Alpha’s Desire 1

No, wait!

Zaria Rose Carrington blinked, trying to make sense of what was happening.

The afternoon light streaming through the window fell across Damian Aberforth’s face, sharpening the lines of his jaw. He was standing too close — so close that Zaria could hear his steady, deep breathing, almost matching the erratic rhythm of her own racing heartbeat.

“Professor, I—”

The sentence never made it out. Damian’s hand lifted and his long, cold fingers brushed her cheek so lightly that the touch barely made a sound. Yet it was enough to send a shiver rippling through her skin.

For a moment, Zaria’s mind stopped working. She could only stare at his face, frozen in place and caught in his deep grey eyes that showed no emotion but reflected something she couldn’t name.

Zaria wanted to step back, but the edge of the desk behind her held her in place. The wood pressed against her waist, grounding her trembling body.

“Relax,” said Damian in a low voice, almost a whisper. ‘Why do you look so tense? I won’t do anything to you, Miss Carrington. At least ...”

Zaria swallowed hard. ‘Tense’ was far too simple a word to describe what she felt. It wasn’t fear that had frozen her body, but something else—something strange, a tension that made every inch of her skin acutely aware of the distance between them.

“… not yet.”

Zaria flinched, unsure what Damian meant. She wanted to ask, but her tongue refused to move under his quiet, suffocating gaze.

Damian kept his eyes on Zaria. There was no smile or warmth, just that cold, piercing gaze that somehow felt like a trap. He leaned closer and Zaria could feel his breath brushing her cheek.

Zaria froze, her eyes widening slowly. With one shallow breath, the world around her blurred away. There was only Damian.

The tip of Damian’s nose almost touched the skin beneath Zaria’s ear. His breath traced down her neck, leaving a trail of warmth that made her knees go weak.

Zaria tried to speak again, but her voice came out in a broken whisper, fragile and trembling like a frightened animal. “Professor... what are you—?”

Zaria’s words died in the air. Damian drew in a deep breath, as if inhaling a scent only he could perceive. His voice was rough and almost reverent when he murmured. “You have no scent... and yet, why do you smell so intoxicating?”

Zaria froze. The words shouldn’t have sounded sensual, but from Damian’s lips, they took on a whole new meaning. She tried to turn away, but his hand gently caught her chin and held her still, forcing her face to remain only inches from his.

Their eyes met. For a moment, Zaria saw a sharp, consuming curiosity in Damian’s gaze, as if he were reading her soul without permission, rather than tenderness.

Then, slowly, Damian stepped back. He lowered his hand from her cheek, letting it hover in the air for a moment before withdrawing it completely. “You may go,” he said flatly.

Zaria didn’t move right away. It took her several seconds to convince her body to respond. Then she turned and left Damian’s office in a rush of awkward, uneven steps.

The air outside felt much colder than it had inside. Perhaps because her heart was still pounding. Or maybe it was because her mind refused to accept what had just happened.

What had just happened? Why did Professor Damian come so close? And why didn’t my body resist?'

The questions spiralled in Zaria’s head, unanswered. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but froze again when a mocking laugh broke the silence of the corridor.

“Oh, look who just came out of Professor Damian’s office.”

Zaria turned her head. At the end of the hallway stood Anna Roberts, accompanied by Portia Celeste Voss and Iris Hart. They looked impeccably stylish, each flaunting her own elegance: Anna in a cream blazer and low heels; Portia in a black pencil skirt and satin blouse; and Iris in a dark cardigan with bold accessories. They stood there with unmistakable poise, yet their eyes held nothing but disdain.

Zaria only glanced at them briefly before continuing to walk on. She didn’t want a fight. Unfortunately, Anna had no intention of letting her leave that easily.

“So, it’s true!” Anna’s voice rang out, loud enough to make several students turn their heads, their eyes flickering with curiosity. “You really do have a fast way of getting a professor’s attention.”

Zaria stopped in her tracks. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Portia let out a soft laugh. “Come on, Zaria. Don’t play innocent. We know about the assignment.”

“What do you mean?” Zaria frowned, her forehead creasing with confusion. “What assignment?”

Iris rolled her eyes lazily. “Oh, drop the act. Anna had almost finished our group presentation for next week when suddenly Professor Damian said there was a plagiarism report. Don’t you think it’s strange that you, of all people, happen to be in the same group?’

Zaria fell silent. Her heart began pounding again, this time from a sense of suffocating injustice. “I didn’t report anyone.” She said quietly. “I don't even know what happened with that assignment.”

Anna stepped closer, her stride steady and deliberate. 'Do you really think we'll just believe that? Professor Damian wouldn’t accuse me of plagiarism without reason.” Her eyes gleamed with mockery. “Of course, not and now I know why.”

Zaria shook her head. “Anna, I swear—”

“Shut your mouth!” Anna snapped. “Who do you think you are, setting me up in front of the professor?!”

Zaria took a step back. People were starting to gather around them, watching, and whispering. Her face burned with shame and something else that hurt even more. She wanted to explain, but she didn’t know where to begin.

Portia looked at her with a satisfied smirk. “You’re pathetic, Zaria. Pretty face, gentle voice, but sly underneath.”

“No wonder Professor Damian keeps looking at you longer than the others.” Iris added, her tone dripping with disdain. “Maybe he knows you’re the type of student who’s… interesting.”

A few small laughs followed. Zaria lowered her head and bit her lip, trying to hold back the wave of emotion rising inside her. All the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat, refusing to come out. She knew that no matter what she said, it would only make things worse.

Anna looked at her with a satisfied smirk. “I told you from the start that you don’t belong here. You’re nothing but a burden to our group.”

Zaria lifted her head slowly. There was sadness in her eyes, but also a faint spark of strength beginning to emerge. “I didn't report you, Anna.” She said quietly but firmly. “If Professor Damian knows something, it’s not because of me.”

Anna’s face hardened. The contempt in her gaze turned to anger. “So, you’re blaming me now?”

Zaria opened her mouth to answer, but Anna took a step forward before she could speak.

Anna’s voice rose sharply, cutting through the air. “Do you think you can humiliate me and just walk away?!”

Zaria flinched. She could feel the heat of Anna’s fury bearing down on her.

Anna’s hand shot up fast. Zaria barely had time to close her eyes and brace herself for the slap.

—but instead, she heard a sharp tap.

No pain. There was no impact against her cheek. Only sudden silence swallowed everything around them.

Zaria opened her eyes slowly. The world seemed to freeze. Anna’s hand was suspended in mid-air, held firmly in place—Damian was standing there.

Damian’s expression was cold and his grey eyes were as sharp as steel. He said nothing, but the tension radiating from him was unmistakable. A few students who had been watching him stepped back instinctively.

“Professor…” Anna's voice trembled, betraying her shock and fear.

Damian remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on her face — icy and unreadable. His grip on her wrist was firm but controlled.

“Interesting.” Damian said quietly. His tone was flat, but the sharp edge to it was enough to make Anna lower her head. “I leave my office for a few minutes, and there’s already a scene in the hallway.”

Anna swallowed hard. “I... I was just—"

“Attacking another student on faculty grounds?” Damian interrupted, not raising his voice, yet the weight of his words stopped her in her tracks. “Is that what you were about to say?”

Zaria stood, frozen to the spot. Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t yet decided whether she should feel relieved or more afraid.

Damian lowered his gaze to her briefly. It was just for a second, but it was enough to make her stand completely still. His eyes weren’t just cold; there was something darker within them that made Zaria’s heart race uncontrollably again.

Then, without changing his tone, Damian spoke. “Everyone here, return to your classes.”

No one dared to object. Within seconds, the once-crowded hallway fell silent. Anna kept her head bowed, struggling to free her wrist from Damian’s grasp. He didn’t let go — not yet.

The air between them grew tense. Zaria found it hard to breathe, not out of fear, but because Damian’s presence seemed to fill every inch of space. “Professor,” she murmured.

Damian didn’t turn to her. His gaze remained fixed on Anna, cold and detached. 'We'll talk later,' he said quietly, his words seemingly aimed at neither of them.

Then, before anyone could interpret what he meant, he released Anna’s wrist suddenly. She staggered backwards, her face pale. Portia and Iris rushed to steady her, neither saying a word.

Zaria stood rigidly as Damian turned away. Their eyes met briefly before he walked off, his footsteps echoing down the quiet hallway, leaving behind a heavy, unspoken tension.

Zaria pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. There had been something in Damian’s eyes, in that look, that left her feeling unsettled. It was something between a warning and curiosity, or perhaps something far more complex.

Strangely, the feeling didn’t fade, even after Damian’s figure disappeared around the corner. In fact, it lingered, woven into the silence and tinged with the faint trace of his masculine scent.

One question kept turning in Zaria’s mind. Why do I feel like there’s something different about Professor Damian?

*