Alpha’s Rue: His Shunned Luna (Athena Enchanted) novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94

AELIANA

When I return to the packhouse, it’s late, and I’ve already had dinner with Professor Ellingham so I head straight upstairs.

Seeing the professor again was nothing short of amazing. It felt good seeing someone from Clinshore, especially him. Professor Ellingham has always been an inspiration to me since my junior year. Lecturers didn’t believe in me. Most thought I was only at the university because my father pulled some strings, but I worked my butt off to get into Riverlane University.

Professor Ellingham came not only to visit but also dropped some major news on me once we were done catching up. He told me about a job offer at RU, something more permanent in the research department that could elevate my career. His words still ring in my ears. “This is permanent basis, Hartley. You get to be part of our research team and receive a full scholarship to get your PhD.”

It’s an amazing offer, one that could open doors that I’ve dreamed of. It is exactly the offer I was chasing while tutoring and subbing for other professors. I’m so excited. Professor Ellingham said they emailed me twice and gave a month’s grace period to answer, which is now hanging with a week left because I was unreachable. But that’s not what excites me, it’s that out of every sub, tutor, and more qualified candidates, they picked me. They picked me because of my dedication and work relationship with them. That, and they thought I quit without notice due to the quarterly contracts they always offered me.

This is everything I wanted when I was gone, everything I built myself into. And now it’s real, being handed to me on a silver platter. Upstairs, I run into a shadow, I’m spooked for a moment, but then I smell him, and I pause. He’s leaning against the wall, playing with a pen that he throws across the moment I appear.

“Kingston,” I swallow. “What are you doing here?”

“Where the fuck have you been?” he growls, his voice low and dangerous.

I pause, a smart ass remark tickles the back of my throat, but I swallow it down because he looks upset. “With Professor Ellingham, I dropped him off at the hotel, and we had dinner together.”

He pushes off the wall and in five seconds, he is on me. I try to duck, but he pushes me against the wall and braces one hand behind my head, the other gripping my chin and tilting my face up. His nose brushes against my neck, my hair, my shoulders, sniffing me.

I gasp, pushing him away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“You smell like him,” he growls, his voice vibrating against my skin while he sniffs me again. “Why can’t I scent myself on you? Why do you reek of another man’s perfume, hands…” he trails off, eyes finally meeting mine. “ What the hell is he to you, Aeliana? A friend? A coworker? Mentor? Or something more?”

I can’t believe it.

“Get the fuck away from me,” I snap, pushing at his chest with no avail.

The realisation hits me hard.

He thinks I cheated. After everything, after I gave myself to him, he still thinks I would turn around and fuck the next male who comes my way. It hurts, even though we’ve never had a conversation about it, I always thought he didn’t judge me as much as everyone did. But right now? The accusing stare in his eyes proves me wrong. I’m the same pack slut who fucked a stranger and recorded it for the world to see. “You’re unbelievable.”

1/2

“Who is he to you?” He barks out, harsher than the last time.

+25 Bonus

“Are you serious?” I snap, shoving him again, harder this time, and he steps back an inch. “Professor Ellingham is a Colleague for fucks sake, I tutored and subbed for his classes. He only came here because…” I trail off, noting this isn’t the best time for that conversation. He won’t hear it.

“Because what?” he huffs. “Because he missed you? Tell me the truth, Aeliana.”

“The truth?” I nod. “Fine, he came because he had a job offer on behalf of RU.”

He blinks, “What?”

“He offered me a job, one that could easily become my dream job, and with it comes a scholarship. I get to be part of the research team, I get my own classes to teach, and-”

For a moment, his eyes search mine, fury still burning. “In Clinshore?” He asks, not giving me a chance to respond before he snaps at me. “No, you’re not going.”

I pause, I wasn’t even going to take the job, the fantasy was enough but he won’t let me have that, it makes me want to fight for it now. Maybe this job is exactly what I need right now. “I was in no way asking for your permission.” I counter, “You asked me for the truth and so I gave it to you, but the choice is mine, and last I checked, I didn’t need your permission to make decisions.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify