My Werewolf Professor (29 page)

It took more than a few seconds for Kassia to understand what he was saying, and when she did, she cried out. “Don’t joke like that, Professor,” she wailed.

He stole a kiss from her lips, murmuring, “I promise to live long if you tell me you trust me.”

“Unfair,” she protested, but her voice was weak and she could feel her cheeks flushing with heat at the way the professor was looking at her so…
lovingly.

“I can wait,” he said magnanimously.

Kassia fought back a smile at the words. “How generous of you—oh!” The professor had lifted her up and she found herself plopped down on the table, legs dangling over the edge.

His hands still on her small waist, Alessandro swung his seat to face her. Catching the bemused look on her face, he said soberly, “We have to talk.”

Her smile faded at his serious tone, and she asked nervously, “A-about what?”
 

The scent of her anxiety reached him, and shaking his head, he tugged at a lock of strawberry blonde hair, using it to have her bend forward. Surprising her with a quick, gentle kiss, he pulled away, murmuring, “Stop thinking the impossible.”

“W-what’s impossible?”

“Impossible things like I’d ever consider leaving you.” His eyes bored through her.

Kassia’s cheeks flushed anew. She couldn’t believe the professor had seen through her so easily.

He tipped her chin up. “Every time you have these thoughts, you just need to call me, and I’ll say it as many times as you want.
I will never let you go.
”

Her heart slammed against her chest at the words.
God. Wow. God. Wow.
Wanting to be as honest as the professor was even though she knew she couldn’t be as eloquent, she said haltingly, “T-thank you. I n-needed to hear that.”
 

His answering smile left her blinking dazedly.
God. Wow. God. Wow.
 

“I want to talk to you about a few things now.” The professor’s tone had turned sober. “We need to set some ground rules. You understand why, right, baby?”

“Yes,” she answered dreamily.
 

The professor bit back a groan at the way Kassia was looking at him. God, she made him want to make love to her again and the hell with playing grown-up. Forcing his mind back to important matters, he said, “If we’re to see each other without getting caught, we need to adhere to two simple rules.”

She nodded obediently.

“The first one is...” His voice turned wry. “You must remember to act like my student and not my girlfriend.”

Kassia couldn’t answer. The professor had called her his girlfriend! It terrified her. It excited her. It made her want to scream. It made her want to throw up in sheer panic.

The professor frowned. “Kassia?”

She started, realizing she had spaced out on the professor. “S-sorry,” she mumbled. Clearing her throat, she asked, “C-could you give me an example of how I act like—”

“My girlfriend?”

Oh my God, he had said it again!

“Umm, yes, like—” She paused.

The professor repeated obediently, “My girlfriend?”

Excitement won over panic. Oh my God, his girlfriend! “Professor, are you sure there’s ever a time I acted like—” She paused and looked expectantly.

Instead of giving her what she wanted, the professor bent forward and reached for something behind Kassia. By the time she realized what the professor had taken from the table, it was too late. He had a piece of paper rolled in his hand, and he was smacking her forehead with it.
 

“Ouch,” she cried, purely out of habit since getting swatted on the head with paper didn’t really hurt.

“That’s for not being serious.”

“I was being serious,” she lied, glaring. “I just wanted to be clear that you really believe I was doing something as…” Unable to help it, she paused, holding her breath as she waited for the words.

The professor swatted her head again.
 

“Professor, you’re so unromantic!”

Another swat. “And you need to be serious. Consider what you just did earlier.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Earlier?”

“You need to remember to
always
knock and ask for permission before entering my office in school.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders slumped at the realization she
had
acted unthinkingly, and not at all like a student. “Sorry, Professor, I didn’t—”

He cut her off with a kiss, one so swift it was over before she could even think of responding. “I didn’t tell you that to make you apologize.” This time, his voice was gentle, and Kassia wanted to cry foul. How could she be serious when everything he did just made her want to daydream about how beautiful he was?
 

“This rule isn’t because I’m worried about my job. It’s all because I have a selfish desire to spend as much time with you. And if you’re a student, then that means I still need to be a teacher. That’s the best way for us to spend our days together, baby. You understand, right?”

She nodded, but still she couldn’t help saying, “I get it now, Professor, but I’m really sorry—” She earned herself another kiss, but this time it was longer, almost surreal, and toe-curling sweet.

“No apologies, little chick.” His voice was tender but gruff. “We’re both new to this. We’re bound to make mistakes.” He straightened away before the softness of her body made him forget what else he had to say.

When the professor’s gaze narrowed at her, she said immediately out of habit, “I didn’t do anything.”

“Actually, you did.” The professor’s voice turned hard. “I won’t mince words this time, little chick. I make an extremely jealous and possessive lover, and I do not share what’s mine.”

The way he looked at Kassia made it clear he considered her his property, and she swallowed, more overwhelmed than terrified at the idea that someone like the professor could feel so strongly towards her.

“Don’t let me see you too close to another man again, Kassia. It’s too…
dangerous.
”

Her heart slammed even harder against her chest as Kassia heard the words the professor hadn’t spoken. “I promise, Professor, but not because you might hurt me.” Her voice turned fierce. “I’m promising it because I don’t want to hurt you again.”

Silence.

And then the professor was gracefully coming to his feet, his mouth on hers while his arms wrapped around her.

When he raised his head, he gave her a promise that had her toes curling and her stomach tightening in fear.
 

“I will make you trust me again, Kassia.”

****

“You
lied to me
,” Kassia accused the professor the next night.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did!” The two of them were walking inside a magnificently vast hallway, and with every second that passed, the urge to turn back and run away became stronger. “You said this was going to be an ordinary party!”

“It is.” Beside her, the professor was a picture of urbane sophistication in his expensive tux, and even now the sight of him made Kassia gulp. Even though she was wearing a gown that the professor had bought for her, she wasn’t sure it was enough to give her the right to stand next to him.
 

Sensing Kassia’s troubled gaze on him, Alessandro looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “What is—” To his surprise, Kassia quickly squeezed her eyes shut. “What are you doing?” Did she plan on walking with her eyes closed?

Only opening her eyes when she had turned her head away from the professor, she said, “Self-defense.”

Only Kassia could leave him even more bemused with an answer. “Excuse me?”
 

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing, but I do.” She resolutely kept her gaze straight ahead as she spoke. “I’m on to you, Professor. You’re using your sexy look on me again, and next thing I know, you’re going to give me that devastating smile—”

The professor was suddenly standing in front of her, his Lyccan speed leaving her defenseless, and oh God there it was!

That smoldering look!

That devastating smile!

Her knees knocked against each other. “You’re too beautiful for your own good, Professor.”

His laugh was dark and sexy. “And you are too fucking cute for my senses.”

The words destroyed what was left of her defenses against him, and she sighed. “You win. I forgive you for lying.” She paused then added militantly, “But you
did
lie.”

“I did not lie.” He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “You just failed to consider that we might have different perspectives about what an ordinary party is. This is ordinary for me.”

And that,
Kassia thought, perfectly summed up how different they were from each other. The professor’s idea of an ordinary party was one that took place in a palatial hall, attended by thousands of Lyccans, most of whom Kassia was shocked to recognize as numbering among the world’s rich and famous. How could all these people lead such public lives without humans like her catching on to the fact that they weren’t, well, humans?

Upon entering the ballroom, the first thing Kassia noticed was the odd way most of the guests reacted to them. She was well used to Alessandro being fawned over, but tonight it was the opposite. Most of the other Lyccans gazed at him with either contempt or disgust, and she couldn’t understand it at all. How could someone like Alessandro be contemptuous or disgusting?

The professor suddenly looked down at her, saying quietly, “Later.”
 

His gaze told her he knew exactly what she was feeling, and Kassia nodded. If the professor wanted her to wait for answers, she would.
 

He guided her all the way to the opposite side of the hall, where she saw the rest of his family was waiting. Kassia frowned when she realized that the Moretti family appeared isolated from the other Lyccans, and she bit her lip hard. She was angry on their behalf, but she knew she couldn’t exactly bite anyone’s head off for it. This wasn’t her battle, even if she wanted it to be.

Beside her, the professor chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, startled.

“Everyone here can smell your anger, little chick.”

Oh.

Her cheeks flushed in mortification, but even so she lifted her chin. “Good. I think it’s not nice to be so rude.”

The professor didn’t answer, but the way he squeezed her hand spoke of his approval.

When they reached his family, the professor’s sisters surged forward in unison, showering Kassia with kisses and hugs. After, the professor introduced the two other men in the group. “This is my twin Alejandro.”

Alejandro’s smile was all wicked flirtation. “Hello, beautiful.”

Alessandro’s arm went around her waist. “
Do not flirt with her.
”

Alejandro laughed. “Relax, brother. I only wanted to see how possessive you are with her.”

The professor ignored this. “Kassia, this is our older brother, Domenico. He’s the heir apparent of our pack.”

Kassia gulped as she found herself face to face with Domenico Moretti.

During the ride to Lyccan Hall, the professor had explained to her about his older brother’s position and how he had once been the most respected warrior prince of their race. She had thought then she would be ready to face Domenico Moretti, but seeing him in the flesh made Kassia realize that wasn’t possible at all. There were no words that could prepare any human being for their first meeting with the eldest Moretti prince, especially when one knew that he wasn’t human like them.

“Hello, Kassia.”
 

Crap,
Kassia thought nervously. It was like hearing God speak. “Happy birthday, sir highness.”

Silence.

And then Kassia realized what she had said. “Oh my God.” She turned to the professor in horror. “Please tell me you have the power to erase my memories.”
 

It was Domenico who answered her, his eyes gleaming with laughter as he said apologetically, “That unfortunately is not one of our, err, powers.”