Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers-Chapter 578: Lock The Door

Evaline:

I knocked on the familiar wooden door of Kieran’s office, my knuckles barely grazing the polished surface before his voice came through almost instantly.

"Come in."

There was something about the steadiness of his tone that always settled me, even when my thoughts were anything but calm.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it gently behind me. I had barely taken a single step forward when Kieran... still seated behind his desk... spoke again.

"Lock it as well."

I froze.

Not because the request was alarming, but because he hadn’t even looked up from the stack of papers spread before him. His pen moved smoothly across the page as if he just didn’t ask me to lock the door in bright daylight.

"What if someone came to look for you?" I asked, worried one of the professors would come looking for him and found the door locked from inside.

With his focus still on the papers, he replied, "That’s exactly why you need to lock it."

I stared at him for a second longer than necessary before taking a step back and turning the lock with a soft click. Just to make sure it was actually locked, I tried pulling on it. Only then did I walk toward his desk, my movements slower now, more deliberate.

Kieran still didn’t look at me.

Instead, he finished reading the document in his hands, signed it neatly, and set it aside before gesturing toward the chairs opposite him.

"Sit."

I did exactly that.

I settled into the chair and waited, watching him quietly as he picked up the next paper and adjusted the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

And Moon Goddess.

Ria had been right.

The reading glasses alone should have been illegal.

He looked like he had stepped straight out of one of those romance novels she was always rambling about - the rich, powerful, devastatingly handsome professor with secrets hidden behind calm eyes and sharp intelligence.

His suit coat was nowhere to be seen. The sleeves of his crisp white shirt were rolled up to his forearms, veins faintly visible beneath golden skin. The top two buttons were undone, offering just enough of a glimpse to make my thoughts wander. A few strands of his blonde hair had slipped free from his usually perfect manbun, softening the sharpness of his features.

I was openly staring.

Blatantly.

Unashamedly.

"I assume you like what you see," he said calmly, still not looking up.

I startled slightly, heat rushing to my face for a moment... but instead of shrinking back like I normally would, something in me shifted.

Why should I feel guilty about admiring a man who already belonged to me? If not me, then who else was allowed to admire his handsome looks?

So, I tilted my head and nodded. "Very much."

That finally earned me a reaction.

His pen paused mid-air, and a small, unmistakable curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

"I find you absolutely breathtaking in those glasses," I added lightly.

That smile deepened.

He placed the pen down, stacked the remaining papers neatly, and finally stood.

He walked around the desk with unhurried steps until he was standing right behind me. Before I could react, he turned my chair effortlessly so that I was facing him.

One of his hands braced against the chair as he leaned down, close enough that I could smell his familiar scent - clean, warm, and unmistakably him.

"Then perhaps," he murmured, "you should look more closely."

We stared into each other’s eyes as if daring the other person to back down first, but we both knew that wasn’t happening.

He gave me that familiar warm smile and finally straightened as if he were about to pull away...

But before he could, I reached out... and grabbed his collar, pulling him back toward me.

His surprise lasted only a heartbeat. Then the smile returned, slower this time, darker at the edges.

He leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath, close enough that my pulse jumped. For a split second, I was sure he was going to kiss me...

But at the last moment, his mouth shifted, stopping just beside my ear.

"Sweet, dear mate," he said softly, "let me go before I lose my balance. I’m leaning far too much. And unfortunately, I’m not as young as you."

I scoffed, unable to stop myself, but I did loosen my grip.

He straightened fully, amusement dancing in his golden-green eyes as I stood as well. I stepped closer and reached out to smooth down his collar, making sure it looked just as perfect as the rest of him.

"Why did you call me here?" I asked, returning to the reason I had come here in the first place.

He gestured toward the other side of the office, where a large tote bag rested on one of the couches.

"That," he said, "was sent by River."

"What’s inside?" I asked, staring at the bag to see if I could glimpse what it contained.

"The record book you asked him for."

Excitement surged through me so fast it nearly made me dizzy. I’d known River would get it for me... but this quickly?

I wanted nothing more than to rush over, grab the bag, and start reading immediately. The records held answers I so desperately needed - about my bloodline, about my healing power, about things I still didn’t understand about myself.

But I didn’t move.

Instead, I turned back to Kieran. "Can I take it back to my dorm? I promise I’ll take great care of it."

He nodded immediately. "It’s actually yours from now on. You won’t need to return it to the council. So do whatever you want with it."

To say I was surprised by his words would be an understatement. My reaction made him chuckle and he patted my head as if he found me adorable.

"Thank you." I finally said.

"Anything for you, love. Besides, you might need to thank someone else for this."