My Professor Is the Devil

Chapter 7: Aurora

“Why were you trying to make me jealous?”

The question hung between us heavily.

Too heavy.

Too dangerous.

I stared at him, my pulse racing so hard it hurt.

“You’re insane.”

My voice sounded breathless instead of angry.

I hated that.

Michael’s fingers remained beneath my chin, warm against my skin, his gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that made it impossible to think clearly.

“Am I?” he asked softly.

“Yes.”

I stepped back immediately, forcing distance between us.

“This—” I motioned between us shakily. “This is exactly why I’ve been avoiding you.”

Something flickered across his expression.

Brief.

Dark.

“And yet,” he murmured, “you came here tonight.”

“I didn’t come here for you.”

“No,” he said quietly. “But you still looked for me.”

I opened my mouth to deny it.

Nothing came out.

Because deep down—

I knew he was right.

The silence stretched.

The city lights outside the windows painted shadows across the penthouse walls, making everything feel unreal.

Too intimate.

Too close.

“I should go,” I whispered.

For once, Michael didn’t stop me immediately.

He simply watched me.

Too still.

Too focused.

I turned toward the elevator quickly, needing space before my thoughts completely unraveled.

But the moment my hand touched the button beside the door—

A strong hand grabbed my wrist.

I gasped softly as Michael pulled me back against him.

Hard.

Fast.

“Michael—”

And then his mouth crashed against mine.

The kiss stole every thought from my head instantly.

It wasn’t slow this time.

Wasn’t careful.

It was hunger.

Pure, overwhelming hunger.

My back pressed against the cold elevator doors as his hand gripped my waist tightly, pulling me impossibly closer.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

I should push him away.

I should stop this.

But when his lips moved against mine again—

A soft sound escaped me instead.

His breath caught sharply at the sound.

And suddenly the kiss deepened.

Dangerously.

My fingers twisted into the front of his shirt before I could stop myself.

Everything around us disappeared.

The room. The city. Reality itself.

There was only him.

His mouth.

His hands.

The unbearable heat between us.

And then—

Michael froze.

Completely.

The change was immediate.

Violent.

He pulled away so suddenly I nearly stumbled.

My breathing came fast and uneven as I looked up at him in confusion.

His expression—

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Michael turned away abruptly, dragging a hand through his hair roughly.

“Leave.”

The word came out strained.

Sharp.

I blinked rapidly.

“What?”

“Leave, Aurora.”

His voice sounded different now.

Lower.

Rougher.

Like he was forcing the words out through clenched teeth.

Fear prickled down my spine for the first time.

Not fear of him hurting me.

Fear of something I didn’t understand.

“Michael…”

“Don’t.”

He turned slightly, and my breath caught.

His eyes—

For a brief second—

They weren’t normal.

Something burned behind them.

Something unnatural.

I took an instinctive step back.

Michael noticed.

And whatever restraint he had left seemed to snap painfully.

“GO.”

The shout echoed through the penthouse.

Violent enough to make me flinch.

I had never heard someone sound like that before.

Not angry.

Not human.

The lights overhead flickered suddenly.

The windows rattled.

And Michael—

Michael looked like he was barely holding himself together.

He kept his back partially turned toward me now, chest rising heavily.

Like he was fighting something invisible.

Something inside himself.

“Leave,” he said again, quieter this time.

But somehow more terrifying.

“Right now.”

My heartbeat thundered painfully.

Questions flooded my mind.

What was happening?

What did I just see?

What is he?

But instinct screamed louder than curiosity.

Run.

I grabbed my coat quickly, my fingers shaking.

Michael didn’t look at me again.

He stood near the windows, fists clenched so tightly I could see the tension all the way across the room.

And then—

For one horrifying second—

A shadow moved behind him.

Large.

Shifting.

Almost like—

Wings.

I stumbled backward.

Michael’s voice broke through immediately.

“DON’T LOOK AT ME.”

The raw agony in his voice terrified me more than the shout itself.

The elevator doors finally opened behind me.

I stepped inside quickly, my chest heaving.

But just before the doors closed—

I looked at him one last time.

And what I saw made my blood run cold.

Michael stood completely still in the center of the penthouse.

Head lowered.

Breathing uneven.

Shadows twisting unnaturally around him.

Like darkness itself was alive.

Then the doors closed.

And suddenly—

I could breathe again.

But as the elevator descended, one thought repeated over and over inside my head.

Michael Knight was hiding something.

Something impossible.

Something dangerous.

And despite the fear clawing its way through me—

A part of me still wanted to go back upstairs.