One Night
Night 11

Chapter 11

Audrey

The room had fallen so silent you could have heard a pin drop: I, too, was utterly silent. Not that I could hear anything over the sound of the blood rushing through my ears.

I stared in shock an Edwin, wondering if I had just heard him correctly. Did he seriously just admit to skeping with me? In front of the entire class?

But when I focused in on those gray eyes of his, I caught the faintest hint of a smile there that made my heart stop in my chest

“Sid” the student asked, the fabric still pooled around his feet. “A–Are you

“It’s true.” Edwin turned to address the entire class, who had all frozen in their tracks by this point. Dozens of eyes darted from me to the professor, a few students glancing at each other as well. No doubt the word would get out I thought I might die right then and there.

“Professor-“I began worriedly, but Edwin cut me off before I could even speak.

“I chose Audrey’s resume over hundreds of other applicants, Edwin explained, gesturing with one hand, “If that makes me a fool to some of you, then so be it—but I know talent and hard work when I see it.”

The student behind me scoffed quietly as he stooped to pick up his fabric. “But she’s a human,” he whispered.

Edwin’s eyes snapped to the student like two daggers poised to strike. “Yes,” he retorted, striding back over to the student. “She is a human. Does that make her skills any less valuable? Does that make all of her hard work moot!”

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Edwin practically towered over the Beta student, his broad form exuding a powerful energy that even made me shudder–and I wasn’t a werewolf. I could only imagine the sort of deep, primal fear that an Alpha, especially one such as Edwin, could exact over a young Beta.

Before the student could mutter out another response, Edwin suddenly grabbed the fabric from his hands and whirled to face the rest of the class again.

“If any of you have an issue with my choice in a teaching assistant,” he said, striding up to the demonstration mannequin at the front of the class. “then you are more than welcome to bring it up with the school authorities. But”

He paused, his g gray eyes fixing on me one last time before he continued. “As for now, to disagree with my teaching assistant is to disagree with me.” He held my gaze for a breathless moment before he looked over at the Beta student. “Apologize to her.”

The Beta blanched visibly. His arrogance appeared to have diminished ever so slightly, judging from the slump in his shoulders and the redness in his face.

But apparently Edwin’s speech hadn’t been quite enough to change the student’s views.

“I’m sorry, Professor, but I can’t,” he said. “She’s still a human. Therefore, she’s inferior. It’s just nature!

I felt my stomach twist. Edwin let out a barking laugh, however, that caused everyone to jump where they stood–myself included

“That’s rich,” he said, nodding his head toward the student’s mannequin, “coming from someone whose skills are so inferior he cannot drape a piece of fabric correctly.”

The student’s eyes widened, and a soft gasp rippled through the room from the other students. Edwin opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, 1 stepped forward with my hands clenched into tight fists at my sides.

“Professor, if I may

Edwin shot me a curious glance, but nodded.

“It seems as though you don’t believe in my skills,” I said, turning to the student for a moment before addressing the rest of the class “Perhaps I

I can prove myself instead.”

The student scoffed again. Td like to see that.”

I turned to look at Edwin and gestured to the fabric he held in his hands. “May I

Stepping back from the demonstration mannequin, I placed my hands on my hips and took in my work. As I did so, soft murmurs made their way throughout the room–the shocked students stared in awe at the masterpiece in front of them

A full gown, made entirely of a single piece of draped linen fabric, adorned the mannequin. It fell gracefully to the floor in a soft puddle, painstakingly pleated around the chest and waist. The dress moved so fluidly for such a rough fabric that even Edwin appeared to be momentarily

Chapter 11

left speechless.

Finally turning, I addressed the class.

“Have I proven myself?”

There was a long, tense silence before the students began to nod and murmur amongst themselves. But I didn’t care about their reactions–1 only cared about the Beta student, who stood off to the side with his mouth hanging open.

“Well?” Edwin asked, stepping forward to fix the student with another harsh glare. “What do you say? Was my teaching assistant’s work satisfactory? Will you apologize now?”

The student blanched, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. For a moment, his eyes simply darted back and forth between me, the mannequin, and Edwin.

Then, finally, he nodded. “Yes,” he muttered, his gaze dropping to his shoes. T’m Sorry”

“You’re sorry, what?” Edwin prodded.

“I’m sorry, Miss..” The student grit his teeth for a moment before continuing. “Miss Audrey,”

“Much better.” Edwin glanced at his watch. “That’s our time. Class is dismissed; and for homework, I’d like you all to write two pages on my teaching assistant’s work here, how skillfully she draped her fabric, and how you intend to improve your own work based on her example. Turn your papers in by Friday.”

With that, the students began to filter out of the room. I watched them go one–by–one, and it was only when the last student finally slipped out and the door shut behind her that I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized I had been holding.

Behind me, I heard the sound of papers shuffling. Turning, I saw Edwin standing behind his desk, rifling through a folder.

tep toward him. “Thank you,” I blurted out, my voice cracking slightly. “For… For standing up for me in class?

I swallowed and took a step

Edwin didn’t even lift his gaze from the folder. He merely shrugged. “I told you the other day that I wouldn’t go easy on you because of our… brief history,” he said, licking the tip of his thumb to turn the page. “And that everything you have achieved was due to your own abilities.”

I didn’t know what to say at that moment; for the first time ever, it felt as though I had been treated fairly. Not cruelly, nor given handouts due to pity over my status as a human.

Just… fairly.

Before I could even give voice to those thoughts, however, Edwin was snapping his folder shut. He circled the desk and strode up to me, nodding toward my left hand.

“Hold your hand out,” he said simply.

Although I couldn’t help but furrow my brow at the unexpected request, I did as he said. I held my left hand out so that it hovered in the air between us, palm up.

Without a word, Edwin took my hand and held it in his.