My Werewolf Professor (14 page)

As she and Kassia headed towards the building’s exit doors, Ellie repeated her question.

Kassia was visibly confused. “What do you mean?”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “He went to you, hello? He went to you
first
and he had a very jealous look in his eyes. You can’t tell me you didn’t see that.”

At Ellie’s words, Kassia said shortly, “You were imagining things.” Just as she had imagined things before she caught herself in time.

“I know what I saw,” Ellie insisted.

“And I know the kind of man the professor is.” Someone so cruel, he had allowed her to fall deeper and deeper for him before breaking her heart. She could see Ellie wanted to argue, but Kassia forestalled her friend with a shake of her head. “Drop it, please, Ellie. I mean it.” She didn’t want to be the naïve girl again. As far as Kassia was concerned, the professor was dead to her.

****

Sweat trickled down the side of Alessandro’s face as he fought to counter every thrust and swipe of his opponent, who always seemed to be one second faster than he was. A fraction of time for humans, but for their kind, it was long enough to kill.

The sound of steel clashing was the only thing that destroyed the silence inside the fighting hall, which occupied the entire basement in the Moretti complex’s main building. Spectators circled the fighters, all of them holding their breath as they waited to see who would emerge as the winner.
 

Alessandro’s opponent retreated a step, and he saw his chance to attack. But before he could move, a flash of red in the crowd caught his attention, a shade that reminded him of Kassia’s strawberry blonde hair, and he stilled.

Could it be her?
 

Had she come here to talk about what happened earlier in class? Did she want to explain about the boy? Did she still want him?

Alessandro’s concentration wavered, and before he could stop himself, his head had already whipped towards its direction, his incredulous gaze searching, his body stiffening in the event that it was really Kassia—

It wasn’t.
 

Instead, it was one of the servants, whose dyed hair under the light had appeared a lot like Kassia’s.
 

Behind him, he heard someone curse, and Alessandro realized too late he had actually forgotten that he was in the middle of fencing practice.
 

He turned around, already positioned to block the blow coming his way, but it was pointless, and everyone in the fighting hall knew it. His opponent realized the same thing and tried to diminish the force of the blow, but it was too late.

Alessandro flew across the room at point of impact, his back hitting the wall before he fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

“
Fuck
.”

Footsteps thundered towards him.
 

When Alessandro opened his eyes, several pairs were staring back at him in concern. He shook his head and groaned at the pain that resulted. “
Fuck
,” he said again.

His twin laughed. “Fuck is right.
After winning five – no, I heard, your worst fight was
ten
– against one in public brawls at Lyccan Hall, you
now
get knocked out by our ancient lovesick brother?”

Said ancient lovesick brother casually but subtly gave Alejandro a shove, which was also strong enough to have his twin flying to the opposite wall with a grunt.

Above Alessandro, Domenico pulled off his mask and offered him a hand, asking formally, “You are all right?”

Alessandro wasn’t able to answer immediately.
 

Fuck,
he thought for the third time.

Since Domenico’s public fall from grace, Alessandro hadn’t been able to look at his older brother in the eye. He had been afraid that if he did, he would lose all respect for him.

But now, with Domenico towering over him—

How in hell had he gotten everything wrong?

All this time, Alessandro had thought the loss of his wife had turned Domenico into a shell of a man. But the warrior looking down at him was anything but. For one thing, Domenico seemed to have stuffed himself with Lyccan-friendly steroids since Misty had disappeared to Faerie-la-la-land. Even so, the impressive show of testosterone was just the tip of the iceberg. No, what made Alessandro realize how blind he had been all these months was in his brother’s eyes. There was a hint of sadness to it, but there was power in his gaze, too, like nothing Alessandro had ever seen before. If something had changed, then it was that his older brother appeared stronger now. He looked wiser, more
humble
– but somehow, all those simply lent Domenico an aura of almost-tangible strength.

Suddenly, a sense of urgency gripped him.

Kassia.

He had to leave right now.

Kassia. Kassia. Kassia.
 

Desperation turned her name into an addiction, and Alessandro knew he would not rest until he saw her again. He had to talk to her and make Kassia see that his decision to cut her out of his life was a mistake.

Kassia.

He saw her in his mind, her eyes once filled with so much love and trust, blurring with unshed tears of betrayal.

Kassia.

He had cut her out of his life because he had thought Kassia would make him weak the way Misty had made his older brother weak. But he had seen the truth now. Domenico was at his strongest. He didn’t understand how that happened, and right now it didn’t matter. All Alessandro knew was he had made the biggest mistake of his life, and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to fix it.

Domenico caught him just as he was about to get inside his car. “Alessandro.” An indirect command to stop, and Alessandro had no choice but to heed it.

“You have not been yourself the entire week.”

Alessandro only looked at his older brother stoically. Domenico might not be the weakling he had feared him to be, but it didn’t mean everything was all right between them. Domenico had still chosen to allow other Lyccans to treat him like shit, and in so doing allowed their entire pack to fall into disgrace. That was something he still couldn’t make himself forget or forgive.

When Alessandro didn’t say anything, Domenico pressed, “Perhaps it has to do with a certain redhead?”

Alessandro stiffened.

“It’s clear that she already wields influence over you.”

Was that Domenico’s way of saying Alessandro was no better than he? That he was falling fast and hard for a woman like Domenico had?

“You have nothing to worry about,” Alessandro said coldly.

Domenico stilled. “You misunderstand—”

Alessandro cut him off. “You were right when you said I haven’t been myself the entire week. I haven’t been able to make a decision, but now what I must do is clear. Through her, I will keep to my end of the bargain.” Even as he spoke, he knew it was a lie. He was not going to Kassia because of any damn bargain. He was going to her because he needed to.
 

“I’ll fuck her for thirty days, as promised, and when it is over, I expect you to honor your word.”

Domenico’s face had become unreadable. “That is truly how you see her? A mere pawn for you to use and dispense?”

“
Yes.” It was the opposite of the truth, but he didn’t take it back. The word felt like his only defense against the unknown, his only way of protecting himself from the unfamiliar feelings that Kassia evoked in him.

Misty might not have taken away Domenico’s strength, but she had destroyed her husband’s pride. Alessandro was determined not to let the same thing happen to him.
 

He would keep Kassia, his strength, and his pride, and if he had to lie for this to happen – then so be it.

****

Another day had started.

The thought of having to see the professor again brought out mixed feelings, but again Kassia lifted her chin and told herself that one day, she would get over him. She marched towards the conference room where she was scheduled with other students in her course to listen to an inspirational talk from a supposedly well-known philanthropist.

Arriving early, she was able to secure a seat in one of the front rows. Waiting patiently for the talk to start, she took out her notebook and began to doodle.
 

Half an hour later, more students started to fill the room. She heard voices from the stage and knew that the speaker had arrived.
It should start any moment now
, Kassia thought just as a shadow fell over her. Putting her notebook back in her bag, she waited for the shadow to move, for a student to occupy the vacant seat next to her.

But it wasn’t another student.
 

“Kassia.” Such beautiful cadence. Accompanied by an exquisite European accent, it turned her name into a melody.

Her insides turned to jelly at the sound of it even as she despised herself for being so weak.

Reluctantly, she looked up. “
Professor
.” It was the most she could say. She wished she could be more adult-like, but already, just looking at him was destroying her composure.

The professor was dressed in his usual formal clothes, a lovely black suit that no doubt cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Beautiful, sophisticated, sexy, and intimidating in every sense.

“I’m afraid I need to speak to you privately about your grades in my class.” The volume of his voice was just enough for other students to hear him.

Kassia knew this, too. If she refused, people would talk, and she didn’t want that. Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from hedging. “I’ve been asked to listen to this seminar by Professor Davidson—”

“I’ve already talked to him,” Alessandro interrupted smoothly. Frustration darkened Kassia’s eyes at his answer, and he was tempted to kiss the frown puckering her brows. His control had started to slip the moment her scent had reached him, beckoning Alessandro to claim what he desired above all else.

Kassia finally stood up and grabbed her bag, her movements jerky. She was angry, and she wanted him to know.
 

I will make it up to you, little chick,
he thought grimly. Even now, his conscience questioned his decision. The right thing to do was to leave her alone. Alessandro knew that, but he also knew it would never happen.

The moment Kassia had entered his office and told him she wanted him – it had been over for both of them.

As they started to walk down the center aisle, she asked stiffly under her breath, “What is this really about?”

 
“What do you think?” he parried silkily. While he knew he owed her an apology, he would do it his way. Certainly it wasn’t his style to do it in public.

Kassia hated the way her heart sped at the professor’s words.
He’s probably bored again,
she warned herself.
Be smart about it now, Kassia, and don’t let him play with you!

They continued walking, no longer speaking, but the tension between them grew with every second, turning from hostile into something agonizingly sexual.

Dear Lord, she was so shamefully powerless against the professor.

If she let him take her to his office…

It didn’t take any amount of imagination to guess what would happen the moment they were alone, not when her panties were already drenched with her need. Why, dear Lord, why did she want him so much? Unable to help it, she stole a look at him, and her breath caught when their gazes met.

So much heat in those dark green eyes—

No, yes, no, yes, no—

Her anxiety escalated even as she became wetter between her legs.

Oh God, how did she stop herself from wanting him?

Behind them, someone started to speak from the stage, introducing the speaker for today’s talk. “Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause please as we welcome Mrs. Kimberley Dresden.”

Kassia froze.
 

Well
, she thought numbly, she should have known to be careful about what she wished for. Beside her, the professor had also halted, and she sensed more than saw the way his stance had turned protective. It was crazy, but she knew she wasn’t imagining it.