Chapter 44 No Means No, Alpha

Chapter 44 No Means No, Alpha
Chapter 44: No Means No, Alpha

“Who’s that?” Ryder asked, trying to lean over and peek at my screen. I tilted the phone away.

“Is that your lover?” he teased, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Ooh, do you have a mate?”

“No, I don’t have a mate,” I replied dryly, then added, “Yet.”

“Then who is blowing up your phone? Whoever it is keeps pulling all kinds of faces out of you,” Ryder pressed.

“None of your business,” I warned.

“Maybe it’s Nathan,” Cade muttered.

They both started laughing until I shot Cade a sharp look. His laugh died instantly. He let out a small, pathetic whine, I swear I heard his wolf retreating, and dropped his head, avoiding my gaze completely.

Satisfied, I looked back at my phone and typed a proper reply:

Me: It’s nothing like that. I’m not cooking. I’m finishing a group assignment with my partners. I’ll head back to the dorm as soon as we’re done. I’m fine.

I added the last part for good measure, then dropped the phone.

“Who’s submitting to Professor Rivera?” I asked, changing the subject.

“You should,” Ryder said casually, like it was already decided.

“No,” I refused immediately. After the way Rivera had crashed out over Darius, there was no way I was walking into her office. That was a trap with my name written all over it.

“Just do it,” Ryder insisted, trying to flex a bit of alpha authority.

“I said no.” I turned to Cade, locking eyes with him. “Cade, you can submit it, right?”

He swallowed hard. “Y-yes… sure. I’ll do it.”

I smiled sweetly. “Perfect.”

Ryder looked mildly annoyed that I had bypassed him so easily, but I didn’t care. I had noticed how Cade’s wolf reacted to my aura lately, and I wasn’t above using it when necessary.

A tiny pang of guilt hit me, but I shrugged it off. It’s not like he’s completely innocent.

“I’ll return these books to the shelves,” I said, gathering the research materials. “You two pack up. I’ll be quick.”

I slipped my phone into my pocket and headed deeper into the library aisles. After sliding each book back into its rightful place, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

“Lucian!”

I turned around to find Ryder standing way too close, flashing that signature charming smile of his.

“Let me help you with those,” he offered.

I narrowed my eyes. Here we go again. This was exactly like last time — fake kindness with an agenda.

“Ryder,” I replied with an overly sweet, clearly fake smile. “I’m good, thanks. I can handle it.”

I turned back to the shelf, carefully checking the numbers so I wouldn’t mess up the order. But Ryder wasn’t done.

“You know, Lucian… you’ve been acting way too naive lately,” he said, his tone dripping with arrogance. “And it doesn’t suit you.”

I paused, then forced out a light chuckle. “Really? Enlighten me.”

“I’ve been dropping hints left and right, and you keep acting all holier-than-thou.” He stepped closer. “If I get tired, I can easily move on, you know. You should be grateful an alpha like me is even interested in someone like you, a duke’s son. This is a golden opportunity. You should be jumping at it, not playing hard to get.”

I slowly turned to face him, shock written all over my face.

“What the hell?” I muttered.

“Stop acting dumb,” Ryder continued, smirking. “You know exactly what I want.”

“I really don’t.”

He stared at me for a beat, then dropped the bomb with full confidence:

“I want you, Lucian.”

He’s crazy, my wolf grumbled inside my head.

“Yes, he is,” I accidentally replied out loud.

Ryder frowned, confused. “What?”

I recovered quickly. “Don’t you already have a mate?”

He rolled his eyes like I’d asked the dumbest question. “He doesn’t have to know. It can stay between us.”

“Are you insane?” I hissed. “He’ll feel everything through the mate bond!”

“He won’t. Don’t worry about that.” Ryder took another step forward. “Just focus on me.”

“Don’t,” I warned sharply, and he actually stopped. “Maybe you’re the clueless one here, Ryder. Let me spell it out: I’m not interested in you. I will never be interested in you. And honestly? I’m not even into guys right now.”

Okay, that was a fat lie. I definitely liked guys — especially tall, brooding, possessive ones named Darius. But now was not the time to unpack that.

Ryder chuckled, clearly not buying it. “That’s a lie and we both know it.”

“And what makes you so sure?”

“Look at you,” he said, reaching out to flick a stubborn strand of hair away from my face. “You’re too pretty to not be into this. You’re practically radiating ‘come and get me’ energy.”

“Stop it!” I slapped his hand away and stepped back. “I’m not interested in someone who already has a mate. I’m not about to help you cheat and hurt your mate. And even if I were into guys, it definitely wouldn’t be someone like you.”

Ryder’s face twisted with anger and frustration. “You’re being foolish. So many people would kill to be in your position right now.”

“Then they’re fools, and I’m not one of them,” I shot back.

He exhaled sharply, trying to regain control. “Fine. I’ll give you time to think about it. Being with me comes with a lot of benefits — protection, status, money, freedom. The higher-ups wouldn’t dare touch you. You should be grateful an alpha like me wants you. Think about it and give me your answer later.”

“Damn it, Ryder — I said I’m not interested!” I snapped.

Before he could say another word, I dumped the remaining books into his arms. “Here. Sort these out yourself. I’m done.”

I spun on my heel and stormed off toward the library restroom, heart racing.

Once inside, I made sure it was empty, then leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on my face.

“Moon Goddess,” I groaned at my reflection. “What kind of mess did I walk into? I’ve only been here a few weeks!”

The door suddenly creaked open behind me.

I turned around — and froze.

Professor Rivera stepped in, her eyes locked on me with dangerous intensity. Without a word, she turned and locked the door with a soft click.

“Rivera!” I whispered, eyes wide.

Ohhh dammit.

What fresh hell had I just walked into?