One Night With My Alpha Professor novel Chapter 185

Chapter 185
Edwin
After comforting Audrey for a little while, I eventually left her and made my way through the quiet house. I didn’t want to let her go, but I had a promise to keep, after all.
I found Peter standing on the second-floor balcony, leaning against the railing and staring out into the night. The orange ember of a cigarette glowed in his mouth, and I watched as he flicked it over the railing and the ash got caught up in the wind below.
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“How many times do I have to tell you not to smoke?”
My brother startled at the sound of my voice, shoulders stiffening, but didn’t respond, didn’t even turn to look at me. I stood there in the doorway for a moment after that, debating whether it was a silent order to leave him the hell alone or that he simply didn’t care if I was here.
Finally, I cleared my throat. “Mind if I join you? Standing, I mean. Not smoking.”
Peter shrugged without turning around. “Free country.”
I stepped up beside him, mimicking his posture. We stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity, the cold night air biting at our skin. The tops of the snow-capped pine trees swayed in the wind, sending little flurries of white powder raining down on the ground below.
I loved winters here. It was so peaceful, so quiet. If I reached my hand out, I could touch one of the towering pines, feel its bark against my hand. And I did. I ran my palm across the rough surface, feeling its coldness against my skin.
“I’m sorry,” I said at long last, breaking the silence. “For attacking you earlier.”
Peter huffed. “You’ve still got a knack for fighting, even though you haven’t done it in over a decade.”
I knew that the comment was meant to be a compliment, but it made me flinch.
“Well,” I said, “I am sorry. I was jealous and angry about what Dad did, and I took it out on you.”
Peter took a long drag of his cigarette, held it, then let it out, his breath forming a cloud in the cold air. “Yeah, well, I can be pretty abrasive too. I probably didn’t help matters by taking Audrey off on her own like that.”
I glanced at him, surprised by the admission. “Still, I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”
“No, you shouldn’t have, Peter agreed with an infuriating smirk. But then, after a pause, his expression turned serious and he added, “But I get it. Truthfully, I’m… I’m jealous of you two.
I blinked, taken aback. “Jealous?”
Peter nodded, still not meeting my gaze. “You’re the Alpha with a beautiful mate who’s also the Silver Star. And the way Audrey looks at you, with so much love…. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I would never try to take that from you, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish I had something like that.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. All this time, I’d been so caught up in my own insecurities, always assuming that all of my brothers saw me as just as much of a failure as my own father did, but this
“You’ll find your mate someday, Peter,” I said, trying to sound reassuring.
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Chapter 185
But Peter just scoffed. “Mayle. But even if I did, there’s no guarantee we’d truly click. Look at our parents-fated mates who hate each other and only ever got married because of the bond.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Our parents’ relationship was hardly a shining example of mate-bond bliss. They had never liked each other, not even in the beginning. But in their generation, once you found your fated mate, you didn’t sever the bond. It was practically unheard of then, seen only as a fringe thing that crazy people did. Even if your relationship with your fated
mate was a toxic mess.
“I hate him, you know,” Peter said suddenly, spewing out another cloud of cigarette smoke like venom. “Our father. He’s a b**d who tears this family apart. The way he treated us growing up, especially you… I hate it. But there’s nothing we can do about that.”
I was quiet for a moment, considering his words. It didn’t come as much of a shock; I was pretty certain that even Malakai and Axel, in their own way, despised our father. But none of us, not even Peter, had ever said it out loud. Except for maybe
Eliza
Then, slowly, I said, “Maybe there is something we can do.”
Peter turned to look at me, eyebrow quirked. “Oh? Enlighten me
“We can get along.” I said simply. “At the very least, the three of us-you, me, and Eliza. Even if our parents suck and Malakai and Axel are lost causes, we have each other. We shouldn’t be fighting.”
Peter stared at me for a long moment, then let out a short laugh. Look at you, all full of team spirit. Where is this coming from?”
I smiled ruefully. “It wasn’t my idea, actually. It was Audrey’s.”
“Ah,” Peter nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips as he took one last drag of his cigarette and put the butt out on the stone railing. “I should have known. She’s too good for any of us, that one.”
“She is,” I agreed, turning fully to face him. “But regardless, she’s part of our family now, Peter. She has suffered too, and she needs support. She needs to feel safe and accepted, not like a thing to be talked about and belittled and fought over.”
Peter nodded, his expression growing serious once more. “You’re right. Just because we’ve gotten used to being treated like **t doesn’t mean that others need be roped into the good old Brooks family antics.”
We fell into silence again, but this time it was more comfortable. The tension that had been between us for so long seemed to be dissipating, even if only a little.
Finally, Peter spoke up. “You know, I could help you and Audrey, if you want.”
“How!”
“With her shifting,” Peter explained. “I could help train her to shift for the first time so she can protect herself. I understand the difficulties and have some methods that could really help her
I hesitated for a moment, remembering how I’d reacted earlier when I had seen them together. But I pushed that jealousy aside. This was about Audrey, about helping her. I had made a promise to her.
“That would be great, I said, extending my hand. “Thank you.”
Peter shook it firmly, that smirk of his playing at his lips once again. “Just so long as you don’t freak out if I have to touch her during training
1rolled my eyes, giving him a light smack on the arm. “Don’t push it.”
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Chapter 185
“I’m kidding. Peter grinned, holding up his hands in surrender
“I know.”
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We made our way back inside, the warmth of the house a welcome sensation after the cold night air. As we entered the living room. I paused in the doorway, taking in the scene that was waiting for me.
Audrey and Eliza were curled up together on the couch, a thick blanket draped over their laps. They were chatting animatedly, mugs of what smelled like hot cocoa clutched in their hands. Audrey’s eyes were still a bit red from crying, but she was smiling now, laughing at something Eliza had said.
I leaned against the doorframe and stuffed my hands in my pockets, content to just watch them for a moment. It warmed my heart to see Audrey bonding with my sister. This was what family should be like, I realized. And family was all that Audrey ever really wanted.
Peter nudged me with his elbow. “You’re staring, brother,” he whispered teasingly.
I was about to retort when I noticed the clock on the mantel. It was just a few minutes to midnight. The New Year was almost
upon us.
One year since I had met her.
Sensing my gaze, Audrey looked up, her eyes meeting mine. Her smile widened ever so slightly, and I felt my heart s**p a beat. Peter, reading the situation, moved to the coffee table and began to deal cards for himself and Eliza.
I held my hand out to Audrey, a silent apology in my eyes.
She rose, coming to my side without hesitation.