I Kissed My Professor And He Liked It

Ella’s POV “I don’t feel comfortable going to this thing without you,” | pouted, peering up at Colton with a frown.

He bent and kissedgently on the lips, placing both his hands on my shoulders.

“I know... | don't like it either. But if | went, it would make Alpha Jonathan suspicious and that's the last thing we need right now.” | sighed, knowing he was right.

“But Ethan will be there if anything happens,” he reminded me. “Ethan should already be there actually. | think he drove in with your father.” | stepped into his open embrace and buried my face in his chest, not caring if | ruined the little bit of makeup that was on my face, which | allowed Brianna to do.

She had gotten here a little while ago and she eagerly made it her project to do my hair and makeup. She had my dark curl pulled out of my face, but it was still down so they draped over my shoulders. | wore a casual black evening dress that sloped downward in the chest area to reveal only sof my cleavage. The dress also hugged my body perfectly, revealing all my curves and my slender legs.

“Just don’t be flaunting your stuff in front of any guys at this banquet,” Colton teased, though I could hear the concern in his voice as he checked out my dress and my figure within the dress.

| narrowed my eyes at him.

“The only one | want to see my stuff isn’t even going to be there,” | said pouting.

He grinned atand kissedagain, looking like he was going to say more. But just as he opened his mouth to speak, we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Ella, are you in there? We have to go before we are late!” Brianna said from the doorway.

She was sounding a lot better than she had been since being rejected by her mate. | was glad that she got her strength back and was actually out of bed. though, | was surprised that she agreed to go to this banquet.

| looked up at Colton with a frown and he kissedagain.

“Go,” he said gently. “I'll be here when you get back.” | smiled at him, though | knew it didn’t reach my eyes before | turned to the door and opened it.

Brianna rushed into the room.

“Everybody is waiting for you downstairs. What's taking so—" Her voice trailed off once she spotted Colton standing before her; her face instantly went bright red and for once, Brianna was at a loss for words. She staggered backward and then glanced atwith large eyes.

“I'm so sorry...” she breathed, covering her mouth with her hands. “I didn’t mean to... interrupt,” she stumbled on that last word.

| laughed.

“It’s okay, Bri. You didn’t interrupt anything,” | assured her.

“I wouldn't say that,” Colton murmured, but | nudged him, giving him a look.

He smiled and kissed the top of my head.

“Callif you need anything at all,” he whispered, still keeping his lips on my head.

“Iwill,” I said to him, catching his lips with my own.

We parted and | followed Bri out of the room and down the stairs to join the others. Everybody looked so nice.

Even Luis was wearing a suit, which | knew right away belonged to Colton. Becca was clinging to his arm; it madesmile seeing the two of them together and happy, even if they weren't fated mates.

Brody was refusing to go; he kept himself barricaded in the room he shared with Sarah. | know he’s been trying to get a hold of her but to no prevail. My heart ached for him. According to Jonathan, Sarah wasn’t going to be at home, he took her to a special doctor and won't tell us where.It was driving Brody insane.

I turned to Colton who had followed us downstairs.

“Can you keep an eye on him,” | asked in a low voice; | didn’t have to elaborate further than that. Colton knew who | was talking about. He nodded once.

“I will,” he assured me, makingsmile, but he could still see the worry in my eyes.

He kissedagain before he turned to Gamma Jake, our driver for the evening.

“Get them there and back safely,” Colton ordered.

Jake nodded.

“Of course, Alpha.” Jake motioned for us to go outside, and we did.

We piled into Jake's large SUV; | sat in the passenger seat while the others took his backseat. There was enough room for all of us and more.

Most of the ride was quiet besides the soft murmurs of Becca and Luis whispering in one another's ears. | knew it made Kayla uncomfortable and | felt bad that | couldn’t rescue her in that situation.

It took about 30 minutes to get to Alpha Jonathan's pack. It was located near the school in Higala.

His packhouse was 10 times bigger than Colton’s, which didn’t surprisebecause Alpha Jonathan was incredibly rich. | had to admit though, it was a beautiful packhouse. It actually looked more like a mansion than anything.

We drove up a long and windy driveway until we reached a parking area just off the garden entry. There were a few other cars, one of which | recognized as my father’s. | was glad that he was already here.

| recognized the car next to him as Ethan's. | know Ethan wanted to arrive with my father, so he left much earlier. He and my father had a bit of business to take care of beforehand anyway, so | hadn't seen either of them all morning.

| was more excited to see my mother than anything.

There were also a bunch of cars | didn’t recognize; | know Alpha Jonathan parks his cars in his private garage, but | knew they weren't his. | imagined they belonged to his other guests.

| would be lying if | said | wasn’t a little nervous. | worried about how this evening was going to go down and Val was feeling uneasy as well. Whenever my wolf felt uneasy, | felt uneasy.

“Are you sure you don’t want to cinside?” | asked, peering over at Jake with a frown.

He shook his head.

“It would seem weird if Alpha Colton’s gamma escorted you into this banquet,” Jake told me. “Especially when it’s not necessary. There's plenty of protection here.” I sighed, but | nodded, understanding.

“What are you going to do?” “Maybe grab sfood up the street and then cback here and hang out. This isn’t my first tbeing a driver, so | don’t get bored easily,” he assured me. But when | didn’t move or look away he sighed and gavea small smile. “No need to worry, Miss Ella. | promise I'll be fine and here waiting when you return.” I nodded.

“Okay,” | said softly, sliding out of the car to join my waiting and obviously nervous friends.

We started to walk toward the building but paused when another car pulled up and parked next to Jake.

| recognized this car but couldn't figure out where I had seen it.

It wasn’t until | saw Bri’s incredibly pale face that | realized whose car it belonged to.

Alexander stepped out of the car. He was wearing a nice suit and had his shaggy hair neatly combed out of his face. It was nice seeing his face and not seeing his hair covering it. He had a nice face | will admit. But | certainly wasn't expecting to see it this evening, or else | would have warned Brianna about it.

Her breathing hitched and her entire body tensed as she watched him approach.

As he neared, his face began to grow more wary. His eyes found hers and they never left her gaze.

“Alex...” | said, stepping in front of Bri. “What are you doing here?” “Alpha Jonathan invited me,” he said with a shrug. “He liked the work | did at the school and offeredan invitation. Only an idiot would decline an invitation from Alpha Jonathan.” He then looked over my shoulder to meet Bri’s eyes once again.

“Hello, Brianna,” he said, lowering his tone.

He almost seemed sad and timid to see her; it was a reaction | wasn’t expecting from him. But Brianna remained completely frozen.

Even though he rejected her, their mate bond would still be in effect until one or both were claimed by another.

Alex has to either get marked or be marked in order for the bond to officially break. Swith Brianna.

However, because neither of them was marked, or marked any others, their mate bond was still fully intact. But the act of rejection was enough to break not only Brianna’s heart but her wolf's. It was enough to make her wolf not want to speak and hide in the farthest corner of her mind.

Not that I could blher.

I don’t think I could handle it if Colton did the sto me.

“We will never have to worry about that,” Val assured me.

| heard Bri audibly swallow. She didn’t know what to say; she was completely frozen.

“Look, Bri. I've been wanting to—" Before he could finish that sentence, a loud growl cfrom inside the packhouse, making us all turn to look at what was happening. The growl itself sounded familiar and my heart pounded in my chest, wondering what was happening.

It sounded angry, but also in distress.

Bri’s breathing grew shaky and when | looked at her, she was sniffing the air.

“What's going on?” | asked her in a whisper, so only she could hear me.

“I smell something.... Delicious,” she whispered back, her voice tremoring. “It’s like.... Hot chocolate with those little marshmallows. But not the powdering hot chocolate... homemade hot chocolate.” “Is it Alex? Because of your mate bond?” She shook her head, allowing her long auburn hair to fly around her face.

“No... he smells like the earth. Fresh mowed grass and pine,” she answered. “Nothing like this....” I couldn’t smell what she was smelling, so | found it odd at first. But then the door of the packhouse slammed open and Ethan rushed outside. | saw his eyes glowing red as he fought to keep control of himself and not release his wolf.

His canines were snapping as he growled again, shaking the earth as he did.

“Oh, goddess...” Bri whispered, her eyes large and alert.

My father ran out of the packhouse as well, along with Alpha Jonathan.

Neither of them stopped him. | went to step toward Ethan, but one look at my father and | stopped. He gavea small headshake.

He didn’t look worried, but | was.

Ethan's eyes darted around the yard until they finally landed on his target.

He stared at Brianna like he was starving, and she was on his menu.

| wanted to jump in front of Bri to block her from him, but | was frozen. When | looked at Brianna, her eyes were huge and round, her mouth was hanging open slightly and her body trembled.

“It’s not possible...” she finally whispered.

I didn’t understand what was happening, until Ethan took long strides in our direction, ignoring everyone else around him.

“Ethan...?” | tried to say, but my words were cut off when he finally spoke.

“Mate...”