Rise of the Alpha
Chapter 24

Magnolia

Ugh… my head’s pounding. I struggle to open my eyes, only to be assaulted by the brightness of the room that makes my stomach turn. Why the hell did I drink so much last night? I know why; I wanted to cut loose for a change, be me, and not worry about who anyone else thinks I should be. Waking up this morning to my first f*****g hangover ever, I’m seriously rethinking my choices. The only thing puzzling me is why the hell I didn’t feel like death warmed over when I drank wine with Wylla.

I manage to open my eyes long enough to lift my head and look over to see that Wylla’s bed is empty. I wonder where she is and if she feels like shit also. I slowly sit up, having to reach out and steady myself by placing my hands on the bed because the room is making me feel like I’m on the tilt-a-whirl ride at the fair.

Swinging my legs off the side of the bed, I start to stand, but immediately drop back down when the room begins to spin. F**k me! I’m never drinking again in my life! Once I think I’ve gotten the room to stop turning, I stand again. Success! Moving over to my desk, I decide to open my laptop and check my emails, just to make sure I didn’t do something stupid like send something to my father that I’ll live to regret.

Dropping down into my seat, I type in my password–it’s a simple one, password–then I open my email. Before I do anything else, I check my sent folder. Nothing. Thank you, Goddess, for keeping me from doing anything stupid last night. Well, other than the game of truth or dare that I vividly remember. That’s something to think about at another time. I just want to bask in the fact I won’t have my father or the Alpha beating down my door and dragging me out by my hair.

Clicking back over to the incoming mail, I open it to a message from Professor Godrickson.

Miss Holloway,

Sorry for the early email, but I need to speak with you during my office hours today between 4 and 5 PM. If this does not work for you, please let me know and we can discuss a time that would be more feasible for you to come in.

Thank you,

Professor Godrickson

What the hell does he want?

I’m still stewing over it when I hear the bedroom door open and shut behind me. “Oh, you’re awake,” Wylla says softly, making me think either she also has a hangover, or she’s pretty confident I do and is taking pity on me. Either way, I’m one hundred percent okay with her toning down her bubbly a*s self this morning.

“Yeah,” I muster, still worrying over what Godrickson wants to see me about.

“What’s wrong? You look like someone’s pissed in your cornflakes. You just woke up. What could have happened between the time I left the room to take a shower and now?” she asks as she sits down on the edge of her bed, looking at me intently. I can see how concerned she is, but when she speaks up, I know what has her looking at me the way she is. “Did your dad contact you? Or your Alpha? Are they making more demands of you?” she rattles off in succession.

“Umm… Professor Godrickson wants to see me today during his office hours,” I mumble nervously.

“You lucky a*s bitch, f**k me. I mean, I wish he would f**k me.” She cackles in excitement as she fans herself with her hand. “I’d kill to be alone in his office with him. Your fine tail better wear a short a*s f*****g skirt and no underwear and make sure to bend over and show him that tight, pretty p***y of yours.” I feel my face growing warm and my panties becoming damp at the image her words create.

“Wylla, stop. What if it’s serious? I can’t be failing because school just started. I’m freaked the f**k out, and you’re over here making s*x jokes.”

“Girl, you’re worrying about nothing. Maybe he just has an extra credit assignment for you,” she says, tossing me a flirtatious wink as she spreads her legs wide, allowing her towel to ride up and bare her naked p***y to me.

F**k me, this woman has my hormones on overload. I’ve never been drawn to a woman like I am to her. Seeing her there, freshly showered, legs open with her clean shaven core on display, I want to sink to my knees on the floor in front of her and have a taste.

“Magz… Magz…” She pulls me from my erotic fantasy. “Where did you go? Look, it will be okay. Go shower, get dressed, and we’ll go grab some coffee and something to eat.”

“Fine, but Wylla, seriously, have you seen my silhouette? Geesh!” We both let out a laugh, happy to break the tenseness of the situation for a moment before I continue speaking “But really Wylla, what could he want?” I whine to her as I gather my clothes and get my shower caddy to go take a shower.

“Magz… stoppppp! You’re not going to know until you meet with him. So shut up, get dressed, and stop stressing, for Goddess’ sake.” She stands from the bed, and in a few graceful strides, she’s standing in front of me. Reaching her hand up, she takes the stray strands of hair that have fallen into my face and tucks them behind my ear. “Trust me. Everything is going to be okay, and if it’s not, you got me and the lugheads upstairs. We got your back, with everything, baby.” She leans in, places her lips on mine, and k****s me. A k**s so soft and delicate, but so intoxicating. “Now, go shower.” She turns and heads to her closet, looking for something to wear.

Bringing my hands to my lips, I touch them, savoring the way hers felt against mine. I long for them to be back on me. F**k, help me. Between the three c***s upstairs and the p***y in my room, my virgin a*s is scared. How the hell do I handle all this? Are they even going to really want someone as inexperienced as me?

Opening the door, I step into the hallway and head to the shower, my p***y begging for some attention. Goddess, I hope no one is there because I really need to take care of myself.

Standing in front of Professor Godrickson’s door, my nerves are on overload. All I can think about is how he looked at me during class today. Every time I looked up, I saw his eyes on me, the heat of them burning a hole right through me, but he never spoke directly to me.

Jude must have sensed my unease, reaching out and covering my hand with his, squeezing gently. “What’s wrong, Maggie?” he whispered as softly as he could with his deep voice. I shake my head no, hoping he takes it, but no such luck. “Nuh uh, spill it.” His voice was deeper and more forceful.

Leaning in closer to him, keeping my voice low so I don’t draw attention to myself, I explained what was wrong. “Professor Godrickson wants to see me in his office today during his office hours.”

“Want me or the three of us to come with you? It’s probably nothing.” He tried to comfort me with his words.

“Nah, I’m a big girl. I can do it alone. I’ve just got myself worked up.”

Hell, I’m still worked up. Taking a deep breath, I lift my hand and knock on the door.

“Come in!” he shouts out from the other side. Opening the door, I step inside to see him seated behind his desk with a laptop open in front of him.

“Magnolia, thank you for coming in today. Please, shut the door and take a seat,” he tells me as he motions towards the plaid-patterned, wingback chair in front of his desk.

Moving nervously over to the chair, I slowly sit down on the edge of it, keeping my back rigid as I let my bag fall to the floor and cross my hands in my lap. He c***s his eye at me in confusion for a moment before speaking again, “You look nervous, Magnolia. I assure you there is no reason to be. I simply wanted to discuss a couple of things with you.”

“Oh, okay.” I know it sounds like I’m a bumbling idiot, but I truly don’t know what else to freaking say to him.

“First, I just want to make sure you’re okay. The other day when we ran into each other, you seemed upset. I just wanted to check on you.” He pauses, staring at me intently, no doubt waiting for my response. I’m caught off guard. I’ve never had a teacher concerned about me being upset. Why is he?

“Yeah, I’m fine. Had a misunderstanding with a friend, but we’re working through it. Is that all you wanted to discuss with me?” I ask as my shoulders relax a bit, knowing it wasn’t anything too serious. I slide back in my chair and get more comfortable.

“Great, I’d hate to see you upset.” I couldn’t help to feel there was some underlying message in his words. “Now, the second thing I wanted to talk to you about. Your knowledge of the supernatural world is limited, through no fault of your own. Sadly, your pack is one that feels women should be ignorant of the world around them. What I want to do, if you’re in agreement, is offer some private tutoring to get you up to date. We can meet two or three times a week at this time, or whatever is more compatible with your schedule.” He pauses, his eyes laser-focused on me, as he sits in silence.

“Y-y-y-you want to tutor me? That’s what the email was about?” Confusion and relief overwhelm me at the moment.

“Yes.” His response is short and simple. “I feel it would make this semester’s course load easier for you, as well as increase your understanding of the various types of species out there. I imagine it must be confusing for you to encounter species you never knew existed.” He shuts his laptop, placing his elbows on his desk as he leans forward.

“Oh, that sounds good. Would it just be you and me?” F**k, he already has me on edge. How could I handle what I assume would be an hour a day for three days a week?

“Yes. You are the only one at a disadvantage with the knowledge. Is that okay? I promise I won’t bite.” He opens his mouth to say more, but quickly clamps it shut. F*****g great, now all I can think is about him pinning me down and sinking his teeth into me. My panties are damp from my arousal, and I wonder if he can smell it. Shit, I’ll be so embarrassed if he can. I need to hurry this along and get the f**k up out of here.

“Okay, when do you want to start, Professor Godrickson?”

“How’s tomorrow? Same time, same place.” He smiles hopefully at me, and goddess, it makes me want to swoon.

“Perfect. Anything else? If not, then I need to go and take care of my homework.” I bend over, pick my bag up from the floor, and stand as I slide the strap on my shoulder. The whole time I’m doing it I mentally replay Wylla’s words about me doing this very thing except in a skirt and no panties. He stands as well and reaches out to shake my hand. Placing mine in his, I’m stunned by the electrical shock that passes between us. I immediately drop his hand and bolt for the exit, stopping momentarily to wave an awkward goodbye as I open the door and step out into the hallway. What the hell was that?

I’m surprised to see Wylla, leaning against the wall with a book open in her hands and intently reading. “Waiting for me?”

“Yeah, you were pretty worked up this morning, so I figured I’d be here just in case it was bad, which by the absence of tears on your face, I assume it went well?” Pushing off the wall, she quickly closes the book and loops her arm in mine as we walk down the hallway.

“Well, you were right. It wasn’t anything bad. He just wants to do some tutoring sessions to catch me up on the supernatural world and to make sure I was okay from when he saw me the other day. You know, after the whole Zeke in the woods thing. What were you reading? You had a huge a*s smile on your face.”

“Can I say it now? F**k it, I don’t care. I told you so. I told you so,” she sings out to me like a kid before finally calming herself enough to speak again. “Lucky a*s bitch, getting to be alone with that sexy a*s man. I wonder what he’s like in bed. Is he the dominant take charge, whip me around and tell me what to do type, or is he the sweet, cuddle bunny type? I’m down for either. As for what I’m reading, it’s this spicy little number about this girl who goes undercover to find her childhood friend who she believes killed her other best friend. Think criminal minds meets mafia. You should read it, we could have a book club.”

“Sounds amazing, let’s go back to the room and order it, so I can read it too, but we need to wait until after dinner. Jude made me swear we would meet him after my meeting. But before we go, can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“When I touched Professor Godrickson’s hand, I felt a shock run through me. It wasn’t the first time either, it happened before. What do you think it means?”

She’s silent for a moment, almost like she wants to be careful in how she responds. “It could be anything, especially with your unique a*s situation. You throw everything we think through a loop. I’ll do some research and see what I can find out.”

“Perfect. Now about that book…”