Mated To My Boyfriend's Dad

Chapter 54: _ Bad Luck Charm

Finally, I reached the classroom. The kids hadn’t listened to me.

Goddamn it. I told them all to freaking wait in the class!

All the desks were empty, except for one. I squinted my eyes to study the occupied one. Huddled in the corner, a small figure sat hunched over, his shoulders shaking. Then, his small whimper drew my complete attention to him.

It was Liam. Relief was an understatement for how I felt right now.

"Liam!" I rushed towards him, bellowing.

He looked up and I saw his eyes red-rimmed and tear-streaked.

"Ms. Isleen," he croaked, his voice trembling. "What’s happening?"

Oh, the poor boy.

I knelt before him, gathering him in a tight embrace. His small frame shook against mine, and for a moment, I wanted to protect him with everything I had.

All that mattered was the warmth of his body pressed against mine, the soft sobs that muffled against my shirt. Liam felt like me way too much.

He reminded me of my younger self. I couldn’t protect myself from the thorns back then but I could protect this boy right here.

"It’s okay," I whispered. "I’m here. I’ll keep you safe."

His arms wrapped around my waist, clinging to me like a lifeline. I feared. I panicked. What if I failed my duty as a mother?

It felt like too much of a burden to bear. But for him, I would carry it all.

As I pulled back, wiping tears from his cheeks, I remembered that there was still danger in the air. The school was in chaos, the killer still at large. We couldn’t stay here.

"We need to go," I said.

Even though I felt less scared now that I knew Gamma Rhett was here.

Liam nodded obediently at me, sniffing. "Is it safe to go now?"

"Y— yeah. Gamma Rhett and the pack’s soldiers are here. We are in safe hands now." I replied, taking his hand and making our way outside.

Once in the corridor, I saw Gamma Rhett with Principal Thorne. They seemed to be embedded in a deep conversation. That sparked up my hope.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t see me.

My heart did lots of skip-a-beats as we walked on.

Don’t look up. Don’t look up. I prayed.

However, Principal Thorne soon made that into a distant dream.

"Ms. Isleen?" He called upon me as we approached them.

The hell, Principal Thorne? I swore internally.

And then, "Hello, sir. I’m sorry about Mr. Fenrir." I said, avoiding Gamma Rhett’s gaze.

He was still gaping at me still.

Principal Thorne cleared his throat. "Ms. Isleen, we all are. Such a sad demise. To say he was all vibrant just a few hours ago and now, he’s murdered in cold blood."

"And yet, it all happened in our school that is filled with children." I sighed, forgetting about Gamma Rhett for a while.

"why haven’t you evacuated with the others?" Asked Principal Thorne.

My cheeks flushed. "I, uh, was looking for Liam," I stammered, gesturing towards the boy clinging to my hand.

The principal’s gaze softened. "Ah, well, I’m glad you found him. It’s imperative you both leave immediately. The situation is..." he trailed off, his eyes flickering towards Gamma Rhett, "uncertain."

"Thank you, Principal Thorne," I replied. "We appreciate it."

As we turned to leave, I felt Gamma Rhett’s stare burning into my back. I could barely breathe. It was hard fighting the urge to throw myself into his arms. With my Wolf whining and racing back and forth all for his presence, I knew I was a strong woman.

Or perhaps, it was my relationship with Kylo that made me strong. I couldn’t try anything stupid because of him. To say this man was older than me by nineteen years was just impeccable. Being mated to an older man.

My life was always full of downslopes.

Liam, oblivious to the tension brewing within me, tugged on my hand. "Ms. Isleen, isn’t that Gamma Rhett?" he asked aloud.

Oh, Geez.

I swallowed hard. "Yes, Liam."

Liam took a step forward and bowed shyly. "Hello, Gamma Rhett."

Rhett’s gaze flickered to Liam for a fleeting moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he turned back to the principal.

A curt nod was all he offered Liam in response to his greeting. It felt dismissive, almost cold, and a flicker of anger sparked within me.

What was his problem?

Even if he had a problem with me, Liam was just a little boy who was trying to display his manners and courtesies to his elders.

Desperate to escape the uncomfortable tension and Rhett’s scrutiny, I quickened my pace. "Come on, Liam, let’s go."

"Goodbye, Principal Thorne," I said, offering a small smile. "Thank you for everything."

He nodded curtly, his eyes lingering on Liam for a moment before returning to me. "Stay safe, Ms. Isleen. And take care of him."

With a final wave, I turned and hurried out of the school, Liam’s small hand clutched tightly in mine. I practically dragged him away.

Gamma Rhett was one funny and confusing being. He didn’t stop gaping at me.

Gosh.

As we hurried down the hallway, I stole a glance back. He was still standing there, his broad form beckoning at me without him having to do anything. A pang of something akin to hurt flickered through me.

Damn. I shouldn’t be mated to this man.

.

The walk home as usual was all stares and whispers. Especially since everyone knew I taught in the school where the crime had taken place.

"She must have been the one to bring bad luck to the school."

"Blame the principal for employing her."

"Everyone should stay away from her."

"Pfft! Look at her holding yet another boy."

"She wants to go suck his blood and eat his flesh!"

"Such an abomination!"

It was hard. Very hard to maintain my rationality, to ignore these jibes and just walk home. I knew I shouldn’t take these people’s judgments to heart.

Everyone in the pack always found a way to blame me for everything. But then again, what if Mr. Fenrir had died because of me?

I didn’t like him after all. I wanted him gone but not dead.

Come to think of it, Liam was also my student and his brother had died too. What if I was a bad luck charm?

What if Kylo or his dad died because of me?