Chapter 4: My Professor Is My Mate?

Brielle's POV

The man from last night, the stranger who bandaged my wounds, stood against Alice for my sake, now standing at the front of my classroom.

As my---Professor?

“Miss Parkman,” his deep voice rolled through the air again. “Are you waiting for an invitation, or would you like to sit?”

My legs refused to move. Students giggled, whispering behind their hands.

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I stumbled toward my seat, not minding the ink on it.

His silver eyes flicked to me briefly, cold and sharp—nothing like the man who had draped his coat over me. It was as if last night had never happened.

How he remained calm after seeing me had baffled me. 

“My name is Lucian Sterling. And I’ll be your history teacher from now on,” he introduced himself. His eyes lingered on me for a while. 

Quickly, he cleared his throat before reaching for a textbook while he approached the board. 

“Open your textbooks,” he said. His tone was clipped, commanding. “Page 17.”

Everyone obeyed instantly. Even Alice, who never respected authority, sat straighter in her seat, though her eyes never left me.

Just then, the hottest guys in school stormed in with their friends, each of them still in their sports wear, all sweaty and fucking handsome.

But well, I'm not freaked. 

“The J4s are here!” One of the ladies screamed, causing some commotion as everyone screamed at the top of their voices.

“Eyes off my man!” Alice seethed as Mr. Sterling cleared his throat again.

“Can we please settle down now? I’ve just got a few minutes to spend. And I want to make sure I get to know you all.” Mr. Sterling announced, slamming his hand on the platform where his book was placed.

“We are sorry, Mr. Sterling,” the boys chorused. 

“You shouldn’t be looking at him like that, or I will gouge your fucking eyes out!” Alice snapped, causing me to shrink. 

I forced myself to focus on the professor afterwards, but every time his voice echoed, my chest tightened.

Every time he walked past me, I felt goosebumps all over. 

“Miss Parkman,” he called again, this time with a question so sharp I almost forgot how to breathe. 

I’m sure he could read through my face that I wasn’t listening. 

All eyes turned to me, and Alice’s smirk widened.

I swallowed hard, fumbling through the text, until somehow, words tumbled out. The right ones. 

Everyone went silent for a minute. Hoping for me to be wrong, obviously. 

But…

“Correct,” he said at last, his eyes lingering on me one second too long. 

Enough for Alice to notice. Enough to make my stomach knot.

When the bell rang, relief washed over me like water. 

Students gathered their things, with chatters filling the room as they all left. 

I moved quickly, ready to escape. But I wasn’t so fast. His voice caught me off guard.

“Miss Parkman,” his voice stopped me again. “Stay.”

My pulse raced in my ears while Alice slowed at the doorway, her minions hovering like vultures. She didn’t leave. Of course, she had stayed.

The room was empty. And it was just us left. Only us.

“Can we talk in my office?” He proposed, his eyes doing the talking. Letting me know Alice and her minions were still lingering around. 

I swallowed hard, hands clutching my short skirt firmly. I blinked multiple times, staring at him. Trying to see if I can trust him. 

And after a few seconds, I finally agreed. “Okay,” 

And as both of us pushed past the classroom door, Alice and her minions quickly pretended to be talking to each other. 

As soon as we were in Mr. Sterling's office with the door shut behind us, I heaved a sigh. 

“Why would you allow Alice to bully you like that?” Was the first question he asked before making a call to someone I don't even know. 

“Bring me a new uniform…for a female student.” 

“Why are you here? I mean…” 

“That’s not the issue here, Brielle.” He snapped, clenching his fist tighter as we both stared at each other for a couple of minutes before a knock landed on the door. 

“Professor, what you ordered is here,” a voice came from behind. 

Watching him rise from his seat, as he made his way toward the door, I couldn’t help but stare for a moment. 

His shirt clung to his chest, outlining the hard lines beneath, and when he rolled his sleeves up, my heart skipped. 

There was a quiet strength about him—not the kind that needed to show off, but the kind that made you feel safe just standing near him. 

Every inch of him seemed to carry a kind of warmth and confidence that made it hard to look away. And I didn’t want to.

And as he muttered the word “thanks,” receiving the package, I quickly looked away. 

“Here, change into that,” he offered, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked, swallowing hard, my hand reaching for the uniform. 

Silence stretched between the two of us. His brows raised, his eyes locked on mine as he left his table and started motioning towards me. 

My heart raced faster, pounding so hard than usual. I blinked countless times, taking a few steps backward. 

“What are you doing?” I stuttered, heat flooding my cheeks. 

“Mr. Sterling,” I repeated, watching him finally stop right in front of me, my back already hitting the door. 

“And I ask again, why do you allow Alice to bully you when you can stand up for yourself?!” He spoke between gritted teeth. 

Now that I had a closer look at his face, his eyes were even more beautiful than the other night. 

There was a quiet fire in them, a kind of warmth that pulled you in before you even realized it. 

When he looked at me, it felt like he saw too much—like he could read every thought I was trying so hard to hide. My pulse quickened, and I had to look away before my heart gave me away.

“You didn't answer my question, Mr. Sterling—”

“Call me Lucian whenever we are alone.” He interrupted, and my heart skipped a bit as I squeezed the uniform I was holding tighter. 

Moving closer towards me, his calm eyes turned red, and he grabbed my hand gently, fear gripping me. 

“What are—”

“You asked me why I'm helping you, Brielle?” His breath was heavy as they fanned my face. 

My chest rose and fell abruptly as he pulled me closer to him, leaving me no room for protest. 

In my entire life, I've never felt connected to anyone like I did with him. I felt so wet beneath that I couldn't even explain myself. 

‘This is so bad,’ my wolf purred. 

In the heat of the moment, he let go of me and took a few steps back. I could see the hunger in his eyes, coupled with confusion. 

“I want to know. You don't know me, yet you are helping me—”

“You are my mate, Brielle.” He answered, leaving me startled.