Teach Me

Chapter 3: A Forbidden Romance

"What's your name?" he repeated, his voice softer this time, yet it carried a resonance that demanded attention.

"Lacy..." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

He groaned, pushing away from his desk and walking around it, only to collapse into his chair. Slumping forward, he looked the picture of frustration, elbows on the desk, head buried in his hands.

I felt like a profound disappointment and my eyes shone with unshed tears as he continued to probe me.

"How old are you?" his voice slightly muffled by his hands.

"18," I murmured softly as if admitting to my deepest shame.

He groaned again and now slouched back in his chair, likely not a usual position for someone who seemed so poised and proper.

He glared at me and my heart began to race uncontrollably. "Of course, you are..." he muttered, watching me intently. "Sweet little Lacy... My 18-year-old mate with the face of an angel and beautiful, big, blue doe eyes... so naive and innocent," he grumbled sounding frustrated and annoyed.

I sank into my chair, trying to make myself as small as possible as he continued, "Let me guess, Lacy, you're a virgin..." His tone was almost accusing as he watched me with a fiery gaze, waiting for me to confirm his suspicions.

I wanted to lie. I wanted to deny it and escape the embarrassment of this entire situation, but something inside me prevented it and I found myself nodding wordlessly.

"f*****g hell..." he muttered under his breath, burying his head in his hands again. "Is the Moon Goddess trying to punish me or reward me?" he went on in frustration, talking to himself more than to me as he now stared at the ceiling of his office looking utterly exasperated.

"I should reject you," he stated shortly. "I'm faculty, you're a student. This isn't allowed," he went on, trying to piece together some kind of plan in his mind.

I felt hot tears streaming down my cheeks at the mention of rejection, but I kept my gaze firmly planted in my lap, not wanting him to see my heartbreak.

"I should reject you," he repeated firmly, but then his voice softened and he whispered, "but I don't want to."

The room was silent for a moment, then his voice cut through it, asking me, "Does that make me sick? Is it wrong?"

I chanced to look up at him. His eyes were locked on mine instantly and I felt my heart rate accelerate again. I shook my head but said nothing, still trying to make sense of this confusing situation.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, taking me by surprise. Up until this point, I'd felt like I didn't have much say in all of this, so I wasn't sure how to respond.

He was watching me expectantly as I wiped tears from my eyes and I saw his gaze soften. "I don't know... I don't want you to reject me," I murmured desperately, wiping another bout of tears from my eyes.

"Don't cry," he urged gently, reaching across his desk to wipe a tear from my chin. His thumb lingered longer than it should have, his touch eliciting shivers of pleasure over my skin.

"Listen, we've found ourselves in a very complicated and complex situation here, Lacy. As I said, I'm a professor here and you're a student. Unfortunately, the human world doesn't make exceptions for mate bonds. If there were so much as a rumor about you and me, I would lose my job... My reputation. You can't tell ANYONE about this, Lacy. Not your mommy, not your daddy, not your best friend, no one," he pressed in a slightly condescending tone.

"I wouldn't do that," I murmured, a little offended by the implication.

"Good. Let's just take our time to figure this out, okay?" he suggested, his logical calm making me feel like everything would be okay.

Taking our time sounded good. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was my mate. I wasn't sure how I felt about it all, and I needed time to make sense of it and work through all these emotions.

I chanced a glance up and noted that he was glaring at me again.

"Are you disappointed?" I asked, my tone one of dejection.

"No," he stated firmly, but he didn't elaborate. That was a small relief though. "Are you?" he countered, surprising me.

It took me a moment to reply as I considered my words and I could see him beginning to get uncomfortable as he waited for my answer.

"Not from what I've seen so far. But we've only just met..." I explained, hoping he wouldn't be offended.

"That's probably the right answer," he replied with a sly smile, then he pulled himself to his feet. "Let me take you home. I think we both have a lot to process and it's getting late. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow to discuss this more," he suggested.

I nodded in agreement, feeling that that would probably be the best way forward.