One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter 104

Audrey & Third Person Audrey's POV

The party swirled around me, a cacophony of laughter, music, and clinking glasses. It should have been a night of fun and revelry, an exciting way to kick off the summer on a high note.

But despite the crowd and the pulsing music, I felt hollow. Empty. Even the alcohol coursing through my veins couldn't fill the void that had taken up residence in my chest.

I couldn't stop thinking about him, no matter how hard I tried to push those thoughts away. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that yellow wolf gaze looking down at me, felt his lips on my neck, felt his fangs brush my skin.

I hate him. I want him. I hate him. I want him.

The cycle of thoughts was endless.

I made my way through the throng of people, nodding and smiling when necessary, but not really engaging on a deeper level than that. My friends were scattered throughout the house, each caught up in their own conversations and games. Tina was playing an intense game of beer pong with a girl she had been flirting with lately, while Betty was leading an animated discussion about fashion trends in the living

room.

I should have been happy, excited even, to be here. I should have been playing beer pong or talking about fashion.

But all I could think about was Edwin.

The bass from the speakers thrummed through my body, matching the dull ache in my chest. The scent of sweat and alcohol hung heavy in the air, reminding me of our romp in the woods and making it hard to breathe. I needed to escape.

With a sigh, I grabbed another bottle of beer and slipped out the back door, breathing in the cool night air with relief. Finally-a cool breeze and some solitude. Something, anything, to take my mind off of him. I settled onto the porch steps, wrapping my arms around my knees. The music from inside was m**d now, the sounds of laughter and voices fading into a dull hum. The rough wood of the steps pressed against my bare legs, grounding me in the present, and the stars twinkled pleasantly overhead.

Betty's family's mansion, situated in a small neighborhood outside the city, was mostly wooded all around. The only neighbors were a good quarter-mile down the road in either direction, and the tall pine trees flanking the property made it feel like we were well and truly secluded.

And I was glad for that. The seclusion was nice, and I could already picture a summer of backyard barbecues and nights watching meteor showers.

"Mind if I join you?"

He held a bottle of

nodded, scooting over to make

plate. "Thought you might want a snack. Avis's famous chocolate

said, taking the offered treat. The cookie was still warm, and the chocolate melted on my tongue. We sat in companionable silence for a while, munching on the cookie and gazing up at the stars. 1/3

Chapter 104

found myself leaning against Gavin, my head resting on his shoulder. He was warm, solid, and for a moment, I could pretend that everything was okay. His cologne, a subtle mix of sandalwood and citrus, reminded me that not all men smelled like Edwin's smoky,

on your mind?" Gavin asked softly, his breath stirring my hair. "You've seemed a bit out of it lately.

they could mist over with tears. How could I possibly explain everything? The hurt, the betrayal, the lingering

a human plaything," I finally admitted, the candid words slipping out

slightly. "You're not a plaything to me, Audrey. You never have

dark, serious, and for a

in the comfort of someone who cared, who saw me

was those yellow eyes and that dark fur. I gently pushed my hand into his shoulder

he held up his almost-empty beer bottle. "Blame it on the alcohol?" he whispered. I nodded, looking away and biting the inside of my

that, he muttered an excuse and got up and went back into the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts once

felt like a fool all over again. Here was Gavin, my sweet Gavin, clearly interested in me. And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about Edwin, a man who had used me as a side fling while engaged to someone else. I dropped my head into my hands, tears of frustration pricking at the backs of my eyes. Why couldn't

the nearby bushes caught my attention. I looked up, squinting into the darkness. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes watching me from the shadows. They seemed to float in the darkness,

rose to my feet before I could second-guess myself. Could it be? I hardly dared to hope, but in that moment, it was as if something deep inside of me took over-something desperate and yearning, some part

the lawn, just feet from the edge of the

blink, then disappear. The shadows shifted, and I thought I caught a glimpse of movement. And there, in the

dark wolf.

I called

No movement. No sound,

from inside, cutting through the night air. "Where are you? We're about to start a

9/3

Chapter 104

game!" Sep

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