Chapter 8

Books, pens, pencils, schedule, map… I mentally ran through the list of everything I needed as I left my dorm room. Classes started yesterday but my first class is this morning. It’s an 8am class. It was only just after 6am, but I thought a walk around campus would help ease my anxiety and focus my thoughts. 

I’d already finished my bachelor’s degree in marketing and been accepted to this masters program for business. It wasn’t like I had anything else to do with my spare time. Not that I’d settled for a specific career goal as of yet. I’d just picked something that seemed pretty general and that I’d found relatively easy. Until I figured out exactly what I wanted to do with my life, an MBA would offer a good starting point for various job opportunities. That’s what I told myself. And if I sucked completely at life in the outside world, I could sulk back to my dad and accept a job in one of his companies. I really did not want to do that.

Quit it! Maya snapped.

Man, this having a wolf thing was like having a sex-starved drill sergeant take up permanent residence in your head. That snarky thought aside, her internal butt kick did the job and knocked my thoughts away from family and home, and back on my goals. 

Last night, I met another student at a coffee shop on campus. We got to talking and she has one of the same classes as me and another with the same professor but a different class. 

It was nice, meeting someone who didn’t have any predetermined judgements or expectations about me. Someone who wanted to get to know me. For the first time since my age hit double digits, I laughed and chatted with another person, another woman. Ally was from Montana, which she made sound bloody magical. I hadn’t been there, nor had I ever ridden a horse but from her stories, I suddenly found myself wanting a ranch of my own, complete with a squad of sexy cowboys to keep Maya happy, of course. 

I could see myself watching the golden glow of sunrise over the mountains as I hung out with my own pretty horse. I could damn near smell the forest, my day dream was practically tangible.

Don’t forget the deliciously lickable cowboy abs, Maya had added.

Ally taught me how to look up our professors on a site called Rate My Professor. It’s basically a website where students can rate their courses and their professors. Ally was particularly taken with her Human Resources prof she’d had earlier that day. I had to admit, he was very attractive. He had this light little smirk in his bio picture that made my belly tingle and brain zone out.

That’s not your belly tingling, girlie. That’s your lady parts, Maya chipped in.

Apparently, the guy was new this year, but even though today would apparently, according to those comments I’d read, be his second day of teaching. Yet somehow, by last night, he’d already amassed a plethora of outstanding reviews. Unsurprisingly, they were mostly authored by women. 

I decided I wasn’t really looking forward to that class. Our music teacher at high school was insanely attractive. I’d spent years watching everyone swoon over him. I’d expected college girls to be more mature. I was here to learn. 

Soon, all thoughts of my new friend, classes, and professors slipped my mind as I caught a whiff of coffee. There was the scent of something else in the air too. Something fresh, slightly spicy, a little sweet, and a lot alluring. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. My nose led me back to the cafe from the night before. Perhaps they were making peach and musk muffins or something weird like that. Sounds like an odd combination, but it smelled complex and amazing. Is musk even a thing? There were a lot less people here this morning I noted. Pack members are typically early risers, so I was wide awake, but judging by the bleary-eyed look on just about everyone’s face in the cafe, I figured the average college student mustn’t be. 

Once I’d ordered, I headed out and back to my roaming. I got the weirdest chill. I looked around but saw nothing. Great, growing up with Kiren and his fellow assholes had cursed me to paranoia. I hoped it wouldn’t take too long for that to pass. 

It’s not paranoia if someone is actually out to get you, Maya quipped.

Thanks, Maya. That’s super helpful.

Lost in thought, I slammed into a hard wall. Damn it. A living wall. Luckily, my werewolf reflexes kicked in and I was able to leap back without spilling coffee on the tall, good-looking guy smiling down at me. 

Goddess, that was embarrassing. At least there weren’t too many people around to see it. 

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” His voice was soft and oddly accented but held some mesmerizing authority. A supernatural of some kind? Here? At my college? Damn.

When I recovered enough to snap my mouth closed, I forced a smile.

“My fault. I was daydreaming.” 

“Best to get it all out now rather than during class, I suppose,” he smiled. 

I nodded awkwardly. Suddenly aware of my complete lack of social skills. The alienation of my pack on top of my natural shyness made sure of that. 

“Right. Well, sorry. Have a great day.” I muttered awkwardly.

“Perhaps we’ll run into each other again soon.” He adjusted his sports bag on his shoulder, and gifted me a disarming mega-smile.

He had shoulder-length ash-blond hair and super-light, almost glacial-like eyes. So unique. I blocked Maya, as I could feel her getting ready to make some inappropriate demand as I took in his features. 

“Perhaps,” I smiled, more genuinely this time. I turned and took off at a rapid walk. I wonder if there are YouTube tutorials on how to talk to people. Or maybe I just need a few more extraverts like Ally to adopt me as their friend. Last night, Ally did all the work. She made everything feel natural and easy. She made me feel normal. I mostly just listened and laughed, adding the occasional thought. 

I found a dappled patch of morning sunshine under a huge magnolia tree and sat down, nesting against the trunk, while I finished my coffee and read my book. 

By the time I headed to class, my mind was refocused and my confidence recharged. Until I entered my classroom and a little fresh nervousness crept in. The room was packed with excitable students. For a moment, my eyes flicked to the door I’d just walked through. No one was waiting with a bucket of paint or a milkshake to throw at me. Nor were there any nasty notes written on the board in the front of the room. No one knocked my books out of my hand or stole my backpack. No one called me fat or stupid. In fact, no one noticed me at all. The room simply carried on as it was before I entered. 

My heart rate calmed, I grabbed a free desk near the front. 

Pens, pencils, notebook... I repeated to myself as I got settled down. 

Goddess, you’re such a nerd, Maya sassed me.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with nerds. I snapped.

I know. I love you, my pet. 

I rolled my eyes and smiled to myself. My wolf just called me her pet.

Though, to be fair, of the two of us, she was the stronger, more confident half of me. I was thrilled to have her.

Suddenly, a delicious aroma invaded my senses. It somehow reminded me of both a warm spring and sunshine, at the same time it smelled slightly sweet, like fruit and rain water. Like the peach muffins I imagined this morning. There’s probably some crazy scented oil diffuser in here somewhere. That had to be it. Warm spring and sunshine.  Crazy right, but I swear that was the scent. My eyes shot to the enticing aroma and landed on the most handsome man I’d ever seen. He seemed like the outdoorsy type, with lightly tanned skin.

He can be our cowboy, I’ll ride him anywhere, anytime, Maya murmured.

I watched, stupefied, as he unloaded a satchel at his desk at the front of the room. His desk. He’s the professor. The hot one Ally was drooling over last night. And now Maya is drooling over him too. 

I’d be willing to bet the professor at the front of the room was the subject of a lot of fantasies. I’d never had a fantasy about any of my teachers before, not even that music teacher. I never really fantasized about anyone except TV superheroes. And even then….

Goddess! This couldn’t be more inappropriate. I inwardly chastised myself. It didn’t help that Maya was practically purring in my head. Wolves may not purr, but that’s sure as hell what it felt like. If I were in wolf form right now, I could just imagine Maya humming contentedly while rubbing herself up against him. 

Great, now I was visualizing rubbing myself against my hot professor. 

Snap out of it!

He’d been talking, introducing himself, I think, I’d zoned out. 

Whoops. 

Then my eyes met his. It sent a zing of desire humming through my body. What I’d picked up of his scent had already melded to my soul. That’s when it clicked. 

Mate, Maya claimed. 

When his eyes widened briefly and then a little frown crossed his lips. That’s how I knew he’d recognized me too. And he didn’t seem pleased.

Damn it, not again. 

What now? I wondered.

Maybe he took a chosen mate? Maya suggested sadly. I mean, he looks a lot older than us.

Why now? I wondered.

Second chance mates were supposed to be rare. Yet, here I was barely two weeks after the first one and I’m slammed with this hot, older, perfectly unattainable specimen. 

He is sexy. I’ll give him that. 

Sinfully sexy, Maya concurred. 

You said that about the last one too. I reminded her.

But this one is all grown up, I bet he knows just what to do with those big hands. And big hands mean a big….

Way too sexy to be allowed to teach. My thoughts ran wild. 

He should be punished, chained to our bed and schooled in…

Maya! I cut her off. Goddess, I don’t need her lustful thoughts clouding my judgment here. I was already struggling to process this.

I looked up and met his whiskey eyes. He was still frowning. In fact, I swear I heard a short growl. 

Great, another asshole. 

At least this one isn’t an Alpha, my wolf commented.

I don’t know about that. He’s sure built like one. I replied I could tell he was powerful. I could feel it.

And he has a nice ass. Maya hummed.

Great. Now I was staring at his tight butt. 

Zip it. We’re here to learn. I scolded my wolf as much as myself. A little too late though. I’d already noticed her observations were correct. As he wrote on the smart board at the front of the room, I didn’t know what to admire more, his beautiful butt, his strong shoulders or those arm muscles rippling as he moved. 

Oh, I’ll happily study every inch of that body. Maya hummed.

Fuck! I swore at my wolf’s constant commentary.

Agreed, pull the fire alarm and toss him on the desk right there.

I tried to ignore her and concentrate on my lecture, but not a darn word sunk in. My mind was all over the place. 

“How old do you think he is?”

Maya, please be quiet. You aren’t helping. But at least she wasn’t projecting sex ideas into my brain anymore. I guess that’s an improvement.

Age is just a number. It doesn’t matter anyway.

I ignored her. 

This one is obviously smart.

Please shut up, Maya.

Oh, he’s looking this way, flutter your lashes at him.

I unconsciously rolled my eyes at my wolf, but judging by the pencil my mate just broke, he probably thought I was rolling them at him. Whoops.

I spent the next two hours failing to concentrate and failing to ignore the burning looks he was shooting me. I couldn’t tell if he was curious, angry, or what. His face was mostly impassive like he had long ago mastered the art of hiding his feelings. That was certainly not a skill of mine. My mother used to tell me that I had a face of glass. With one glance, people could look straight through me and see exactly what I was thinking and feeling. That often got me into trouble. 

“Professor Gileston, do you offer private tutoring?” A girl asked. I scowled as I took in the girls’ appearance and posture. She was pretty and leaning forward in such a way that her boobs were bursting out of her shirt as she fluttered her flashes in a disgusting attempt at flirting. 

Her shameless propositioning of my mate made me feel… uncomfortable. No, that wasn’t it. It was jealousy. That was a foreign emotion for me. I didn’t like it. 

I hate her, Maya growled.

Me too. Do you think… Do you think he sleeps with his students? I asked. I didn’t like the thought of someone who took advantage of his position of authority to get girls. Somehow, I knew that wasn't the case here though.

No, he seemed annoyed, impatient with her. 

Good. Not that I care or anything.

Sure, Maya sings, painfully dragging out the word.

I realized I’d been so lost in my thoughts I’d missed what he actually said to her in response. But I did not miss the look of disappointment in the girls’ eyes or the way half the class were stifling laughter, or the way his eyes trained on me when my little sigh of relief slipped out. I swear I saw the bastard smirk. 

In fact, as I looked around the room and saw the lustful looks in all the women’s eyes, and several of the men’s too. I decided I hated all of them. 

Then I realized something else too. She called him Professor Gileston. I had added this class late yesterday after begging the school to let me overload my class schedule. I hadn’t even looked at the professor’s name. Nor had I looked at his name on that stupid Rate My Professor site, I’d simply gotten lost in his sly smile. But now that name hit me like a ton of bricks.

I’d heard of Alpha Gileston. But there were more men with the last name Gileston in the world. Right? Who happened to also be a werewolf? An Alpha werewolf? It couldn’t be. No, that wasn’t possible. Maybe the notorious Alpha Kelton Gileston had a brother who happened to be a business management professor. That made more sense.

My heart rate skyrocketed as I pulled out the syllabus I had printed that morning but not even glanced at yet. I’d planned to read through it this morning but instead ended up immersed in my novel. There it was, in great big letters: Professor Kelton Gileston. That had to be a coincidence. Right? Just some other werewolf who happens to share a name. Because there was no way the infamous rogue killer, Alpha Kelton Gileston, was actually my teacher. Or my mate? 

I was practically having a panic attack in my seat now. Would he kill me right here? Would he reject me before he killed me? Would he empty the room and then snap my neck? Would he even ask my name first? I was practically hyperventilating, I struggled to breathe. Throughout the rest of the class, my eyes kept flicking to the exits. Should I bolt?

No!

Maya was adamant I stay, but I could feel that even she was a little nervous. 

“That’s all for the day, please email me a brief bio of yourself before our next class. I want to know who you are and why you are here,” he announced.

His voice sounds like smooth chocolate. Maya melted at the sound.

Somehow I’d missed the whole class while locked in my inner turmoil. 

He caught my eye and thought I saw concern there. Maybe. Well, of course, he was concerned. Best case scenario, he was concerned about how to reject me and deal with me in his class for the rest of the semester. Or more likely, he was concerned about how to get away with murdering a student on campus. 

I’m so screwed. 

Stop panicking. We can handle anything.

I wanted to flee the classroom, but what if that drew more attention to me? I didn’t want to die. I could call my dad. He could explain that I wasn’t really a rogue. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I just wanted to be left alone. I felt light-headed. Lack of oxygen. My short sharp breaths weren’t drawing in enough oxygen to let me think clearly. 

Stop panicking. Maya whimpered. I feel her emotions too. She wanted her mate. She wanted me to calm down, but I just couldn’t.

I hurried to pack up my belongings in hopes of making a quick escape. I’d be doing us both a favor. I still didn’t really want a mate and it was doubtful that he’d want me as a mate. It had only been 2 weeks since the last mate's rejection. I tried to act tough about it but Maya and I still hurt. It sucks to know you’re not wanted. And that someone thinks you’re trash when they know absolutely nothing about you. I handled the first rejection well enough. Why can’t I cope with even the thought of this one?