The warmth of the bed felt unfamiliar to Shawn Geller.
He couldn't quite place what was making his body feel so relaxed, so deeply satisfied that he had no urge to even open his eyes and see what lay behind that feeling.
But while his body wanted to sink deeper into it, his mind refused to rest until it understood why.
And the moment it did, he sat up abruptly.
The weight resting on his chest slipped off to the side, and a low groan came from the person beside him.
It was a young man- blond hair falling over nearly half his face, his upper body bare down to his stomach.
His frame balanced somewhere between feminine and masculine, his skin smooth but marked with faint hickeys, unmistakable evidence of what had taken place.
Shawn pushed himself out of bed. Only when he was standing did he realize he was completely naked.
"Get up and leave," he said, his voice still rough from sleep but carrying enough weight to make it clear he meant it.
The person only groaned, then lazily turned to face Shawn, his movements slow and unbothered.
When he spoke, his voice carried that same careless ease. "For the last time, stop pretending you don't like that I keep showing up. You let me stay over last night, you never do that. Don't you think that counts as progress?" he said. "I won't keep offering this, so let's just make it simple. Friends with benefits. I know you don't want anything emotional, no commitment, so I won't ask for any of that."
"I'm going to the bathroom," Shawn said, as if he hadn't even heard what the person had just said, already heading toward the small bathroom in the room. "And when I get back, you better be gone, and never show up here again."
The young man's brows arched in amazement, a faint smirk playing on his lips, "How are you able to say that with a straight face? Seriously, you should at least feel ashamed of your own words. You tell me never to show up every time, but the moment I show up you're all over me. Wil..."
"Leave." Shawn cut the boy off with a single word, without turning back.
His voice slipped out as a growl against his will, and with that, he knew for certain that his eyes were glowing now. He couldn't let the boy see, no one should- because if they did, it would surely be the end of him.
"Okay, fine… I'll leave," the young man said, getting up and gathering his scattered clothes as Shawn stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.
He hated himself in that moment, especially knowing that stubborn stranger had been right- he had told him never to show up again, but every time he did, he couldn't stop himself from losing himself and forgetting every promise he'd made when he returned to the city.
After six years in hiding, was he really going to let something like this expose him? Had he really forgotten that if anyone recognized him, it would mean his end?
Or had he forgotten that the hyper-realistic mask giving him a new face wouldn't protect him if he shifted in front of someone?
Thinking about it only made him angrier, dragging up memories he didn't want and pushing him closer to losing control.
He gripped the edge of the sink, his knuckles whitening.
For a second, he swore he could feel it again- The needle sliding into his vein. The burn that followed. The way everyone had laughed it off… until everyone lost control.
He shut his eyes tightly. "Get it together."
But it was already too late.
His adrenaline spiked rapidly, especially as the faces of those who had ripped his humanity away flashed through his mind.
He couldn't remember many things, but those faces had never faded.
He barely noticed when his hand slammed into the sink, shattering it into pieces. His chest rose and fell heavily as he forced his eyes shut.
"10, 9, 8, 7…" he counted backward slowly, holding his breath for a full minute before letting it out.
At last, he regained some control over whatever now ruled him. He slowly glanced down at the broken sink and ignored it, deciding to deal with it later, and promising himself not to think about the past again.
He let the cold water run over his body as he slowly cooled down. He stayed in the shower longer than he should have, and by the time he stepped out, he already knew he was late.
First impressions mattered.
He had promised himself he would live quietly among humans and reclaim the normal life stolen from him. That was why he sought a job as a high school teacher using the manipulative skills he'd gained from the beast he had become, despite never having gone to college.
It was his second dream job, and even though he knew it was the most dangerous choice he could make right now, he still went for it.
Because, deep down, he was trying to prove something to himself- that he could still control his own life… that he could still live normally, the way he had once dreamed of as a child.
He forced himself into an official outfit, a black shirt and pants. He then stared at his reflection in the mirror, hating the flawless but fake face he now wore. He looked at the outfit, wondering if he even looked like a teacher.
It didn't matter.
Using his heightened reflexes, he moved through the empty streets at impossible speed, reaching the school gate in no time.
"So much for living a normal human life, Shawn," he murmured to himself, sarcasm lacing his voice as he walked in.
Once inside, the principal assigned him a guide teacher who showed him around and eventually led him to his first class.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, a ripple of gasps and quiet whispers spread among the students, mostly from the girls.
It wasn't surprising. He had been in high school once. He knew how seniors like these thrived on drama.
At seventeen and eighteen, they already carried themselves like adults… testing boundaries, flirting with danger, imagining they could charm their way around teachers like him.
The air felt charged with that delicate, thrilling spark of forbidden attraction.
"That's not a very good first impression for our new teacher," the guide teacher said, silencing the room.
Just as she was about to introduce Shawn, the door swung open without a knock.
The young man Shawn had been with less than an hour ago walked in.
Shawn froze.
His pulse spiked violently, a sharp, suffocating jolt that left him momentarily breathless. His eyes locked onto the young man, disbelief crashing through him.
What the hell was he doing here?
"Mr. Green," the guide teacher said, "lucky timing, you've arrived just as I was about to introduce your new History teacher. Come in and take your seat." Her tone carried more respect than he likely gave her himself.
"Mrs. Smith, how many times have I told you? Just call me Jean," he said casually, but Shawn could hear the rapid beat of his heart.
Twenty-three. Bank employee. Hadn't he said all that? And now… he was a high school student?
Shawn's mind reeled.
Had he just slept with a high school stude...?
Mrs. Smith leaned in, her whisper cutting through his thoughts. "Not many people know this- for his safety. He's the governor's and the mayor's son, so whatever he does, just… don't mind him. For your own good."
"Oh God…" The words slipped from Shawn's lips, heavy with shock.
Apart from being a high school student… he was also the son of the very people who had ruined him and the others?
This couldn't be a coincidence.
They had found him.
They knew he was still alive.
His control slipped again, and he knew he had to leave immediately or he would expose himself right here.
"Excuse me for a second," he said, already moving toward the door, his breathing turning labored.