"Yours," Bria whispered, fiddling with the buttons on my shirt. "I'm... yours."

Listening to the words come out of her mouth made me feel so good. I had waited forty-three years to find my mate, forty-three long lonely years. And I so desperately wanted to really have her, wanted to sink my teeth into her pretty neck and claim her as my own.

But she was a human.

She'd need time to adjust to the reality of me being a man who could transform into a feral, savage, violent wolf. She'd need even more time to make that shift herself. Plenty of humans didn't survive their first transformation, and I wanted to make my Bria strong enough. I couldn't lose her.

"You're mine," I repeated.

"Only yours?" she asked again, her breath hitching.

"Only mine."

"But I'm your student."

And she was my mate too, but I couldn't tell her that. She wouldn't understand. Not yet.

"That doesn't make a difference to me," I said, taking her chin in my hand and forcing her to look up at me with those big beautiful eyes. "I will have you no matter who you are to me, no matter who tries to take you away from me, no matter what." I moved closer to her to whisper in her ear. "You will forever be mine."

After inhaling sharply, Bria shuffled awkwardly between me and the door and tried to hide a grin. I could smell her cunt again. She loved this. She loved the mere thought of her being mine forever and always.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it, too.

Her phone buzzed, and she jumped up in surprise. "I have to get to my next class."

Reluctantly, I stepped away from her, leaned against my desk, and crossed my arms over my chest. "We have a quiz tomorrow. You better be in class bright and early, Bria, or else I'll come and find you."

Bria pressed her lips together to suppress a smile. "And do what?"

A growl escaped my lips, which made Bria widen her eyes in excitement. "Or I'll drag you back here from your dorm room and lay you over my knee."

Cheeks flushing red, she grasped the door handle. "I guess that I'll sleep in tomorrow."

My lips curled into a smirk. The thought of Bria lying across my lap with my hand smacking her ass until it was red made me hard. She would be in class tomorrow, but one day I was sure that I'd get to spank her until her pussy was sopping fucking wet for me.

Just as she was about to exit the room, she paused and glanced under my shelf. "Can I have my library book back?"

After glancing under the shelf, I tensed when I saw Legend of Lycaon glimmering under the dark shelf like an ancient artifact aching to be found. Picking it up, I held it in my hands and gestured toward it. "Why do you want this?"

This wasn't just any book.

This was a Greek mythology book about the first lycan.

Bria inhaled sharply and chewed on the inside of her lip, making eye contact with me for the briefest moment but then looking away as if she was afraid of what I'd say or what I'd do. "Because I do..."

"For a class?"

"No."

"For pleasure?"

"Kinda..."

I handed the book back to her after a couple moments. She took it from me and held it to her chest, swallowing hard and glancing back up at me. With that, she opened the door and walked out. At the very last moment, she turned around and threw me a smile over her shoulder. "And, Professor Lee, I never switched out of your class."

She disappeared down the hall and around the corner. I stood in my office with my lips pulled into a smile. Bria knew exactly what she was doing when she showed up at my office with that book in her hands. She wanted me to get angry, to get possessive and jealous. She got what she wanted.

When I heard the classics building door closed, I locked my office door and followed Bria's scent. Danger still lingered on this campus, and I wouldn't let Alpha Adan take my mate, especially now that I was so fucking close to having her.

Bria walked through the quad, waving to a couple people, including Levi, then walked through the English building doors. I watched her disappear into the building and marched up to Levi who laid on the grass with his shirt off and a pair of sunglasses on his face.

"What's up?" he asked me, leaning back on his elbows and crossing his ankles.

"I need you to keep an eye on Bria," I said through clenched teeth, even though I absolutely hated the thought of it. It was less suspicious if Levi and Jasmine were watching her too, especially when I needed to teach class or had pack business to take care of.

Levi lifted his sunglasses to his forehead. "You're serious?"

"Yes."

"I thought you wanted me to stay away from her."

"I don't want you touching her or flirting with her," I snapped. "But I need you to protect her. Alpha Adan is getting closer to the university and he's looking for her. You and Jasmine are the only people who know Bria and who I trust to keep her safe."

Brows drawn together, Levi paused for a couple moments, then tensed. "Goddess, she's our lu—"

I growled to shut him up really quick. "Don't fucking say it out loud," I scolded. "I don't know who is listening and working for Adan. All I need you and Jasmine to do is protect her while I'm not around."

Levi stood and nodded. "You can count on me."

Narrowing my eyes, I arched a brow at him. "No flirting."

"No flirting."

"No touching."

"No touching," Levi repeated.

The thought of anyone touching my mate made me more than just rageful.

Unable to stop myself, I wrapped my hand around his neck and let my canines lengthen just enough for him to see them. "If I find out that you have done either or let anyone do either to her, I will personally rip your throat out and feed it to you."

My words came out harsh, but I couldn't help them. Bria was my mate who would only ever be with me. She wouldn't be touched by another man.

"Bria's mine."