16

I ’m on my way to Professor Sinclair's office to talk to her about Leera's potential online class situation when I pick up Leera's honeysuckle and spun sugar scent going in the same direction. Except…shaking my head, I try to clear the negative thoughts; I'm just rattled from everything going on.

But when I reach the door to her office, the instinct is overwhelming, and I have to calm my wolf snarling just under the surface.

I knock on the door, hard enough to rattle it, and gather a little attention. Shit. I paste on my magazine smile with a small wave, and while I still have their attention, I no longer smell the fear that had started to permeate the air.

The door opens only a crack, revealing that the professor and my mate are both in there, and I now know that my instincts were not wrong.

“Well, hello, Roman. Leera and I were just discussing—"

Allowing a little bit of my wolf through the surface for her to feel, I interrupt the professor, “I think you should ask me to come in so we can have a very detailed discussion about what's going on here.”

To my surprise, Sinclair smiles sweetly, nods, and opens the door enough to allow my entry into the room. Leera looks confused, but once the initial shock of my arrival wears off, she's scrambling off her chair and into my embrace.

I barely wrap my arms around her when the flood gates open and she allows herself to break. I scoop her into my arms and make my way to her discarded chair to sit and calm her so we can have a much-needed conversation.

Professor Sinclair is waiting patiently in her seat, grading papers until we're ready. Her calm patience raises more questions than I already had when I came down the hallway.

There's no way Leera knows who she is.

When a small hiccup escapes my little mate, I smooth her hair away and hold a kiss to her forehead. When I feel her muscles relax against mine, I rest my forehead against hers. “Leera, I know you've been through so much lately, Sunshine, but we're about to have another big conversation, okay?”

Her icy blue eyes meet my green and blue ones, then widen as she processes what I've said.

“I came here to discuss your learning situation with Professor Sinclair. You've spoken so fondly of her; I knew if anyone could help you understand online classes aren't bad, it would be her...” I take a moment and try to arrange my words to have the least impact.

“It seems as though a new conversation with your favorite teacher is needed,” I say to Leera, but my eyes find Sinclair's, who offers a smile and a nod.

“I completely agree, Roman. Leera has just filled me in on a lot in my classroom, and we came here to have a more private conversation. First, I would like to calm Leera's worry and let her know that I can recognize you as mates, so that fills in a lot of the less understanding portions of her explanation of the situation,” she finishes with a comforting smile towards Leera, whose mouth has fallen completely open.

“H-how could you possibly know... wait—are you a werewolf?!” she all but screeches at her favorite professor.

“No, she's not. That's why I came here as quickly as I could. Leera, she's a witch. I smelled your scents on the way to the office, and I could feel the magic.” Turning my head back to Sinclair, I snarl, “What did you do to her?”

She just nods for a moment and clasps her hands together before explaining, “Yes, Roman, I am a witch, but I am not a dark witch, so you and your wolf can calm down.”

Yeah, right.

“The magic you felt in Leera's scent in the hallway was only a cloak. She's had a very hard day with the amount of unwanted attention she's received, so I simply brought her to my office undetected by the others in the hallways.”

This time when Leera's mouth falls open, her whole head tips forward, and she's just looking at Sinclair in shock. “Y-you're a witch?”

Again, Sinclair just smiles and nods.

At first, I was enraged to have a witch around Leera, but there's something about her…I think I trust her. My wolf confirmed she isn't a dark witch. They have a rotten tone to their scent that only our wolves can detect, unless they're so evil that the smell of rot can be sensed without our wolves confirmation.

As my brain rifles through the information I have about Leera, it hits me like a train. “Her parents were witches.”

It's not a question. I already know the answer, but Leera doesn’t. She's frantically looking between Sinclair and me. When she finally lands on Sinclair, she's gifted another smile and nod.

Answers are overwhelming right now, though, and I can feel her panic and anxiety rising. I mold her body to mine as tight as I can get it while trying to soothe her.

After a moment, she's calmed enough that the anger is winning the war within her body, and she flies off my lap, pointing a sharp pink fingernail at Sinclair. “Why does everyone know so much more about my own life than I do?! You knew, didn't you? You knew I was a wolf? You knew my parents were witches! Why was I left in the dark? To live a lie for my entire life?!”

Her pain is shooting through the room like daggers, and I feel every hit like a physical blow. My wolf tries to push through my skin to protect and comfort her, but I hold him back as best as I can.

She's not in danger. I've got this. She's just feeling a lot right now.

At that, the professor raises both of her hands in front of her to show that she is surrendering, stands from her desk, and walks over to Leera. Tentatively, she takes Leera's hands in her own and kneels in front of her, urging Leera to sit.

“Sweet girl, I didn't know how much you knew. Your parents planned to tell you everything before you came here. I didn't know if they had had the opportunity before you lost them. Unfortunately, I don't have all the answers you seek, but I'll answer any of them the best I can, and I’ll start by telling you that yes, I knew. Yes, I knew you were a wolf. Yes, I knew they were witches, as am I. You weren't told as a child to protect you. They never even told us from what, so that I cannot share. They demanded that you be kept safe, at all costs.”

Tears slowly trickle down Leera's cheeks.

“Is that why they p-poisoned me my whole life?” she asks quietly.

Sinclair at least has the decency to look ashamed. “We tried to find another way, but it was the only way to keep your wolf from presenting herself. They said no one could know.”

My thoughts continue to tumble around in my brain, trying to piece all of this together.

“If they wouldn't tell anyone what they were protecting her from, how is anyone supposed to know now that they're gone?” I ask, trying not to bark at her in irritation.

“I wish I knew. They said it was to protect all three of our realms, but that's all I know.”

I rear back with the magnitude of those implications. “When you say all three, you mean Zabella, Earth, and Sabbax?”

She nods grimly in response.

“What's Sabbax?” Leera asks quietly.

“Sabbax is the witch’s realm. Like the werewolves have Zabella and humans have Earth. Each paranormal being has their own realm populated with only their kind and their mates. Others can cross and visit and such, but it takes special approval to be accepted within another realm,” I try to explain as clearly as I can.

“So, like when we, I mean humans, try to move to another country?” Her nose scrunches as she tries to piece everything together.

“Yes, Sunshine, much like that.”

“Wait, why is me being safe so important?”

Sinclair and I exchange a glance that says neither of us know how to answer that question.

“It looks like we don't know yet, Sweetheart, but I promise we'll find out.” Sinclair nods in agreement.

Men. We have more research to do. I'll catch you up when we get home.

“Alright, let's return to the topic of Leera's academics. She very badly wants to stay in class, but I was tryi—"

“Actually, Roman,” Leera interrupts me with a hand on my arm. “I've had a really rough day, and I have to admit, you were right. Professor Sinclair helped me reframe the way I was thinking about everything. It's not what I wanted, and it's not what I thought my normal college experience would look like, but I think it's best for now. Especially while we figure out what the hell is going on with everything.”

I nod and use all the physical willpower that I have not to break into a grin and whoop out loud. I'll be able to keep her safe this way.

Before I can even ask, she looks at me and says, “We'll talk about the rest later.” This time, I do smile.

“Well, I'll leave you two to it then. And, Leera,” she says with a sweet, motherly smile on her face. “Now that we share some secrets, please call me Willa.”

The smile on Leera's face almost seems to glow with the new addition to her small group of people in her life.

I collect her things from the floor, and we're about to walk out the door of Sinclair's office when she asks, “The small cloaking spell will have worn off by now; would you like another one to get you out of here?”

Leera seems to consider this for only a moment before straightening her back and standing as tall as her four-foot-eleven-inch frame will allow. “No, thank you, Prof…Willa.” She smiles, turning her gorgeous face to mine, and places her hand around my forearm. “I've got Roman I'll be fine.”