Chapter 3

***

My mind had been racing through my mate. I had moved so far away from the werewolf shenanigans to avoid ever having a mate again, but it went over my head that werewolves could be mated with a human. What stupid trick was destiny playing on me? Most rejected werewolves never have a mate again and die single. That's what I had looked forward to and planned my life in.

I had shut my heart to anything that seemed like love, to avoid getting hurt, and now this? “I never asked for a second chance mate!” I yelled at my reflection and resumed angrily brushing my teeth. 

“Don’t worry, the university is huge. I would most definitely not find him again.” I convinced myself, trying to stop the tightness that had raveled up my gut since last night. 

Plus, he was human, so in his perspective, a girl he was flirting with just screamed at his face and ran away. If that isn’t crazy, I don't know what else is. 

Once I was done with my morning rituals, I picked my phone up. There was an email from my economics Professor again. 

‘Hey, Class.

Thank you for completing your second exam. Remember that it is worth 30% of your grade, so I hope you all did well. I would like to inform you that if you didn’t do the exam before the set time, do not email me for a make up exam, as it is strictly my rule that no exam shall be given after its due time, so don’t waste your time emailing me, and instead, start studying for your 3rd exam. 

Goodluck, folks. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian Fisher

Instructor of Economics and Finance…’

I read the email over and over again, my eyes widening in the horror each word spewed. 

“No, no, no, Lyric , no!” I said, trembling. My heart was about to rip out of its cage from how hard it was pounding. Pacing around, I tried to think of what else to do. “How could I have forgotten about such an exam?! I’m going to fail this class. My scholarship! I’ll lose them all. I’ll have to drop out. All my dreams.” My pitch increased at every word, sweat beads lining up the top of my head. 

With shaky hands, I typed back to him:

‘Good afternoon, Professor Brian. 

This is Lyric from your Economics 102 class. I unfortunately had  a highly stressful night and misunderstood the deadline of the exam. Please can I retake it? My grades, scholarships and future are dependent on this.

Please, please, please sir.” I typed, wiped  my sweaty forehead with the back of my palm then hit send.

I waited and waited… and waited… and waited. I missed my class and the next one, still staring at my email, reloading it every second, waiting… Time for work passed, yet I still waited… I was glued to the position, waiting for a response yet nothing… Still, I waited.

*** 

It had been a whole week! One week, dozens of emails sent to this Professor, numerous calls to his office number, attempts to find his number or social media account (to no avail; he had no social life whatsoever). I had missed classes, missed shifts at work yet he still didn’t didn’t respond. 

I had to call the dean of the Business Department's office who helped me with finding his new office room location.

Sucking in a deep breath, I struck the door in a gentle knock. I didn’t want him to think I was a rude child if I knocked aggressively. 

A green light beeped, indicating that I was given permission to go in. My heart began pounding faster. Smoothening down on my skirt, I opened the door and walked in, leaving the door open. 

The professor had his back to me, his legs crossed and placed on the window sill. All I could see was a very muscular man with a head of  thick, gorgeous, dark brown hair.

Turning the swivel chair around, he gazed at me and I froze: a pair of gray eyes were fixed on me. He had a sharp jawline that looked like it had taken centuries to carve to perfection. His face held a stern look that made him seem straight out of a magazine cover. Not to mention that he was in a neatly-ironed white shirt, fitted around the bulkiness of his bicep muscles. 

He was damn handsome, because the room was poorly lit, but his naturally-tanned skin still glowed beyond normal.

A bundle of thick eyebrows jerked at me, indicating that I needed to speak. Flinching, I shook  my head. ‘Lyric, focus.’ I said to myself. 

“I have been trying to send multiple emails to you regarding the second exam. I am Lyric Ashton from your Eco 102 class. I hurried to sit on the chair across from him, joining my hands in prayer form. “Please, I’m begging you. I have a first generation student scholarship, a merit-based scholarship, and financial need aid that are all tied to my success. If I fail that exam, my grade will be a D, and that will make me fail this class and lose all my scholarships. Please, I can't afford that. I’m begging you.” I begged with my eyes, words, and soul. 

After all of that, all he could say was, “hm,” as he nodded. 

“Hm?” I wondered. “Please, sir. I would do anything to save my grade.”

“Anything?” He quirked an eyebrow. His growl made chills run down my spine. If I wasn’t hyperfocused on my goal, it could’ve swooned me. However, I couldn’t ignore the familiarity of his voice.

Just then, he rose up. I had to jerk my neck backward to watch his tall figure now towering before me. He walked around the table and hummed something as he walked to the door. Taking the stopper off,he slammed the door and locked it twice, shoving the key into his pocket.

“wh–what are you doing?” my chest began rising and falling rapidly, and my body was trembling.

“Anything, you said.” His voice was too familiar. I was in too much panic to try to remember as he crouched in front of my trembling self and gently held my hand. 

My eyes scanned around the room for a strong object to smash his head with, but then he said, “You really thought you could run away from me, Mate.” A smirk grazed his lips at the same time my wolf yelled in my head, “mate! He’s our mate!”