Behind The Alpha Book 7 Graham

Chapter 6

(Chapter song ‘This Is What You Came For' by Calvin Harris)
GRAHAM

“The Lycan Gene.  Discovered over 500 years ago, this little bugger is the reason you’re here and not at MIT.”
The audience laughs as I walk to the screen and switch the slides. 
The 200 seat lecture hall isn’t packed, but I’m not talking to myself either, which is good.  If we are ever going to get along out there, we have to understand ourselves as a species and understand the growing number of supernatural species that are emerging.
“Back in the day, we relied mostly on myths rather than facts.” 
I flip to a picture of the 80s movie Teen Wolf.  Again my students laugh. 
“You like that?  One of my favorite movies.  I highly recommend you check it out.”  I walk to the front.  “The wolf man was treated much like the Witch.  Anyone who was aggressive, violent and, yes, hairy were labeled as a wolf man, werewolf or lycanthrope, for those of a more scientific mind, but…9 times out of 10, they were wrong.” 
I flip to a woman being burned at the stake in one picture and one of hunters over a dead man. 
“The determination of what constituted as a lycan was so vague, that could include a majority of men of the time.  Human men.  While they got the extermination of the Lycan correct, you shoot a human with a silver bullet he’s going to die anyway so, they prove nothing.” 
I flip to an old picture of a scientist.  “Dr. Emmanuel Soffet.  One of the first to discover the lycan gene, though you won’t find his name in most biology text books today.” 
A girl puts up her hand.
“Yes.”  I motion to her with my remote. 
“Why did he not get the credit?”  she asks. 
“Good question.”  I flip the screen to a picture of a handsome woman standing next to a wolf almost as tall as her.  “Why?  He was a shifter.  The time period of his discovery was so clouded in myth, that giving credit to shifter was unfathomable.  In short, he wasn’t real.” 
“But how can they kill something that they think was real, and not accept something that actually was real?”  Another girl asks. 
“Well, he was polite for one.  A well mannered man.  Good dresser.  Proper father and mate.  He was so well respected in his community, that to admit he was a monster was unheard of.  He was literally too nice to be real.  The stigma of a wolf having the mindset of murder on the brain was engrained in society.  To humanize the wolf and turn him into you, for example.  It was preposterous.  So, without his knowledge, his colleagues scrubbed his name from the paper.” 
I move the slides along. 
“Why didn’t he prove them wrong?”  A young man asks. 
I lean on the edge of my desk.  “It’s hard to say since there’s no real record of his thoughts.  I guess, if I had to put myself in his shoes, I wouldn’t rock the boat.  Trying to convince people that you’re not stereotypical often leaves you being treated as such.  No one would listen so best not to try, lest you find a silver bullet in your chest.”  I nod and turn around. 
“Now, what Soffet discovered was not one branch, but three.”  I turn and freeze. 
She’s at the top of the aisle way and my air leaves me.  My face softens as she flips her long, black hair over her shoulder. 
“Um…”  I swallow.  “The branch…”  I try to continue, but my brain checked out.  She moved in beautiful slow motion. 
She looks around the seating and walks down the aisle.  She sways so beautifully, she doesn’t seem real.  Her shoes step one in front of the other like a goddess.
Her slim legs are covered in long socks and meet a short skirt with a bit of thigh showing.  Her ample chest is hugged in a small t shirt.  Her milky skin is so smooth, it’s like she was carefully sculpted.  Her eyes are gorgeous and sparkle in the auditorium lightning. 
I pull at my tie as I watch her find a seat.  Her legs cross and her soft thigh teases to show more. 
She pulls out a tablet and fixes her hair.
I heat up as I watch her slim finger tap the screen.  She looks up and I fixate on her full, pouty lips. 
The lecture disappears as our eyes connect.  I’m lost in her brown eyes.  Her soft makeup makes her look like a delicate Asian doll.  My heart speeds up and I’m trying not to, but I feel a heat head straight to my pants. 
“Professor?”
One of the students in the front row, gets my attention. 
I break contact and the lecture hall comes back to reality.  “Yes.  Sorry.  Where was I?” 
“Three branches.”  They supply. 
“Thank you.”  I nod and turn back to my projector.
The room fills with a scent I haven’t smelled in years.  Magnolias. 
I turn around to the new girl who walked in.  She meets my eyes and smiles.  Oh God.  I turn back around and collect myself.  I take some deep breaths as calm my pounding heart. 
She’s a student Graham.  Get the thought out now.
I turn back around after I regain control.  My eyes flick to hers and I smile back. 
“The three branches.  Shifter, Lycan and now Dire Shifter.  All three are different, but all three originated from one little gene.  The Lycan gene.” 
I continued my lecture, but it felt different. It was as if someone turned a light on somewhere which brightened things up a little bit. 
As I talk, I’m memorized by her movements and her attention.  She watches me and takes in every word. 
I felt energized.  The gloom of my sad existence faded a tiny bit.  Not much, but enough to notice. 
I think even my wolf perked up a bit. 
“As we study the genes origin further, we discover that not only is a percentage of the population born with this gene, but the rest of the population also have the building blocks in them to make the gene.  This is where turning comes from.  What those numbers are exactly, it’s hard to tell.  It’s also hard to tell who has it and who doesn't until the bite.  Those with the gene will turn, but unfortunately for them, the average shifter venom is so powerful, the human immune system cannot control the change and the subject dies.  Same with those without the gene. It’s for this reason, we don’t bite humans.  It’s deadly for the human and the shifter after the law catches up to him.” I eye my students and continue.
“Now, lycans can turn.  The reason this is possible is because their venom is a slightly less aggressive concentration.  It can take up to a week before the victims first shift.  This issue is mental.  Most humans cannot handle the mental capacities of the lycan.  Therefore, a subject may not die, but may find themselves suffering a mental break so severe, it often leads to suicide or death by another’s hand.  So, you lycans out there, be careful with those fangs.”  I warn.  The room chuckles. 
I flip the slide and she raises her hand.
I walk to her side of the hall and smile.  “Yes.  You have a question.” 
“Yes.  What about other creatures?”  She leans on her desk with her fingers laced under her chin.
Her voice is a freaking dream.  So soft and sweet.  Graham, answer her question!
“Hybrids.  There’s certainly chances of hybridization if the creatures are compatible.  Lycan hybrids are certainly coming up in numbers when 25 years ago it wasn’t a thing.  Shape shifters, vampires.  Even nymphs.  One thing about it, life will find a way.  The question is though, does hybridization benefit the species in some way to make it worth it.”  I study her face as I talk. 
“I would think both have their strengths.  The union may even cancel weaknesses.”  She says as she rests her arms in her desk. 
“True, or it may increase the weaknesses.  Genetics can be a crap shoot as no two are alike.”  I supply.  “But I am of the belief that every species, pure or otherwise, has a reason to exist.  I think it would be an insult to Fate if we thought otherwise.”
“You believe in Fate?”  She asks.
I raise my chin and look into her eyes.  “I do.  Wholeheartedly.” 
The bell rings and people stand.
I break my gaze and address the group.  “I want everyone’s projects downloaded on my system by midnight tonight, people!  No exceptions!  If you can play Call of Duty, you can hit send!” 
As I watch the front row leave, she approaches me. 
“Professor Mitchell.”  She stands with an innocence I haven’t seen in a woman before.  I almost don’t know what to make of it. 
“Yes.  Miss…”  I greet.
“Kita Tsume”  She answers. 
“Kita Tsume.”  I grin.  “That’s a very pretty name.  Um…”  I try to remember my Japanese.  “North Claw?”
“That’s correct.”  She smiles.  “You speak Japanese.”
“Some.  I spent time in the mountains.  What part of Japan?”  I cross my arms as I admire the movement of her lips. 
“Tokyo.”  She says. 
“Beautiful city.  Really pretty scenery.”  I feel myself getting lost in her eyes again and break the stare.  “Sorry.  You had a question.”
“I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your lecture.  It was…informative.”  She tucks her hair behind her ear and shuffles her feet. 
“Thank you.  Was there any particular part you liked about it?”  I ask. 
“I think I liked all of it.”  She tilts her head and grins. 
“I’m glad.”  I step a little closer.  “Um.  If you need help, my office is open until 9 and my email is also available.” 
“Thank you, Professor.”  She nods to me.
“Graham.”  I offer.
“Graham.”  I see her cheeks flush and my heart skips a beat when my name leaves those delicious looking lips.
“If there’s something else I can help you with?”  I look her over and her scent surrounds me. 
“No.  Thank you.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She says.
“The pleasure was all mine.”  I reply. 
She smiles, turns and walks up the aisle.  I watch her little skirt bounce as she walks.  Her long legs are so freaking sexy. 
“Damn.”  I purr. 
I shake my head and clean up for my next lecture.  This will be a long semester.