"I need protection."

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"I thought you were going to ditch that satchel." Jojo comments as he sees Mani fill the bag with his chemistry books. 

"Oh. Yeah." Mani laughs lightly. He had sorted out his bag, transferred them to the backpack, but now that bag was in the depths of the woods somewhere. He should go try and find it before someone else does. "I will sort it." He says as he pulls the strap onto his shoulder. Jojo follows behind as they leave Mani's dorm room. 

As they slowly walk towards the science block, Jojo looks at Mani, head held low, deep in thought. "I will go to the housing office before lunch. I think it's for the best." 

"No it's Ok, you can stay with Tyler and I, honestly!" Mani insists, looking up at Jojo, but Jojo stops walking, pulling Mani around to face him. 

"It's ok Mani. You owe me nothing. My dorm was miles from the science block anyways and I'll make that point to the housing officer, with these heavy books and all." He laughs, gesturing towards his bag. "I won't say anything about Teddy…or you." 

"Thanks." Mani says with a smile. "I'm sorry you are dragged into this." 

"Well it is what it is,... but I can see where your heart lies." Jojo grins at Mani who looks surprised. 

"No, it's not true…" he begins. 

"Hey it's ok. You can't help it, I know. Maybe if I were a wolf or maybe if you were a human, things could be different, but like I said. It is what it is." Jojo stops his words as he leans a little closer to Mani. "At least I got to taste your kiss first." 

Mani looks up at Jojo with a smile. "You did." He says, feeling a blush on his cheeks. He takes a sigh. "Teddy is an idiot. I hate how I'm drawn to him." 

"It's not like you have a say in it. You can't help it. Just like I can't help being attracted to gorgeous men." Jojo giggles, earning a playful push from Mani. 

"You are gonna have such fun. I'm jealous of you." He says as together they once again begin to walk along the path to their lecture. 

Mani looks to the floor as he again speaks. "I want mine and Teddy's love to be real. I am still going to try to create an antidote to my scent." 

"Why bother Mani. You want him, he wants you..." Jojo begins. 

"It's the principal Jojo." Mani says decisively, "Teddy has a not so nice side. I need to not let my bond with him cloud that." It causes Jojo to look at Mani with concern. 

"He wouldn't hurt his mate…would he?" He wonders, but Mani just looks away. "Mani…" Mani still doesn't reply. Jojo knew what the answer may be. He looks straight ahead. "I guess your matches are not all made in heaven." He sighs. 

***

The lecture on the chemical compounds was catching Mani's interest, but not as much as the lecturer. Mr Rowan Kelly. The man he had encountered in the woods on that night. The man who may potentially have saved him from an early death with the way Teddy had him by the throat. He was reminded once again of the volatile nature of the alpha. His temper is short, his actions threatening, even to his mate. Mani needed to remember that every time he felt that attraction and compassion pull at his heartstrings towards the white wolf and why now, he had to somehow extract the information he required from the tutor in order to create the potion. But how was he going to get the guy to tell him what he wanted to know without causing suspicion? 

"Mr Blake. Please stay behind…" 

"Huh?" Mani looks at Mr Kelly then at Jojo who looks back at Mani. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all.

"What have you been up to?" Jojo teases as he pulls his strap over his shoulder.

"Nothing…I don't think?" Mani looks back at the tutor who was putting his own papers into a briefcase. What did the man want with him all of a sudden? 

"I would stay but I need to sort out my accommodation." Jojo says as he pats Mani on the arm. "Will you be ok?" 

"Why wouldn't I be ok?" Mani laughs off the notion, but he was still unsure as to why he had to stay back. Mr Kelly didn't seem like he was wolfkind. Maybe it was about the Teddy incident, or maybe it was just about chemistry. Well he was soon to find out. 

"You wanted to see me sir?" Mani says as he approaches the lectern, with his tutor looking up. 

"Yes, come with me to my office for a moment." He says with a smile as he closes the clasps on the case and proceeds to make his way out of the lecture hall. Mani follows behind, still trying to think of all the possible scenarios as to why he had been summoned. 

They soon reach a small room. Mr Kelly opens the door and leads the way, he drops his case by his desk as he makes his way to his seat. He sits, gesturing for Mani to close the door. Once it clicks, Mani tries to brace himself for whatever will happen next. 

"What is this about sir. " he says as he finds his hands lace together in front of him as he looks on at his tutor. 

"I just want to make sure you're ok." Mr Kelly says as he looks at Mani with concern. Mani doesn't have time to respond before he is pulling a backpack from under his desk. Mani looks wide eyed at the item as it is placed on the desktop. "This is yours. Am I right?" The tutor looks at Mani, waiting for an answer, but it's as if he knows already. He's just seeking confirmation. 

"How did you get a hold of that?" Mani asks warily. He wasn't ready to confirm or deny that it belonged to him until he got more information. 

"That is irrelevant. I just need to know if you need protection. Were you trying to escape?" Mr Kelly now leaves the bag in front of Mani. He leans back on his chair, looking up at the student. 

"Look. I said that was just a misunderstanding…" 

Mr Kelly gets up from his seat and begins to walk around the desk towards Mani. His taller frame looks over the male, but Mani doesn't feel threatened, he feels protected somehow. "Is there something you want to tell me?" 

"No." Mani says, but there was something in the way the tutor felt around him, which made him want to tell. 

"Ok." Mr Kelly backs away a little and is about to turn when he says it.

"I need protection!" The admittance felt like a relief along with the fear of telling his truth to the man who was essentially a stranger. 

"I knew it." Mr Kelly says with a smile. "You have come to the right place. You fear that man because he is a wolf, don't you?" 

Mani looks at Mr Kelly with confusion. Yes he wanted protection from his mate, but not because he was wolfkind, but because he was his unpredictable mate. "How do you know about the wolfkind?" Mani asks, his guard up a little more than a second ago. Had he been too hasty to admit he needed help? 

"Because they are a threat to us." Mr Kelly says with a seriousness in his voice.

"Us?" Mani says. "Who do you mean by us?"

Mr Kelly laughs at Mani's naivety. "Isn't it obvious?"