Chapter 75: Unnecessary Trouble

Words : 1149 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 75: Unnecessary TroubleEvaline: The second day after the full moon was when things finally started returning to normal. The howling in the distance had stopped. The energy in the air - the restless tension clinging to every hallway, stairwell, and hidden forest trails - had slowly faded like morning mist. Wolves were calm again, grounded. Students had filled the campus with their usual chatter. Professors also resumed lectures with the stern energy they always carried on daily basis. And I? I pretended. Pretended like I hadn’t spent the full moon locked in the library with a man who wasn’t supposed to want me. Pretended like Oscar’s arms hadn’t felt like something I secretly craved. Pretended like the mate bond wasn’t still humming quietly beneath my skin, desperate and alive despite knowing that there was no hope for us. I put my hair up in a high bun, put on the uniform, and headed to dining hall with the same purpose I used to have before all of this mess. Focus. Learn. Survive. Forget. But Silver Moon Academy never really made it that easy. Especially when my first class of the day was with Professor Kieran. - - - "Today we’ll be working with Larkroot, Frostmint, and Blightvine," Professor Kieran announced as we filed into his greenhouse-turned-classroom. "These herbs are commonly used in calming brews and sleep potions, but volatile when mixed improperly. A single drop too much of Blightvine will turn your entire mixture into poison. So pay attention." His voice was smooth and authoritative, the kind that made students straighten instinctively in their seats. I took my place near the back with Mallory and Ria, slipping on my gloves and apron while sneaking a quick glance at the array of herbs laid out on the long wooden tables. All freshly harvested. The room was filled with the smell of soil and crushed herbs, sharp and earthy. Professor Kieran was standing near the front, wearing a fitted charcoal vest over a dark green shirt. He had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows as he moved with fluid grace between the tables. His eyes scanned the room, not lazily, but with focus. When his gaze landed on me, it didn’t move. My breath caught for a second. Not because he was looking. But because of how he was looking. Warm. Lingering. Almost as if he was... relieved? I dropped my gaze to my tools. Stop it, Eva. Not now. "Miss Greystone," he said suddenly, making me snap my head up while half the class turned to look at me. Even the brats in the front row - those ever-jealous, ever-watchful students who always seemed to sneer when I spoke too confidently - turned with narrowed eyes. "Yes, Professor?" I said, careful to sound neutral. He walked toward my table and placed a neatly bundled Frostmint stem beside my cutting board. "Would you mind assisting me during today’s preparation rounds? You have consistently scored highest in potion balance tests, and I could use an extra pair of sharp hands." There it was. The invitation. A spotlight I didn’t ask for, but couldn’t turn down. Not when knowledge was the one place I still had power. "Of course," I said quietly and stood up. He gave a small smile... small, but real. I heard the hiss of whispers almost immediately. Someone behind me muttered something that included the words playing innocent and bitch. I ignored them. It was only my friends that gave me encouraging nods and smiles, like they always had. Professor Kieran led me to the front of the room where several bowls were already prepared with measurements of the three herbs. "I’ll demonstrate the first brew," he said, loud enough for the class to hear. "Miss Evaline will prepare the second. Watch carefully. You’ll each attempt your own afterward." He moved like the herbs respected him. There were no wasted movements. Each leaf, root, and pinch of powder was handled with intention. Watching him work was like watching a spell be woven - not one of magic, but of mastery. He had that quiet, commanding presence that even the most distracted students couldn’t look away from. Once he finished, he stepped aside. "Miss Evaline?" I nodded and stepped up. My hands were trembling slightly as I reached for the Larkroot, but I steadied them. I had done this before. Countless times. Just never with every pair of eyes on me... including his. Growing up, herbology and potion making was my secret talent, one I started learning for personal gains but soon found myself falling in love with it. With this reminder, I got to work. I crushed the root with the pestle, added the Frostmint in small shavings, and stirred in a slow figure-eight pattern exactly as Kieran had demonstrated. And when I reached for the Blightvine, the dangerous one, I felt him move closer behind me. He wasn’t touching, but close enough to sense. "You have got it," he said softly, too low for the others to hear. "Steady." I added the precise three drops and watched as the brew turned a gentle shade of violet... perfect. The class murmured in approval. When I stepped back, Professor Kieran gave me a faint nod, and for a moment, I saw something flicker across his face. Pride? "Excellent work," he said aloud, returning to the center of the room. "Now, in pairs, begin your own preparations. I’ll be checking each brew before class ends." I made my way back to my table, trying not to flush under the weight of the glares being shot my way from across the room. Noah leaned over from his place beside Ria, whispering, "You realize the angry fan club is going to come for you with pitchforks." "I didn’t ask to be chosen," I said flatly. "That’s never stopped jealous people before," Mallory added as she started chopping Larkroot. I tried to focus on their banter. I really did. But every time I looked up, I caught him watching me. He wasn’t just observing. But Watching. And it didn’t help that the more attention he gave me, the more the front-row gang glared. It was a trio of girls - Nadine, Violet, and Bianca. They were whispering in huddled judgment, their eyes darting between me and Kieran like they were already drafting letters of complaint. I wasn’t sure what upset them more... that I had the professor’s attention, or that I didn’t appear to be enjoying it. And honestly, I wasn’t sure myself. Kieran was... kind. Protective. Gentle in ways the others weren’t. And yet, every time he looked at me with something soft in his expression, I felt torn. Because no matter how much warmth was there, I was just a girl whom he felt some sympathy for. And I didn’t want his sympathy to land me in unnecessary trouble.

Chapter 75: Unnecessary Trouble

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