My Werewolf Professor (25 page)

“Shaddap,” she muttered ungraciously, but this only made the wolf how longer.
 

At the lobby, the professor’s chauffeur immediately stepped forward, bowing his head as he greeted her good morning.

“G-good morning,” Kassia stammered, the man’s display of deference making her so nervous she forgot about holding a grudge against the professor. She found herself sidling next to the large wolf, not realizing how her actions made other guests at the hotel gaze at her oddly. How could a young woman be so visibly awkward with a limousine driver when she was foolhardy enough to have a huge wolf-like dog as a pet?

When they were inside the limousine and the vehicle started to move, the wolf immediately padded towards her and licked Kassia’s hand, as if comforting her.
 

She said morosely, “I’m being silly, I know. But I’m just not used to being treated like royalty.” As the wolf laid its head on her lap, she sighed, continuing, “I grew up in a farm, Professor. The only time people bow there is when they’ve been declared winners of the Town’s Biggest Tomato in the annual fair.”

The wolf didn’t bark or raise its head, but in a way its silence felt like an answer already.
You’re not being silly,
the comfortable silence between them said.

As the limousine drove past scenic views of the highway, Kassia absently stroked the wolf’s head from time to time, unconsciously seeking the lush feel of its fur. A full half hour had passed when another truth came to her, and she exclaimed, “I’m no longer afraid of you in this form.”

The wolf lifted its head this time, its green gaze gleaming in approval.

Kassia let out a laugh, unable to help it. “I’m so happy!” On impulse, she bent down and threw her arms around the wolf’s neck. “I’m not afraid!”

The wolf nuzzled her hair in return, and when it stretched once again on the seat while laying its head on her lap, Kassia sighed happily. “It’s like having the most magnificent beast as a pet—”

The wolf bared its fangs.

She hastily wiped the smile off her face. “Sorry, Professor.” Closing her eyes, Kassia only meant to avoid the sight of the professor’s frightfully sharp canines. Instead, she fell asleep completely.

She woke to the sensation of the wolf nuzzling her hair, and yawning, she gave the wolf a sleepy smile. “Sorry I slept on you.”

The wolf shook its head.
It is no bother.

Pushing herself up, Kassia saw through the windows that they had already reached the school.
 

Her heart sank.
 

School meant they had to part since they were professor and—

No, wait – she was forgetting something again.

Kassia started in her seat when she remembered that the professor was in Lyccan form, which meant no one would care even if they saw Kassia and the professor walking together today.

By the time the chauffeur opened the passenger door, Kassia was feeling light-hearted as she followed the professor out of the limousine.
 

“Heel,” she teased the professor.

Again, the wolf bared its fangs, and she laughed. They fell into step with each other, and when they were about to cross the college’s gates, she half-expected the guards on duty to stop them. Instead, they lowered their heads slightly.

A second later, she realized that the guards were actually
bowing
to him.

Kassia’s eyes widened. “They know who you are?”

The wolf nodded.

She let out a gasp. “Are they like you?”

This time, he didn’t answer, didn’t even look at her. She was about to ask why when she saw that the couple walking hand in hand next to her were looking at her she was crazy.

Oh, right.

She had forgotten that as far as other people were concerned, she was talking to an ordinary dog.

When they entered the college’s compound, heads turned their way immediately. Students and teachers alike gazed at the professor’s wolf form in admiration, and halfway to her dorm building, other girls in her year had come forward, calling her name, leaving Kassia no choice but to slow down.

“Hey, Kassia. Is he yours?” Macy asked.

“Uh, y-yes?” Oh crap, why hadn’t she thought people would start asking about her wolf?

When the bubbly brunette, one of the most popular girls on campus, crouched down to ruffle the wolf’s head, Kassia was stunned at the way jealousy swamped her. She hated how the girls were crowded around the professor, and with them kneeling on the ground, the professor was at eye-level with everyone’s cleavage while they petted him and cooed at how marvelous his body was.

“Gosh, he’s so
tame,
” Cherry, a pretty blonde, gushed.
 

Kassia made herself nod while wondering waspishly how Cherry would react if she told the other girl that
he
was a wolf, and not a dog.

Macy hugged the wolf to her, practically squashing its head against her breasts. “And so
big.
”

Kassia did her best not to scowl. She knew Macy didn’t mean what Kassia was thinking, but couldn’t the other girl have chosen another word?

“I know what you mean,” the third girl, Aubrey, agreed, her tone wistful. “He’s
so
big, it’s like you can ride him, you know?”

Kassia’s jaw dropped.
What did Aubrey just say?
She had a sudden vision of the girls riding the professor, in his
human
form, and that was it for her.

“Excuse me, sorry, excuse me, we have to go.” Pushing her way through the growing crowd of girls around the professor, Kassia told him firmly, “Let’s go, umm—” Realizing she hadn’t thought to name the professor in his Lyccan form, she blurted out the first name that came to her. “
Cock—
”
 

Everyone’s heads whipped towards her in shock.

“—erel,” she finished lamely.

The professor growled at her, but she pretended not to hear it. When the other girls gave Kassia odd looks and asked her why she had named her dog after a chicken, she pretended not to hear that either.

Fixing the professor with a determined look, Kassia said very firmly, “Heel,
Cockerel.
” She could feel the professor’s gaze boring through her even as he moved past his adoring fans. A heartfelt sigh rose from the girls when they walked away. Startled at the sound, Kassia twisted around to look at him, and so did the professor.

The sighs turned into squeals of delight when they saw the wolf looking at them.

“Oh my God, did you see that?” Macy shrieked. “It’s like the dog knows we find it so cute.”

Aubrey looked fit to swoon. “Be still, my heart.”

When they were a good distance away, Kassia glared down at the professor. “Don’t get ahead of yourself—”

Her wolf howled with laughter.

Irritated, she pinned the creature with an evil look, saying with relish, “
Cockerel.
” The wolf’s howl turned into an offended growl, and she had her revenge. Even so, she only relaxed completely when they reached her dorm and her wolf was finally free from its admirers.

As she closed the door, she heard someone ask her in surprise, “Is this yours, Kassia?”

Oh, crap.

She had forgotten her dorm’s no-pets-allowed policy.

Turning around, she saw the R.A. behind the reception counter, peering at the wolf with a mixture of interest and apprehension. Shaking his head, he told her, “Some beast you have here, Kas.”

“I know,” she said weakly, wondering if the professor’s size would also be held against him.

“Is it trained?”

She nodded fervently. “Yes. Completely. It’s never…” Her voice trailed off when the R.A. left his counter. Was he going to ask her to leave without hearing her explanation? Kassia watched the guy head to the elevator, blinking in confusion when he pressed the
Up
button and waved at her. “Off you go then.”

Her lips parted in shock. “You don’t mind I’m taking him with me?”

The R.A. looked at her like she was crazy.

Riiight.
She should have seen that coming. It was as if today was
Kassia’s Gone Crazy
day, and everyone had gotten the memo about it but her. And then she heard the R.A. say, “I got the memo, you know.”

What?

“So there
is
a memo?” Kassia sputtered.

“Uh-huh. Clear as crystal, too. Admin says that you’re to be given the VIP pass on everything.” He looked at her with respect. “I guess your family’s become a member of the board or something, huh?”

Oh.

Her mind reeled, and she mumbled incoherently in reply.
VIP pass?
 

The R.A. winked. “Relax, your secret’s safe with me,” he assured her, and he even gave Kassia a friendly salute as she and her wolf entered the elevator.

The moment the doors closed, she turned to her companion and asked, “
VIP pass
?”

The wolf blinked at her.
I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Kassia wasn’t fooled. “You can deny it all you want, Professor, but I know it’s your doing, and…” She bit her lip. “I’m not sure how I feel about this.” A bell sounded as she spoke, the elevator arriving at her floor as she confessed, “I feel like it’s unfair.”

The doors parted, but the wolf shook its head at her in exasperation before stepping out.

Following him, she started to explain why but caught herself in time when she realized there were two other girls in the hall, and both of them shrieked upon seeing the professor.

“It’s okay,” Kassia hurried to assure them.
 

“You don’t have it on a leash,” one of them pointed out uneasily. “Is that legal?”

“Perfectly,” she lied. Since neither girl looked familiar, Kassia guessed the two had come to visit one of other students on her floor.
And thank God for that
, she thought in relief. If it had been a resident, Kassia would have been forced to use her so-called
VIP pass
to explain her wolf’s presence, and that she hoped to avoid as much as possible.

Seeing that the girls were still frozen in their spot, she added, “He’s 100% trained and, umm, rabies-free, I promise.”
 

At their unconvinced looks, Kassia told the professor meaningfully, “Cockerel, show them how friendly you are by, umm, waving your paw.”

A full second passed – it was as if the professor was seriously debating whether to dignify the command with a response – before her wolf slowly lifted one giant paw and moved it left…and right…and that was that.

Okaaaaaay.

That was literally a
single
wave, but whatever. It seemed to have serve its purpose anyway, with both girls visibly relaxing and even finding the confidence to approach her, albeit cautiously, with their eyes darting warily to the professor once in a while.

“Has he been with you long?” Girl #1 asked.

“Yup.” Kassia made a mental note to herself:
list down everything you’ve said about “Cockerel” so you can keep your story straight.

“Can I touch it?” Girl #2 asked hopefully.

Nope,
Kassia thought immediately. Just the idea of having another girl touch her wolf made her queasy
,
but she also knew she had no choice. She had to prove
that her wolf was indeed as friendly as she claimed.
   

Forcing a smile, she said, “Of course.”
 

And so Girl #2 gingerly reached out a hand towards the professor—

A strangled gasp escaped Kassia when the professor actually licked the other girl’s hand.

Girl #2 giggled.

“Hey, I want to play with him, too,” Girl #1 exclaimed and before Kassia could say anything, she had also reached down to stroke the wolf’s head. Turning to her, the wolf licked her palm as well, which earned him another coquettish giggle.

Flirts,
Kassia thought sourly, and she didn’t just mean the girls.

Out loud, she said, “Feel free to come visit him anytime.”
Not.
“But now, I have to take him back to my room. He tends to start biting off fingers when he’s feeling sleepy, like he is now.” Kassia hid a smile as both girls yanked their hands away at her words.