NOAH'S POV

I stood frozen in place, watching as Professor Rex pulled the new lecturer away.

His hand gripped her wrist firmly but not forcefully, leading her through the hallway with a sense of purpose.

There was something off about the way he held her—possessive, yet distant.

And then I remembered.

Before he took her away, he had said something. A word so faint I almost missed it.

"Mate."

My brows furrowed.

Mate?

Were they former classmates? Old acquaintances?

Something about the ...