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)
Her friend added reassuringly, “They went their separate ways, too.”
Kassia’s smile became more genuine. “Honest?”
Ellie nodded. A small curvy brunette, shyness was the one major thing she and Kassia had in common. Other than that, their interests lay in opposite directions, with Kassia hating to study, for instance, while Ellie was in love with it.
Kassia said slowly, “I haven’t heard any rumors about X dating her. Have you?” X was their code name for the professor, something Ellie came up with because the language professor was pretty much like an unknown factor in algebra.
Ellie shook her head. “But even if they’re not dating, you do know she’s not your toughest competition, right? He’s a Moretti, Kas. He’s from one of the richest families in the world. His kind dates actresses and supermodels.”
Kassia stubbornly shook her head back. “Believe me, they’re not my competition. He’s too levelheaded to be serious about airheads. I’m telling you, if there’s anyone who could be my rival, it’s her.”
“Y,” Ellie said decisively, her math major side kicking in.
“Right. Y. I’m scared of Y. She gets to spend a lot of time with him, and obviously she’s no idiot. If they spend too much time together, it’s possible that he’d eventually develop feelings for her—-”
“Then do something. If you can’t figure out an equation, you need to try different formulas.”
LATER IN THE DAY, ALESSANDRO made his way to the library, which – according to the student he asked – was where she had last seen Kassia. Since she had seen him with the female professor this morning, she had been avoiding him conspicuously. He knew it was so because normally, she was everywhere he went.
In the four months she had been his student, she had been like a shy but lovesick puppy, following him from afar. At lunch, she would choose the one table at the cafeteria that was across the faculty’s section, which allowed her a glimpse of him eating. And every time he was teaching a class, she would dash to wherever he was just so she could peek at him through the back door’s peep glass.
When he entered the library, he expected Kassia to be alone and perhaps sulking or crying in the corner. But instead, he heard her talking – to another man.
The wolf in him bristled, and he almost bared his fangs in possessive rage. Even though Kassia and the boy she was talking to were at the farthest side of the library, his extraordinary sense of hearing – a Lyccan gift – allowed him to hear them just fine.
Alessandro slowly walked to the nearest vacant table, sat down, and listened. He would give them a chance. He would listen and decide for himself if he would allow the boy to live despite talking to someone who was his.
It didn’t matter that Kassia didn’t really belong to him, didn’t matter that it was wrong for him to claim an innocent like her.
The moment she had come into his office and told him she wanted him, her fate had been sealed.
“Please stop following me.” Kassia was pleading.
“Then just say you’ll go out with me.” Alessandro finally recognized the voice. It was Jacob, another one of his students in his Beginner Italian class. One of the most popular players in the university’s football team, good-looking, charming, and with decent grades.
Someone who was surely fit to die, Alessandro thought idly. Anyone like that should know better than to come within a mile’s radius of his property.
“I can’t go out with you.”
“Why not? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No—-”
“Then go out with me.” The boy’s tone had taken a pleading note.
Smart boy. Jacob had realized that girls like Kassia would be too shy, too nice to refuse when he spoke that way.
Too bad for him, Alessandro knew exactly what he was thinking.
Before Kassia could speak, Alessandro was already striding into view.
When Jacob realized he was the focus of Professor Moretti’s narrow-eyed gaze, he quickly placed a respectable distance between him and Kassia. There was something about the professor’s gaze that made him oddly nervous, like he just might be at the receiving end of the professor’s much-lauded kick if he didn’t move away from Kassia. Maybe it was because the professor was Italian, Jacob thought, and that was why he seemed very conservative when it came to his female students.
Alessandro had the satisfaction of seeing Kassia freeze at the unexpected sight of him, but it was not enough to soothe his temper.
It was his first time to see up close what Kassia was wearing. Although she had on but a simple sweater and jeans, the sweater was loose enough to hang low on one side, revealing the creamy skin of her shoulder. The sight of it made him want to bite her, and he was sure even human cubs would feel the same way about it. Knowing it was so made him want to snarl and snap his jaw at Jacob so the little boy would run away.