Lavenia's POV
Today is Professor Satoshi's lecture. I chose not to attend, but instead stayed in the library, working on the assignment he gave me about Jaxon Rhymes, the introverted artist whose madness is not much different from the other three alphas who was slept with me.
I deliberately avoided Hero, Jaxon, Rayden, and especially Doctor Lane. I had decided that I wouldn't choose any of them. It was better this way.
I am a mature woman and responsible for my actions. That means this puppy will be safe even if he's only with me.
My phone kept ringing. It was a call from Anita that made my eyes widen. What could be so important that she would bother to call? Was she with Damien?
I answered the call only to hear a strange voice that I shouldn't have heard.
"What do you want, Anita?" I asked curtly. She chuckled, then sounded like she was talking to someone I knew, even though it was only his voice. Damien, who else?
"I heard you're pregnant," she said.
"Who told you that?"
"You know..."
I nodded vaguely. "Is that all you want to ask? If there's nothing else, I'm going to hang up."
"Wait!" she stopped me, making me hesitate to end the useless conversation with her. "Are you trying to accuse another man of being the father of the pup you're carrying?"
"Seriously, Anita. Why're you doing this to me? Why do you keep bothering me? What's your problem? Is this about Damien? Take him for yourself because I don't want him anymore."
"It's precisely because of your pretentious attitude that Damien and I are on the verge of breaking up."
I snorted. "That's none of my business."
"Of course it's your business. Just pick a random man—anyone—to be the father of your pup. Don't involve Damien in this because he doesn't even have any desire for you."
Shit!
I ended the conversation before Anita could finish her unnecessary sentence. I didn't even want to deal with Damien anymore, but Dad... right! This must be because of him.
I got up, took all my things, and left the library, looking for a secluded place that was rarely visited by students. I immediately contacted the innocent man who was, unfortunately, my father.
"Yes, Lav? Are you sick? Do you want me to pick you up?" Dad greeted me from the other line. If I said he was overly protective, that would be the truth.
Many people say that I'm very lucky to have such a caring father. The problem is, with his character, he often misjudges people because he sees the good side of others too quickly.
"No, Dad. I just want to ask. What are your and Damien's plans? Why did his whore contact me and say that my decision would ruin their lives? Are you still going to force me to marry him?" I snapped, and Dad just sighed heavily. "So it's true? Dad..."
"Lav, have you ever felt so afraid of losing someone? After being together for a long time, you don't trust anyone but one person to protect the one you love? That's how I feel right now."
"I can take care of myself. Besides, you've been protecting me—communication devices, bodyguards who never leave my side for even a second," I said, turning my head and sighing when, sure enough, I found my bodyguard standing not far from me.
I told you I don't need protection, but look...
"That's all I can do for you, Lav," Dad replied. "Listen, I don't want to lose you like I lost your mother. You're pregnant now, that will be my grandchild. So I will take better care of you, and Damien is the right man to be my extension in ensuring your safety and comfort."
Bullshit!
Not even a day after my decision not to choose, Damien's mistress was already furious and kept contacting me.
What does she want? If it's just Damien, she can have him anytime.
Under such conditions, can that be considered safe and comfortable ? My father should know that. Even after I said all that, he still insisted on his will.
What should I do?
***
I looked around the corridor, making sure no one was around, even though it was only Hero I was actually avoiding.
There was no one there. I walked calmly and carefully, until unexpectedly, someone covered my mouth and dragged me to the corner of the building and pinned me there.
He was so close that I could feel his warm breath on my face. He smelled so good and triggered a surge of hormones in me.
This was probably because of my pregnancy hormones, which sometimes made me a little crazy.
"How long are you going to avoid me?" he asked with his unique pair of dark almond-shaped eyes staring intently at me. I was still the same, always finding it difficult to breathe whenever I was close to him or the other three alphas.
Memories of that brutal sex continued to haunt me.
"Lav..." He stared at me deeply, sighing because he got no response from me. "How long are you going to punish me just because of someone else's mistake?"
"Someone else's mistake? Where are you going with this, Professor?"
"Your attitude. Let it be if none of the three of them want to take responsibility. I will. I've told you, you'll be more at peace with me."
Well, by nature, Hero was the calmest and most organized than the other. So if he lost his temper, it meant that things had gone too far.
"This isn't a matter of who wants to take responsibility, but because this pup isn't necessarily yours."
"It's not necessarily theirs either," he replied.
"But it definitely belongs to one of you. You know yourself that I was still a virgin at the time, so don't ever doubt me!" I said firmly.
He raised both hands in the air, giving up after hearing my words.
"I know, I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure you understood what I meant." He came closer, pressing me against the wall and trapping me with his body. "Do you want us to get married? Just say it."
"Hero... don't you understand?"
"What? You... want someone else?"
"No... it's not because of that," I replied, then sighed. "Look, the five of us were strangers at first. Saying that I'm more interested in one of you than the others feels like a baseless accusation."
"Then live with me," he said.
I saw no turmoil in his brown eyes. However, here, in my chest, there was a flutter of doubt that I couldn't shake.
It wasn't fair for me to choose only one of the four of them, when I had doubts about all four.
I sighed heavily, letting Hero caress my face.
"How about... we play a role?" he asked hoarsely. "You guys would like it if I gave a role-play style lecture, right?"
I chuckled. "Okay. What role-play game do you want, Professor?"
"Damn, Lav... I don't really like it when students call me professor in the same way, but you... the way you do it... you drive me fucking crazy."
"Come on... do you want to continue the game or not?" I interrupted.
"Okay. Here's how it goes. Let's pretend we don't know each other. You're a student, I'm a lecturer, and we've never met before, but I fell in love with you from the first meeting." He said, continuing to look at me with his sweet smile.
"Then?"
"You want to ask about the editorial assignment I gave you for the scholarship," he continued.
"Uhm-hm... then?"
He looked at me for a moment. Deeply and intently. "I asked you to come to my house."
"Hmm... I thought you were going to kiss me now," I teased him, but he just laughed.
"We wanted to play role play, remember? How could someone who just met you kiss you randomly?"
"It's possible. In fact, that night we were brutal, even though we didn't know each other."
"Nuh... I want a different game," he replied confidently. He seemed like a man who didn't prioritize intense physical contact, but rather personal connection. "I'm a slow man in relationships. All of us in my pack are like that. Calm and unhurried."
"What if the woman you like is taken by someone else because you're too slow?" I teased. He chuckled.
"It means we weren't meant to be," he replied.
"What if that woman is me?"
He fell silent. His gaze suddenly became vacant, no longer focused on me. However, it wasn't long before he looked back at me.
"That won't happen. I won't allow it," he replied, and I smiled at that. "So what now?"
"What?"
"To my house? I'll help you with that editorial assignment," he said.
I nodded. "Okay. Just for work, right? Nothing more."
He shook his head. "We're still in role play mode, Lavenia. To know each other."
"Until when?"
"There's no time limit. I'm approaching you, so let's just go with it."
I nodded, then walked with him to the car that was heading to his residence in East Pack.
Role play mode approach, he said. So, even though I decided not to choose, there was one thing they should pay attention to: They had to try harder to win my heart.
And Hero was the first to do that.