Prologue; My Mother's Name
I stood in the office, my head lowered respectfully, my feet unconsciously bobbing to the light tapping sound of the alpha's feet. We were all patiently waiting for Adriel, and he seemed rather keen on taking his time.
After a while, Alpha Joe raised a brow at the door, then turned to Emily.
"Have you really sent for him?"
She immediately nodded, not willing to risk the anger of the easily irritable man. "Yes, sir. I saw him myself."
His eyes thinned again, and I could tell it was of frustration. Adriel's father was the head of the table of convention. He could flip this school over and bury everyone in it alive if his only son complained.
I still couldn't help but wonder why I was here, why they had urgently called me too.
Had they seen Adriel drop me off? Or pick me up? Hell, what of the countless times he has sneaked up on me? What if I got reported and...I lose this job?
I swallowed hard, my thoughts running even wilder, my chest lightly thumping. I can't afford to lose my job, what is a half breed like me going to do?
"You called for me?"
My head whipped up fast, and Adriel was standing by the door, his usual downturned eyes carrying his natural bored and tired look.
I knew better than to think he actually was bored and tired especially with the small smirk playing on the side of his lips, and the way his ringed small finger on his right hand kept rapidly tapping against his thigh.
Hell, how do I know his mannerism?
Mila, focus.
"Yes, I did. We found something out and we need to confirm it before taking any other action," Alpha Joe started, and Adriel raised a brow.
"Yes?"
"What is your relationship with this teacher?"
I gulped as Alpha Joe pointed at me, but his eyes stayed fixed in Adriel. Adriel looked up to me, but I started to shake my head, my heart hammering in my chest.
He slowly turned away. "She teaches convention and it's a course I would rather not take."
Okay, well, that hurt. He did say he didn't like convention or rules, but well. Oh well.
"Aside from that?"
Adriel simply shrugged. "I am not sure what sort of answer to give you since I do not know what you are digging for."
Alpha Joe pinched his nose. I could tell he was bordering on full fledged anger now.
"Fine," he said. "We found out that you have a tattoo on your back. Can I see it?"
Adriel blinked, then met Alpha Joe's eyes. "You want me to strip."
"Yes, please."
"With the two women in here?"
"You do it all the time on the field with the countless women and you seem to enjoy the attention too."
Adriel's eyes narrowed into small slits and he gave a small sigh. "The other teacher is unnecessary."
Alpha Joe said nothing for a while, before he slowly waved Emily away. I could see the look of disappointment as she walked away. It would have been another headline for her to milk before she stumbles on another.
"Yes?" Alpha Joe said when Adriel didn't move.
With a small sigh, Adriel turned his back to us. His black hair was pulled back in a very small bun, and slowly, he pulled the shirt upwards.
I swallowed hard, so Alpha Joe could not sense my attraction as his skin came into slow view. He was built different, his body dipped and curved, and lightly tanned.
I needed to be forgiven for this sin but I could imagine how it would feel. How smoothly my hands would run across it, feeling the...
My breath suddenly hitched as the tattoo came to a slow view. It was written letter by letter in a straight line down his nape, and he moved his hair once the shirt came off.
I gave a small gasp, my eyes wide. It was my name. Mila. It was written boldly, and there was no mistaking it.
He turned, but this time, he turned straight to me, his eyes carrying a bit of guilt. Like he had been caught.
"And she is only the teacher of a course you would rather not take?" Alpha Joe asked, his tone mocking.
"Yes," Adriel said rather boldly. "But my mother is someone I wish I had more time with."
My brows furrowed. It was hard to tell what he was really thinking from those eyes and I found myself guessing.
"Your mother?" Alpha Joe asked, his voice showing how thrown off he was too.
"Yes. She was a half breed so no one even knew her name. And she died like one. And her name was Mila."
I swallowed. He seemed rather genuine. But Adriel could fake anything, I could bet my kidney on that.
Alpha Joe nodded. "You are dismissed, then."
Adriel looked up to me again, before he turned away and left the office, carrying his deep scent with him.
I barely sat through the lecture from Alpha Joe about causing infatuation in these students, and maintaining a healthy relationship that was purely platonic.
Once he gave me the chance to run, I took it, and I ran.
The hallways, to my disappointment however was empty. I swallowed, my eyes roaming the long hallways. Where did he go?
Suddenly, I felt a hand clasp around my waist, and my back hit his chest, knocking the breath out of me. I closed my eyes, swallowing, my breath faltering.
"Adriel?"
"Shh..." he whispered, and I hated how I instantly fell quiet.
Slowly, he moved, and I felt his lips graze the side of my neck in an unholy kiss, just outside Alpha Joe's office.
"Adriel..." I started to say, but was stopped by his finger.
He let it lightly linger above my lips before he dropped it, his lips coming to my ear.
"My mother's name was Samantha," he said, his voice light and laced with humor.
Suddenly, he was gone, leaving me alone again, the tingles feeling like they had been engraved forever in my skin.