There is still some suspicion behind her eyes, but I have always been good at playing the innocent younger cousin, so I keep my expression neutral and watch the suspicion melt away. “You still could have checked in,” she chastises.
I shrug. “I could have, but I chose not to. I’m an adult now, Maisie. I don’t need someone watching my every step to make sure I’m staying on path when I haven’t even found my path yet.”
She finally deflates, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll back off and let you find yourself without interfering. But if you need me, call me? And check in once in a while so I don’t think you’re dead in a ditch or somethin’.”
My phone beeps, signaling class is about to start. “I will, but I gotta go. See you soon?”
I don’t stick around to hear her response, instead taking off at a jog into the building. My class is on the third floor in the observatory, so by the time I reach the door I’m sweating like a pig and breathing harder than that time I ran the mile in gym class my senior year of high school.
There are only about ten other people in the classroom when I arrive, and I don’t know a single one of them. It’s equal parts exhilarating and nerve-wracking. This class feels like something just for me, and having an entire semester to learn about something I find so fascinating is a dream. It reminds me just how grateful I am to the omegas before me that made it possible.
“Good morning, class! My name is Professor Carter and I’ll be subbing for Professor James today as he is out sick.”
Oh, hell.
The sexy, hostile professor from my biology class is also teaching this class? My chest aches, a foreign feeling making me want to cry. Something about the alphasets my omega on edge, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. That feeling was part of the reason I sat so far back in his classroom when I normally like to sit up front. I wanted to avoid drawing his attention. That isn’t possible in this classroom. For one, there’s only fifteen seats and they’re arranged in a circle to follow the borders of the room. For two, his cold brown eyes are already fixed on me, the anger in them making me shrink backwards.
“Everybody take your seats,now.” He snaps.
I drop into the first empty seat I see, which happens to be next to the same alpha I sit next to in biology. I didn’t recognize him at first since his shoulder-length hair is down, but his gaze is moving between me and the professor questioningly.
“Is it just me, or does he kind of look like he hates you?” The alpha whispers.
I almost snort but manage to hold it back at the last second. “I missed the first week of his class and I think it pissed him off for some reason. He acted like this the last time I was around him, too.”
The alpha nods with a half smile. “Well if you need a friendly face, consider me Mr. Rogers. I’m Lucky, by the way.” He holds out a hand to shake, which I gladly return. Maybe this is the start of another friendship. His peppermint scent is barely detectable underneath what I assume to be scent blockers, but I’m relieved when my omega isn’t interested at all. It’s pleasant, but nothing like McKenzie’s or Paxton’s.
“I’m Posey, and I won’t say no to having another friend on campus,” I whisper, returning his smile.
Professor Carter clears his throat, glaring at us, and I shrink down in my seat. I don’t know what it is about this professor that makes me so anxious, but maybe having a friend in his classes will make things easier.
Despite my anxiety surrounding the sexy professor, I was riveted for most of the class. The only times I got distracted were when Lucky poked me to ask for clarification or to look at my notes. Each time it happened, Professor Carter wouldglower at us, and I couldn’t tell if it was aimed at me, Lucky, or both of us for distracting him.
“Okay no offense or anything, short stack, but whatever you did to anger the good professor must have been really bad. Pretty sure he was trying to light you on fire with his eyes the whole class.”
My body sags. Each time I caught him looking twisted my stomach just that much tighter and now all I can think about is how desperate I am to get home to my nest to reset. “I swear I have barely said ten words to the man. I don’t know what his problem is, but I’m honestly considering switching out of his classes to avoid him.”
Lucky’s eyes go wide as he grips my bicep. “No. Don’t leave me alone to deal with his shitty demeanor. I need you here to help bear the weight.”
I laugh and begin gathering my things to leave. “One hour into our new friendship and already throwing me under the bus? Ouch.”
“Ms. Hale,” an angry voice snaps. My back goes ramrod straight, dread coiling in my stomach as I turn to face a livid Professor Carter.
“Yes, Professor?” I gulp. Something flares to life in his eyes, but it’s there and gone too fast for me to decipher.
“The next time you’re in my classroom, I would advise you to focus on the lesson rather than flirting with your fellow classmates. I would hate to have to fail you.”
My eyes widen, mouth parting in shock. A glance to my left shows a furious Lucky, but he wisely keeps his mouth clenched shut. The last thing he needs is for the professor’s apparent issues with me to rub off on him. I clear my throat. “Yes, sir.”
My body is frozen in place, and no matter how hard my mind screams at me to retreat, I can’t seem to make myself move until Lucky nudges my elbow with his. The touch startles me out of the weird trance and I am finallyable to grab my things and make a hasty exit. It isn’t until I hit the bottom of the stone staircase that I finally let myself fall apart. My eyes well with unexplained tears and my breathing comes in rapid pants.
The thought of anyone finding me like this ratchets my panic up another notch, so I leave the building as fast as I can and practically run home, not stopping until I’m safely inside my nest with the outside world completely shut out. Tomorrow is a new day and maybe things will be easier, but now I know one thing for certain. I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive an entire semester with Professor Carter.
I never thought I would be jealous of my pack mates, but here I sit, seething on a Wednesday afternoon as Mack gushes about his second class with Posey this morning. The fact that he gets to sit in class with herthree times a weekfeels ridiculously unfair and I would never admit it to anyone, but my alpha has been on a rampage since I first caught her scent last week.
Unlike Mack, I had absolutely no qualms about bribing the registrar’s office to get the little omega’s class schedule, which is how I know that her last class of the day gets out in ten minutes, and then she’s reserved a private study room in the library. One text to Harold and he gladly took the night off. The other three may have met our flower on accident, but I won’t be leaving it to chance.
Pax
