Chapter 3

Ms. Dyana adjusted her glasses on her nose, her sharp blue eyes scanning the entire room. Her silvery white hair was gathered into a large bun, a testament to her strict demeanor and sharp mind. After a thorough inspection, she seemed pleased. Her assistant had clearly done a good job keeping everything in order. Satisfied, she turned to her guest, offering him a warm smile.

"Mr. Storm, please make yourself comfortable," she gestured toward the plush leather couch, her voice polite but authoritative. The man nodded, taking a seat with the confidence of someone who had long since earned his place among the powerful.

As they resumed their conversation, completely oblivious to the two figures hidden behind the balcony curtains.

It was a narrow escape, Rylan kept his hand firmly over Azura's mouth, his palm pressing against her soft lips, silencing her before she could utter a word that would send them both into trouble. His grip was strong, and though she glared up at him with enough fury to scorch the world, she couldn’t make a sound. Rylan knew what was at stake—one mistake and they’d be expelled without hesitation.

Azura, furious at the indignity of it, struggled beneath his hold. Her sharp, green eyes shot daggers at him, but Rylan didn’t loosen his grip. His heart pounded as he could hear every word of the conversation happening just feet away.

"Mr. Storm, I truly appreciate your ongoing support for our institution," Ms. Dyana continued, her voice laced with admiration as she lifted her glass.

"You’ve been one of our key shareholders, and we are grateful for your contributions." She laughed lightly, sipping her drink, while her guest returned the gesture.

"As always, it's a pleasure to support such a prestigious university, Ms. Dyana," Mr. Storm replied, his tone smooth and charismatic.

"Your graduates are among the strongest and most capable in the entire supernatural world. It's an honor to play even a small part in that success." He smiled, raising his glass to hers.

Ms. Dyana chuckled softly, setting her glass on the table between them. "Well, we owe much of our growth to people like you. Without your investments, we wouldn’t be able to sustain the high standards this university is known for. The strength of our future Alphas, council members, and warriors depends on it."

Rylan’s pulse quickened as the conversation dragged on. He internally cursed Ms. Dyana for being a chatterbox.

He needed to get out of here without being caught otherwise as it's already time for addressing the today's event.

Azura, on the other hand, looked like she’d had enough. Her fierce eyes flashed black for a second, a warning to him that if he didn’t let go soon, there would be consequences.

Rylan gritted his teeth, his breath becoming ragged as Azura’s hand moved lower, dangerously close to his most sensitive spot. Her touch was slow, deliberate—a tease, and it was driving him mad.

His whole body tensed, every fiber of his being fighting the urge to give in. She knew exactly what she was doing, testing him, pushing him to the brink, even here in the middle of such a risky situation.

A groan escaped his lips, low and guttural. He was too hard—painfully so. His need for her only intensified, made worse by her wicked teasing. His wolf was howling inside him, begging him to lose control, to claim her right here, right now, and to hell with the consequences. But Rylan couldn’t afford to slip, not with Ms. Dyana and her guest just a few feet away, completely unaware of the turmoil unfolding behind the curtains.

He shot her a warning look, trying to silently communicate that she needed to stop, but Azura’s dark, playful smirk told him she had no intention of obeying.

Then, without warning, she licked the palm of his hand—the one clamped over her mouth—sending a shockwave of sensation straight through him. It was too much. This girl knows how to use the soft corner he had only for her.

"Fuck, Azura," he growled under his breath, his voice thick with desire. His control was slipping, and fast. The scent of her, the feel of her body pressed against his, the forbidden nature of it all—it was pushing him past his limits.

His wolf was practically snarling, demanding he take her right then and there. But somehow, Rylan held on. Barely. He couldn’t let go, not here.

"Fine. But you won’t cause any trouble," he said as he slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

Just then, they heard the announcement. It was Vice President Eric addressing the crowd, which meant he would be next to speak.

"Shit," he muttered, feeling trapped. What was he going to do, and how could he get out of this?

Rylan's eyes changed to blue as he tried to mind link Eric to drag on the event somehow so that he could buy Time to get out of here.

Azura looked at him with a smirk, already knowing exactly what was going on in his head.

"I can help," she offered. He looked at her in confusion, but she simply turned her head toward the fire alarms in the room. Using her magic, she managed to topple a large fire extinguisher, causing the curtains and other items to catch fire. Instantly, the fire alarms began ringing.

Ms. Dyana became alert and quickly urged her guest, "Looks like we have a small inconvenience, Mr. Storm." With that, they both left the meeting room.

Rylan straightened his suit, his heart still racing from the close call in the meeting room. Azura’s smirk lingered in the back of his mind, and the fact that she had caused the distraction to save him only made him more uneasy. What game was she playing? He couldn't figure her out, and that made her all the more dangerous—and alluring.

As he walked towards the stage, the fire alarm continued to blare in the background, though the party seemed unfazed. The guests had been reassured it was a false alarm, and most were more concerned with dancing and drinking rather than the sudden disturbance.

Rylan climbed the steps, his mind racing. He needed to regain his composure—fast.

He took a deep breath, casting one final glance towards the back of the room where she stood, her arms crossed, watching him with that same knowing disinterest. She had saved him, but at what cost?

Rylan finally faced the crowd, his voice calm and authoritative. "Thank you, Eric." He paused, allowing his gaze to sweep over the audience. "Welcome to the University of Southern Valoria. As you all know, this institution has a proud history of training the most powerful leaders, warriors, and Alphas of our world. You are all here because you possess something special. Strength,intelligence, courage. The qualities that define greatness."

The crowd listened intently, hanging on his every word. But even as he spoke, Rylan's thoughts kept drifting back to Azura, the demoness who was both his greatest temptation and the one person who could undo everything.

"Here, you will be tested, pushed to your limits," he continued, his voice steady. "But those who succeed will leave this university as leaders, ready to face the challenges that lie ahead. So, embrace every challenge, learn from every failure, and know that your journey is just beginning. Brace yourselves with most exciting adventure Valoria had to offer"

He finished his speech, the crowd screamed and cheered loudly but his eyes briefly locked with hers.

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