“Wow.” I let out a breath. “You’re very open for being a professor.”
“I’m notyourprofessor.” He hesitated before running a hand through his green hair. “I’ve never been interested.”
I furrowed my brows. “Interested in being my professor?”
“Interested in sex or romance,” he clarified, looking at a point over my shoulder instead of maintaining eye contact. His ears turned a faint shade of pink. “When I was a teenager, I kissed a few people. It did nothing for me. Zero desire to take things further or even kiss or hug anyone, to be honest. I like this.” He gestured to his lab, to the potion bottles, and to the microscope on the table. “Research. Inventing. Not?—”
“Oh. You’re a virgin and never had feelings for anyone before,” I blurted, my brows shooting to the top of my forehead. “Wait. How old are you again?”
“One-hundred-sixty-six,” he muttered, refusing to look at me.
I stepped closer, bending forward until I intercepted his line of sight. “Not everyone is the same. It’s okay if you aren’t interested in sex or romance, Drecken.”
He swallowed hard as his blue eyes met mine. “I neverused to be,” he corrected.
My heart thudded harder against my ribcage at that. He put emphasis onused to be. Did that mean he was interested now?
With who?
The crystal on his desk glowed before my mom interrupted us.
“Drecken, do you have my daughter?”
He blinked a few times before looking over at the crystal. “Sabine,” he greeted her. “Yes.”
“Bring my daughter back to the academynowbefore she gets into trouble.”
“She’s with me,” he scoffed. “She won’t get in trouble.”
Mom’s laugh sounded dry. “Drecken, you’re the definition of trouble. Bring her back to the first-year house before she gets in trouble for leaving campus. She can get expelled if caught.”
The crystal dimmed as Mom’s communication cut off.
He sighed, looking down at me with a longing expression. “We must cut our research short. It seems I am instructed to return you.”
“Probably for the best before I corrupt your experiments,” I teased him.
His gaze narrowed as he stared at me, something very close to desire passing over his expression. Then, he reached out and laced his fingers through mine.
A moment later, we were in my room back in the first-year house.
I gaped at Drecken. “I thought the dorms were locked only with individual emblems?”
“I can get through any lock, viperling,” he mused before going still as his gaze landed on my bed. “Seems I’m not the only one.”
“Damn, pretty little poison,” Zuko drawled, lying on my bed with his arms crossed behind his head. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, venom baby,” Slater whined. “It was rude of my other brother-mate to steal you without letting us say goodbye.”
I twirled to find him leaning against the doorframe, my door wide open.
“Did I forget to lock my door?” I frowned.
“No.” Drecken chuckled. “It seems like you’ve just surrounded yourself with men that locks can’t keep out.”
I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling all three of their gazes locked on me.
Drecken slowly let go of my hand. “I’ll see you later for another experiment.” He fell back and disappeared into a teleportation portal a second later.
