I Kissed My Professor And He Liked It

Ella’s POV “Rachel?” | breathed, staring at my friend from across the room. She stood at the doorway, leaning against the fras if it hurt her to stand straight, but she tried to play it off cool. “You were released from the hospital?” “Looks that way,” she said in return, narrowing her eyes at me.

“How are you feeling?” | asked, stepping toward her. Everyone else was quiet, almost awkwardly so.

“Like | was stabbed in the stomach,” she said almost bitterly. After a moment of being shocked, she cracked a smile, showing that she was mainly joking.

“I'm really glad you're back,” | breathed, placing my hand on her shoulder and not wanting to hurt her any further than she was already hurt.

Becca on the other hand didn’t give her that scourtesy. She rushed pastand threw her arms around her, nearly knocking them both to the ground.“l can’t believe you are here!” Becca cried. “I'm so happy!” Rachel gavea wary look as Becca hugged her; it confusedbecause | knew how close they had gotten this year. Withbeing with Colton all the time, they were left alone often and bonded. They were becoming very good friends; but in this case, it was almost like Rachel hardly recognized her.

After a brief hesitation, Rachel finally lifted her arms and wrapped them around Becca, returning to the very awkward embrace.

“We weren't expecting you to be here,” | said, narrowing my eyes at her. “Are you sure you're feeling up for a banquet?” “Of course,” she said, plastering a smile on her face. “Alpha Jonathan was kind enough to provide shospitality. So, I'll be staying here for a little while.” That was shocking to me. | knew Rachel wasn’t the biggest fan of Alpha Jonathan, none of us were. Now that Rachel had cut ties with her father again in the hospital, | thought she'd cut ties with Jonathan as well.

But as if on cue to my thoughts, Raymond enters the room, making my heart fall deep into my stomach.

“Oh, hello, Ella,” he said, givinga smile that madefeel uneasy.

“Raymond...” | said in a greeting, glad that my voice didn’t quiver. “What are you doing here?” He raised his brows and then placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder. She looked lost. Her eyes were practically hollow; what was going on with her? | couldn’t be the only one to notice this. | looked at my friends and saw that Becca's eyes were furrowed together and Kay looked pale.

Okay, so | definitely wasn’t the only one who noticed this.

“Why wouldn't | be here? Alpha Jonathan is my business partner so naturally; | would cto his banquet. Not to mention my daughter is here, so I'm here.” Rachel said nothing, she just looked at me.

“I thought Rachel cut you off,” | said, still looking at Rachel. “I thought you argued in the hospital.” This made Raymond laugh humorlessly.

“She would never cutoff,” he said, squeezing her shoulder so hard | was surprised Rachel didn’t flinch in pain. | was flinching for her. “Sometimes we argue, but | will never allow that to cbetween my relationship with my daughter. Isn't that right?” He asked, looking down at her.

She nodded without hesitation.

“He is my father,” she said, givinga plastered and non-Rachel smile.

“Ella bean!” My mother said as she rushed into the living room.

| was relieved to see her, and | instantly melted in her arms as she wrappedin her motherly embrace.

“Your father just filledin on what was going on,” she breathed, huggingtighter. She then turned to Brianna and wrapped herself in a hug. “Hi, dear.” | had almost forgotten that Bri was still there; | was surprised she didn’t slip out of the living room to go to her mate. But she stayed fairly close to me.

“How are you doing?” My mother asked for only her ears, but | still heard her.

“I...I don’t know...” Brianna whispered, tears filling her eyes again. “I don't know how to feel... I'm just so tired.” “I know,” my mother said, hugging her tighter. “Bastien is dealing with everything right now. They finally got them to stop fighting.” “Is one of them going to leave?” | asked, a lump forming in my throat. I didn’t want Ethan to leave, but if his presence made Brianna uncomfortable, | suppose he would have to. Colton wouldn't like that one bit, but he will have to be okay with it.

It’s not like | am unprotected; my father was still here, and | could always get Jack to return. We could say that my father requested it just like he requested Beta Ethan to accompany him while his own Beta, my Uncle Aiden, was tending to the Nova pack.

My mother held Brianna at arm's length, keeping a hand on each of her shoulders. She looked into Bri’s eyes as she spoke these next words.

“Whichever one your wolf chooses, the other will leave,” she said slowly. “The decision is yours alone.” Bri stared at her for a moment longer before her eyes began to glow an emerald, green color.

“Mate...” My mother smiled and nodded.

“Yes, Amira,” my mother said, speaking to Bri’s wolf. “Go to your mate.” Without hesitation, Bri took off from the living room.

| wasn’t going to miss this one and | knew my friends felt the same. We all looked at one another for a moment before rushing out of the living room and following Bri to the front door of the packhouse. There were women and men that | didn’t recognize crowding around the front foyer.

At that moment, | realized the entire foyer smelled like the delicious foods that were still cooking in the kitchen. | was starving and oddly enough, | couldn't wait to eat.

I mainly just wanted to get this evening over with; but also, | really wanted to eat.

Bri shoved through the crowd of people who then parted for the rest of us, watching with curiosity as she made her way to the main door. She walked with a mission, and | knew her wolf was taking control, but keeping her human form.

Her wolf knew exactly what she wanted; she knew exactly who her mate was. It left the rest of us in our seats, wondering who it was.

Could it be Alex, the mate who broke her heart by rejecting her? The one that Bri spent the past month crying over and isolating herself. She could hardly get out of bed and her wolf could hardly function properly. Rejection was the most painful thing for any wolf, and | hated that my best friend had to experience it.

Or could it be Ethan, her second chance mate? Colton’s Beta and a fairly decent guy from what | know about him. But Bri doesn’t know him at all; she’s never met him. There's no emotional attachment to him.

| had a feeling | knew who she was going to choose.

She stepped outside, allowing the cold night air to attack her skin. She breathed in as the wind brushed through her hair.

Ethan and Alex were still growling at one another. But my father had a hold of Ethan and Alpha Jonathan had a hold on Alex. But as soon as Brianna stepped outside, both Ethan and Alex looked in her direction.

Brianna didn’t miss a beat; she walked down the front steps and across the pauntil she reached the grassy area the men were fighting on. She glanced at the patch of dirt that was dug up from the fighting and the blood that was seeping through the soil.

| grimaced at the blood, but Brianna didn’t seem to care. She continued to walk with her head held high. She swayed her hips, and | smiled knowing that was all Amira. She has always been a sassy wolf; | admired that about her. Even Val was chuckling.

Alex was still growling ferociously, but Ethan had stopped. His wolf was calm now and he couldn't take his eyes off Brianna. It looked like there were a million things he wanted to say but refrained from speaking. He wanted Bri to do the speaking.

| found myself holding my breath, bracing for her to choose Alex. | knew it was coming; it was inevitable.She paused in front of them; she looked at each of them. She turned to Alex, just as | expected.

“Mate...” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

A growl escaped from Ethan, but he kept himself under control. | even heard him whimper in distress; my father had a strong hold on him. Brianna ignored him though and kept her eyes on Alex.

“I loved you and you letdown...” Brianna continued, staring at Alex. “You rejected me... you didn’t want me.

You leftbroken and confused all month. | felt useless... you usedfor higher rank and when you found an even higher-ranking, she-wolf, you left me. What happened Alex? Did she decide you weren't worth it?” He growled with frustration.

“I decided | didn’t want her,” he said in a lowly growl. “It's always been you, Brianna. You are my mate. | made a mistake.” “Maybe...” she breathed, almost sounding bored. “Mistakes can usually be fixed....” She paused as she watched the relief flood across his face. My heart was breaking for Ethan whose wolf was whimpering and growling inside of him. “But not this one...” she continued, making my breathing stop.

“What?” Alex asked, furrowing his brows together.

“This mistake cannot be fixed. I, Brianna Channing, of the nova pack, reject you, Alexander, gamma of the nova pack.”