로그인Lucan’s POVThe council meeting continued, the conversation shifting from the pack’s finances to the ongoing renovation of the pack’s hospital. I contributed where I was needed, signing off on action points and instructing on next steps to follow. But amidst the familiar routines of council meetings, my thoughts kept drifting to Clara, her body, and the way her face had gone completely red when that towel dropped.Dammit.It was getting harder and harder to remind myself that she was still my student, and there were lines I shouldn’t cross or even think of crossing.We ticked off all the topics on the agenda, and I thought the meeting was over, but then Elder Hargreaves’ voice rose above the small chatter in the council room.“There is one more matter left to discuss,” he said, his tone measured. “Perhaps not strictly a financial one, but one that affects the pack’s…stability.”My expression didn’t change. I kept my hand relaxed on the armrest.“My wife was at the pack’s market this a
Lucan’s POVWhat was there not to like about her? My wolf stirred at the thought, which was answer enough. Alicia stared at me for a long, unblinking moment, expecting my answer.“No one’s forgetting Olivia,” I said, and I meant every word. “She’s always going to be a part of OUR pack. And this pack is always going to remember her. That’s not something that changes, Alicia. Not now. Not ever.”I stood, pushing back from the table. “Finish up. I’m taking you back to the pack. Your parents have been worried sick.”LATER THAT AFTERNOON, we stood in front of Alicia’s house. Familiar memories stirred inside me the moment I stepped onto the porch. Before I could knock, the door swung open.Alicia’s mother, Margaret, stood in the doorway, and the second she saw her daughter, every line of tension in her body gave way. She pulled Alicia into her arms so tightly, like she was afraid she might disappear again if she let go.“Oh, thank God,” Margaret breathed, kissing her hair. “Oh, my baby. I w
Lucan’s POVI stood in the doorway after Clara left, wondering what in the world had gone wrong. I started recalibrating everything that had happened since the start of the morning. We’d barely spoken, so that couldn’t be it…could it?That left me with last night. Did her countenance this morning have anything to do with it? Was she mad about the way I’d looked at her? Especially when that towel fell and revealed her naked body.I’d never had to practice so much self-restraint in four seconds. In the first second, I’d been hit with a blinding Fuck.In the second, I’d allowed my gaze to skim over her very tempting, very beautiful body and her soft fair skin I was dying to run my hands along.In the third second, I’d almost reached out and pulled her into my arms almost thrown caution to the wind and kissed her senseless, kissed her the way I’d been aching to since I buried my face in her neck in my office.But the fourth second reminded me that this girl standing in front of me was sti
Clara’s POV How was I supposed to compete with Olivia? With a woman he’d loved enough to dedicate years of his life to saving? Whose memory still clearly lived in this house, in his heart, and in the sister he still looked after? The mango sticky rice we’d shared at the lab had been Olivia’s favorite. Was that why he’d ordered it again today? Here I was, thinking we shared something else in common other than our love for biology. My throat tightened, and I had to blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay. I dried my face roughly and changed into my own clothes from last night, neatly folding his shirt and placing it on the bed. When I stepped out of the bedroom into the living room, Lucan was in the dining area, unpacking containers of food. He looked up when he heard me, and whatever he saw in my face made him stop what he was doing. “Clara ” “I have to go,” I said quickly, before he could finish. “I have a tutoring session. I’m running late.” His brow furrowed. “Tutoring?” I nod
Clara’s POVNot that I didn’t like it. I liked it too much. The sight of him cataloging me with that quiet, predator focus made heat curl low in my stomach. Sometimes, like last night, I wished he didn’t have so much self-control. I wished he’d just grab me and kiss me as badly as I wanted to kiss him.I returned with the medical kit a minute later. Lucan was crouched in front of Alicia now, asking about her well-being. Alicia seemed like a completely different person with him, soft and trusting, which made my question return, louder than ever. Who was she to him?“Okay,” I said, announcing myself as I set the kit on the nightstand and pulled out my supplies. “Let’s see how you’re doing.”I’d barely started when the doorbell rang. Lucan’s head turned toward the sound. “That must be the delivery guy. I ordered breakfast.”Then he stepped out, leaving me alone with Alicia. I pulled out my penlight.“Follow this with your eyes.”Alicia obeyed, tracking the light smoothly. Her pupils resp
Clara’s POV“I’ve been dying to know what your lips taste like, Clara.”Lucan leaned in, his breath ghosting across my skin. It smelled like mint and cedarwood.I arched into him, parting my lips in invitation. The movement made his already-dark eyes go darker, pupils dilating until only a thin ring of steel gray remained.And then Professor Lucan kissed me.Not softly. Not gently. Roughly. Like it was the only thing anchoring him to sanity, like he’d been holding back for so long that now, finally given permission, he couldn’t be gentle even if he tried.His mouth moved against mine with a hunger that stole my breath. One hand cupped the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair, angling me exactly where he wanted me. The other gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him.I gasped into his mouth, and he took advantage, deepening the kiss until I was dizzy with it.“Do you have any idea,” he murmured against my lips, “how difficult it’s been? Sitting across from you in cla







