Chapter 201
Lily POV
“Just your professor?” she repeated incredulously. “A girl in my class walked into the campus gym last month and—” She leaned closer conspiratorially, pulling out her phone. “She took a picture p>
The image on her screen showed Professor Morrison in workout clothes, and I had to admit the view was… impressive. He was clearly in excellent physical condition, with well-defined muscles and the kind of physique that suggested serious dedication to fitness. His dark hair was damp with sweat, and even in the candid photo, there was something undeniably attractive about his intensity.
“See?” Celeste said triumphantly. “And that’s not even his best angle. A lot of girls are intentionally trying to seduce him p>
I handed her phone back with a shrug. “I don’t see anything special p>
Celeste sighed dramatically. “Oh, to be in love,” she said wistfully. “The mate bond really does make you blind to everyone else, doesn’t it p>
“I suppose,” I agreed, though privately I wondered if my lack of reaction had more to do with Professor Morrison’s mysterious behavior than with my devotion to Kai.
“Do you have his number?” Celeste asked suddenly, her tone carefully casual.
“No,” I replied, puzzled. “Why would I p>
“No reason,” she said quickly, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. “It would just be nice if he was my date for this year’s gala. I would have asked Liam, but his girlfriend is back and acting like I’m going to steal her man p>
I laughed at the mental image of Celeste competing for Liam’s attention. “I’m sure you could find someone more appropriate than my history professor p>
“Celeste!” Beta Liam called from across the coffee shop. “We need to go p>
Celeste grimaced. “Duty calls. But seriously, think about what I said regarding Kai. And maybe put in a good word for me with Professor Morrison p>
“I’ll see what I can do,” I promised, though I had no intention of playing matchmaker between Celeste and the increasingly mysterious professor.
We exchanged quick goodbyes, and Celeste hurried out to join Liam, leaving me to face Jason, who had been waiting patiently by the door.
“Everything okay?” he asked as we walked toward the academic building where my first class was held.
“Just family stuff,” I replied, which was technically true if not completely accurate.
We walked together in comfortable silence, and I found myself relaxing again in his presence. There was something refreshing about being around someone who didn’t know anything about me.
When we stopped in front of my classroom, Jason turned to face me with an expression that was suddenly serious.
“This is kind of sudden,” he said, running a hand through his sandy hair nervously, “but do you have a date for the gala p>
I blinked in surprise. “The gala? The one in our pack?” I asked.
“Yes,” he nodded. “My pack is an ally to Royal Hunter and we’ll be coming,” he explained. “I know it’s still a few weeks away, but I thought… well, if you don’t already have plans, maybe you’d like to go with me p>
Before I could formulate a response, he held up his hands. “You don’t have to answer right now,” he said quickly. “A week is plenty of time to think about it. I just wanted to put it out there p>
With that, he gave me a cheerful wave and headed off toward his own class, leaving me standing in the hallway with my mouth slightly open.
The pack gala. I’d completely forgotten about it in the chaos of everything else happening in my life. It was one of the biggest social events of the year, and Jason was asking me to be his date.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Here I was, supposedly being groomed to be a pack Luna, learning etiquette and diplomacy, while a gamma’s son was asking me to a normal dance. It was exactly the kind of simple, uncomplicated life I’d been yearning for just this morning.
But as I entered my classroom and took my seat, I couldn’t shake the feeling that accepting Jason’s invitation would be crossing a line I wasn’t ready to cross. Despite everything that had happened with Kai, despite the forced separation and the curse that kept us apart, he was still my mate.
And as Celeste had pointedly reminded me, he was also jealous and missing me terribly.
The question was: did I owe it to him to remain completely isolated while we figured out our complicated situation, or did I have the right to pursue some semblance of normalcy in the meantime?
Professor Morrison’s history lecture was the last class of the day, and I found myself actually looking forward to it despite everything that had happened between us. There was something about his teaching style—the way he brought historical events to life, making centuries-old political maneuvering feel immediate and relevant—that captured my attention completely.
As the other students filed out of the classroom, chatting about weekend plans and upcoming assignments, I remained in my seat, waiting for the room to empty. Professor Morrison was organizing his materials at the lectern.
When the last student disappeared through the door, I approached him with what I hoped was a confident smile.
“Professor Morrison,” I said, cheerfully. “Good afternoon p>
He looked up from his papers, those intelligent brown eyes studying my face with their usual intensity. “Miss Stone. I wasn’t expecting you to stay back after class p>
“I wanted to ask if I could carry your bag to your office,” I offered, gesturing toward his leather messenger bag. “As a small gesture of appreciation for your patience with me p>
“No,” he replied curtly, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own belongings p>
His refusal stung slightly, but I pressed on with the real reason I’d stayed behind. “I also wanted to ask about your decision. Are you going to continue tutoring me p>
Professor Morrison paused in his packing, considering the question for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he nodded once. “Yes. I’ve decided to continue our sessions p>
“Really?” I asked, as I felt relief flood through me.
He nodded.
Unable to stop myself, I did a small victory dance—just a quick bounce on my toes with a fist pump—before catching myself when I noticed his tired expression watching my celebration.
Heat flooded my cheeks. “Sorry. I’m just relieved. I know I’ve been… challenging to work with p>
“Thank the moon you know,” he agreed dryly. “What time would you like to schedule our sessions p>
“Whatever time works best for you,” I replied. “I know you’re doing me a favor by continuing the tutoring p>
“Whenever you want,” he said with a slight shrug. “Between 2 PM and 5 PM. Any time in that window works for me p>
I stared at him, taken aback by the casual scheduling. “That’s not a specific time p>
He nodded, adjusting his glasses. “I don’t want to get worked up over you not showing up again. I just like you, that’s why p>
The word ’like’ hung in the air between us, and I saw the exact moment he realized what he’d said. His expression shifted from casual to something that might have been alarm, and I found myself staring at him with what was probably a very strange expression.
Did Professor Morrison just say he liked me? Not in an academic sense, but in a… personal sense?