Mated to Her Alpha Instructor (Eileen and Regis) novel Chapter 137

Chapter 137

Derek

I sat in the corner of the dining hall, picking at my roasted venison while Lyra chattered across from me. She was a first–year in Combat–young, eager, and

refreshingly easy to be around. No probing questions about where I’d been or who I’d talked to. Just wide–eyed admiration and the kind of laughing

attention that made a man feel good about himself.

‘So you’re really leaving in a few days?” She leaned forward, her expression genuinely disappointed. “Three whole months at the border?*

‘Practical combat training,” I said, letting my gaze drift around the room. The restaurant was one of the nicer places near campus–not fancy enough to break a student’s budget, but respectable. Celeste would’ve turned her nose up at it, of course. She always wanted the best tables, the finest wine, the kind of atmosphere that screamed status. Lyra, though? She’d been thrilled when I suggested meeting here.

That sounds dangerous, she murmured, eyes bright with concern that felt oddly flattering.

I shrugged, going for nonchalant. “It’s what we train for.”

She smiled at that, and I felt myself relax. This was simpler. No demands, no expectations beyond enjoying her company. Celeste had been getting clingy lately asking pointed questions about our future” and hinting that she wanted to make things official with her family. Lyra didn’t ask for anything except-

Movement near the back of the restaurant caught my eye.

I went still.

Alpha Regis Vane, the legend himself–youngest senior combat instructor in academy history, pure–blooded heir to one of the oldest families in the territory. I’d heard plenty about him from classmates who’d been lucky enough to get into his advanced sections, but I’d rarely been close enough to study him properly.

He emerged from one of the private dining rooms, his posture as controlled and precise as I’d expect from someone of his reputation. The kind of presence that made other wolves instinctively step back.

But it wasn’t Alpha Vane that made my breath catch.

I forced myself to look at her, to arrange my expression into something normal. “Yeah. Just thought I recognized someone.”

She followed my gaze toward the now–empty doorway, curiosity flickering across her features, but I picked up my wine glass and she let it drop.

My mind was spinning.

The rumors had been circulating for days–whispers that Alpha Vane carried the scent of a woman, that his usual razor–sharp focus in training sessions had softened around the edges. The prevailing theory was that he’d finally taken a high–born mate from one of the allied families. Someone appropriate for a

man of his station.

Not Eileen. Never Eileen.

The girl who’d followed me around for a year like a lost puppy. The no–wolf who’d stared at me with those big, hopeful eyes every time I deigned to speak to her. The one who’d practically begged for scraps of my attention.