Page 6 of Loving My Omega (The Perfect Designation Trilogy #2)

Chapter

Six

G etting off the bus, I wrapped my coat tighter around myself. I wasn’t supposed to be on campus today, but Professor Davidson asked me to come in during his office hours. I’d layered up extra today, since I felt weirdly exposed. I knew some of it was because I hadn’t heard back about Mrs. Truman.

It was now Wednesday. Nearly three days since Mrs. Truman had been back. I’d called the hospital but they said they couldn’t connect the phone to her room. When I asked if I could come down and see her, they said only immediate family could visit at this time. She apologized and I realized it was probably at the behest of her kids. That pissed me off. Mrs. Truman wasn’t just theirs. She had so many in the apartment that were worried and wanted to know if she was okay.

Thinking about it made me worry more. So, for now, I tried to focus on the things I needed to do. I’d done a full shift at the cafe this morning, all three of my classes, and then headed into campus to hopefully talk about getting winter session worked out. It was still up in the air and I was worried that I would need to put my entire schooling on hold just because I couldn’t finish out this quarter.

Trudging up the stairs to the third floor, I looked down the first hallway out of habit. I knew Marcus has his class until four and it was only three-thirty right now. Still, seeing his door closed and lights off made my heart sink further. Knocking on Professor Davidson’s office door, he asked me to come in.

Opening the door, it felt so much warmer and I nearly sighed in relief. I closed the door behind me and sat in the chair across from his desk. Sitting on the couch felt too informal for the conversation we were about to have. Professor Davidson was looking at his computer before he turned to me, lacing his fingers together.

“You know I am on the board of directors, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

He leaned forward a little and I felt my heart skip a beat. “Well, color me surprised when I get a call forwarded to my office. It turns out to be one of my very own students’ father.”

My eyes widened. “Wait, my father?”

Professor Davidson nodded. He got up and turned on a kettle that was sitting on a little caddy against the wall. Taking out two cups, he put a tea bag in both. Apparently, he had picked up that I only drank tea in the classroom.

“I spoke to your father. I’m not sure he understood that I am, in fact, a human. He tried to threaten me with his Alpha and pack.”

I balked at him. Really, the last time I had heard from them was when they tracked my phone. That had been a few weeks ago and I had hoped they finally let it go. There was nothing I could offer them. Nothing made sense. My family hated me and actively ignored me. My Alpha had a disgusting obsession with me, without even knowing I was an Omega. The rest of the Fisher family wished I was never born. Now, after I break from the pack, they were up in arms over me. It didn’t make sense.

“Professor, I…I’m sorry…I…”

He put his hand up and I quieted. The professor poured the hot water into the two cups. Bringing it over, he handed one to me before sitting back in his office chair. I had the warm cup in my hands, letting it heat up my cold hands.

“I’m well aware of you status, my boy. Being born as a low Beta to a family of elite Beta’s I’m sure can’t be easy. I’m a human, but working as a professor of a mixed campus, I need to know these things. Your father is an idiot, I’m sorry to say. He doesn’t seem to your potential nor does he care to see it.”

It was a bit shocking to hear, but the frown on the professor’s face was more surprising.

“Colton, you are one of the most hardworking students I’ve come across and your teachers agree. Your father coming in on my line, telling me that you are to be sent home, and banned from this school because you would only waste the school’s time and money, proves how hard you have worked to surpass your families expectations of you.”

I dropped my gaze, looking at the tea steeping in the cup. “He actually said that?”

“That and more that I don’t care to repeat.” Professor Davidson huffed out before taking a sip of the tea. “Part of the reason I hold my classes in person is because technology isn’t always a step forward. It’s complicated and a single tech issue can remove the ability to have class entirely or make a student miss a full class.”

I sipped my tea and sighed. It was a light mint and it was the flavor I had been keeping on hand for my morning sickness. Sometimes, I would swap it out for the ginger if I wasn’t feeling like getting punched in the face with straight ginger root.

“The other reason is it forces the students out of their houses. Some of these students would never get a chance to leave and be locked in whatever situation they have been in for years. It gives the opportunity to break free and grow outside the curated environment that most parents or packs have set up.”

I nodded. “I agree. If I hadn’t already made the decision to leave my pack, I probably would have done so after having to stay at school.”

He nodded absently. “In your case though, I’m not sure if that is the best choice. Even without you requesting to work something out with winter session.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“While you getting out of whatever that hellhole your pack has become over the years was the best decision you could make, keeping you bound to the classroom now I think is both a detriment and a liability for you.”

My mouth opened but I promptly shut it. He wasn’t wrong. If there was one place that I could be found, it was here. At least until I was able to shift my schedule. That wasn’t the only reason that I needed to leave.

Taking another sip of his tea, Professor Davidson set it down and intertwined his fingers. “I wish I could say I shut your father down completely, but at the very least he won’t be coming on campus. I’m aware that you live off campus and those protections of the school will only help you do so much. I don’t think your father is finished and I think he may end up dragging you back kicking and screaming if he must.”

My heart dropped and I took a sip of my tea, but lifting the cup to my lips made me aware that I hands started to shake. “I can’t go back.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Which is why I’m saying that right now, my class is putting you in more danger than it is helping. Especially if you were to continue through the winter session.”

“I’m not dropping the class. More than the fact that I need it, but I also enjoy it. I came into the school thinking I wanted to be a professor. I wanted to teach students but I didn’t really hone in on what I wanted to teach. I’ve taken the broad spectrum of classes but nothing interests me more or makes we want to learn more than history. The older the better and I love dipping into the ancient history of the different races.”

He smiled at me. “It shows, Colton. In your answers and your willingness to help your classmates. Helping them learn outside of just my classroom.”

I blushed and took another sip of tea to cover it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off…”

This time he chuckled and I realized I’d never seen him laugh before. “It’s refreshing. Rarely do we find anyone eager in history, let alone someone from your generation.”

The professor leaned in. “I have a proposal for you. Keep in mind, I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t think you could do it.”

I nodded and waited for him to continue.

“We are almost done with fall quarter. You will take the final for that class. Then, for the winter quarter, I want you to come in for two weeks. At least until the Christmas and New Years break. Once you come in-person to those two, then I will have every class recorded for you and emailed to you after class. You will take the tests online and your final will be online as well.”

My eyes widened and I felt like I was going to start to cry. “Professor…”

He put his hand up. “This means that you will need to do everything on your own. You won’t have the same group experience but I still expect excellence out of you, Mr. Fisher. The class might suffer for you not being there, but the moment your grades dip, I will force you back into this classroom. Pack issues or not.”

“O-of course. I…I couldn’t ask for more. Thank you, professor.”

“I will not shackle you to school grounds when I think you can still thrive outside of it and it threatens your life.”

My mind whirled as I realized this was such a huge weight off my shoulders. I would be be free from campus late December. That was also after my doctors appointment. So I would know if Dr. Cardiff was going to be able to help me or not. With this, everything could slot into place and give me better control of life. Something I had been desperately lacking as of late.

There was still things up in the air but this was a step in the right direction. I wondered if my father hadn’t called if Professor Davidson would have let me do this. There was a snowballs chance in hell I would thank him but inwardly I could. Honestly, I had been debating that I just tell the professor of my predicament and hope he didn’t turn me in but allowed me to take online classes. This was less scary.

“Mr. Fisher?”

I looked up, and smiled. “I honestly can’t thank you enough. I had been so worried. I never thought it would come to this. Breaking the pack seemed like the next step. No one wanted me and it made sense. What they are doing now…how far they are going…doesn’t make sense.”

“I’m sorry, my boy. I don’t have an answer for you. I wish I did. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.”

Shaking my head, I let out a breath. “None of this is your fault, Professor. What you’re doing, I think at least one teacher needs to do it. You’re right, it pulls people out of their territories and I think that’s really important. It’s just a little different in my case and I’m an outlier. If anything, it’s my families and my packs fault.”

He nodded and smiled. “Head on out, Mr. Fisher. I’m sure you’ve got places to be.”

Nodding, I gave him a quick bow before exiting his office and closing the door behind me. A smile broke out of my face and I felt a huge sigh of relief. This helped in so many ways. Four weeks left of me having to feel rampant anxiety every time I stepped on campus and into a class.

“Colton, you’re in a good mood.” Miss Ebony was sitting at her desk that a few of the other assistants had out in the open. “Normally, students come out of Duke’s office crying.”

I chuckled. “I dunno. I think Professor Davidson is just misunderstood.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sure, and I’m a lion shifter.”

“Think what you will. He’s helping me out a lot right now.”

Feeling the hair on the back on my neck raise, I looked down the hall. Marcus was leaning against his doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. He had a smile of his face as he looked over his glasses at me. Today was another three piece suit, but one thing added was a blue scarf around his neck. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I let my eyes take him in.

“Well, I’m glad he has a heart somewhere in that gruff exterior.”

I peeled my eyes away from Marcus and turned back to Miss Ebony. “I can confirm that. I have to go, but I’ll see you around.”

The look on her face wasn’t happy. She looked from me to Marcus, almost catching the way I had looked at him. Before she could ask or before any drama started, I headed down the stairs. I’d reached the bottom of the stairs when a hand grabbed mine.

“You forgot these.”

I looked up to see Marcus, smiling down at me. His fingers brushed over my skin as he slipped gloves over my hands. My mouth opened to argue, but was cut off by a class pouring into the hallway. The last thing I wanted was to make a scene that I was arguing with a professor.

“Thank you, Professor Alford.” I grumbled as he slipped the other glove on my hand.

He smiled wide. “Of course, Mr. Fisher. It’s cold outside. Make sure you keep warm.”

Humming, I forced a smile on my face. “I will.”

“I’ll see you later, Mr. Fisher .”

Marcus brushed my back with his hand as he stepped back up the stairs to his office. Glaring at his back, I slammed open the door to the Literature building. He knew exactly what he was doing. God, he was so infuriating sometimes.