Page 38 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

He brightens up at my words, relief evident in his eyes. “Thanks, Miss Black. I really appreciate it.”

With that, he hurries off to his next class, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I take a deep breath, trying to push down the panic rising in my chest. This is fine, I can handle this. Just a few more hours until I can go home and have a drink.

But as I make my way down the hallway, I catch a whiff of something that makes my head spin. Blood. Fresh, warm, tantalizing blood.

I freeze in my tracks, my instincts screaming at me to find the source and feed. But I know I can’t. Not here, not now.

I hurry to my car, fumbling with the keys, until I finally manage to unlock the door. I grab one of the blood bags from the mini fridge and down it in one go, the metallic taste flooding my senses.

It’s barely even eleven o’clock, and I’ve already gone through a whole bag. This is not good.

I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down before heading back inside.

It’s going to be a long day, and if it weren’t for those tutoring sessions in the evening, I’d probably just go home and hide under the covers and feed on my supply until I sleep.

The rest of the day is a complete blur. I hear snippets of gossip about other teachers as I work on my lesson plan, names like Mrs. Thompson and Mr. Rodriguez floating around with juicy rumors attached. But as always, I keep my head down and stay off their radar.

No need to get involved in their drama.

Especially not know.

The fact that Mia’s pack has not come after me yet has me on the edge.

The fact that the man who took her body hasn’t either unnerves me.

During lunch, I sneak out to my car to feed. It’s becoming a routine now, a necessity to keep myself from completely losing it.

I down another blood bag, feeling the hunger gnawing at me even as I finish it off. Just two left now, and I’m starting to feel the panic setting in.

By the final bell, I’m ready to call it quits and head home. All this snacking has left my mini fridge with one bag left, and I can’t shake the feeling of emptiness gnawing at my insides.

I’m sitting in the staffroom, idly flipping through my notebook, when I hear a timid little knock on the door. Grayson pokes his head in.

“Hey, Miss Black,” he says, shuffling awkwardly on his feet. “I, uh, just wanted to let you know that I’m done with classes for the day.”

I nod, trying to hide my exhaustion. “Thanks for letting me know, Grayson. And don’t worry about earlier. It’s all good.”

He lets out a sigh of relief, the tension visibly leaving his shoulders. “Thanks, Miss Black. I really didn’t mean to be so disruptive.”

I wave off his apology, trying to be reassuring. “Seriously, it’s fine. We can talk about it in my classroom if you want.”

He nods eagerly. “Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s go.”

I gather my things, and we head to the classroom. The familiar scent of books and chalk dust fills the air, and there’s something oddly comforting about it.

I take a seat at one of the desks, motioning for Grayson to join me. “Alright, let’s talk schedule. When are you free for tutoring sessions?”

He pulls out his own notebook, flipping through the pages until he finds a blank one. “Well, I have soccer practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but other than that, I’m pretty much free.”

I jot down the information, trying to keep my handwriting legible. “Okay, how about Mondays and Wednesdays after school? Does that work for you?”

Grayson nods. “Yeah, that sounds perfect. Thanks, Miss Black.”

I smile, feeling a small spark of pride.

Maybe this tutoring thing won’t be so bad after all.

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