CHAPTER 10

Sebastian's Point of View

She was gone.

I stood where I was, my eyes following the girl's shadow until she completely disappeared from view. Her long brown hair swayed gently like ocean waves, and for some reason, that image remained etched in my mind. There was something unusual about the way I was captivated.

My wolf snorted softly, as if mocking me, but I didn't immediately look away. Instead, I sank deeper into my irrational thoughts.

Did I have a strange attraction to women with long hair? That thought made my jaw tighten. But it wasn't just her hair, her entire being radiated an indescribable beauty, as if she came from another world. For a moment, I even thought she was a wandering witch, captivating everyone with her charm.

But no. She wasn't a witch. I was sure of that.

Then how could a lantern, someone who couldn't even turn into a wolf, have such a powerful attraction?

I had met many beautiful women throughout my life, but none of them had ever made me lose my focus like she did. This attraction shouldn't exist. Moreover, I knew for sure that my partner was dead.

If fate had not yet taken me away, I might have thought that girl was the mate destined for me by the Moon Goddess. But I immediately dismissed that thought. An attraction to another female wolf could end fatally.

Her soft, pure scent came back to me. She had never been claimed. She had not yet found her mate.

"What other problems am I facing?" I muttered softly before exhaling heavily.

"Alpha? Alpha?"

The voices of the people around me brought me back to reality. I turned my head, my eyebrows raised.

"We've been calling you," Blake said. "Don't tell me you intend to use my name forever. You're not going to do that, are you?"

I stared at him expressionlessly. To be honest, I myself didn't know why that name had slipped out of my mouth earlier. It all happened so spontaneously, the urge to stay close to the girl without alerting her.

But it wasn't just attraction that made me uneasy.

If that girl was really a lantern, her scent should have been much weaker than that of a normal werewolf. Then why was she wearing a scent-masking pendant?

I knew the council often helped lanterns because of their rare condition and vulnerability to discrimination. But giving a scent-masking pendant to a lantern living among humans?

That doesn't make sense.

If the board is protecting her, then who filed the report about her? And if the board wants to protect her, why is her cover almost blown?

Question after question popped into my head, making my head throb.

The only way to get answers was through that girl, or Mark.

"Mr. Sebastian?" a dean's voice sounded hesitant. "Why did you stop? The biotechnology department is over here. Let me introduce you to the students. Their class is about to start."

I turned sharply.

If he introduced us, my real name would be revealed. Even if he didn't, my status as the university's founder would surely be exposed. The girl wasn't stupid. Once she knew who I really was, she would immediately be on guard.

I couldn't let that happen.

"No," I said firmly.

The dean fell silent, clearly confused.

"Don't introduce us," I continued. "I don't want the students to be nervous. Just say we're the founding team."

Although he didn't fully understand my reasoning, the dean nodded obediently.

When I entered the classroom, my eyes immediately searched for a certain figure, the lantern that had thrown my mind into chaos a few minutes ago.

I saw her sitting in the back row, talking with a male student. She looked relaxed, as if she didn't notice my presence.

But when the presentation began, her gaze shifted. Our eyes met, and I saw her eyes widen. The panic was obvious.

For some reason, that reaction made the corners of my lips almost lift. I didn't like it, or maybe I liked it too much.

She frowned, clearly lost in her own thoughts. Her gaze was focused on me, then slowly shifted to the man beside her. She touched the man's hand, smiled slightly, and nodded as if to reassure him.

My wolf's chest trembled slightly.

Don't tell me she not only broke the rules by studying at a human university, but also dated a human.

Was that man her partner?

If so, why did her scent still smell so pure?

If not, then why did they seem so close?

My head was filled with questions.

“Alpha,” my beta’s voice sounded through the mental link. “The dean wants you to give a speech.”

I nodded briefly.

I stepped up to the podium, picked up the microphone, and unconsciously looked back at the girl before I began to speak.

“Hello, students. My name is Blake. I am the right-hand man of the founder and one of the founders of this university,” I said calmly. “I know our presence here today is surprising, especially with the threat of point deductions for those who don’t attend.”

The dean beside me coughed awkwardly, while the girl looked down, as if she knew I was watching her.

"I apologize for that," I continued. "But education is still important. Biotechnology has always been one of my favorite majors. Therefore, I will occasionally teach classes here. And I hope that the number of students attending today will be the same for each of my lectures. Is that clear?"

My mental link was immediately filled with voices of protest.

"Alpha, what are you doing?"

"We need to discuss this first."

"What about the meeting agenda?"

I cursed silently.

What's wrong with me today?

There are many ways to seek the truth, but I promised to become a teacher.

Damn it.

I looked back at the girl. Her face was pale, her eyes filled with panic.

“You’re really asking for trouble,” the wolf inside me laughed smugly.

I snorted softly.

I don’t know what will happen after this, but one thing is certain, I won’t be leaving this place anytime soon.

And all because of a lantern that shouldn’t have caught my attention at all.