Alpha’s Hybrid Cinderella
Chapter 8

The next day, the clear weather helped pull me out of my simmering anger. I had more chemistry today, but the three hour botany course was what my mind dwelled on instead. Nothing to get excited about with chemistry anyway - I'd never been good at the math half of it. Raf and Leon waited to have lunch with me even though they must surely have been hungry, and I gratefully joined them and heard out their new gossip for the day. Something about Ken Joseph again - he was hosting a student lecture in the business school that Leon was raring to attend. Raf was joining him purely for the 'scenery' but he didn't seem to mind even that. When they both invited me as well, I didn't have the heart to turn it down even though that was far from my major or interests.

So here I was, sitting in one of the grand lecture halls of the business school. We were sitting in the front row since Raf had insisted on going forty-five minutes early expressly to get the best seats for 'viewing, and now I understood her description of Ken's good looks were no exaggeration.

Especially when the lecture began. He was startlingly handsome, yes, but Evan was actually more attractive from any objective standpoint. It was Ken's charisma that drew so many to him.

When he smiled me in the middle of the lecture, I found myself doing the same thing every other girl did when he gave them the same smile. I pressed back into my chair, stomach fluttering, and smiled back.

I had no idea what he was talking about all this business theory and topics that the listeners should have learned in their prior classes. But even so, I found myself enraptured clear to the end.

He spoke with such gentle clarity yet calm strength. How could this be the same guy Raf claimed to be a player? He didn't have the right temperament to go jumping from girl to girl. It just didn't make sense. He reeked of loyalty and a good nature...

When the lecture ended, I was so starry-eyed that I didn't notice him leaving the podium to walk toward us. Raf had to stifle a delighted scream while Leon grinned, himself taken by Ken's pure charisma.

"I noticed you might have been a little confused," he said. "I'm sorry my lecture wasn't clear enough. If you have any questions, please, have at me."

It took me a second to realize he was talking to me. What! I looked around to make sure, but there was no mistaking it.

"Um..."

"I'm sorry. I'm being rude." He extended a hand. "I'm Ken Joseph. May I know your name?"

My heart could fall out of my chest right now and I would rather reach for his hand than pick it up.

"Claudia," I said, stupidly forgetting to give him my whole name. I was floating on cloud nine.

As he shook my hand, it belatedly occurred to me that I was too captivated to hear his thoughts at all.

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Claudia."

(Oh, Moon Goddess. It's going to be a love triangle!)

The excited thought from Raf almost made me burst into laughter. I disguised it with a cough, but I had to muster up a lot more self-control a second later when Ken invited me to have dinner with him today. Raf was in tears - not because she was devastated, but because her heart was singing at how much gossip she could generate from this incident.

Poor Raf. She was going to be so heartbroken when nothing came of this.

She and Leon had an early evening class they couldn't miss, so Ken volunteered to walk me to my car to keep me company. I couldn't find it in myself to decline, and we headed to the parking lot, deeply engrossed in conversation. It was so easy to talk to him even though we seemingly had no shared interests. He was such a good listener that it was easy to forget.

And he was interested. Not just friendly and good at carrying a conversation. In his thoughts, he was lining up question after question, wanting to know everything about me. A happy warmth settled in my stomach like it did when I was with Raf and Leon. But it wasn't to last. When we reached my car, someone was waiting for me.

Not Flicka.

Evan.

Raf would have screamed to see this, what with her outrageous hopes earlier that there would be love triangle drama coming out of this.

"Alpha Evan," Ken greeted with an incline of his head, and Evan nodded in response but declined to say a word. He looked irritated - and in his thoughts, he was wondering why Ken was walking me to my car.

Ken answered the unspoken question. "I was going to contact you, Alpha. This is a lucky coincidence. I wanted to invite Claudia to a dinner gathering at my house."

Evan sent me a blank look before answering. "Claudia can give you an answer."

(I came here to pick her up, and she comes walking up with someone else?)

Only when I heard his thought did I realize what must have happened. Evan... Had he been listening to me yesterday after all? Had he come to get me because I'd mentioned having trouble in the parking lot? I didn't know what to say.

Except... I did. I needed to give Ken, and Evan, an answer. But I'd already known I couldn't accept the invitation - I had early classes tomorrow and plenty of homework to do. Even before Evan had showed his displeasure, I had already expressed my doubt I could leave with Ken.

"I still have that lab class tomorrow," I reminded him. "I really can't come tonight."

Ken smiled. "That's all right. You came come for dinner next time. I don't think Alpha Evan would be opposed."

(Since she's not his mate or anything.)

... What? He knew? Even Flicka had been half-doubtful, wondering if she was wrong to guess that I wasn't Evan's mate like everyone else thought. But Ken's mind was as clear as day. He knew the truth. "Have a good night, Claudia. I'll see you soon."

***

The drive home, Evan remained silent, but there was enough anger in his mind to swell and invade my own thoughts nons top. He was waiting for me to explain myself. I didn't know if I wanted to.

"... Alpha, how did you find the time to pick me up?" I asked.

"It wasn't a matter of time. I thought you were having some difficulties with the other students."

I didn't have to hear his inner thoughts to detect the sarcasm. He was in a foul mood now.

But I still didn't want to talk about it. Why did I have to explain myself? I'd made a friend. Or was I a prisoner after all?

"Well... I'm glad you seem less busy today."

"Because I'm not in a rush to break the speed limit going home? I do have a lot of work to do."

Does she think I came because I was bored?

I caught myself before I could answer his silent question. That wasn't what I had meant! I had simply been trying to make conversation. In hindsight, now I could see that my question might have sounded bratty, as if I were insulting him or implying he had nothing better to do that come fetch me. But I'd only meant it as a positive comment, that he must have less on his plate to handle if he could take the time to come for me.

But now that I thought about it, he had been waiting behind my car for me. Where was his? He couldn't have walked to campus just to drive me. Was he leaving his car behind in the parking lot just to take me home?

"How do you know Ken?"

I looked at him, reading his expression since his thoughts were still in turmoil. He caught my glance.

"I don't remember him being in any medical field," he added.

"I made a couple of new friends. Leon is in business school."

"Leon?"

"Raf's boyfriend." It irritated me that I felt compelled to let him know I wasn't picking up male friends left and right, as if I were doing something wrong. I wasn't. Girls and guys could be friends, and I didn't need his forgiveness for that. But even still... "Leon mentioned that Ken was hosting a student lecture in the business building, and since and Raf were going together, they invited me along."

Evan watched the road for a moment. "Ken gets around. I don't think you're a good match for him."

(He's playing with her.)

Well, I didn't need to hear that to know it. Raf had made it clear what Ken Joseph's reputation was like, and just because he had charmed at first didn't mean I was falling all over him. I liked his personality as a friend. What was wrong with that?

But... it was reassuring that Evan had said what he did. He thought Ken wasn't a good match for me but that implied someone might be. He wasn't forbidding me from pursuing a relationship, if that was what it came to, even if he disapproved of someone in particular.

So it was real. I wasn't a prisoner bound to serve him and ignore everyone else. I could still have a real life, a full one, and maybe find someone I liked...

"I only just met him, you know," I told him, my heart newly settled. "Literally today. I'm not that fast, believe me."

"Then are you going to go with him? To dinner?"

"Not tonight."

"In the future."

"Maybe. It's good to meet new people, and I want to keep making friends. I have to hang out with people off campus sometime." I took a quick breath and steadied myself so I could say the next thing without stammering. I didn't know if he was going to get angry if I asked, but - "Am I not allowed? Is that why you're asking?"

"I have a right to know what my personal maid is doing. Especially one that lives with me."

He squeezed the steering wheel. If I weren't paying close attention, I might have missed it.

"You think he's attractive," he said when I didn't respond.

"Everyone thinks he's handsome."

(That fucker.)

Oh. So he didn't like Ken. I'd gathered he didn't like the situation, but there was a darkness in his thoughts that revealed there was something negative beyond this one incident. What was it?

Either way, I owed it to him to settle his mind. This was a small thing for me to compromise on anyway, and he had given me so much.

"... But I'm told everyone thinks Alpha Evan is attractive too. More attractive, apparently, to most." I didn't dare look at him. It was mortifying to compliment him even if the rumors were of what other people said, not of my own opinion.

But he had to go and push me over that line, too.

"To most," he repeated. "Do you agree with them?"

This narcissist! What was he thinking, asking me that! Did he not realize how embarrassing it was to be asked a question like that practically face-to-face? And worse, to have to give him an answer. I was going to melt right through the car and splat onto the asphalt. But... I had been ready for this when I decided to soothe his injured pride. I might as well just bite down and bear it.

"Yes. I think you're very attractive," I said honestly. "I don't think there's a single person who could objectively disagree. It is what it is."

Okay, so maybe I was justifying myself a little too hard. But really, asking me that...

Some of the displeasure in his mind eased. Male competitiveness, of course. So it wasn't his first time meeting Ken and they had some kind of history that made Evan dislike him. But what was it?

(I know they prefer me to Ken. So does Claudia.)

That smugness in his thoughts. I wanted to bury my face in my hands.

But at least the atmosphere eased, and when we arrived at the manor, I turned to look at him.

"Thank you for picking me up," I said, and I was truly sincere.