The Alpha and His Human Mate

Surprise!

The school day began like any other until Louve walked into the classroom and froze.

At the front of the room, standing casually by the whiteboard, was Bardulf. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at him, trying to make sense of the situation. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was the Alpha King, the one who had been tormenting her thoughts ever since she discovered she was his mate.

But here he was, dressed in a dark suit, looking every bit the commanding figure he was. He appeared perfectly at ease, as though this was just another day for him.

The room buzzed with whispers and stares as her classmates noticed him, too. Bardulf had a presence about him, one that demanded attention without even trying. He was tall, with broad shoulders that filled the space, and a posture that radiated power and confidence, the kind of confidence that made everyone feel small in comparison.

Bardulf met her gaze across the room, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if he had been waiting for her to react. Her stomach flipped, but she quickly turned her eyes to the floor, trying to hide the panic rising in her throat.

‘What the hell is he doing here?’ she thought, her mind racing. ‘Was this part of his plan to torment me further? Why is he suddenly a substitute professor?’

Then it hit her. Of course. He was Marissa’s brother.

Marissa had warned her that her family was full of surprises. And Bardulf, being the Alpha King, probably had enough influence to waltz into any school he wanted. This was nothing to him.

She felt Marissa’s presence beside her, and a quick glance at her confirmed that she was just as shocked as she was. Their eyes met, and Marissa's lips curled into a hint of a smirk.

“Babe, what the heck is he doing here?” Marissa whispered, her voice low but full of disbelief.

“I.... I don’t know,” she muttered back, still trying to process what was happening. “Why does he have to show up everywhere I go?”

Marissa was about to say something else when Bardulf suddenly turned his head, and she quickly looked away.

“Quiet down, everyone,” Bardulf’s deep voice echoed across the room, smooth and commanding. “I’ll be your science professor substitute for today. You can call me Mr. Bardulf.”

There was a slight pause before several students began murmuring, clearly in awe of him. It wasn’t hard to see why. He was... impressive. And with that undeniable charisma, she could tell he wasn’t going to have any trouble keeping their attention.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Marissa muttered, clearly as stunned as she was. “Of all the places to show up.”

“Did you miss me over the weekend?”

Marissa scowled as Bardulf voice echoed in her head. She rolled her eyes, not even bothering to hide her annoyance.

“Are you seriously pretending to be a professor now? What’s next, are you going to run for class president too?”

She shot back through their mind-link trying to suppress the irritation bubbling up inside her.

Bardulf’s response was as smug as ever, as if he was enjoying every second of her discomfort. “Well, I’m clearly doing a better job than your usual professor. Maybe you should thank me for spicing up your boring life.”

Marissa replied to him sharply “Spicing it up? You’re a walking disaster. I’d rather gouge my eyes out than watch you act like you know something about science; just go back to the pack house and continue being the Alpha King. Don’t come and show off here.”

Bardulf chuckled loudly “Ouch, Marissa. Is that jealousy I’m hearing? You’re just mad because my presence makes everything better.”

“Yeah, sure” she shot back sarcastically, if ‘making everything worse’ is your idea of ‘better.’

Baldulf smirk was practically radiating through the mind link “You’re welcome, by the way. I just made everyone in that room realize how boring their lives are compared to mine.”

“If by ‘boring,’ you mean ‘peaceful,’ then sure. You know, I bet the students are praying for a nap right now, just to escape your smug face.”

“The only thing they’re praying for is a second chance to learn from the master.”

“I bet you think you're really charming right now, huh? You’re like the annoying brother who always has to steal the spotlight.”

“Oh, I’m not stealing it. I own it. But don’t worry; I’ll leave some crumbs for you.”

“Keep the crumbs. I’ll be fine without your nonsense... for about a thousand years.”

“Awn, don’t act like you don’t love me. You wouldn’t know what to do without me, sis. Don’t forget your training this weekend by the way”

“Evil”

After their little conversation, Bardulf cleared his throat, and the entire class immediately grew silent, some students still staring at him in awe, others shifting nervously in their seats. He hadn’t even asked for their attention yet, but somehow, he commanded it effortlessly.

“You can call me Mr. Bardulf,” he continued, his eyes flicking back to Louve. This time, there was a hint of amusement in his gaze. He probably found the whole thing ridiculously entertaining. “And I’ll be taking over for your regular professor for the week. I trust you’ll all be on your best behavior.”

“Best behavior?” Louve almost snorted but held it back, not wanting to make a scene. The entire room could feel the tension in the air, but Bardulf was just... being himself. Too charming. Too confident.

“So,” Bardulf continued, turning toward the board and picking up a marker. He acted like he belonged here. “We’ll be covering the lesson from your textbooks today. I expect you to take notes.”

It was surreal. One minute, he was the intimidating Alpha King who she couldn’t escape, and now he was standing in front of a classroom full of high school students, scribbling science problems on the whiteboard like it was the most normal thing in the world.

He paused, glancing over his shoulder, and she swore she could see that mischievous glint in his eyes again. “And yes,” he said, “I do know what I’m doing here. No need to stare so much.” Obviously referring to Marissa and Louve, who were staring at him with a death stare.

The class erupted into nervous laughter, and she buried her face in her hands. “Why me?”

But then, as if he were doing it just for her, Bardulf’s gaze flicked back at her, and the intensity of his stare made her feel like she was being seen through to her very core.

“I’ll be calling on you for questions, Miss Louve,” he said, his tone teasing, yet somehow filled with a quiet command. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of questions for me, considering I’m the one saving you from your usual science professor.”

She froze.

“How did he...”

She looked up, only to see Bardulf still watching her, his smile almost playful. It was as if he *knew* exactly what kind of storm he was stirring up inside her.

“W-what?” she stammered, her face heating up. She had no idea how to react. Why was he making everything so difficult?

“Oh, nothing,” he said with a shrug. “Just wanted to make sure you’re paying attention, Louve.”

The whole class was watching now, waiting for her to answer, but all she could do was glare at him, trying to muster some semblance of control. She hated how he was turning everything into a game. She hated that he was making her feel like this. Like she was on display for his amusement.

“Yeah, sure,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to avoid eye contact. “Focus on the lesson, Louve. Focus on anything but him.”

For the next hour, Bardulf kept glancing at her, and every time he did, she could feel her skin prickle with awareness. Every word he said seemed to carry an underlying message; he wasn’t going to let her forget who he was to her.

But she refused to acknowledge it. She couldn’t. Not now. Not when she was so close to getting a grip on her life again after being jilted.

After School

As soon as the lesson ended, she bolted from her seat, gathering her things quickly. She didn’t even bother to look around for Marissa. She just had to get out of that room.

The moment she stepped into the hallway, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Louve!”

She stopped dead in her tracks, her heart sinking. She turned slowly, already knowing who it was before she even looked.

Bardulf stood there, leaning casually against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. He looked too relaxed for someone who had just thrown her into a mental whirlwind.

“Hey,” he said, his voice smooth and teasing. “How’s the lesson? Did I manage to keep your attention?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you doing here?” she asked, though it came out more like a demand.

“Just teaching,” he said with a shrug. “Who knew I had a future as a science professor?”

She couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious. Either way, it was clear he was enjoying this a little too much.

“You’re impossible,” she muttered, turning to leave, but then his voice stopped her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Louve,” he said softly, his tone almost playful, but with that underlying note of something more.

She didn’t turn around. She couldn’t. But she could feel his eyes on her, burning into her back. She hated how his presence lingered even after he was gone. How could she escape him when he was everywhere she went?

But tomorrow is a new day. And this was far from over.