Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Shall we go?” His voice was thick with ill-suppressed desire.
Panic threatened to make her lose consciousness, but she fought to stay calm even as her body rebelled against having another man other than the professor hold her hand. She was going to get used to this soon enough. It was just a matter of time, she told herself as she forced a smile on her lips for Jacob’s sake.
They started walking again, but they had only taken a few steps when Jacob remarked in surprise that Professor Moretti appeared to be heading their way.
“R-really?” She desperately kept her gaze trained on Jacob’s face.
Jacob nodded. “Yup. I didn’t realize he was also assigned to go with us for the day trip.” Around them, the buzz that usually surrounded the professor had started. The whispers, the sighs, and oh, dozens of phones clicking as the other female students took photos of the him.
Jacob suddenly stopped walking, forcing her to halt next to him. “What is it?” She tried to keep herself from sounding uneasy.
“I really think the professor’s about to talk to you. Are you in danger of flunking his class?” Jacob frowned. “You know you’re not allowed to attend today’s trip if you have a class where your current average’s 1.5 or below, right?”
Kassia bit her lip. Crap. Actually, she hadn’t known about that at all, and the worst thing was, her current average in the professor’s class might just be 1.5. Taking a deep breath, she mentally steeled herself before slowly raising her gaze to the professor.
Even so, the impact of his green eyes clashing with hers was like being struck by lightning, and her body trembled. She watched the professor’s gaze travel down until it rested on the hand that Jacob was still holding.
She saw his lips tighten.
Tears stung her eyes. He was just playing around, she told herself fiercely. He’s been playing with you from the start, and it’s time to accept it.
ALESSANDRO’S JAW HARDENED as Kassia’s hand remained in the boy’s grip. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He couldn’t remember wanting anything as much as he wanted right now to snatch Kassia away from the human boy.
Kassia was his.
He cracked his knuckles, reminding himself that for the sake of appearances, he shouldn’t indulge his need to beat the boy into a bloody pulp. All he could afford to do now was to speak to Kassia, make her see—-
Alessandro’s head snapped up.
It was that scent again.
Their eyes clashed once more. She looked away just as quickly, but it was too late. He had already seen her tears.
He had made her cry again.
Before Alessandro could even think about it, he was already slowing down. The distance between him and Kassia stretched. He watched Jacob assist her as she stepped aboard the bus, and he stopped walking completely. He could still smell her tears, and the knowledge that he was the reason for it pierced him.
Kassia found herself embarrassingly clumsy as she made it to her seat. Jacob took the seat next to her, and his nearness made her unconsciously stick closer to the side of the bus. Without thinking, she looked out of the window, and of course the first thing she saw was the professor. He was gazing at her, his handsome face unreadable.
Her heart ached. He was so beautiful, she thought miserably. Wasn’t that a clue in itself? That someone like him could never really be serious with someone like her, an ordinary girl from the country, someone whose own mother hadn’t cared about her?
The professor suddenly turned his back to her.
This was for the best, she told herself fiercely. She had to be strong. Even if he begged her to come back, she wouldn’t—-
In the distance, the professor started walking away, and her thoughts came to a halt. Her heart stopped beating, her mind stopped working – there was just so much pain as the inescapable truth hit her.
See, Kassia?
Now, do you understand?
Your mother didn’t want you. So why did you think the professor would?
She squeezed her eyes shut before the tears could fall.
Stupid Kassia.
This was how little she meant to the professor.
YOU’RE DOING THE RIGHT thing.
Five damn words, and he had been repeating them endlessly in his mind. Minutes turned into hours, but still he couldn’t make the truth in those words sink in, couldn’t shake off his last sight of Kassia. Her eyes squeezed shut, her body tense in the bus seat, and sitting so damn close to Jacob he was fucking sure that the human boy had to be shaking in excitement at how soft her body felt against his.
But even as jealousy threatened to drive him insane, Alessandro knew that wasn’t what was causing his restlessness, wasn’t the reason why he had been prowling inside his office in his Lyccan form since Kassia had left.