One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter 243

Audrey

“To Audrey! Our friend, Luna, and savior.”

I rolled my eyes at Tina's last choice of words, but toasted anyway. The red wine instantly soothed my frayed

nerves as it went down.

“Are you guys sure | didn’t make a fool of myself?” | asked, looking at my friends around the cramped kitchen. “I

feel like | did.”

“I mean, you didn’t pi** yourself or run off the stage crying, so I'd say it could have been worse,” Gavin joked,

eliciting a well- deserved smack on the arm from Avis.

Betty rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him, Audrey. You did great. Seriously.”

Unsatisfied, | glanced over at Edwin. He was currently elbow-deep in a bowl of homemade pizza dough, his

sleeves rolled up, flour dusting his exposed skin. The entire kitchen smelled like yeast and freshly made tomato

sauce.

“You have more public speaking skills than you give yourself credit for,” he said with a small smile in my

direction. “Even with all those cameras around, you spoke like a pro.”

| suppressed a shiver at the reminder of the cameras. The town square where the press event had been held had

been packed to the brim with reporters when we'd arrived. | knew that it would be a frenzy, but not quite to that

extent.

Still, somehow | had managed to follow Betty's public speaking advice and give my speech with relative ease.

My voice had cracked a few times and my hands shook as | spoke, but it seemed to have turned out okay in the

end.

Especially the part where Edwin and | had announced that | was the official Luna of Crescent pack, brandishing

the ring on my finger.

The reporters had gone absolutely berserk at that, asking questions about our impromptu mating ceremony,

whether we had a public wedding planned, and why we'd gotten married so quickly.

I'd told them the truth; that | knew the Silver Star needed to shift in order to save the people | cared about. And

that it was thanks to our off-the-cuff, private mating ceremony that I'd not only been able to do that, but also

fulfill my promise to Ivy and all those other kids.

| think | handled that part pretty well, at least.

And now here we were, hours later, standing in the middle of the apartment kitchen with the scent of homemade

pizza in the air and the taste of cheap red wine in our bellies.

We'd discussed going out after the event, since we were all dressed up, but had ultimately decided to come

home. The paparazzi likely would have followed us to whatever restaurant we agreed on, and besides-this sort of

peace was exactly what we had fought for, and | intended to make good use of it.

So we'd cback here, agreeing on homemade pizza and s***y box wine. I'd hung up my dress and threw on

my sweatpants, and | felt more at hthan ever.

I glanced over at Peter then, who was leaning back in one of the chairs around the kitchen table with his legs

stretched out in front of him. The way his eyes kept flicking to Betty whenever she laughed wasn’t lost on me.

Betty, for her part, seemed oblivious. And completely uninterested in him. Or maybe she was just an excellent

actress.

“Don’t you dare,” Edwin's voice rippled down the bond. “He’s my brother. Don’t start.”

FD

09:33 Sat, Oct 26

Chapter 243

| turned away and sipped my wine, hiding my smirk. “Quit reading my mind.”

8

83%1

“I don’t have to. It's written all over your face,” Edwin chuckled. “You promised you wouldn't play matchmaker

with them.”

Edwin was right. For a little while, | had considered talking to one or both of them to find out what was going on.

They would have made a cute couple, and it was clear that Peter liked her. But ultimately I'd decided to stay out

of it.

If Betty was his mate, then it was on them to figure that out. Not me.

FD

Soon enough, the pizza was prepared and in the oven. Edwin joinedwhere | stood in the doorway and looped

his arm around my shoulders. He smelled like a mixture of dinner and cologne, and | leaned into him, watching

as our friends joked and teased each other in the kitchen.

Just about everyone was here tonight: Peter, Betty, Gavin, Avis, Tina, Eliza, Claudia, and even Charles. Our big,

strange, haphazard family.

“Have you thought about my proposition?” Edwin suddenly asked..

I glanced up at him, recalling the conversation we’d had last night while laying awake in bed. His empty mansion

up in the center of Crescent territory was almost empty, just sitting there waiting for us. We'd discussed moving

to the estate before, but it had been a distant thing-something to save until we were married.

But we were married now. And this apartment... Well, when Edwin had rented it, he'd never expected to have so

many guests. He'd never expected to have any.

“It's just so far,” | thought back to him, chewing my lower lip. “I like being here.”

Edwin's inner voice hummed thoughtfully. Avis had her apartment and shop just down the street, and Gavin was

moving in with her soon. Tina was staying with Claudia, who'd basically becher foster mother, while she

looked for work. Betty was living with her parents for now, but was looking for a house in the area.

And then there was Claudia, whose estate was less than a thirty minute drive from here.

ooo

Everyone was close by, except for Peter, who was the only one who spent most of his tup north. But he

roamed around enough that it hardly mattered. The guy practically lived in motels, especially since he’d become

Crescent’s spymaster. | saw him at least three times a week.

But at the stime, there was no knowing where any of us would be in a year. Maybe, as is endemic in groups

of friends fresh out of college, we'd eventually split up and go our own ways.

That was okay. Natural. But in the meantime, | wanted to enjoy having my strange little family close by.

“We have plenty of tto decide,” Edwin replied, sensing these thoughts of mine through our bond. “I don’t

mean to rush you.”

| let out a little sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

Edwin offereda small smile and squeezed my arm before moving away to check on the pizza.

A little while later, the kitchen table

was covered in crumbs, the wine was

drained to the dregs, and our bellies

were full of cheese gnd3iodgh’ Nis

. I G

apd alin Were alf-asleep curled up

on the couch together, Claudia and

Eliza had said their goodbyes and

gone hfor the night, Betty and

Tina were arguing over a gof

cards, and Charles and Peter were

talking quietly on the balcony. The

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the latest chapter there!

I, however, felt too strung up on the adrenaline from the press event to lounge around. | grabbed my coat and

turned to the others. “Walk, anyone? | want to pick up smore

wine.”

My friends all agreed, and soon, we were all stumbling down the street in search of the liquor store. We passed

through the quiet market street, stopping in front of various shop windows to peer inside.

09:33 Sat, Oct 26 w

Chapter 243

1883%

All was calm until suddenly, Betty let

out a wail that had us all whirling as if

dj 105 4 dar Pk

she'd just been hit BY ar-Peter

area bolted to her side,

rounding a corner into a nearby

, 3 3

alleyway that she'd slipped into. The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

“What's wrong?” | gasped, coming to a screeching halt around the corner.

Betty pushed her lower lip out in a pout and jabbed her finger at the glass of an empty shop window. “My

favorite thrift shop... It's closed!” she wailed, nearly on the verge of tears.

Avis sighed. “Oh, that one. | meant to tell you...”

We walked over and peered inside.

The shop was dark and empty, save

for a few crates andabandoried

clothing vaoks. Last twe'd been

here was right before the

masquerade, and the place had been

stuffed with clothes. The content is

on novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

“What happened?” | asked, cupping my hands around my eyes to see better through the glass. “I thought this

place was super popular.”

Avis shook her head bitterly. “It’s that d***mn fast fashion company that popped up recently-Nightfall, | think it's

called. It’s been putting places like this out of business.”

| frowned, exchanging glances with Edwin. Nightfall... | hadn't heard of it.

x

“D****n,” Betty sighed, leaning her forehead against the glass. “That breaks my heart...”