

Narrowing my eyes, I grabbed her phone and stared at a grainy picture of a man in the bar.

A handsome man with short brown hair and a blue tie, probably in his 40s or even early 50s if he had aged well.

“This is Edwin Brooks?” I asked, feeling a seed of hope beginning to blossom in my chest.

Tina nodded. “He’s the talk of the campus; some girls saw him in the admissions office the other day when he was getting his badge, and I guess some people have been sneaking pictures of him around town.”

“And you’re sure this is him?”

“Positive.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding. An incredulous bark of laughter escaped my lips, and I shook my head with relief. “That’s not the man I saw last night,” I said. “I’ve never seen that man before.”

“Oh?” Tina cocked her head to the side.

Nodding, I took a sip of coffee and noticed how it no longer tasted like ash. “I guess it was just a coincidence after all.”

…

Edwin’s POV

I awoke to the sensation of warm sun spilling across my cheek and my exposed chest, and a warm feeling below the sheets. Instantly, a smirk tugged at the corners of my lips as I recalled last night’s… events.

How strange, to run into such a sweet and beautiful girl at the bar. The circumstances had been a bit odd, but the night we had spent together certainly hadn’t been.

I could still taste her milky skin on my tongue. Her floral perfume hadn’t been too overpowering, the scent of her shampoo still lingering in the air. She had moved so gracefully beneath me, her slender fingers running along the nape of her neck. I could picture the gentle arch of her back in my mind even now, hours later.

Rolling over, I reached out for her, craving just a little more of her before we inevitably parted ways for good.

But when my hand reached out, it was met with nothing but cool, empty sheets.

I finally opened my eyes and found that she was gone.

“Audrey?” I called out, propping myself up on my elbow—perhaps she had gone to the bathroom. But upon looking around the room, I saw that her clothes were all gone. That exquisite gown that she had made herself, that breath-stealing lingerie that she had also made.

All gone.

I sat up fully then, looking around the room with confusion and maybe a hint of disappointment, and that was when I saw it: blood on the sheets.

With a hitched breath, I pulled the top sheet back a little further to reveal the red splotch. Instantly, I felt my stomach flip.

She hadn’t mentioned being a virgin or anything of the sort. Her skills in bed had been a bit inexperienced, I supposed, but not so much that it seemed as though this had been her first time.

Had I been too rough with her, perhaps? I thought I had been gentle, but…

Sighing, I climbed out of bed . Now, more than ever, I wanted to find her so that I could make sure she was alright—just so I could make sure that I hadn’t inadvertently hurt a woman.

It seemed that my wolf, too, was eager to see her again. But for different reasons.

“I need her back,” I felt his voice echo in the back of my mind. “We have to find her. Quickly.”

I didn’t argue at his insistence even though I never went for more than one night stands; my night with Audrey, the beautiful girl with long black hair, could have meant something. Maybe we had been brought together for different reasons. She didn’t have silver hair like I had been told, but… still.

Suddenly, the sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of my reverie. I quickly answered it to find my personal assistant on the other end.

“Good morning, Mr. Brooks,” my assistant’s voice crackled through the speaker. “I know it’s early, but I just wanted to let you know that you’re all set with the school. Your card and badge should work to unlock all of the doors on campus now, and you’re welcome to begin moving into your new office.”

“Thank you, Charles,” I said, chewing my lip absentmindedly.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Brooks. If there’s anything else I can help you with—”

“Actually, there is.” I paused, feeling utterly stupid but unable to keep my curiosity at bay. It was unlikely that this girl was who I was looking for, but my wolf was so insistent that I had to check anyway. “Can you look up a name for me?”

“Certainly. What’s the name?”

“Audrey,” I said, then paused uncertainly. “I don’t have the last name. But I’m wondering…”

I didn’t need to finish for my assistant to get the idea. For a moment, I heard typing on the other end—and then Charles replied, “There’s only one Audrey at the school: Audrey Thatcher. She’s a student at Grayspring Academy.”

I felt as if my heart had just leapt out of my throat.

“Mr. Brooks?” Charles’ voice came through again. “You’re not implying that the Silver Star may be here at this school, are you?”

Swallowing, I nodded stiffly even though Charles couldn’t see me. “The prophecy points to this campus,” I said, turning to look out the window at the bustling town below. “Maybe…”

My voice trailed off, my throat working uselessly.

The Silver Star will arrive, the prophecy had said.

Oh, Moon Goddess… Who is your Silver Star?

Audrey

As Tina and I stepped out of the cafe and into the chilly morning air, I felt a bit bolstered by our conversation and ready for my first teaching assistant class of the day. So I hadn’t lost my virginity to my professor, after all. What a relief!

“By the way,” Tina said, stopping on the sidewalk to look at me, “now that you know it wasn’t him… You should consider signing up for the fashion show.”

I shot my friend a curious look. “Fashion show?” I asked.

“You haven’t heard?” she asked, to which I shook my head. “There’s going to be a campus fashion competition. The top three winners will receive handsome rewards—with first place receiving an internship at Brooks.”

My eyes widened of their own accord. “Seriously? You think I should…?”

“Absolutely!” Tina exclaimed. “Signups are today. You should get your name on the list first.”

With my heart already thundering in my chest, I began taking steps backwards, clutching the strap of my satchel with one hand. To intern at Brooks Designs, potentially securing my dream job… Well, it would have fulfilled my lifelong dream.

I could still picture it now: my first fashion magazine subscription had featured a center spread on Brooks Designs.

Ten-year-old me had fallen in love with their unique and over-the-top pieces immediately, absolutely enamored with their signature look. I always loved the dichotomy of soft femininity with something harsher, delicate lace with dark plaid and silver hardware. Brooks had perfectly balanced this look, and I had taken a lot of inspiration from their designs over the years.

And now I had a chance to work for them.

…

By the time I stepped up to the signup sheet in the lobby of the central hall, there were already a few names on the list. Oh well, I thought to myself as I quickly scrawled my name across the paper. It didn’t really matter where or when I signed up—so long as my skills helped me win.

And I was determined to win; I had been hoping for this since I was ten, after all.

Turning away from the bulletin board, my mind was already bustling with ideas for a new dress. I would need to stop at the storeroom to pick up some fabric so I could get started.

“Bit presumptuous for a human to sign up for the fashion show, no?”

As soon as I heard that lilting voice, I felt my entire body go rigid. Turning slowly, I saw a familiar head of rich brown hair and matching brown eyes that appeared almost black in the dim light.

“Linda,” I said, sticking my chin out. “Do you need something?”

Linda shrugged and sauntered over to the list, signing her name right below mine. “No. I just think it’s funny, that’s all.”

“What’s so funny?”

She smirked and placed a hand on her hip. “You don’t think that you’re just making a fool out of yourself?” she asked. “I mean, thinking that you, a human, could ever win against an entire school full of werewolves…”

“Get lost, Linda,” I said with a wave of my hand. Turning, I began storming down the hall toward the storeroom so I could get started.

Linda’s voice followed me: “I’m just trying to help you, Audrey!” she called out. “I would hate to see you embarrass yourself even more than you already have!”

Only once I was in the quietude of the materials storeroom did I finally let out a breath. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, inhaling deeply; the scent of fabric filled my nostrils, instantly giving me relief.

Linda was just trying to get under my skin, and I knew that for a fact. Her designs were subpar at best, relying too heavily on basics and often stealing work from smaller designers. And her sewing skills were downright shoddy.

Everyone knew that Linda was just here because of her daddy, I mused to myself as I began wandering the rows of fabric. Her father was Alpha Wallace from Silverbite Pack, and his status had gotten her into Grayspring Academy. Everyone was intimidated by her because of this.

But not me. She may have picked on me relentlessly, but I didn’t care.

I, unlike Linda, had worked damn hard to get here. I had graduated high school early with a 4.0 GPA and was accepted into Grayspring with a full scholarship thanks to my admissions project—a massive black funeral gown made entirely with the scraps of discarded wedding gowns from divorcees. It had made quite the statement, and I was admitted to Grayspring without having to pay a dime.

Linda, on the other hand… Well, I wasn’t worried about her. Not really.

Finally, I stopped in front of a particular bolt of dark red tartan that caught my eye. “This would be perfect,” I whispered to myself as I ran my fingers across the rough fabric. Tartan, black lace, giant safety pins… I could already picture the outfit now. Perhaps a vest and matching trousers, with—

“There you are!”

The sudden sound of Max’s voice made me whirl around. He was already storming up to me, the door of the storeroom swinging shut behind him.

“Max—”

“Don’t act so surprised,” he said, coming so close that I felt my back press into the bolts of fabric behind me when I took a step back. “How can you live with yourself after what you did last night? Sleeping with him?”

My mouth worked uselessly for a moment before I regained my bearings and pulled my shoulders back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, not exactly willing to divulge the fact that he was right. “And besides, I broke up with you so it’s none of your business anyway. Or did I not make that clear enough last night?”

Max bristled at my response. He turned away as if to leave, but then stopped himself, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“No matter what you did with him,” he growled, turning slowly to fix me with a hard glare, “a lowly human like you could never become a pack’s Luna. Have your fun with him, but you’re nothing but a plaything for him.”

My mouth hung open at the implication. Edwin, the man I had shared so much passion with last night… was an Alpha?

Even though my stomach was twisting into knots, I simply waved my hand at Max dismissively. “As if I wasn’t your plaything already,” I retorted, sidestepping past him with the bolt of fabric now tucked under my arm. “I heard everything about how you were only dating me on a dare. Let’s not forget that.”

Max scoffed. “As if anyone would ever date you otherwise,” he growled.

I felt my heart clench at his words, but I said nothing. Instead, I merely hiked the fabric up under my arm and continued walking. I swung the storeroom door open, and…

“Well, well. Flirting in the storeroom?”

Linda’s mocking voice met my ears first, followed by the sight of her fox-like face appearing in the doorway. I frowned, taking a step to the side.

“Excuse me,” I said.

Linda scoffed and didn’t move. From behind me, I heard Max call out, “She was trying to kiss me, Linda. I told her I’m not interested, but—”

“That’s not true!” I cried out, dropping the fabric and whirling around to see his self-satisfied smirk. “You liar—”

“Oh, don’t be such a bore,” Linda cooed. I turned to face her slowly, my mouth parted to bite out some retort.

But before I could, Linda suddenly lurched forward. The small ink bottle in her hand was already uncapped, and…

Thick, black ink spilled right across my red sweater. The one that I had spent months making.

“Hey!” I cried out, stumbling back as I stared down at the mess. “You’ll pay for this—”

“Why?” Linda purred, taking a step closer. “I was just trying to dye your hair for you. Your silver roots are showing… How unlucky.” She then paused, holding out her hand toward Max. I felt my stomach drop as I saw him place a pair of scissors into her hand.

“What are you—”

“Perhaps it’s easier to just cut it off,” Linda said, advancing on me so that I was once again pressed between the rows of fabric. “Here. I’ll do it for you.”

A blistering scream burned at the back of my throat as Linda’s hand grabbed a section of my hair, the scissors inching closer. Max’s arm looped itself around my shoulders, holding me still. I opened my mouth to shout for help, but was abruptly cut off by the sound of a male voice from the doorway.

“What are you three doing?”

Third Person & Audrey

Third Person POV

Edwin’s Beta, Charles, strode down the hall toward the sound of the voices. Up ahead, nestled into the old-fashioned wallpaper and dark wood moldings, was a cracked open door.

Charles stepped into the dimly lit room to find a scene that he had not expected: three students clustered together amongst the rows of fabric and other supplies. There, he saw her: the girl that Edwin had asked him to find information on.

The other two students were holding her down and attempting to cut her hair.

“What are you three doing?” Charles barked, causing all three students to jump. The girl holding the scissors, a brunette with a pointed face and a guilty look in her eyes, quickly dropped the scissors behind a nearby shelf—but Charles had already seen them.

“Who are you?” the male student, a tall and muscular young man with blond hair and green eyes, retorted.

Charles shrugged. “I’m the person who’s going to get you both expelled if you don’t leave this girl alone,” he said, leaning over a little to get a closer look at the third student, who was currently clutching her black hair and practically trembling. “Are you Audrey Thatcher?”

The black-haired girl nodded. Charles took a step closer, and now that he was out of the doorway, the other two students scurried past him. He didn’t bother to give them a second look, although he had already memorized their faces.

“Are you alright?” Charles asked softly. He reached out to touch the girl’s shoulder, but she recoiled on instinct, clearly traumatized by what had just happened.

“Y-Yes,” she said, a blatant lie—Charles could see the tears blurring her eyes. Here, in the dim light of the storage room, her eyes almost appeared purple in color.

“It’s alright if you’re not,” Charles assured her, glancing down at the dark black splotch of ink on her sweater. “I’ll take you to—”

“Really, I’m fine.” The girl straightened, her eyes momentarily meeting his. He saw her gaze widen before she quickly looked away and scurried past him, picking up a bolt of plaid fabric laying on the floor. “Thank you, but I have to go. I’ll see you in class later, Professor Brooks.”

Charles whirled around to correct her—to tell her that he was not Edwin, but that Edwin had been the one who sent him to speak with her—but it was too late. The girl was already practically running down the hall, her black hair billowing out behind her.

For a few moments, Charles watched her go and wondered if he should contact Edwin to let him know that the girl he was seeking was his own student; but a quick glance at his watch revealed that Edwin would be beginning his first class soon.

Perhaps he would be better off not provoking the Alpha’s ire so quickly, and simply let Edwin discover this little tidbit on his own.

…

Audrey’s POV

My legs moved faster probably than they ever had, and for the first time ever, I found myself silently cursing my heeled boots as I bolted back to my dorm. Once there, I quickly changed out of my ruined sweater and into a fresh one, sprinting out and making it to class with only five minutes to spare.

I could have killed Linda for what she did to my beloved sweater, really. I had spent months making it.

But Professor Brooks himself had shown up at just the right time and had saved the day. I would have to thank him myself for what he had done once class was over, I thought to myself as I settled into a chair at the back of the room.

Professor Brooks hadn’t arrived yet, so I busied myself with some studying while I waited. I doubted that there would be much for the teaching assistant to do today aside from handing out the syllabus and maybe taking attendance.

Within a few minutes, the bell rang, pulling me out of my reverie. I squinted as I aimed my gaze down the wide lecture hall steps toward the podium. A tall, broad-shouldered figure wearing a tweed jacket and dark trousers, the top two buttons of his shirt casually undone and…

Long, black hair pulled into a knot at the nape of his neck.

I felt my stomach twist. No, no, no, I thought to myself, glancing over at the exit. For a moment, I considered getting up and making a run for it. But it was too late. Without preamble, Edwin dropped his bag on the floor next to the podium and leaned toward the microphone.

“Hello. I am Professor Brooks. Welcome to Fashion Design 101.”

Dammit. How…? Was the man who I saw in the storeroom earlier not Professor Brooks?

Once again, my eyes darted over to the door—but it was already shut, and the class had gone quiet as Edwin began to call names in alphabetical order.

“Francine Adams…”

“Here.”

“Robert Ainsley.”

“Here, sir.”

I knew that Edwin wouldn’t be calling my name since I was a teaching assistant, not a student. That was a relief, at least; but in the meantime, with my heart pounding like a war drum behind my ribcage, I carefully raised my open textbook in front of my face and pretended to read.

Meanwhile, I tried to come up with escape plans. Perhaps I could feign illness and go out the back door so he couldn’t get a good look at my face. Or maybe I could hide beneath my desk until class was over.

Or maybe I could just sink straight through the floor with shame.

“Who are you? At the back, there.”

There it was. So he noticed me after all; one body in this room unaccounted for.

I sank a little lower down into my chair and lifted my book a little higher to cover my face, having decided that it was better to just stay anonymous until class was over. And then I could drop my teaching assistantship, take the blacklist, move schools, move towns, leave the planet.

“Ahem. Excuse me?” Edwin repeated.

The class began to bristle a bit during the pause, and Edwin raised his hand to silence them. For the briefest of moments, our gazes met over the top of my book.

I felt like I might be sick when he began striding toward me.

“Hmm,” Edwin said, his shoes clicking on the floor as he meandered up the shallow steps leading to my seat. “I wonder who this extra person is in my classroom, trying to hide their face with a book.”

Even though I knew it was a futile effort, I shoved my face harder toward my book, pretending not to have heard him.

That was, until one long finger touched the top of my book and lowered it. I heard the softest hitch of breath from him.

Slowly, I raised my gaze to meet his. Our eyes locked, and it was safe to assume that we were both equally stunned.

“Who are you?” he all but whispered.

All of the eyes in the room were on me at this point. Clearing my throat, I tried to muster a voice with more confidence than I truly felt—and failed.

“Audrey Thatcher,” I murmured, clutching the pages of my book. “I’m your teaching assistant.”

“Louder, young lady.”

I felt my low belly twist at his words—that undeniably sexy authoritarian tone. Here, in the middle of a lecture hall with the eyes of a hundred students on me, was the one man who had taken my virginity just last night. And, Goddess, how sweet it had been.

“I’m Audrey Thatcher,” I finally repeated, standing. “Your teaching assistant.”

Edwin merely snorted. “No need to hide, Audrey. I believe we met last night.”