“Okay, okay, relax,” Mac hissed, holding Wilson steady so he wouldn’t hurt himself. “I’m going to pull out slowly. You have to hold still.”
Wilson froze--until Mac started to pull his knot out, at least. Then he let out a strangled cry and gripped Mac’s wrists until the alpha thought they might snap. “Stop! Stop stop stop stop stop. You were right. You can’t pull out.”
Mac couldn’t help but chuckle a little. He liked being right. “We’ll lie here until my knot goes down,” he said.
Wilson nodded in agreement and rested his head against Mac’s chest, though he seemed reluctant to. Mac was happy to hold him in silence, tracing circles on the omega’s skin. Eventually, instead of just waiting for their bodies to separate, the two men fell asleep together.
Mac’s last thought before he began to dream of Wilson was that he would give anything to have this night last forever.
Chapter 7
When Wilson woke up the next morning, it took him a moment to remember everything that had happened the night before. Mac had come to apologize, but Wilson hadn’t canceled the class because of the kiss. No, he had decided he was going to carry on and act as if nothing happened. He canceled the class because he went into heat. If he hadn’t slept with Mac, he would’ve had to cancel all his classes for the next week--which was fully what he had expected to do. And he wasn’t going to lie about it, either.
The truth was, he’d pounced on the opportunity to sleep with Mac because he’d been fantasizing about the gorgeous student. He’d never thought his fantasies were going to become a reality, though, and if they weren’t sharing a bed together when Wilson woke up, he would’ve thought he’d dreamed the whole thing.
Wilson felt incredibly dirty for sleeping with one of his students. That was crossing a line that Wilson had never thought he would even go near. He turned his head to glance back at Mac. Most alphas didn’t really stick around after sex unless they were in a serious relationship. Wilson had expected Mac to be long gone by the time he got out of bed. But the man was still asleep, and Wilson wasn’t going to disturb him. That awkward moment could wait until later.
He carefully rolled out of bed so he wouldn’t disturb Mac. He walked to the bathroom, stopping on the way to get a set of clothes.
When he turned the shower on, it was if he could feel the hot water washing away the lingering effects of the heat. The shower--plus everything else that happened last night--had Wilson feeling completely normal. If not more relaxed.
The only problem with the shower was that there was nothing to stop his mind from wandering. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened last night. Wilson should've never invited a student into his apartment. Especially an alpha. And while he was in heat!
But when Mac had asked if he could help Wilson, there was only one thing that he could think of--and he wanted it bad. Wilson had thrown himself onto Mac and practically begged him to relieve the pain. How could the other man say no?
Wilson had seduced an alpha while he was in heat. Even worse, Wilson had seduced his student. The Dean’s son. Wilson knew he fucked up. He should’ve stayed as far away from Mac as he could have.
When Wilson stepped out of the shower, he felt completely refreshed. Physically, at least. Mentally, he was still beating himself up. When he walked out of the bathroom, Mac was awake and looking around in Wilson’s fridge.
Mac looked slightly sheepish for being caught. “I’m just really hungry after last night,” he said.
Wilson gave the alpha a small smile. “I can cook some breakfast.”
The omega had no idea why he invited Mac to stay at his apartment for breakfast. But part of his brain whispered something to him that he couldn’t deny. They had already had sex together. Why not enjoy the rest of their time together? Soon, the moment would be gone and they could never repeat it.
Wilson replaced Mac in front of the fridge, looking at what he had to make them for breakfast. He decided on eggs and sausage and started to cook.
He had expected Mac to go watch television or something, not to stand in the kitchen and watch him. But Mac leaned against the counter, his eyes on Wilson’s figure. It kind of reminded Wilson of the way Mac normally stared at him in class.
Wilson tried his best to ignore Mac’s presence in the kitchen. The alpha standing so close to him made Wilson wanted to have a repeat of last night. His energy was distracting to say the least. Wilson knew that he wanted a repeat, too--he just needed to have self-control this time.
He flipped the eggs and turned the sausage, trying desperately to ignore what felt like heat pouring off of Mac.
The man in question moved closer to Wilson. The closer he was, the harder it was for Wilson to concentrate. He was just cooking breakfast. It shouldn’t be this difficult.
Then Mac wrapped his arms around Wilson’s waist. The professor wanted to melt into his touch. Something about Mac’s skin lit Wilson’s on fire. Even the smallest platonic touch was impossible to ignore.
Wilson couldn’t help but relax into Mac’s touch. This was going to be the only time this was allowed, and he was only allowing it so he could enjoy the experience before it was gone forever.
Once Wilson finished cooking, the two men sat together at Wilson’s small dining room table. It was really meant for one, not two--especially not when one of them was as big and broad as Mac. They didn’t say much, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. Wilson enjoyed being around Mac no matter what they were doing, and he was pretty sure the other man felt the same way.
“Thank you,” Mac said.
The words were surprising to Wilson. “For what?”
“For your hospitality,” Mac answered. “You could’ve kicked me out last night. Let alone this morning… but instead, you cooked me breakfast.”
Wilson shrugged. “It’s the least I could do, I suppose. You did help me out last night. I would still be in pain if it wasn’t for you.”
Mac smirked at him from across the table. “I can definitely say that it was my pleasure.”
The two men lapsed back into their comfortable silence and finished their food. Mac even stuck around to help Wilson clean up. But after everything, it was definitely time for him to go. Luckily, Mac seemed to know that on his own before Wilson had to say anything.
“You do know that this can never happen again, don’t you?” Wilson asked as Mac made his way to the door.
Mac looked away, but he nodded.
“It’s not that it wasn’t amazing, but it is completely unprofessional. I could get fired,” Wilson said.
Mac nodded again.
“You can’t tell a soul,” Wilson continued.
“I know, Wilson. You don’t have to worry. I know this could put you in a bad place since you’re a professor. I respect that and I will never speak a word about any of this,” Mac said earnestly.
“Well, goodbye then,” Wilson sighed.
Mac didn’t say anything more. He placed a soft kiss on Wilson’s lips and was out the door.
After Mac left, Wilson had a terrible feeling that he couldn’t explain. He already missed Mac’s presence in his apartment, but he needed to accept that it was never going to happen again. Last night should’ve never happened in the first place, and Wilson definitely couldn’t have feelings for a student.
He slunk back to bed and lay down. His sheets still smelled of the mingled scents of the two men. Wilson breathed deeply, trying to take in the smell as much as he could.
The omega was completely surprised with how Mac had acted this morning. He had completely understood Wilson’s anxiety about the situation. Normally alphas wanted everything their way, but he had been so ready to accept what Wilson had been saying. It was almost as if he actually cared. It was almost as if he was different.
As much as Wilson wished that Mac was different, he knew deep down inside that it wasn’t true. All alphas were the same, no matter how much they tried to hide it. And he wasn’t going to fall for it again. Wilson would neve
r put himself back into that situation. He was done with alphas.
No matter how alluring Mac was, at the end of the day, he was still a student--and that was all he could ever be.
Chapter 8
One Month Later
Mac never went to another one of Wilson’s classes. In fact, the week after they slept together, Mac put in a request to change classes. Of course, his request was approved.
He wasn’t originally going to change classes. He could handle seeing Wilson every other day, even after what had happened. But Mac was worried about his professor. He had been so worried about his professionalism that Mac didn’t want to put him in an awkward position. To protect the omega, Mac hadn’t seen him since the morning after they had slept together.
Every day, Mac had to remind himself that he made the right decision--even though it didn’t exactly feel like it. The alpha yearned to see Wilson’s face. It took a ridiculous amount of willpower to not go and seek the man out during the day. Mac held back because he knew it would probably only hurt Wilson more to see him. He probably seemed like a jerk. He had slept with the man and practically disappeared. But it was for the good of the omega, even if the other man didn’t see it as such. Even if it was hard for Mac to see it as such.
Going through each day was tough. Any time Mac was even close to Wilson’s classroom, it was nearly impossible to not take a detour. There were times when Mac had to run to the nearest bathroom and desperately try not to break something.
Today was no different. His feet wanted to take him to Wilson. He almost had to physically restrain himself. Mac forced himself to keep his feet moving towards his next class. The bile burned at the back of his throat. Why did it feel so wrong if it was the best decision?
The rest of the day was just as terrible. If Mac thought that he couldn’t concentrate last week, he had no idea what this week had in store for him. All he could think about--constantly--was Wilson. Especially what they had done that one night.
You’re coming to family dinner tonight, right?
Mac’s phone buzzed with a message from Ashley. He sighed as he typed out his answer.
Yes.
He didn’t even bother looking at the new message when his phone went off again. Mac wouldn’t go to family dinner if it wasn’t expected. He already knew that his father was going to ask him a million questions about him switching classes. Mac had to say the right things or Wilson was going to get fired, and that was the last thing Mac wanted. If his professor got fired, Mac would never forgive himself.
After Mac finished with classes and football practice, he quickly headed to his place. He only had time to shower and change his clothes before he was off to his parents’ house, dread filling him with every step of the way.
When Mac walked into his parents’ home, he found that everyone was already there and waiting for him. It was slightly awkward, but Mac tried to keep his head down while he got to his seat. When he sat down, he noticed that there was an extra person there. Another man. A man Mac had never met before. Mac was going to question his presence, but his father beat him to it.
“Mac,” he said. “Nice of you to show up. This is the man I’ve been telling you about, Paul Higgins.”
Mac may not have recognized the man, but he instantly recognized his name. This was the omega his father wanted him to marry. Well, more like forcing him. He was seated to Mac’s left, which was a seat that was normally empty.
The man was attractive enough. His dark hair was slicked back, only a few stray bangs falling over his handsome face, and his soft brown eyes were staring intently at Mac, waiting for a reaction.
“Hello, I’m Mac. It’s nice to meet you,” Mac said cordially as he stuck out a hand for Paul to shake. Mac’s father would kill him if he made a bad first impression, but the truth was that Mac didn’t want to touch the man at all.
Paul took Mac’s hand with a smile. “Hi, Mac, I’m Paul. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you, and I look forward to getting to know you better,” he said, a little stiff himself.
Mac forced a smile at Paul’s words and took his hand back. This was bullshit. Mac wanted to be anywhere else but here. Why couldn’t he have gotten some warning that Paul was going to be here?
He looked away from Paul to Ashley, who was sitting across from him. Mac instantly shot his sister a glare. He could understand neither of his parents saying anything, but Mac had never expected Ashley to betray him like that. Especially since she was just texting him.
Ashley simply rolled her eyes at her brother. That was when Mac remembered that he did have an unopened text from her. He quickly pulled out his phone to look at the text.
Paul the omega is here!!!
Now Mac felt completely stupid. He shot her an apologetic glance.
“Mac,” his father’s voice rang throughout the quiet room.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Yes, Father?”
“Don’t go on your phone when we have company,” he scolded. “I want you to tell me why you switched classes. I hired Dr. Pines specifically for you.”
“I appreciate that, Father, but you must remember that he is an omega. While he is a phenomenal professor, it was slightly hard to concentrate sometimes. Even if I am intended for another. I wanted to make you proud of me this time around,” Mac said. It was almost a complete lie. Mac hated the words as they came out of his mouth, but it was the only explanation that Mac could think of that wouldn’t get Wilson fired. This was an explanation his father could understand.
His father sat silently, chewing the bite of food he had just taken. “I suppose you’re right. I didn’t think of it that way. I’m just glad you showed some self-restraint.”
Mac nodded his head. “Of course, Father.”
The rest of the meal passed without incident. It was as it always was--no one said much. Mac’s father asked everyone a few questions to clear the silence, and then dinner was over. Mac was just thankful that it seemed like Wilson wasn’t going to get fired.
After dinner, the four of them went into a sitting room. Mac’s father was an old-fashioned man who lived formally. There were two accent chairs that had been set to the side as if they were meant specifically for Mac and Paul.
That was when Paul spoke up. “Mr. Clark, would you mind if I took your son for a stroll in the garden? I saw it during my tour and I’ve been dying to take another look.”
Mac had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. It was obvious that Paul was trying to get on his father’s good side. The only problem was, it was working.
“That sounds like a splendid idea!” his father cheered with a clap of his hands. “Mac, don’t forget to show him the koi pond.”
Mac forced himself to smile. “Of course.”
Mac tried to keep a distance between himself and Paul without making it too obvious. Mac wanted nothing to do with him, but he didn’t want to be rude, either. Paul hadn’t exactly done anything wrong, after all.
They strolled down the path through the garden in uncomfortable silence. Mac didn’t want to say anything, and Paul didn’t seem to want to speak, either. Mac only hoped they could get through the rest of the walk without talking.
Unfortunately, Mac wasn’t exactly lucky.
“I want you to take me,” Paul announced.
Well, that was straightforward. A few weeks ago, Mac would’ve found the man’s bluntness charming. He probably would’ve taken the man right there in the garden. But now? He had no desire for the man at all, and it was completely unlike Mac to have no interest in a cute omega.
Before he could say anything, Paul leaned up to kiss Mac. Normally at this point, Mac would just enjoy whatever happened. He would sleep with just about any man. Instead, he felt repulsed. He quickly turned his head so Paul kissed his cheek instead and walked away.
He told himself he wasn’t being rude, and that Paul only wanted him because his family had money. And that was probably true.
Mac didn’t even both
er going back inside. He walked around to the front, got in his car, and started driving home.
The whole way there, Mac thought about what had happened. He had changed.
When?
Why?
The answer finally came to him as he pulled into the parking lot. It was because of Wilson. Ever since Mac had laid eyes on Wilson, no other man mattered.
Chapter 9
Wilson didn’t know why it hurt, only that it did. He knew the pain was there. He just couldn’t explain why it was there.
The Monday after Wilson slept with Mac, he had been nervous. Wilson fully expected Mac to be in class that day. He was almost afraid to see the other man face-to-face for the first time since they had slept together. It was going to be awkward, especially because they were seeing each other in class.
When Mac hadn’t been in class on Monday, Wilson had fully expected to see him on Wednesday. Maybe Mac was just as nervous as Wilson was. Maybe he was just nervous to come to class. But then he wasn’t in class on Friday either.
Over the weekend, Wilson had done nothing but mope in his apartment. He barely got out of bed the whole weekend. The omega didn’t understand why he was so upset. There could be a million reasons why Mac wasn’t in class, none of them involving him. It was completely possible that he was overthinking the situation entirely. Maybe Mac would be in class on Monday.
But Mac wasn’t in class on Monday. In fact, Wilson found out through the teacher grapevine that Mac had transferred classes. Wilson had been officially dumped, or whatever the equivalent was for their situation.
Wilson had expected the hurt to fade after a couple of days. It was his own fault, anyhow. He had told himself to not get involved with another alpha. He knew better than to get involved with Mac in any shape or form. Yet he had to betray his instincts.
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