Page 13 of Alpha Varsity

Unless he doesn’t know what happened. In which case, I should keep my mouth shut. Ack–I don’t know how to play this!

“Carlotta.” His gaze is disapproving to say the least. “Have a seat.”

I sit in the chair opposite him and cross my legs.

“I came in this morning to find your clothing strewn throughout the hallway. Care to explain?”

My face burns hot. Fate, I hope he assumed it was because I shifted and not that I had hot and heavy sex with someone in the school.

“I am so sorry. I had a…mishap last night.”

“Of what nature?”

“This is really embarrassing, but the truth is, I haven’t shifted since I left for college.” I force my hands to stop fidgeting in my lap by holding them tightly together. “After the first few months, I found the full moons actually weakened my energy and life force. But last night while I was painting here, I heard the pack howls, and my wolf awoke. It was like I was a prepubescent teen again–I had no control over the shift. I ran to get out of the school. When I returned, I discovered I’d locked myself out. I planned to come in early to rectify the clothing in the hall situation, but somehow, I guess as a result of my first shift in almost five years, I completely overslept.”

I leave out the part about realizing my fated mate is here, in Wolf Ridge. A member of this pack. What are the chances? Of all the hundreds of thousands of wolves scattered across the globe, my fated mate would be from my hometown. The place I am desperate to get out of.

Principal Olsen frowns, exuding that alpha power and sternness that makes him a good principal to a school full ofwolf shifters. “You should have contacted me last night when you realized you were locked out.”

“Yes, sir.” I want to throw out the excuse that my phone was locked inside as well, but I could have gone to my parents’ house to borrow one of theirs. I just didn’t want to admit to my mom anything of what had transpired.

“You’re right. The truth is, I lost control, and then I was embarrassed, and my failure to take responsibility for my actions made it all worse. I’m sorry.”

“I’m guessing Eric Damonella found your panties somewhere on campus?”

My face flames hotter. Is it possible to die of humiliation? It’s not, right? Because it really seems like I might die right here, right now.

I clear my throat. “Uh, yeah, that’s my guess, too.”

“I understand he claimed to other students that he had sex with you.”

Gross. As if I’d have sex with a student.

Having a kid telling everyone he screwed me was the kind of pervy shit I expected from the situation. What I didn’t expect was having Asher Martin defend me.

What was that about?

The guy literally hates me. He sits in the back of my class and mutters backtalk the entire period. I’ve already given him detention twice for his behavior in my class, and I’ve only been teaching at Wolf Ridge for two weeks.

Asher never does any of the work I assign. I predict he will be benched soon from playing football because he’s failing my class. Which will be a problem, since I understand he’s one of the school’s star players.

I don’t relish delivering that punishment, though. It will just give him another reason to believe I ruined his life.

“I’m sure you know that’s not true. That would be highly unethical.”

“Yes. I questioned him. He lied about spreading rumors about you, but he told the truth when I asked point-blank if he’d had sexual relations of any kind with you.”

I nod.

“I don’t want rumors spread about my teachers sleeping with their students in this school. I don’t want teacher’s panties being handed around by students. If you can’t get control of your wolf around the full moon, stay away from this school after hours. I gave you keys and permission to use the art studio on your own time as a favor. Don’t make me regret it. Understood?”

“Yes, sir. Perfectly.”

I hesitate. Before he dismisses me, I have to ask about Asher.

“Given that it was my folly that caused the fight in my classroom, I hope you, um, didn’t go too hard on Asher. He was just…acting gentlemanly, to be honest.”

I don’t know why that idea makes a knot tighten under my ribs.

---