Chapter 5
BECKHAM
Sleep and I are not friends. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a full night's sleep.
At this point, I should just move into the faculty housing on campus. The only downside to that is it would cause issues with my father and have him asking questions I don’t want to answer.
“Working late again?” Dad asks as I step out of my bedroom, just managing to get back to the house, shower, and grab something to eat before I have to be back for my first class of the day.
“Yeah.” I give him a forced smile.
He frowns, looking me over. “That school is working you too hard. I’ve hardly seen you since you moved back. Wasn’t the whole point of coming back to learn more about the family business?”
“It was.” I nod, trying not to feel guilty for lying. “But this school is a lot bigger than the one I was teaching at previously. There I was teaching one class a few days a week, now I’m teaching three. More classes mean more work.”
“Then say something, tell them to get more professors.”
“They do. They have three other professors who teach what I do. Like I said. It’s a big school.”
He narrows his eyes. “I think you need to cut back classes, hand them off to someone else. One is enough. That would give you time to do what you feel like you need to do by teaching and still be able to be an active part of the business.”
“Give him a break, Eddy.” The sound of Ralph’s voice causes my stomach to turn, any hunger I felt before now is gone. “He’s young, enjoying his life. His real passion is teaching. Let the boy have fun before he’s forced to become a real man.”
Anger rises inside me, my hands clenching at my sides. A real man? He thought I was man enough ten years ago when he took what didn’t belong to him.
I’m a real man, this asshole is just a fucking joke.
Biting my tongue, I turn my attention to my dad, not giving Ralph the reaction he wants.
“Just give me a little more time. I’ll see about teaching fewer classes next year. We’ve just started a new semester, I don’t want to put that burden on the school and other teachers to take over my classes.”
“Fine.” My dad huffs. “But next year, I want you to be more involved, understand?”
I want to tell him no. That I don’t want anything to do with the family business. While I respect him, and would never undermine him, I’ve already grown up in the mafia. I don’t want to make it my whole life.
Just because I’m capable of killing a man, doesn’t mean I want to live with the weight of the lives I’d be forced to take if I follow in my father’s footsteps.
Needing to get out of here, and away from him, I step forward and give my dad a hug. “I promise. I’m sorry things haven’t been going how we’d hoped. But hey, I’m here. That’s something you’ve been trying to get me to do for years.”
“You do have a point.” He chuckles. “Alright. Go. But, I want you at the party next weekend. All of my important business partners will be there. And you will be too. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.” I nod, agreeing because there’s no point in arguing with my father on this. The least I can do is attend one of his parties. Even though they are filled with crime lords and murderers. Fun.
Even with the bad start to my day, I tried to stay positive, but that went downhill fast. It’s midday and I have one class left. I’m tired, cranky, and hungry. All I want to do is go home, curl up in a soft blanket, read, drink some tea, and get hours and hours of sleep.
Unfortunately, that's not in the books for me. After this, I have over a hundred papers to grade and a staff meeting.
I’m honestly debating on going to Frenzy to find a hot alpha that’ll take me home for the night.
The idea of casual sex with an alpha I don’t know, or trust, doesn’t sound appealing to me, but what does is getting a full night's sleep in a bed. How pathetic is that? That I’m so desperate for sleep that I’d be willing to push my limits to get it.
I could go home, sleep in my bed, lock the doors. But I can’t bring myself to. Just the thought of bumping into Ralph again has me deciding that I’d rather deal with being sleep deprived.
Stopping at one of the many coffee shops on campus, I get a coffee with three extra espresso shots in hope that it does something to keep me awake to make it through this class, then I can probably slip in an hour nap in my car.
After a quick break to the bathroom to splash some water on my face, I head for my last class of the day. The one class I seem to dread.
The one class I have to teach them. The damn pack of alphas who I can’t seem to stop thinking about. Who I can’t get out of my head. They even haunt my dreams.
And I can’t seem to grasp why. Yes, they’re good looking. That much is obvious.
Still. They are younger than me, my students, and they just get on my damn nerves.
Jamie is too cocky for his own good, doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. He has no filter and just says what comes to mind.
The other two give off this big dick energy, so confident and full of themselves. It might fool everyone else in this school, but it’s not going to get to me.
I’d love nothing more than to knock them down a peg or two.
“Open your books to chapter 87.” I grumble as I storm my way into the room like a tornado. I’m not in the mood today and I swear, if one of them opens their mouths and say something to piss me off, I’m not liable for how I’ll react.
And just because the universe loves to test me, I seem to have given it a challenge.
“Damn, Teach.” Jamie’s amused voice fills the room. “No hello? How are you doing? Just right to the demands huh?”
Dropping my belongings on my desk with a heavy thud, I spin my unamused gaze his way. “Enough Mr. Cross. I don’t want to hear another word out of your mouth today.”
The corner of Jamie’s lips curl as he leans down in his chair. “Mhh,” he hums. “Talk dirty to me Daddy. I love it.”
Like a magnet, my eyes drop to where his hand covers his junk, giving it a squeeze.
Heat flashes through me, and I hate how my body reacts.
“Continue to use that kind of inappropriate language towards a member of the faculty, and I’ll be forced to report you to the dean.” I growl, growing more irritated by the second. I’m just about ready to walk out of this class, just over this day completely.
Jamie doesn’t take my warning like most would, instead taking it as a challenge. I should have known.
He cocks his head to the side. “Sorry.” he gives me a wicked grin. “Sometimes, my inside thoughts leak out. What I meant to say was, yes Sir. Whatever you say, Sir.”
“Jamie.” Alaric warns his pack mate.
“What?” Jamie laughs. “It’s not my fault he has a stick up his ass.” Jamie turns his attention back to me, his grin growing. “If you want, I can remove the stick and replace it with something else.”
“Enough!” I bellow, my nostrils flaring as my patience is now gone.
I expect Jamie to make another comment, because this pack doesn’t seem to enjoy authority of any kind. So it comes as a big surprise when I see Jamie’s smile fall and his back stiffen in place. As if I was the alpha commanding with my bark.
A sick satisfaction flushes through me at the sight of this young alpha obeying me.
My cock twitches, this unfamiliar feeling creeping in.
Get a hold of yourself, Beckham.
Ripping my eyes away from the smartass alpha, I bring my focus to my class and what I’m supposed to be teaching.
Thankfully after that, everything seems to go more smoothly. I’m still grumpy, something I can’t seem to get a hold on, no matter how much I try.
I’m stressed, exhausted and Jamie’s little show before class just cemented my shitty mood.
But, I manage to keep to my lesson plan.
“So what you want to be thinking about is who your target audience is.” I jot something down on the board before turning to face the class.
“Raise your hand if you plan on running a business of your own once you graduate.”
A lot of hands go up and I can’t help but feel proud that a good amount of students aren’t just taking this class because they have to, or something to fill in their course load.
“Good.” I nod, placing my hands behind my back as I pace back and forth across the stage. “But, do you know the type of customers that will consume your products or goods?”
Jamie raises his hand and the good mood I managed to have for just a fraction of a second fades. He was doing so good, kept his mouth shut for the most part of this class. Why now? Why when this class is almost done, does he have to start up again.
“Anyone?” I ask, ignoring his hand as I look around the room. “Ah yes, you in the back.” I point to the girl in the far back corner.
I can feel Jamie’s glare on me, causing my skin to tingle. I hate it.
“I plan on taking over my mother’s bookstore. She wants to retire and move somewhere warm with my father.”
“I can’t say I blame her.” I chuckle. “A bookstore. As a fellow bookworm myself, I’d have to say I approve.” I give her a genuine smile, trying my best not to let my eyes wander to the alpha who won’t stop staring at me.
The young girl’s cheeks turn a slight shade of pink and I’m not sure if it’s because of embarrassment or something else. So I take my attention off her.
“That would mean your main consumers would be people who read. But not only read with their eyeballs, because there are other ways to consume a book. Like ebooks and audio books. So what might be something Miss Leeson could do to persuade readers to choose physical books over reading them online?”
Hands go up, as does Jamie’s.
Again, I ignore him, picking the young man right behind him.
“She could use social media to market her books. Use the covers to be aesthetically pleasing to catch their eye.”
“Yes.” I nod. “Good answer. Now, what might be something you would do to pull people into choosing your product?"
“Threaten them,” Tatum throws out there, not bothering to raise his hand.
“Raise your hand and wait to be called on like everyone else, Mr. Walsh.” I reply.
He’s not even paying attention to me, too busy doodling on his notebook. It’s all he ever does. I honestly don’t know why he’s even in this class. Still, somehow he always has his work in on time and seems to know what he’s doing.
His eyes flick up to meet mine and I suck in a small gasp at the intensity of his gaze.
“I would have.” Tatum’s lip twitches. “But you would have most likely just ignored me too.”
Grinding my teeth together, I take a few subtle deep breaths, biting my tongue. Don’t give them a reaction, it’s what they want.
“I think it's adorable that you’re coming to your packmates' defense. But I think Mr. Cross is a big enough boy to handle his own problems and doesn’t need someone to do it for him.”
Oh, I fucking love the pure anger that lights up in Tatum’s eyes. I shouldn’t antagonize him, I’m the professional here. But it’s almost like a high getting a reaction out of these men versus them getting a reaction out of me.
“Mr. Cross loves to talk. I thought it might be nice for someone else to get a word in, don’t you?” I ask, crossing my arms as I tilt my head to the side a little bit.
There’s a few titters that come from other students in the class.
“Maybe I wouldn’t be inclined to talk so much if you weren't so boring to listen to.” Jamie snarks back, a grin on his face like always. “Thought I’d give the rest of the class something to keep them from falling asleep at their desks.”
He closes his eyes, mimicking snoring, letting his head drop before it snaps up like he’s shocking himself awake, before laughing.
Yeah, that's it. I’m done with these boys.
“If you think my class is so boring–” I snarl, storming off the stage and over toward where the three of them are sitting front and center.
Jamie’s smile grows, like he’s getting off on this.
That getting a rise out of me makes him hard.
Slamming my hands down on the desk, I lean in close.
“Then maybe you should drop out and take another one.”
I’ve never been this close to any of them. I make it my mission to avoid them as much as possible.
I should have stuck to that plan.
Because as I loom over Jamie, my face merely an inch from his, nostrils flaring as I breathe heavily, I get a lungfull of his scent.
Bergamot and sandalwood invade my mind, body and soul. My gut turns as my cock thickens in my pants.
A whimper lodges in my throat as my eyes widen in horror.
No. No fucking way. This isn’t happening right now. I refuse to believe it.
Jamie’s eyes widen. “I fucking knew it!” he shouts.
In panic, my hand shoots out, covering his mouth. The feeling of his warm skin against mine sends a tingle down my spine and right to my balls.
I snatch my hand away like I’ve been burnt. My eyes flick over to Alaric and Tatum. Low rumbling growls vibrate in their chests, their nostrils flaring, eyes wide and feral.
Two more scents slam into me as a wave of ocean breeze and pumpkin marshmallows causes me to stumble back.
All three of them. All fucking three of them are my scent matches. I can feel it in my fucking bones.
My literal worst nightmare is coming true. Pure panic starts to set in as my body breaks out in a sweat. I don’t know what to do. What to think.
“Beckham.” Jamie’s excited smile slips into a look of concern. “It’s okay."
No. Nothing about this is okay. It’s far from fucking okay.
“C-class is over.” I stammer out, my limbs heavy, head spinning like I’m underwater. Turning around, I stumble my way to my desk, grabbing whatever I can get my hands on before clutching my belongings to my chest and getting the hell out of here.
Away from them.
Even though every cell in my body is screaming at me to return to them, to go back to my alphas.
They are not my alphas! They can’t be. I refuse it. I refuse them.
I don’t want a pack. I don’t want alphas. And the last fucking thing I need is a pack of three boys who like to swing their dicks around like they’re better then everyone else.
They are my students. God. I can’t get fired. I can’t lose my job. I need this job. My dad would never let me leave again, not after trying for years to get me back.
If I lose my job, he will expect me to be more involved with the business. And I can’t do that either. I can’t spend more time around him. I’d rather fucking die.
I can hear someone calling my name, but I ignore them as I burst out of the lecture hall.
I need to get far away from here, from them. Their mouthwatering scents.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I’m screwed. So fucking screwed.