I ignored the whispers, walking straight to my row. But before I could even pull my tablet from my bag, a heavy shadow fell across my desk, blocking the overhead light completely.
Gabriel Jakes stood over me.
His uniform blazer was perfectly buttoned, his sharp, aristocratic features set in a rigid, deeply annoyed line. The alpha aura radiating from him wasn't warm; it was hostile, sharp, and biting. His icy amber eyes swept over my rumpled blazer, my stained cuffs, and my pale, exhausted face with a look of pure, aggressive irritation. He didn't offer a polite greeting. He didn't ask if I was okay. His approach was loud, arrogant, and entirely rude.
"What is the meaning of this, Miles?" Gabriel demanded, his voice slicing through the low chatter of the lecture hall like a razor blade.
