The door opened to reveal Professor Adrian Lane, looking casually elegant in dark jeans and a forest green button- down that emphasized his lean frame. He carried a bouquet of cheerful yellow sunflowers–a stark contrast to Dominic’s formal white lilies.
“Professor Lane,” I said, genuinely surprised.
“Please, it’s Adrian when we’re not in ss,” he reminded me with a warm smile. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything? The timing seems interesting–Mr. Sterling just departed not long ago, from what I gather.”
My eyes widened. “How did you know that?”
Adrian’s smile turned slightly amused. “There are photographers camped outside. Apparently, the future Alpha of Silver Moon Shadow makes for interesting news these days.”
He ced the sunflowers in an empty vase on the windowsill, arranging them with an artist’s eye. “These seemed more your style than formal arrangements. Sunflowers always face toward the light–resilient, like you.”
The thoughtfulness of the gesture touched me. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
Adrian took the seat beside my bed, his posture rxed but his gaze attentive. “I brought something else as well.” He reached into a messenger bag and pulled out a small, beautifully wrapped box. “Your mug turned out exceptionally well–better than expected, actually.”
I took the package, carefully unwrapping it to reveal the small y bowl I’d made at the pottery demonstration. It had been zed in shades of blue and green that swirled together like ocean waves. Despite its amateur craftsmanship, there was something oddly beautiful about it–organic and imperfect.
“This is…” I trailed off, unexpectedly moved by seeing my creation transformed.
“Your first finished piece,” Adrianpleted, his voice gentle. “Everyone remembers their first.”
I ran my fingers over the smooth ze, noting how the colors shifted in the light. “I can’t believe this came from that lump of y,”
“You have natural talent,” he said. “Which is why I hope this hospital stay won’t interrupt your studies for long.”
It’s just a minor injury,” I replied. “I’ll be back in ss next week.”
Adrian nodded, studying me with those perceptive eyes that seemed to see more than I wanted to reveal. “Dominic Sterling,” he said thoughtfully. “I see he takes a special interest in you.”
I tensed slightly, setting the bowl aside. “It’s not what you think. We’re not–I mean, I’m just-”
“A human,” Adrian finished for me, surprising me into silence.
:
<b>41 </b>
We stared at each other for a long moment. I wasn’t sure what to say, how much he knew, or what his own position was in theplex hierarchy of Silver Moon Shadow.
I can see he matters to you,” Adrian finally said, his voice softer. “And you clearly matter to him.”
1 shook my head. “I’m nobody special. Just an ordinary person who happened to cross paths with him.”
Adrian leaned forward slightly, his expression earnest. “Reba, in all the time I’ve known you–which admittedly isn’t long–you’ve never struck me as ordinary.”
He reached out as if to touch my hand, then seemed to think better of it, pulling back. “I can see something’s troubling you. I recognize that look–the pain that has nothing to do with physical injuries.”
I swallowed hard, looking away. How could he read me so easily when we barely knew each other?
“Some people’s worlds are incrediblyplex,” he continued. “Even when they want to give you everything, there are often factors beyond their control. Expectations. Traditions. Family pressures.”
My head snapped up. “How do you know about that?”
Adrian smiled, but there was a tinge of sadness in it. “I’ve lived in this city a long time. I understand power dynamics and family legacies. The Sterling family is beautiful from the outside–like a magnificent pce. But pces can also be prisons for those who live inside them.”
His insight was uncanny, and I found myself unable to maintain my usual guardedness. “He has responsibilities <b>I </b>
can’t even imagine. A future I’m not part of.”
“Perhaps,” Adrian conceded. “Or perhaps he’s struggling with expectations that no longer serve him.”
He stood, adjusting the strap of his messenger bag. “I should let you rest. But I wanted you to know something. His eyes met mine, direct and unwavering. “When you find yourself needing to escape that world–needing someone who can appreciate your talent without theplications of pack politics–I’ll be here.”
I stared at him, caught off guard by the subtle offer beneath his words.
I’m not like him,” Adrian continued, his voice gentle but firm. “I don’t have his power or position. But I can promise you one thing that perhaps he cannot–with me, you would always be an equal. Not a contract. Not a possession.”
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