Chapter

78

Audrey & Edwin Audrey's POV

No matter how much coffee I drank, could barely keep my eyes open during class. The words on the whiteboard blurred. together as Edwin's voice droned on in the background, the surface of my desk practically swimming in front of my eyes.

I hadn't slept well last night, tossing and turning as my mind replayed the disastrous interview with Mr. Black over and over again. Even though my drive with Edwin took my mind off of it for a while, the memories had returned the moment my head hit the pillow.

"Come now, Miss Thatcher. Everyone knows that human girls are desperate to be with wealthy, older werewolf men such as myself.... Don't you want to do anything you can to... get ahead?" Even now, in my exhausted state, the memory of those words made me shudder. Get ahead, he had said in that cloying tone. I knew what he meant. And I wasn't going to perpetuate the stereotype that he plastered onto me.

My head nodded forward, and I jerked it back up quickly.

Focus, Audrey, I told myself. But it was no use. My eyelids felt like they were made of lead, and my head suddenly felt like it was full of water. Perhaps I could just close my eyes for a moment...

A sudden jolt startled me awake. I blinked rapidly, disoriented, to find Edwin standing over me with a concerned expression on his face. The classroom was empty except for us, and he was leaning against the desk beside me with his arms folded across his chest.

"Good

morning, Miss Thatcher," he said. "Have a nice nap?"

My face instantly turned red and I quickly wiped a bit of drool away from my cheek with the back of my hand. "I'm so sorry," I muttered as I began to gather my things. "I must have nodded off for a moment, but I swear I heard your whole lecture-"

"Audrey, you've been asleep on your desk for over twenty minutes." Edwin cut me off with a raised eyebrow. "At one point, you were even snoring a little."

I felt my skin flush even deeper. Twenty minutes... It felt like I had blinked and nothing more.

"I'm... Sorry," I repeated quietly. Edwin watched as I quickly stuffed my rumpled notebook into my bag and stood. Before I could scurry away, he held his arm out to stop me.

"This isn't like you. What's going on?"

Biting my lower lip, I looked away in the hopes that he wouldn't see the blatant lie written across my face. "Oh, um, nothing. I was just up late studying last night."

Edwin's frown deepened. "That doesn't sound right. You never let late-night studying interfere with your classes."

course. The truth was, I had spent most

wasn't busy doing that, I was lying awake,

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Chapter 78

Black.

I didn't want to cause any issues. So I settled for a half-truth. "The interview... it

so slightly, "Oh. I'm

explanation that wouldn't raise suspicions. “I just... wasn't qualified, I

right." Edwin said, shaking his head. "Your portfolio is excellent, and you're one of my top

adjusted my bag on my shoulder, trying to appear nonchalant. "Sometimes these things just don't

moment, and I could tell he wasn't buying it. But thankfully, he didn't push the issue further-not

to talk about it, you

slim space between his mountain of a body and the row of desks-I was so

a thin smile. "I appreciate

back. I hated lying to him, but what choice did I have? The last

have to find another

Edwin's POV

wasn't right; there had to be more to this story than she was letting on "Not qualified?" I muttered to myself, turning and heading back to the podium to gather

most talented, dedicated, passionate students I had ever had. -there was no

of mine for many years; Brooks Designs often purchased all of our textiles

I pulled out my phone and dialed Mr. Black's number on my

ring

the speaker, and I could hear the smile in his tone.

the corner to my office. "I wanted to discuss the

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Chapter 78

Black replied. "Ah yes, Miss Thatcher. What

office door, stepped inside, and shut the door

with her," I began as I dropped my briefcase on the floor and loosened my tie. "She's an

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