Chapter 4
Chapter 4
“Uh, yeah. He’s the one who flew me in from Anchorage p>
Natalia looked a little shocked. “Declan!” she scolded. “You didn’t tell me that p>
Declan shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. “Am I supposed to give you a passenger list every time I fly, Tasha p>
She swatted his arm. “Don’t play dumb p>
The corner of his mouth twitched into a faint smile. He kept drinking his coffee. Didn’t even glance at me. I knew he was deliberately ignoring me.
What the hell did I do to him?
I sat there awkwardly, silent. Didn’t even feel like making small talk.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. This handsome pilot had jet black hair, a sharp, angular face, and a high-bridged nose.
He wore a gray thermal shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing thick forearms. You could tell he was in great shape.
Would’ve been even better if he had a shred of respect for other people.
Declan’s gaze flicked toward me, “What?” His face was blank. A muscle in his jaw twitched.
That’s when I realized I wasn’t just glancing at him-I was full-on staring.
“Nothing. Sorry.” I turned away. We fell back into silence, Time crawled. I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles.
10:53
Caught Naked By My Alpha Neighbor! Now I’m His-No Escape.
Chapter 4
Thankfully, Natalia brought out the food-an egg sandwich and stewed apples.
Thank God. I wrapped the sandwich in a napkin, stood up, and pulled on my coat. “Thanks, Natalia. I’ll take this to go p>
“Tessa,” she protested. “Sit down and finish your meal p>
“I’ve got some things to take care of before class today. Sorry p>
“You need to eat the fruit!” She pointed at the stewed apples.
I grabbed my bag. “Sorry. Let Declan have it p>
I strode out of the dining room. Declan was glaring at me-like he was accusing me of wasting Natalia’s kindness. But I just wanted to get away from him. Now.
I got in my car and put my hands on the steering wheel, trying to push down the anxiety rising in my chest.
This pilot named Declan didn’t like me. I’d known that from day one. But why did I care about his attitude? I couldn’t explain it.
I hadn’t cared what people thought of me in a long time. But his hostility made me uneasy. And angry.
Tears welled up in my eyes. All because of a stranger’s rudeness. It was ridiculous.
I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers against my eyelids, trying to shake off the sinking feeling.
By the time I got to school, I felt a little better, I sat at my desk and ate my squashed sandwich, feeling a little sorry about that pretty decent-looking stewed apple I’d left behind
Outside the window, pine forests stretched toward rocky hills and snow-covered peaks.
Caught Naked By My Alpha Neighbor! Now I’m His-No Escape.
Chapter 4
A row of school buses lined the curb. Students filed out.
“Tessa?” I turned. Cynthia was standing in the doorway.
She wore fleece-lined work pants, waterproof boots, and a button-up flannel shirt-like she was about to go chop wood.
“Hey, Cynthia. What’s up p>
“Nothing. Just checking in. How are you settling in p>
She walked into the room.
“Everything’s going great.” I hesitated, then spoke up. “Can I ask you something p>
She nodded and sat down across from me.
“Do you know if I did something to offend Declan Kovak?” I said carefully.
She raised an eyebrow. “Declan? No. Why do you ask p>
I shrugged. “He doesn’t seem to like me much. But he gets along fine with everyone else. I’m worried it’s something I did p>
Cynthia chose her words carefully. “Some locals aren’t too fond of outsiders p>
“Ah. So he’s one of those people?” I thought for a moment. “But I’ve seen him talking to Eric and the others p>
Eric and the others were teachers like me-also outsiders.
Cynthia shrugged. “Declan’s slow to warm up. He needs time to get used to you. Don’t take it personally p>
I snorted. “Fine p>
Caught Naked By My Alpha Neighbor! Now I’m His-No Excape.
Chapter 4
Cynthia stood and squeezed my shoulder. “Declan’s a good guy. He’s not going to hold anything against you. I’m really glad you’re here teaching. I actually saw Daniel Gray reading a book at lunch today. I couldn’t believe my eyes p>
I thought of Daniel-the short, stocky sophomore with the perpetually angry look in his eyes.
The fact that he was reading in his free time filled me with joy. It overshadowed my anger at Declan.
“Thanks, Cynthia. That’s really-amazing.” My throat tightened. I covered it with a dry cough.
After Cynthia left, I threw myself into teaching. For the first time in a while, I felt alive.
More kids spoke up. Joined discussions. Their skepticism slowly faded. Even the quiet ones became more engaged-going from indifferent to actually listening. My teaching was starting to pay off.
But the feeling didn’t last long. Depression won again. By the weekend, I was back to being a walking corpse.
Friday night. I climbed the stairs, dreading the two days ahead with nothing to do. Before, weekends meant lesson planning and grading. Now I was done with all that. I had nothing.
When I got to the third floor and started digging for my keys, Declan stepped out of his room at the end of the hall.
The second I saw him, my body froze. He pocketed his keys and strode toward me.
10:53
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Caught Naked By My Alpha Neighbor! Now I’m His-No Escape.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.