One Night With My Alpha Professor

Audrey

Edwin and I settled at a little round bistro table outside the cafe. It was a warm, sunny day, and we were both eager to sit in the sun and enjoy the fresh air. We ordered a couple of sandwiches and two glasses of iced tea, our cups already condensating with little droplets of water by the time they reached our table.

I trailed my finger through the condensation, eyeing my mate warily as I did. He’d said that I would ‘want to be sitting down’ to hear whatever it was he had to say to me, but he seemed to be taking his time in telling me.

Finally, when Edwin remarked about the dessert menu for the third time, I lost my patience.

“What do you have to tell me?” I blurted out, then lowered my voice when I realized that other diners were watching

us. “You made it out like someone died.”

Edwin quickly shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that, I assure you,” he said. He paused and sucked in a deep lungful of air as he raked his fingers through his dark hair, mussing up the carefully-gelled waves. “It’s… about your past, actually.”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? Don’t tell me I have another secret identity. Maybe the Golden Wolf this time?” I asked with a chuckle.

My mate smirked, but shook his head again. “No. It’s about your adoption. Your parents… they adopted you for selfish

reasons.

know. They wanted welfare checks,” I replied. “I’ve always known that.”

“But there’s more to it,” Edwin said. At that moment, he reached across the table and laced my fingers with his. Only then did my heart begin to pound, because the way he was looking at me just then was the kind of look he only gave me when he had some bad news.

And it was bad news.

Over the next few minutes, our iced teas sat untouched while Edwin explained to me what he had learned-what happened to human children in so many orphanages across Crescent territory.

What had happened to me.

It could have been worse, of course. Far worse. Human children were essentially being sold off as slaves. I was one of the lucky ones, growing up with adoptive parents who just wanted to use my presence in their home to get welfare checks.

But it didn’t make it any less jarring.

By the time Edwin was finished explaining, I leaned back in my chair, my eyes wide as saucers. Our sandwiches must have come at some point, but I hadn’t even noticed the waiter coming by. Suddenly, I had no appetite anyway.

“I’m sorry,” Edwin said softly.

I snapped my eyes up at him. “Sorry? It’s not your fault.”

He shook his head. “This has been happening right under my nose for years. If I had only looked harder, if I had just paid attention, then I could have stopped it. Maybe not for you, because my father was the Alpha at the time you were adopted, but so many other kids could have been protected.”

The thought sent a pang through my chest, but I refused to let Edwin blame himself. “Well, we’re doing something about it now,” I said.

Edwin was silent.

“We are, aren’t we?” I whispered.

After a few moments, Edwin breathed deeply again and nodded. “Charles is rounding up a task force as we speak. We’re going to work with Silverbite to begin a hiring process for new orphanage directors, and the corrupt ones will be arrested.” “That’s a start,” I muttered, chewing on my lower lip.

Edwin sighed as he watched me. “But I wanted to get your input before we do anything else,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t want to displace the children in the orphanages, because their lives are fragile enough as it is.”

+5

“A good call,” I said slowly. I remembered all too well the pain that other kids in the orphanage often endured, being separated from friends and siblings against their will. I also knew the pain of being happily adopted myself, only to be sent right back when the rug got ripped out from under me.

“But,” Edwin continued, “there is still a long road ahead of us. Many of the orphanages are in shambles. Not to mention tracking down all of the people that adopted human kids through this… program.”

I nodded stiffly. The orphanage where I had grown up was a mess. My first adoptive mother, Meredith, had done her best during her time there, but… The director of the place had never funded any repairs on the building or anything of the sort.

And that orphanage was one of the nicer places to live, too.

“The orphanages should be fixed up,” I said, glancing up at Edwin. “If Crescent has the funding to do it, I mean.”

“We should be able to fund it. But some orphanages, the really derelict ones, may need to be shut down entirely. Some displacement is inevitable.”

I knew that, of course. It didn’t make it hurt any less.

“What about the kids who have already been ‘adopted”?” I asked. “Will they go back to the orphanages? And as for the adults who grew up in this system and are now suffering because of it..”

“That’s what I was hoping you could help with,” Edwin replied. “You know what it’s like to claw your way up after a rough upbringing. If we could make some sort of program for those who have been affected, then it could be a good start…”

Over the remainder of our lunch, we discussed ideas for charity benefit programs as well as what to do with the kids who needed to be rescued from these bad situations. Edwin was right, we did have a long road ahead of us.

But I was the Silver Star and Luna of Crescent, and I’d made a promise to help whoever I could, no matter the personal risks. Even if I didn’t sleep for a month just to help one kid, then I’d do it in a heartbeat.

No one had helped me as a kid. No one-not my teachers, not my peers, not even my doctors-even noticed that I was suffering.

I wanted to make sure that if there were other kids who had no one to notice that they needed help, that I would be that person for them.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

And besides, it gave me some sense of purpose. Since I still didn’t know what the hell I wanted to do with my degree.

By the time we finished our food, we had a decent plan set in place. We’d start drafting up some action plans and go from there. There was some hope on the horizon.

“By the way,” Edwin said as he paid the check, “what were you doing in that empty shop earlier?”

I felt my cheeks turn pink. “Nothing.”

“Oh, nothing?” he quipped. “Not attending an open house or anything?”

I shook my head, but before I could stop him, Edwin’s hand shot out and grabbed the realtor’s pamphlet from my pocket.

He flipped it open, scamming the contents-particularly the price of the building

“We can afford this, you know,” he said softly, glancing up at me Even if you just wanted it for a studio”

“No.” 1 frowned and took the pamphlet back. “I told your that I want to make my own way. If I can’t afford it on my own, then I’m not buying it.”

Edwin stared at me for a moment, and I felt my neck heat under his gaze. Truthfully, I had very little money of my own right now. I had a bit that I’d saved up over the years in college as well as some award money from graduation, but it was hardly enough to rent out a studio apartment of my own.

Finally, with a somewhat amused sigh, Edwin rted. “I do admire your dedication, Audrey. But the offer always starfs

I offered him a small smile. “I know. And I really, really appreciate it. Trust me.”

Edwin smiled back at me and turned, peering down the street toward the empty store. From here, I could see the realtor locking up the wrought iron gate for the day.

Maybe someday, that could be me-locking up my own little shop after a day of hard work.

But not today.