IN BED WITH THE WRONG ALPHA

5

ROBYN

My hand hovered over June's door, shaking slightly.

She had sounded so proud of what she’d done to me. The realization made my stomach churn.

I turned away, forcing myself to breathe as I walked down the hall toward my own room. My heart felt like it would explode, but I needed to be smart. If I barged in on her now, she would only twist the story. I had to maintain the upper hand, and that meant I couldn't tell her about my agreement with Kane.

Class would start in an hour, so I forced myself into the shower, hoping the cold water would clear my head.

When I stepped out, my phone was vibrating against the desk. The screen was almost impossible to read beneath the flood of incoming notifications. There were five missed calls from my mother and dozens of alerts from social media.

The news had already hit the blogs. Just as Kane wanted, our faces were everywhere. I ignored them for now and changed into a black sweatshirt and jeans, promising myself I would call my mother later.

A sudden knock sounded at my door, and his scent immediately invaded my nostrils. My stomach dipped as I hurriedly grabbed my bag and opened the door for Kane.

He was dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing the hard lines of his muscles and a faint scar near his wrist. He looked completely composed; the morning's chaos hadn't left a single mark on him.

"Are you ready for class?" His deep voice vibrated through the small space.

"Yes," I managed, though my voice sounded smaller than I liked.

I stepped out and pulled my door shut, locking it. As I turned back, he caught my hand, sliding his fingers between mine.

I flinched, trying to pull away from the sheer intensity of the contact. Lightning shot straight up my arm, making my heart thump violently against my ribs.

"Don't," he murmured, tightening his grip. His gaze swept over the students lingering in the hallway. "They're watching."

"Right." I swallowed hard, forcing my fingers to relax against his.

We began walking down the corridor and exited the building. The second we stepped outside, whispers broke out like dry leaves catching fire.

"That's her..."

"Is she really pregnant?"

"Look at him... Goddess, he's huge..."

Phones slid out of pockets. Students leaned over the courtyard railings, their eyes glued to our joined hands. Heat climbed up my neck until my ears burned. I wanted to let go and disappear, but Kane didn't even falter. His head remained high as he led me toward the academic buildings. The students closest to us stepped backward, lowering their heads respectfully.

He was still the Alpha Supreme, no matter how young he was.

Soon, we reached my classroom, and Kane stopped just outside the door. Before I could ask what he was doing, his hand settled on my waist, gently backing me against the wall beside the entrance.

My lungs stopped working as his massive frame surrounded mine completely. He cupped my face, his thumb brushing slowly across my cheek. Our faces were inches apart—just like last night.

My pulse pounded so loudly I was certain he could hear it. His warm breath drifted over my lips, and my wolf whimpered, begging for his mouth to meet mine. I should have pushed him away. Instead, I leaned closer. I closed my eyes, completely helpless against the pull between us.

He's going to kiss me.

The thought twisted through my chest with a hunger that shocked me. It wasn't part of the agreement, but Goddess, I wanted him to.

"Everyone's watching," Kane whispered, his voice a calm breath against my lips. "Don't open your eyes yet. Just five more seconds so they believe I kissed you.”

His words crashed over me like a bucket of ice water. I had actually thought he wanted me too.

To hide my sudden disappointment, I gave a tiny nod, pretending I had been playing along the entire time. His thumb stroked my cheek one last time before he stepped away.

I opened my eyes, my lungs burning as I drew in a shaky breath. He ran a hand through his hair before flashing the watching students a satisfied smile.

"Have a good day, love," he said. Then, he turned and walked away.

I stood there for several seconds, collecting myself before pushing open the classroom door. It's just a ruse, I reminded myself.

The lecture hall fell completely silent as dozens of faces turned toward me. But my eyes found only one person.

June.

She sat in our usual row with her notebook already open, looking every bit like the concerned best friend. The moment our eyes met, she smiled sympathetically. It was a smile that would have comforted me yesterday, but today, it felt like venom in my veins.

I forced my own lips upward, trying to make her believe nothing had changed.

She stood up and walked toward me, slipping her arm through mine. Her touch made my skin crawl. Goddess, what else had she hidden from me?

"You okay?" she asked quietly, guiding me toward our seats.

"I'm fine," I lied, keeping my expression smooth. "Just taking it one day at a time."

My wolf growled beneath my skin, but I forced the beast back into silence. I pulled out my chair and set my bag on the desk.

June leaned in, a tight smile on her face. "So... how was your first day as the future Luna?"

My heart lurched. I turned toward her, about to answer with whatever fake story I could concoct, when my phone vibrated in my palm.

It was my mom. s**t, I had completely forgotten about her during the entire parade with Kane.

I answered it immediately, stepping slightly away from June.

"Mom, look, I know what you're going to say about the news, but—"

"Robyn, listen to me carefully," she cut in, her voice shaking so badly it sent a chill down my spine. "You need to get away from Kane Thorne before things become complicated."

I glanced around the lecture hall instinctively. Several students were already pretending not to listen, their ears strained toward me.

"Mom, I'm in class, and—"

"Stay away from him."

“What?” I asked, my blood running cold.

"You have no idea what you're getting into," her mother whispered frantically, her voice cracking with terror. "Stay away from the Thornes, Robyn. Please... they'll destroy you."

The line went dead.