Arrow Inferno
Chapter 42: Jeremy Stanton vs. Ryan Hicks Feral attraction in the midst of hatred… Baby steps!

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Jeremy watched his mate do what he loved to do best and felt so much admiration for the man. Ryan looked so good in a black shirt with no tie, black slacks, and a black blazer. The contrast between the all-black attire against his creamy skin and white hair was simply stunning. He'd noticed the exact moment Ryan had looked around trying to spot the York boy. He'd also felt Ryan's relief when he didn't see the boy. Well, he wasn't going to see that boy anytime soon. On one of Stan's visits to Ryan whilst he was in the hospital with his injury, he'd managed to get the name of the boy who had gotten him to come to the Stanton Woods. But unfortunately, by the time they'd gotten to the boy, he'd already spread the rumour of a possible murder of his professor, by werewolves.

In as much as Jeremy had been pissed off at the fact that the boy knew about them...thanks to his hunter grandfather, he'd been grateful that the boy had led his mate to him. So although his sorcerer had worked her magic on the boy and his grandfather and gotten them to forget about the supernatural, he'd urged the boy to tell him what he really wanted. Timmy had confided in Jeremy that his plan had been to study at Oxford University with his girlfriend but he hadn't gotten in. He'd added that he virtually thought about the girl all the time so couldn't concentrate much on his school work. Jeremy had called in some favours and gotten Timmy into Oxford, with a strong warning to concentrate on his studies. His grandfather, who had virtually lost his whole family to hunting, had been too happy to move to the United Kingdom to be closer to his grandson, who was his only living relative. It had all worked out just fine. With that smart mini-lecture by his mate, the students would hopefully forget about the tales they'd heard about Stanton Woods.

Jeremy turned to look at a girl who was asking Ryan a long unnecessary question. His eyebrow shot up when he noticed the blatant 'come-fuck-me' look the pretty brunette was throwing at his mate.

'You didn't tell me in all your talk about how you loved your job, that you got sweet little tight-arsed chics creaming their panties over you.' Jeremy murmured through his and Ryan's link.

'What?' Ryan automatically turned to look at Jeremy.

'The girl asking the silly question...she wants to fuck you.' A hint of a smile, showing teasing amusement touched Jeremy's mouth.

For a moment Ryan looked confused, his eyes riveted on the sexy mouth of his mate. Then he shifted his eyes back onto the girl with a subtle lift of his shoulder in an offhand shrug. 'Well, she's hot.' He shot back, his deliberately smoky gaze, trained on the girl. 'What hot-blooded male wouldn't want to hit that? I wouldn't mind at all. Call it the perks of teaching hot, young babes.' Ryan murmured, his voice made husky by his own desire from staring at his mate's sexy mouth. All the amusement and teasing left Jeremy's face. He actually growled out loud. When the students turned in his direction with surprise and curiosity written on their faces, Jeremy pointed at his throat. "Sore throat." He lied hoarsely.

"For a moment I thought it was a wolf." One of the boys shouted jokingly, making the class burst into laughter.

"A wolf in a zoology lecture." Jeremy intoned with a look of surprise... as if that strange possibility had just occurred to him." He chuckled, making the students laugh even harder. But Ryan didn't miss the fact that his mate's laughter didn't reach his eyes. Jeremy looked pissed.

After the lecture, Ryan spoke to the students who waited behind to talk to him. About four students asked him where his eyeglasses were. He told them that he'd decided to use contacts instead of glasses. One young lady assured him that he looked hotter without his glasses. She'd even made Ryan promise not to go back to the glasses. He was glad to know his students had missed him. When the last student left the lecture hall, Ryan went up to sit beside a subdued-looking Jeremy. They sat quietly for some time till Ryan broke the silence.

"You know I hadn't been with anyone till you." He said softly.

"I know." Jeremy sighed. "It still hurt."

"Can't you take a joke?"

"It's how you said it. It came across as though you really wanted her and I didn't like it." Jeremy murmured. "You didn't sound as if you were joking."

After about three minutes of silence, Ryan slowly moved his right hand to touch Jeremy's left hand. And still staring straight ahead, he entwined their pinkies, fighting the urge to moan at the thrill that tiny touch roused inside him. The tiniest touch from Jeremy gave Ryan a feeling so sweet it was almost euphoric.

'You got jealous.' Ryan said through their mind link.

Jeremy gave a short humourless laugh and replied by speaking. "I've never had to feel jealous over anything so I wouldn't know how it feels like. I just knew it hurt when you said you wouldn't mind hitting that." Jeremy turned his head to look at his mate. "If that is jealousy, then...this is the second time I'm experiencing it. And I hate it."

"What other time did you feel that?" Ryan turned to look at Jeremy.

Jeremy gave a shaky exhale. "That day in the hospital...when you allowed Philip to stroke you but growled at me when I attempted to."

"You had just raped me, Jeremy. I didn't trust you."

Jeremy nodded. "I knew that but it didn't stop me from hurting." He shrugged. "Do you trust me now?" He asked quietly.

Ryan went quiet for a moment. Then he answered quietly. "Somehow I feel safe when I'm with you. Ironic don't you think? But that's exactly how I feel. I trust you to keep me safe. So yeah, I guess I trust you. Why do you ask?" "Just wanted to know. Do you have another lecture for today?"

Ryan nodded. "At two."

"Can we go and grab something to eat?" Jeremy asked, looking at his expensive and classy Louis Moinet Meteoris wrist-watch. "You didn't eat this morning."

"Don't you have a job or something?" Ryan asked with a curious look. "I know you're rich and all but...surely you must have something important to do."

"You're my mate, Ryan. You're more important to me than any job in the world." Jeremy breathed.

"Really?" Ryan gave Jeremy an amused look. Too bad you forget that when you were manically pounding away at my arse, Ryan thought unconsciously as he stood up.

Jeremy swallowed hard. He suddenly looked as if iced water had been poured over him. "I'm sorry, Ryan." The alpha croaked.

Ryan turned to look at him with a confused look. "For what?"

Jeremy looked at Ryan. Sometimes being able to read Ryan's thoughts was actually fun. But other times such as that very moment, it sucked. "Never mind," Jeremy said quietly.

"I'll just put my stuff in my office. Then we can go." Ryan said as he started back down to the front of the lecture hall. When he finished packing his laptop, he looked up to where Jeremy still sat and almost gasped at the look of desolation on Jeremy's face. His mate looked as if he didn't even know where he was. What was wrong with the man, Ryan wondered. "Coming?" He called out.

Jeremy blinked and got to his feet shakily, wondering whether it wouldn't be better to end it all. For as long as he lived, all Ryan had to do was to see his face, to remember the pain he'd caused him. Shouldn't he just end his mate's misery by... Jeremy shook his head to clear his thoughts but they wouldn't leave him. He knew that what he was thinking about was a coward's way out which went against everything he stood for but he just couldn't help himself. He hated the accusation and bitterness he sometimes saw in his mate's eyes. What killed him most was that he had to live with that for the rest of his life because Ryan didn't look like he would ever forgive him. And he didn't blame Ryan at all.

He sometimes wondered whether a lifetime of being loathed by his mate was his punishment from Luna. Cursing himself and that bloody Ojah power for the thousandth time, Jeremy stated walking towards Ryan. He really wished he hadn't given Ryan his word not to harm himself. That was the silliest promise ever, Jeremy thought regretfully as he followed his mate dejectedly out of the lecture hall, looking nothing like the tough and proud alpha that he was. "How did you find the lecture?" Ryan asked as they headed towards his office.

"It was insightful," Jeremy responded quietly. "Are all your lectures three-hour-long?"

Ryan gave a soft laugh. "No. The afternoon one is just an hour."

"How's your leg?"

"I'm fine, Jer... Jeremy." Ryan suppressed a groan at his slip. "Are you going to stay for my second lecture too?" He unlocked his office.

"Yep. Will it bother you?" With Philip's words from that morning still running through his mind, Jeremy had no intention of leaving his mate's side. Although ideally, such attacks would start after days of planning, Jeremy didn't want to take any chances. He closed the door behind him and went to the wall that displayed Ryan's numerous awards.