Jared

I stare at my reflection as I buckle my brown designer belt. My black semi-fit v-neck t-shirt stretches at my shoulders. I grab my black briefcase and wear my brown top-sider. I watch the bear keychain swing back and forth.

I am in shock when an unwanted visitor shows up at my front door.

"Dmitri!" a pale guy yells optimistically and greets me with open arms.

Joaquin.

"You are not supposed to be here," I say and walk out of the house, leaving him behind. 

"I know! Crazy, right?" I shouldn't be here but I guess I'm destined to be here?"

I didn't give him a glance and get in Stacey's car.

"Nice car, Professor."

He quickly vanishes in front of me and appears in the shotgun seat.

"No vampire privileges," I warn him. "That twenty reported deaths is enough, Joaquin. We should be discreet in wandering around human territory."

"How am I supposed to enter the car then? I know you'll start driving the moment I touch the door."

I clench my jaw and sigh.

"Get out," I say in my real voice.

"No," he says and put the seatbelt on.

"What are you doing here?" I ask Joaquin, who keeps on following me wherever I go. He even watched me in one of my classes.

"Goodness, we have lots of fresh treats here."

I remember him saying after seeing a lot of teenagers in front of him in my first class.

"Well, I wanna pay my lovely nephew a visit," he says casually." You said we have to find those stupid vampires playing around this little world aside from that Alpha," he replies with a bright smile.

"And?" I ask.

"Tada!" We can't catch them if we're at the Bloodharts chilling with our blood tea."

"I'm not your nephew," I speak through gritted teeth.

"Well, what would you tell those who would ask you who I am?" he asks, keeping up with my speeding pace. "Damn, Dmitri! Slow down."

"Oh. Sorry, Grandpa," I say and roll my eyes. "You're too old to keep up with me."

"I don't walk. I swear, Dmitri. I'll use my vampire privilege—"

"Don't call me Dmitri here!" I yell. Some students are startled by my voice. "Do I look like Dmitri right now?"

"Geez, keep your cool, Professor. You're scaring the kids." Joaquin looks around and motions his hands to the students.

Their fresh blood rushes in fear. He says in his mind and smirks.

I look around and see some of the students staring at us. I even caught some girls murmuring while looking at us.

"Okay, firstly," I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Why are you here? There are groups assigned to find the wolf. You are assigned to lead in finding these rebels. Randomly showing up at my front door is not part of any of those."

"Mr. Greyson. Your lovely secretary, Stacey, reported that you had found the lost wolf. I'm just making sure that you really found him," he says and brushes his fingers through his black curly hair.

"So, you should be burning in front of me in this daylight," I say and continue walking.

"Oh, stop. You wanted me to vanish that much, huh?" he walks beside me and takes a deep breath. "You know Esperanza? That blue-haired witch? She gave me this," he says and shows me a necklace with a square emerald pendant.

"Oh, so that's your weakness, huh," I slowly nod. "Let me rip that off–"

"Hi, Professor!" I hear some of my students greet me.

I immediately look at them and flash a smile.

"Hello, my strawberry juices," Joaquin whispers and laughs at his joke.

"About the case, Professor. Twenty of those killed humans are reported–"

"I know. That's why I told you that you should lead our team in cleaning those, Joaquin," I answer while turning right.

"I told Fuego that I'm on vacation leave–"

"Vacation leave!?" I stop walking and face him. His black gaze stares at me in fear with his terrified eyes. I stare at him and take a step forward. "Quit playing, Joaquin."

"Dmitri," he looks around and dusts off my clothes. "Your left eye is turning red," he whispers.

I firmly close my eyes and aggressively grind my jaw. My feet take a step backward while I take a deep breath.

Relax, Dmitri.

I continue walking to the cafeteria.

"So, where are we going, Professor?" he asks.

"Since you introduced yourself as my assistant in my class," I hand him my briefcase full of my students' outputs, which are only props of my little role as a Professor. "Oh, and buy me food."

"What? You're running out of your precious wealth?" he seriously asks and frowns.

"No," I raise a brow. " Seize an opportunity."

"Human food," Joaquin sighs. "What's yours, Professor?" he taps my shoulders.

"Do you have steak?" I ask the lady.

"Oh, we don't have steak, Sir," the lady answers in a bored tone.

I look at the food they are serving.

"That... Pasta," I point at the spaghetti.

"Bleurgh, that doesn't have any meat, Professor," Joaquin frowns.

"I know," I casually say.

"Ooohhh, are you human now?" he asked teasingly as soon as we left the counter.

"I am a half-human, Joaquin," I stare at him.

"Right," he nods. "So, where's the Alpha, huh?" he asks and looks around.

He suddenly stops walking.

"Wolf," he blurts out. "I can smell a werewolf. He's nearby."

I inhale as well and smell the scent of our prey. My gaze caught Shane talking on her phone while walking. I look around and see the redhead boy with the green-eyed brunette. My feet turn and walk to them.

"Professor!" I hear Joaquin shout.

"How did you meet Shane, then?"

"She's one of my high school friends. We've been friends since 9th grade. We are not that close before. But then Emy got close with–"

I casually sit beside the redhead guy and clear my throat. Leisurely, I look around. The brunette stares at me with intensity.

"Mind if we share the table with you?" I coldly ask and remove my glasses.

I silently eat the pasta and watch the two of them. The brunette briefly turns her eyes upward.

"So, what were you saying?" Clarkson gestures his hand to George.

"Professor!" I hear Joaquin yell.

Damn it. I forgot about him.

George looks at him. She scans the appearance of the man rushing towards us.

"Why did you—" his eyes widen as soon as his gaze lands on the brunette. "So, who is this lovely lady right here?"

"Joaquin," I give him a threatening look. "My students."

"Okay, okay. Calm down, Professor," Joaquin says while raising his hands as a sign of retreat.

Joaquin stands beside me.

"Sir, You want to sit here?" Clarkson asks Joaquin and taps the space on his left side.

"How nice of you, young man," he says and gives me a meaningful look.

Let's see. Are you the lost little pup?

"What do you think happened to one of our classmates?" Clarkson asks Georgina.

"Well, I don't know," she says while looking at me. "It's really not safe to be outside these days. Someone might slit your throat or devour you alive."

The side of my lips rises. "That's quite true though, Miss Alvarez."

Miss Alvarez my ass.

"Have you heard of those Twenty similar cases of death?" George asks Clarkson and gives me a side-eye.

I let a low grumble and stepped on Joaquin's shoes.

"Ouch-shit," Joaquin yells.

"Are you okay, Sir?" Clarkson asks.

"Yeah," he says while nodding. "I guess this will be my final meal."

I'm sorry. We tried to clear everything up, okay? Joaquin looks at me.

"Georgie! Sorry–" the girl pauses in front of us. She moves her brown gaze from George to the three of us. "Oohhh, what do we have here?"

"Finally" George exclaims. "What took you so long? You wanna go somewhere far?" She quickly stands up and gets her things.

She holds Shane's wrist and walks away.

"Hey, Clark! Aren't you coming?"

Clark.

"I see," Joaquin nods. "That's why you are distracted."

"No. I'm done with you, Joaquin," I say without giving him a glance. "Savour your final meal."

"That's sad. My final meal is human food."

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