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And I was thinking, next class seems far away. You want to get in some basic defense techniques sooner?
My heart raced at the thought of seeing him again soon. My cheeks heating, I replied without allowing myself time to overthink it.
Thanks for the offer. When were you thinking?
A single word question came back.
Saturday?
Hmm…
Can we wait and see how my mom’s doing? If she’s not feeling so great, I won’t feel right leaving her alone. Keep you posted?
Once again, his reply was almost instantaneous.
Absolutely, your mom should always come first. Let’s see on Saturday. And if she needs anything I can help with, please ask, ok? Talk soon.
I still couldn’t believe he was part wolf. When he talked to me, he was nothing like a pack hunter, a predator. And not nearly as intimidating as he’d seemed when I’d first seen him squaring up to the vamp, but even then, he’d had a charming look about him. It was so confusing, a lot to get my head around.
Another thing that had me confused: Professor Belanger.
In our second class this morning, he’d been stumbling over words again, looking at me awkwardly, seeming distracted. Was he truly not as comfortable with me being in class as he’d insisted?
I gazed off into the distance, distracted by my thoughts.
Beyond the books, the lofty walls were gapped by broad floor-to-ceiling windows, through which I could see the sun ambling its way to the horizon, preparing a hazy bed of magenta, apricot and indigo to take a well-earned sleep.
Another half hour of study and I’d head to the dining hall and pick up dinner. What would Mom like? Unfortunately, I didn’t have time tonight to cook, but food was free for me at the dining hall, and I’d find her something good. Maybe one of their enchiladas would—
A large, scruffy face peeked out from behind the nearest shelf.
Professor Belanger!?I jerked back in my chair, letting out a yelp.
“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The words came out in a strained whisper.
“Professor?” I whispered back. What was he doing here? Didn’t he have an assistant to come for any books he might need?
Sidling forward, he placed a huge hand on the chair across from me, gesturing to the table with his other. “May I join you?”
I nodded. Maybe we could clear up what happened in class this morning. I spoke in the lowest volume I could. “Of course, sir.”
“Sir?’ He tested out the word in his mouth, as if trying to decide how he felt about my formality. He sat and the wooden chair creaked under his large frame. His biceps swelling under his shirt, hunched shoulders bulging, he could probably karate chop the oak desk we were sitting at and split it right in half.
I suppressed a small chuckle at the image.
“Sir,” he repeated and furrowed his brows. “Hmm… First, I’m really sorry to disturb you.”
I looked around. The librarian was nowhere to be seen, but I kept my whispers to a minimal sound. “That’s okay. Were you getting some books out?”
His cheeks pinkened through his scruff. “No, I—well, not really. That was the second thing I wanted to say.”
“Of course. Yes?”
“I was just going to offer, I mean, since you’re the rare human to study at NLU, I was…”
He cleared his throat, muffling the sound with the top of his fist. Then he tugged at his shirt collar a bit, wafting it back and forth twice.
His unconscious action sent air drifting toward me, carrying a pleasant scent.
