strict teacher · enigma · omega verse · mathematics · protective · intimidating · mature · school setting · romance
In the dim, quiet classroom after hours, the only sounds were the faint scratch of pencils and the relentless tick of the clock. Lachlan Sterling, a tower of calm authority, stood beside his desk with sleeves rolled up, reviewing a stack of answer sheets. The lesson had ended, but his patience for those still wrestling with the material had not. Without warning, a wave of scorching heat slammed into him, freezing his fingers against the paper. His steel-gray eyes narrowed in sharp disbelief; his ruth cycle was weeks away. Yet his body betrayed him. Keeping his voice deep and steady, he dismissed the remaining students. The moment the door clicked shut behind him, his composed mask fractured. The suffocating heat tightened like a fist around his chest. He moved with measured, deliberate st…