Of all the Mondays River had woken to in her life, this had to be one of the loveliest. The only struggle she had was convincing her body to leave the wonderfully warm bed with its plump pillows and soft sheets all lightly coated in a lavender scent. Every effort had been taken to ensure whoever slept in this suite got their full forty winks. Even the pajamas she had been provided were luxuriously silky and came with a matching eye mask.

It was such a shame to leave. She had a morning lecture, though, and a ride to get there with the alpha whose scent she wore… River forced herself out from under the duvet.

She took full advantage of the enormous bathtub, filling it with bubbles and salts and soaking until she was on the brink of lateness. Her clothes had been laid out for her after they were laundered yesterday evening. She pulled them on slowly, feeling a little dazed from all the little luxuries that had melted her brain in the last twenty-four hours. Even though the clock was ticking, it was so hard to feel stressed when she had been treated to massages and fine dining and a bed that practically hugged her back.

As she patted through her bag a final time, triple-checking she had collected all of her things, there was a knock at the door. She opened it tentatively, and was met with a wall of alpha.

“Good morning, petal.” A fitted white tee under a black jacket, but over dark jeans, was Elliott’s simple style of the day. He didn’t need flashy, he was the attraction.

“Morning.” She fussed at her curls, tucking them and re-tucking them behind her ears. She hadn’t expected him to come up and collect her. He didn’t step back, unbothered by her closeness. “How were your meetings?”

This question lit his face up with amusement, but she couldn’t tell if he was pleased that she remembered to ask or laughing at her for obsessing over his boardroom boredom. He took her tote bag from her, slinging it over his shoulder and offering his other hand. River dropped hers into it and let him use it to lead her out of the suite.

A fresh trolley of breakfast foods had been pushed to one side and they snagged a pastry each on their way past. River bare-handed and Elliott using a napkin like a pair of tongs.

Elliott pressed the call button with a knuckle. “It was as dull as I expected.”

The lift arrived and they stepped into it.

“Why can’t they send you the information in an email then?” River asked. She probably sounded silly and petulant - but why waste time with presentations for something that could be put in a single document?

“I ask myself that very question every torturous time,” Elliott answered on a sigh. He twiddled River’s fingers in his own like she were a small toy to fiddle with while he arranged his thoughts. “Something about in-person collaboration…” The doors slid open and they were back in the lobby. “I’d much rather hear how your stay was, my mate.”

River tripped over the metal rails that the elevator doors ran through. They were playing pretend, out in the open for the passing hotel guests and staff. Still, being called ‘my mate’ was… an enormous jump from ‘petal.’ River had never been anyone’s mate.

Elliott didn’t allow her to fall, catching his elbow in her armpit and half-dragging her forwards. He leant down to chuckle in her ear, “Did that startle you, petal?”

River recovered quickly, righting herself and cooing back, “I’m only half-awake, my mate, be careful with me.”

Elliott looked away, but his grin was proud. River was taking to her role like it was going to win her an Oscar, if she did say so herself.

At check-out they were almost interrogated on the quality of their stay. If there was one thing the submissive man at the desk was going to get out of his shift it was their full and thorough review. River assured him that everything was perfect, couldn’t possibly be improved upon, and that she and her mate really must be leaving now. She was certain the only reason Elliott hadn’t become curt with him was because he had a mouth full of pastry that he needed to finish before both hands were required on the wheel.

A valet brought his car to the front of the hotel and Elliott dusted off his hands with the napkin before he opened the door for River. He swapped the crumb-y tissue for a note in his pocket and handed it to the valet discreetly while River buckled herself in. Her croissant flaked over her and the seat but Elliott made no complaint as he slid in beside her.

She tried to eat quickly as he drove and minimise the spillage but she still looked like something that could be put out to feed the birds once she was finished. Elliott continued to pretend he didn’t notice the mess she was making of his very nice car and instead asked after her spa day.

River happily shared her wonderful experience to his nods and smirks.

×

“I didn’t think to pack my laptop or notebook,” River whispered. They had taken seats side-by-side in the centre of the lecture theatre and it felt like everyone had noticed her renewed scent and her new handheld accessory. Elliott hadn’t let her hand go until they were slotted into their chairs and he was pulling his laptop free from his own bag.

“I’m sure I can find it in my heart to lend you my notes,” he whispered back.

“Thanks.”

He gave her a look as though she had forgotten something, a reminder in his raised brows. She couldn’t force herself to call him her mate. In front of strangers acting was easy. They knew these people, they would be their classmates for the rest of the year and the next! And… they were already looking up at them, looking away and gossiping, then looking back again. A constant rotation of too much interest.

She stared back at Elliott, feeling herself heat and redden and even start to tremble.

“Relax,” he ordered on a murmur. One hand adjusted his laptop screen and the other typed in his password. “Focus on the lecture.”

River wanted to huff at him but she was afraid to cause a scene; the class had started. She decided to relax - not because an alpha had told her to but because it was all she could do with no means to take notes herself.

It was rather nice, she could admit, getting to sit back and watch the professor lecturing like it was a movie. Although her eyes were drawn regularly to Elliott’s screen, peeking at his meticulous notes. His typing was both soft and speedy, shortening the points made into easy-to-understand phrases and jumping-off points. When he caught her looking, he would throw in a bolded message.

Early Christian Art - Western Christian Imagery of Christ

ex. Christ in Glory >> trans. Maiestas Domini

Central composition with Petal, put your eyes forward unless you want me to do it for you.

A little shudder struck between River’s legs. She glanced away again, nodding at the lecturer to show she was engaged.

Early Christian Art - Imagery of Roman Emperor My mate needs to give the professor her attention before she gets a public display of mine.

The images that were conjured by River’s imagination would not fit the theme of the lecture whatsoever. She could only hope her eyes weren’t glazing over as her mind filled with steam at the thought of utterly shameful PDA in a uni lecture…

Byzantine Art - Imagery of Christ Pantocrator & Deesis

Half-length vs full-length when As pretty as your reflection is in my screen, I do want this degree.

River flushed, jerked back, and squashed herself up in her seat away from Elliott’s, shrouding herself in her chunky cardigan. It smelled amazing from the hotel laundry service. Peeking just above the top button, she kept her eyes on the lecture ahead. No more sneaking glances at Elliott’s work. She was here to learn.

×

Elliott walked her down the steps of the theatre at the end of the lecture, ushering her in his gentle and borderline overbearing way. River clutched his hand and tried not to make eye contact with anyone she knew. Most offered a wide berth anyway for fear of alpha offending. Sky lingered by the front row with Ilex. Rowan had a dodgy stomach (that wasn’t how he phrased it in their group chat but River was too ladylike to repeat such expressions) but would be receiving a report as soon as they’d left the room, River was certain.

Elliott walked them clear of the building. “What would you like for lunch?”

“Oh, I have another lecture this afternoon-”

“I know, that’s why we should get lunch now.”

River frowned up at him. “How could you know that? It’s not an Art History lecture, it’s Fine Art.” As in, nothing to do with Elliott’s schedule.

“Every other Monday morning we have the same lecture together,” Elliott said, speaking to the grey sky. He was still pulling her hand along, back in the direction of his parked car. “And most Mondays you and your friends have the same conversation where they complain that you aren’t free when they are because you are doing the dual degree and they are not.” That was mostly true, only Rowan was a dual-art student like River.

“Well, I can’t say I’ve paid you the same attention.”

An uncharacteristic laugh burst from Elliott. Not a quiet chuckle or a restrained huff. A real crack of laughter. It tickled her.

“What?” she giggled.

“Nothing.” Elliott smiled at her. “You just surprised me.” He took River’s other hand and smushed them together between his own. “Now, let’s go get lunch before you lose these.”

While she wouldn’t admit it, Elliott’s warm hands felt nice wrapped around hers. Of course, confessing to being cold meant that she might have to defend spring’s arrival again. So instead she let herself be taken out to a nice hot meal. It was the easiest thing for everyone involved, really.