Drawn to the Alpha

4

What is happening to me? I don’t understand it.

I’ve never wanted a mate. Everyone knows that.

But that was before…

Before I knew this beauty was in the world. Before I knew what a real woman looked like, felt like, smelled like.

Everything is changing. My entire worldview has been shattered by her and now I’m left holding the broken pieces with no idea what to do.

“Sir?” she repeats as she waits for an answer.

“Right,” I say as I shake my head and try to snap out of it. “Yes. No. Um… what was the question?”

“Are you okay?” She says it really slowly as if she thinks I’m a moron. But to be fair to her, I’m totally acting like one right now.

“I’m fine,” I manage to grunt out as I turn back to the class. I have to stop looking at her.

I’m in front of about twenty kids and this is not the time or the place to get all worked up. The need to have her is building with every second that I breathe in her intoxicating scent and I know if I continue looking at her I’m going to have a rod in my pants so big that I’m going to traumatize the poor class.

“Well, I have work to do,” the principal says as she stands up and surrenders the chair back to Aubrey. “Let’s remember that class starts at eight-thirty am, Miss Olson.”

“I’m sorry,” Aubrey says as her adorable cheeks turn pink. I’m already looking at her again. My restraint lasted about four seconds. “It was my car. It was—”

“Eight-thirty,” the principal interrupts before leaving the room.

My beautiful girl takes a deep breath and forces out a smile as she turns to the class. She’s so brave. She’s so perfect. I’m swooning big time over here.

“Are we learning a lot from the fireman?” she asks the class and they all say yes. “What have we learned from Mr. Lamb so far?”

“He cut someone’s head off with an ax!” one kid says.

“What?!?” I snap as I glance at Aubrey in a panic. “No, I didn’t, you little—”

“He’s on my mommy’s calendar,” the traitorous blonde girl says.

“Oh, really?” Aubrey says as her cheeks go even pinker. “That’s interesting.”

Wait? Interesting? In what way?

“He has a tattoo of Marshall from Paw Patrol and he shot a policeman with a gun,” another little fucker says.

My eyes are filled with panic and dread as I turn back to the sexy teacher, but she’s giggling. Oh, thank god. She deals with these monsters every day and knows it’s all lies. Hopefully.

She smiles shyly as she turns to me. “Anything else to add, Mr. Lamb?”

I swallow hard as I stare at her.

Her honey-colored eyes are so captivating. They’re full of charm and allure. I want to stare into them forever, only stopping to get an eyeful of her enticing curves.

“Mr. Lamb?” she says when I don’t answer. “Are we all done?”

“He’s done,” the little s**t in the front row says.

The bell rings and the kids all jump up with cheers.

“Well, it looks like it’s recess anyway,” Aubrey says as I stare at her. I’m being drawn to her in the strongest way. I don’t have the strength to pull my eyes away from her. I can’t bear to move from her seductive presence.

“Thank you for coming to visit us,” she says. “Class, can you say thank you?”

“Thank you!” they all shout at the same time.

It’s time for me to go. My time with her is over.

So, why can’t I move my legs? They’re rooted to the floor.

I take a deep breath and start walking toward the door, feeling like I’m in a daze. My bear jumps up and snarls in my ear. It startles me so much that I jump to the side and crash into a cabinet with a globe on it. It falls over and smashes on the ground so loud that everyone inside the classroom freezes.

My bear hasn’t snarled like that in over two decades and he chooses to do it now when I finally found a girl that can change everything?

Thanks a lot, I tell him.

He just keeps snarling and growling as he thrashes around. I know it’s because I’m headed for the door. He’s acting in the exact same way that Ethan’s grizzly acted when he found Chloe.

“You broke the world!” the chubby kid says as he points at the broken globe.

“You monster!” the cute little blonde girl shouts.

Another kid is crying. They’re all staring at me, including Aubrey.

I take a deep breath and then run out the door.

Smooth, Carter. Really f*****g smooth.

Aubrey

“I don’t want to go outside,” Max whines as the class empties for recess. “It’s too cold and I don’t like the way the snow is all crunchy under my boots.”

“You have to go outside, Max,” I say in the most patient voice I can muster as I push him out the door. “Teachers need their breaks too.”

I’m rubbing my head and already feeling a migraine coming on as I watch the kids get dressed and filter out the door.

Once the last one is gone, I head over to the teacher’s lounge to grab a cup of coffee.

Crap.

Stacy and Karen are sitting at the table and talking in low voices. They suddenly stop talking when I walk into the room. They’re probably gossiping about how I was late this morning. Let them gossip. I don’t even care.

I grab a mug and throw a coffee pod into the machine.

“Have you heard from Nathalie?” Stacy asks Karen.

I curse under my breath as I stare at the coffee that’s not coming out fast enough. Nathalie was the teacher I’m taking over for. She went on maternity leave two months ago and I’ve been struggling to stand in her very large footsteps.

“I have,” Karen says as the coffee takes forever.

Come on. Come on.