43. KATIE
Chapter forty-three
KATIE
W e freeze, the warm bubble of intimacy popping, and I am suddenly cold, too open and exposed.
“Professor Bellrose?” A hesitant female voice calls out from the far side of the room.
“Your office was unlocked, and I wanted to see if…”
“Just a minute, Lilly,” He calls, his voice all business. “Please wait in my office.”
I hear hesitant shuffling, before Loren slowly stands, extracting himself from my arms. He sighs.
“Class is dismissed for today, but I want you to be prepared for an examination soon.”
“Yes, professor ,” I say, trying to hold the last shred of the moment, even as I feel them slipping away. He helps me stand, before kissing me and sprinting back to where we left our piles of clothes.
We both dress quickly, me throwing on my bra but grimacing at my soaked panties.
“I’ll take those,” Loren winks at me, shoving them into his deep trouser pockets. So I go commando, pulling my jeans over my bare ass. I need to chill, because I am in a world of hurt if I soak through these.
I shake out my hair, watching as he rolls up his shirtsleeves. The white linen shirt is creased to hell, but I help him button it up anyway. I retrieve his waistcoat as he tucks his shirt and buttons up his trousers. If we weren't on the cusp of being discovered naked it would almost be a sweet domestic moment.
“Am I presentable?” He asks, as he starts buttoning his waistcoat.
“When are you ever not?” I tease back. Then my smile fades. “Should I stay back here, while you meet with…”
I hadn't let myself think about the woman waiting for him. Was she a lover? Or just a student with a schoolgirl crush? I am sure there were plenty of students who swooned for Loren. It’s not my business; in fact, it might be good for there to be someone to catch him when I leave.
I bite my lower lip. Tears prickle at the corners of my eyes.
Tears . I do not cry. I do not get emotional over men, especially men that I am going to leave. Especially men I have known for a week.
Loren grabs my hand and pulls me to the door.
“Of course not. Lilly is an over-eager student who seems to have forgotten I’m on family leave.”
“What?” I ask. “Why are you on family leave? Did something happen?”
He pauses before opening the door. “Family leave to bond with my Omega. It’s standard– I might have pulled a few strings and used a bit of backlogged vacation time since we haven't bonded yet , but I am off lecture duty until… well, until our pack is settled.”
My jaw drops open.
“Callum still works,” I say.
“Yes, well, they’re understaffed and he’s too good at his job. And he’s a bit of a workaholic anyway.”
“Max...” I start but Loren shakes his head.
“Max owns the gym, he chooses to go in because he loves it, and he doesn't want to crowd you. But when you go into heat, you’ll need all of us all the time.”
I don’t have a chance to ponder that last statement, because Loren is pulling me alongside him into his office.
Lilly has a notebook in her lap, her round face open. She beams when she sees Loren, then her gaze finds our interlaced fingers. Her nostrils flare and the rosy pink of her cheeks fades.
“Professor Bellrose,” she begins. “I know you said you were on family leave, but then I saw your office light was on, and I thought you’d like to see the results of the excavation at Blowing Rock.”
Her bottom lip wobbles, the bubbly enthusiasm cooling as her gaze darts from Loren to me, to our hands, back to Loren, over and over.
“Thank you Lilly. I am on family leave. This is my Omega, Katherine Wilder.”
Loren tugs me to him as he sits behind his desk. He presses a kiss to the top of my hand, before placing it on his shoulder. I hover behind him. It’s awkward as hell, and I feel for this girl who so clearly wants his approval and attention.
“If you have a copy of the report, I’d be happy to look over it while I am on leave and send you my thoughts.” Loren’s tone is encouraging, but professional.
Lilly presses her lips into a thin line, before pulling a copy of the report out and sliding it across the desk.
ANALYSIS OF THE EXCAVATION OF THE TRAVELER CAVE AT BLOWING ROCK.
My attention snags on the title. A Traveler cave ?
Could this be one of the recurring portals that dump Travelers here?
My fingers itch to snatch the report, but Loren folds his hand over it, his attention still on the pale-faced student in front of him.
“I am intrigued; remind me, you’re on the dig team?” Loren asks, glancing down at the report. He presses a hand to his chest pocket, then his trousers, feeling the bulge of my panties.
“I have mislaid my glasses.” He offers an apologetic smile. “I will pursue this in the next few days and return some thoughts to you.” Loren stands, and Lilly follows, her mouth moving but no words quite forming. She’s being dismissed, and she’s not thrilled about it.
“Professor, I–”
“You have done some good research, I am sure. And when I am returned from family leave, we may be able to organize a class trip to the site. My Omega is also interested in Traveler lore.” He beams at me.
Lilly only glares.
“Thank you, Professor Bellrose,” she mumbles as he herds her to the door.
I don’t listen to the rest of their brief exchange. My focus is wholly fixated on her report. A Traveler cave. One that has seen the most of any recorded Traveler sites in Savolinna. And it sits at the apex of a triangle of sites.
I need a map and the most recent Traveler records. Because this might just be the clue I’ve been looking for.
My heart thumps wildly as Loren returns.
“I’ve locked the door this time,” he says, before planting a kiss on my forehead. “But you did have some actual work you wanted to do while we were here?”
His question is layered. What work did I want to pursue? Researching Travelers in the database, or more of the lessons we started?
My body has a clear preference, and I feel the edges of my perfume begin to flood the office. But I don’t have panties on, and if I soak through my jeans, I’m in for an awkward and uncomfortable ride home.
“Yes, I do actually want to look through your database. And,” I pick up the report. “Can I read this? It looks interesting.”
He smiles warmly at me. Oh what a precious man he is.
“Of course. How about we do a few hours of work, then I take you home for lunch. We can grab take out and see if Max and Callum want to join us?”
“Perfect.”
The next two hours pass in a blur. Finally, the pieces start to come together. I see a pattern and a plan. I need to call my sisters, and I need a good atlas, and road map. And fuck, a car and an excuse to go explore the site.
But the report traces a network of magnetic bands that criss-cross these three points. They hypothesize that the magnetism of these spots is what must pull Travelers through.
If they can pull us through, then can’t they send us home?