Chapter 3
BECKHAM
Clenching my fists at my side, I watch as Alaric and his pack exit my classroom, the lingering feeling of unease dancing along my skin as I try to keep myself composed.
My gaze doesn’t stray from the door, even long after they’re gone and the last student leaves.
As soon as the room is empty, I release a heavy sigh. Closing my eyes, I take a few deep shaky breaths before taking a seat in my desk chair.
“What the fuck was that?” My voice is low as I mutter to myself, resting my forehead against the palms of my hands.
Never in all my years of teaching, have I ever been taken off guard by another student.
What has gotten into me?
I was ready to start this new semester off on a good note with a classroom of fresh faces and bright minds ready to learn.
I sure as hell wasn’t expecting some self-assured young alpha to be watching me with a cocky smirk and a fucking erection.
The satisfied look on his face when he noticed he caught my attention made me feel dirty. I’m his teacher. I shouldn’t be looking at a student like that at all.
But it’s not like he was hiding the fact that he was aroused, sitting in his chair, legs sprawled like some self appointed king. It’s like he wanted me to see.
I’m not an unattractive man. One of the things that happens with being a young professor is that a student or two often get a crush on me.
Normally, it’s all very innocent. Some stumbling over words, blushing, even a bit of flirting, on their end of course.
But never has someone so blatantly shown the way I affect them as Alaric did.
The fact that I let him get to me makes things even worse.
And what were the unwarranted growls coming from the three of them? Why would they show any reaction to how I’ve been treated in the past?
I don’t know these students. I’ve never met these boys before in my life. However, after looking at my class list, I know who they are. Jameson Cross, Tatum Walsh, and their pack leader Alaric Gable, son of Orpheus Gable. Leader to one of the local mafias and a known business partner of my father.
I don’t need a couple of young men coming into my class acting like they own the place. It’s bad enough I have to teach the sons of the men who actually do own the school, I don’t need this self-righteous bullshit from them either.
They made me feel nervous. I never get nervous, at least not like that.
I’m going to chalk it up to first day jitters and leave it at that.
The last thing I should be doing is looking at my students in any other way than with professionalism.
Still, I can’t deny the jolt that went right to my cock at seeing the mere outline of his. The man can’t be more then tweny-one, twenty-two and he’s that fucking hung?
“Fucking hell Beckham.” I scrub at my eyes. “Get ahold of yourself.”
I need to get laid. Maybe a visit to The Frenzy is needed sooner than I thought.
A flash of Alaric on his knees, that smug grin on his face as he wraps his lips around my cock, taking me all the way to the back of his throat has me shifting in my seat, my perfume permeating the air around me.
“Nope. Not fucking happening.” Hastily, I get to my feet, grab my papers and everything else I need off my desk and shove them into my messenger bag before slinging it over my shoulder and rushing out of my classroom.
After grabbing something to eat, I head back to my room for my next class.
I’m distracted the rest of the day, my mind drifting to a pair of sea green eyes.
Thankfully, I make it through the day without any major fuck ups.
To clear my head, and for a much needed distraction, I walk down to one of my favorite stops for an after work drink.
It’s a quiet little dive bar filled with regulars. The first time I stepped foot in here, it became obvious that I was out of place. While I was dressed in a finely pressed suit, everyone else was in jeans and T-shirts..
After some odd looks, people left me alone to drink my troubles away.
The owner of the bar, Dorris, a very old, very feisty omega asked me what I was drinking and never questioned who I was, or what I was doing there.
After five months of being back, The Dirty Dog has become somewhat of a second home. If I’m not staying after class working, I’m here drinking.
I push the door to the bar open, the little bell above it making the patrons aware of my arrival. I get a few odd glances, but otherwise I’m ignored.
“Hey Ham. How’s it going?” Dorris’ raspy smoker’s voice greets me as I make my way over to my spot at the bar.
“My name is Beckham.” I chuckle, shaking my head, pulling the stool out to take a seat.
“I know your damn name, boy.” she waves me off. “Now, Hammy boy, what can I get you?” she asks. Yet as she does, she’s making me my regular. “Bourbon on the rocks, yeah?” She places the glass on the counter in front of me.
“Thanks.” I grab the glass and down it in one go.
Dorris’ gray brows raise in surprise.
“Damn, pretty boy. Something got your knickers in a twist?” She makes me another drink without even needing to ask.
“It’s nothing.” I mutter, pulling out the pack of smokes from my dress suit pocket and taking out a cigarette.
Placing it between my lips, I grab my lighter.
“Smoking kills, you know.” Her blue eyes sparkle in amusement.
“That’s the goal,” I joke, lighting the cigarette up and taking a drag.
My eyes flutter closed as the nicotine hits my system. It’s a bad habit I’ve been meaning to quit.
And I will. Just not today.
“How was the first day back?” she asks, leaning against the bar top. “Any little shitheads you need to whip into shape?”
My mind goes to Alaric and his pack. I shake my head, scolding myself because they are the last thing I should be thinking about. They shouldn’t even be a thought in my damn mind.
They’ve shaken me a lot more than I thought.
“It was fine.” I blow out a stream of smoke before taking a sip of my drink. Flicking the ash into the ashtray, I take another drag. “Just like any other first day. Most students' minds are still on anything else but school. I give it a week before they start doing what they're supposed to do.”
My first thought, that doesn't extend to Alaric and his pack. I can feel it in my bones, those three are going to give me a run for my money.
The worst part of it all? That damn thought thrills me.
“I think I’m having a mental breakdown.” I groan.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head. “Anyways, how are you?”
Dorris goes on about some people who came in last night and got into a big fight. “Are you okay?” Concern lacing my tone.
“I’m fine.” She waves me off. “These big fuckers came in and put a stop to it. Honestly, I think I creamed my panties right there and then.” I shudder at the thought.
Gross. “Four big mother fuckers I’m telling you.
Look like a pack of tattooed psychopaths.
I swear everyone in the room pissed themselves.
" She cackles. “At first, I was wondering why they were in my bar of all places. But the look of fear on the fucker’s face who started the fight told me that he was the reason.”
“What did you do?”
“I let them take the asshole. He cost me four hundred dollars in damage. You know the cops won’t do shit. At least these guys looked like they would teach him a lesson or two.”
I want to ask more questions, but I think it’s best if I don’t get involved.
“I’m glad you're okay.” I say instead.
“I’m fine. My bank account is not.” She sighs.
Dorris leaves me be as she attends to her other customers. I spend a few more hours getting lost in my own thoughts before reluctantly deciding to head home for the night.
Before Dorris can notice, I grab a few hundreds from my wallet, tossing them on the counter and leave.
The woman has given me a safe place to escape, the least I can do is help her out. She would have refused if I flat out offered it to her.
She might not like handouts, but I think the reason why I’m her favorite customer is because I always leave hefty tips.
I still refuse to use my family's money if I don’t have to, thankfully Crown Well pays a hell of a lot better than my last school did. Living at my father’s mansion, I have a lot more cash to spare.
Feeling good and tipsy, I stumble my way home. The walk is a lot longer than I remember, and by the time I get there, it’s well past midnight.
“Fuck.” I groan, my feet killing me as I stumble into the house. I should have just gone back to my classroom and slept it off like I normally do, but my father would be suspicious. It’s the first day back, so using the excuse of working late won’t work just yet.
I’m halfway down the hall to my room when I hear my father’s voice. “Beckham.” Sighing heavily I turn around.
“I’m tired and I have work in the morning. Can whatever it is wait until the–”
My words are cut off when my eyes land on the man standing behind my father.
His eyes slowly make their way up and down my body before a sleazy smirk takes over his lips that makes my stomach roll with bile.
“Are you drunk again?” My father growls, his look of disappointment has guilt hitting me hard. “I thought we talked about this.”
Unease prickles down my spine as I shift in my spot. I don’t want to talk about this with him around. He’s the whole reason why I’m like this in the first place.
“It’s fine.” I grind out through gritted teeth. “Tough first day, that's all. I had a drink to take the edge off.”
“Where’s your car?” My father asks.
Licking my lips I swallow hard. “Back at the school.”
“You walked home.” He growls. “You should have called for a car.”
“It’s a nice night.”
“It’s fucking January. You could have frozen to death.”
Huh. The cold didn’t even register. Maybe I do have a problem.
Any other time or place, that would have me re-thinking my decisions. But right now, as Ralph watches me with way too much interest, all I can think about doing is raiding my fathers liquor cabinets so I can numb my mind.
But that is the worst idea. Coming home drunk was stupid and dangerous on my part.
“Let the boy go to bed.” Ralph chuckles, playing with the cuffs of his white dress shirt before running a hand through his gelled back black hair. “He had a hard day. Life happens."
My father scratches at his jaw before waving me off. “Go get some sleep. And I swear Beckham, if you come home drunk again, there’s going to be an issue.” He shakes his head. “This weekend, I want you to sit in on a few meetings with me.”
“Okay.” I nod, swallowing hard.
Turning around, I continue on my way down to my room, guilt churning in my stomach.
The main reason why I came back home was to get close to my father, to the people within his business, and find out if they played any part in distributing the drugs that killed those students.
After being back in this house for only a few weeks, my original plans changed. I couldn’t play the long game, not with Ralph breathing down my neck any time I was around. So, I casually brought up some ‘rumors’ I heard back in my old city, hoping it might help.
I guess in a way it did. My father was pissed and lost his shit. He called a meeting and threatened his people that if they knew anything about why the underground would be sullying his name, they better come forward or there would be hell to pay.
No one said a word, I didn’t expect them to. If someone within my father’s ranks were a part of this, they would take that information to their grave.
I was so sure, so convinced that Rickie was barking up the wrong tree. That my father would never deal in dirty drugs. And I’m still convinced that he’s not.
However, I don’t believe that someone who works for him isn’t.
Coincidentally, just a week after that meeting, the death rates went down and after two months, they stopped all together.
It’s like the drug just disappeared.
And because of that, I know there’s a rat within my father’s ranks.
What I should be doing is getting close, digging deeper, becoming so entwined with the family business that I can get the answers I came here for.
With my father’s threat on their shoulders, I believe whoever it was became too afraid of being caught and decided to stop.
With no more students dying, I took the coward’s way out.
Wanting as much space between me and Ralph as I can get, I started putting more time into my work as a professor than my responsibilities to the family. That doesn’t stop my father from trying though.
I keep coming to family meetings and doing the odd job to please him. He loves me, he wants what's best for me. He wants me to be ready to take over the family business when the time comes.
But lately, all I want to do is teach. To escape into a place that feels safe for me. I’ve built a good life at Crown Well. Both the students and staff have come to respect me.
It’s a better job and atmosphere to be in than my last school.
The longer I teach here, the less I think about the mafia.
Still, this life isn’t much better. It consists of work, drinking, smoking, and hot anonymous hookups at the sex club part of The Frenzy.
Is this my life now? Am I going to die alone, an unmated single omega?
The thought is fucking depressing and has me wanting to reach for another drink.
Unfortunately for me, there’s no alcohol in my room so I decide to strip out of my clothes and crash for the night.
Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. But I’m not going to get my hopes up.