CHAPTER 4

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!

Who was the idiot that made my schedule and put my consecutive classes in the two furthermost points of the campus? How were normal people supposed to get there in the measly amount of time we had between the lectures without inhuman speed? I was very tempted to slip the ring off my finger and used my werewolf speed, but that would have been a catastrophe. It will take exactly fifteen minutes for the rumor to get around the campus about the crazy woman galloping through the campus like a desert cat. Or a wolf on a hunt.

I almost crashed into the wall of the last corner I needed to take, then sprinted to the door behind which the lecture seemed to be already in session. It had been a nightmare to get a spot into this one because the lecturer was some hot-shot self-made millionaire who had made a fortune and created three of the top ten most profitable companies in the last decade. I had to admit that was pretty impressive for a guy under forty, but what I cared more about was learning his secrets.

I wasn’t the type of person who loved studying. I could barely keep my eyes open through half of the lectures, but I needed to study. I needed to get the skills to find a proper job and make decent money so Elijah and I could live a good life. Not barely scraping by, not me relying on Chris to take care of us, not… not like the ones Sophia and I had.

This guy had made it happen. He didn’t have any rich family members, he didn’t win the lottery and as far as I heard, he didn’t run any shady businesses that people only whispered about. He was just smart and capable and cunning and was willing to share that knowledge.

And I… I was so late.

I yanked the door open harder than I intended and the room fell silent. I stepped in, preparing to apologize and beg him to stay, when a wave of overwhelming scent hit me. It smelled of grass and trees and dandelions, of laughter and sunlight, of home. The feeling was so intense, it took me a few seconds to realize I hadn’t said anything or moved.

The door clicked shut behind me and the sound made me jump. A few people laughed while I looked around for the lecturer, scrambling to get my mind in order.

I found him by the desk in the room. Staring at me, his mouth open.

I sucked in a deep breath as the mate bond snapped into place. Had it not been for the ring on my finger that was suppressing my wolf, I was pretty sure I would have been flying into his arms, losing control of the insatiable longing and need that took a firm grip on my chest. But with my senses suppressed, I remained firmly rooted in my spot by the door.

He turned slowly, to face me, and I saw him properly then. Tall and well-built, his suit was hugging him so perfectly, he looked like he had been born with it. His skin was tanned, his dark blonde hair was styled back to reveal a handsome face that could make women swoon with or without a mate bond.

A face I knew.

My heart dropped. No, it couldn’t be. Of all the people in the world, it couldn’t be him.

I spun around and reached for the door, my mind screaming for me to leave, to run away and hide from him. He had felt the bond. I could see it in his eyes, but there was no recognition there. I had changed so much, he hadn’t recognized me. That was the only thing that calmed my panicking heart.

“Where do you think you’re going?” his voice snapped behind me and against my better judgment, I froze. I could feel all of their eyes on me, his eyes on me, boring a hole into me. He sounded angry — no, not angry, but disappointed — and that voice had come out differently from what I remembered. Almost… almost like his brother’s.

I turned slowly, trying to remember how to speak. His shocked expression had given place to a blank one, his hands crossed in front of his chest, making the muscles of his arms bulge. I could almost hear the girls in the auditorium praising me for making him angry so they could feast on that sight.

“I… I don’t want to interrupt so I’ll…” I tried to say, but he cut me off.

“You already interrupted my lecture, you might as well sit.” He waited for me with the same blank expression, but I noticed his knuckles turning white. He was struggling, probably to fight the mate bond, and that’s when I realized it. He thought I was human. If he knew I was a werewolf, he would have assumed I knew what was going on with my body, knew about the mate bond and what it meant. But humans did not know. Being mated to a human was different.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and headed toward the seats, finding one at the back while he kept watching me. The others gave me looks of amusement or pity until I sunk into my seat, taking out my notebook to pretend like I was ready to take notes. It was going to be hard to focus even without the mate bond and his scent permeating my nose. The windows were closed and the auditorium wasn’t that big, so every breath I took was like I was breathing him. It was maddening.

I focused on the only thing that could keep me from striding toward him and tearing his clothes off. My fear.

It had been almost eight years since I last saw him. He had changed so much from the short, scrawny boy I remembered hiding with, climbing trees with, lying in the grass and staring at the clouds with. Michael’s younger brother.

I closed my eyes, trying to stop my shaking. Just the thought of Michael was making my skin crawl. I had managed to stay hidden from him for over six years. Fake names, fake social security numbers, fake addresses, fake backstories. I had avoided him for so long, I had lowered my guard, thinking I was safe. That we got away.

And now this…

I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t outright reject him because then he’d know that I know about the mate bond and realize I was a werewolf, too. If he realized that, he might realize who I was too and tell his brother. But then… he never was close with his brother, even when they were children. I could still remember the disdain with which Michael talked about him, saying again and again he should have killed the weak human-lover when he was younger. Still, he had let Gabriel leave the pack and settle with his mother among the humans. Things could have changed while I was gone… I couldn’t take the risk.

I had to reject him, somehow, then run. Maybe I could let him try to woo me, because that hungry look in his eyes definitely suggested he’d try, then reject him. It shouldn’t raise too much suspicion, and he’d have no choice but to accept. Unless he was a psycho like his brother, but I had no intention of sticking around long enough to find out.

We would have to move again, different city, different names. Elijah was going to hate it; he hated moving and he really loved his kindergarten friends. I might need to ask Chris for help again, getting even further into his debt. I…

I realized the class had ended, and half of the auditorium was already by the door. Cursing under my breath, I slipped my stuff into my bag and rushed to follow them before it was too late. I was almost at the door, fighting the urge to make my way out with the help of my elbows and feet, when he called me.

“You there, the late girl. Come here.”

A few heads turned, glancing at me, then at the lecturer. I swallowed the lump in my throat, stepping away from the stream of people and slowly making my way toward his desk.

He sat almost leisurely in the chair behind it, one elbow hanging from the backseat as his eyes studied me. I licked my lips while we stared at each other, the sound of people growing fainter and fainter until it was just the two of us. I hugged my bag in front of my body, bracing myself. I wasn’t sure what he might do ⁠— try to kiss me or push me against the wall, pull me into his lap, or bend me over the desk. I caught myself imagining all those things and shifted uncomfortably.

“What’s your name?” he finally asked, his posture changing. He crossed his legs and let his hands drop into his lap, and I was pretty sure my momentary lapse of judgment hadn’t gone unnoticed. Still, I was impressed by his control. Smelling your mate getting turned on would have sent most males into a mating frenzy. He hadn’t moved, just readjusted himself. Maybe he hadn’t felt it, maybe he hadn’t noticed it.

“Sarah,” I gave my fake name, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Sarah?”

“Sarah Smith.”

He looked ready to scoff, but in the end, he didn’t. He just kept staring at me with those infuriating eyes, those full, perfect lips I was ready to kill to kiss. I shook my head, cursing myself. Settling my eyes on his desk, I tried to think about the most disgusting things my mind could come up with.

Dirty dishes. Dirty socks. Wet towels. Poopy diapers. Vomit. Pickles with peanut butter.

I felt myself calm down.

“Why were you late today?” he asked, and I braved a look in his direction, not daring to meet his eyes. His eyes were the same as before ⁠— warm, sharp, dreamy. I licked my lips, wondering what to say. I decided on the truth.

“My previous class was on the other side of the campus and the teacher held us back after class,” I said, glad that my voice didn’t tremble. His eyes were unnerving me, I wanted to get away. Maybe letting him try to woo me wasn’t a good idea, since part of me wanted to be wooed. But even as I thought that, I realized his scent was no longer driving me crazy, not like before.

“I see,” I heard him say and I braved another look. He caught my eyes this time and held them. “That was unfortunate, but it wasn’t your fault.” I raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was keeping me here with this nonsense just to keep talking to me.

“Then… I can go?” I asked, taking a step back. He hesitated before nodding. I turned around and headed toward the door, trying not to look too eager as ants crawled all over my body where his eyes touched.

“Don’t be late next time,” he said just as I was opening the door to leave. I could almost feel the smirk in his voice, but I didn’t turn. “Or I will have to punish you.”

I gritted my teeth, stepping out without a word. Punish me, my ass! He couldn’t punish me if I was not in his class anymore. I was going to submit the paperwork and drop the subject tomorrow, then stay far, far away where he’d have to go out of his way and beyond to find me. Then I was going to reject him, pack up my kid and leave.

All because of his goddamn bastard brother and his cursed family.