BOOKSDRAMA Chapter 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 w "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 h 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
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 in "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 fluid momentarily
Chapter 11
left speechless.
"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, an 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. "A
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.