Chapter 13
Aurelia’s POV
I remain frozen in place, watching helplessly as Theron collapses to the ground, clearly in agony.
“What happened to him?” the guards shout, rushing into the cell. Their hesitation shows–they’re afraid to get too close to either of us, worried about their Alpha’s condition.
“I don’t know, he just…” I trail off, unable to explain.
“We overheard you talking about magic,” one of them interrupts, his voice laced with suspicion. I feel completely lost.
“What? Gary!” I call out to one of the guards, someone who used to be close to us–well, more of Joy’s friend than mine. We shared some classes, but he always kept his distance from me.
As I raise my voice, they both instinctively take a step back. A pang of disappointment hits me–they clearly don’t trust me, not even now.
“We’re moving him to intensive care,” says the other guard, whose name I don’t even know. They carry out Theron, unconscious and limp. I’m barely managing to stay composed.
Joy’s POV
It’s been nearly two weeks, counting the days of the mating season, and still–nothing. He hasn’t made a single move toward me.
I’m growing weary. Every time, he acts like I don’t exist.
I get up and start getting ready for school.
“Thank the Goddess today’s the last day,” I mutter, annoyed. Summer break is finally here, though it’s still a bit away before it really begins.
After a long shower, I throw on whatever clothes are within reach, grab my bag, and head downstairs.
As I pass by Callum’s room–he lives in the pack house too–he opens his door right as I’m walking by.
He gives me a small nod, and I return it. The rest of the walk down the stairs feels awkward with him trailing behind me.
“So? What have-” My sentence never finishes. I miss a step and stumble.
But I don’t hit the floor–his hand catches the back of my shirt, pulling me upright.
“Are you okay?” he asks, concern clear in his voice. Meanwhile, I’m mortified and wish the floor would swallow me whole.
‘He didn’t see it that way,‘ my wolf comments from the depths of my mind. I ignore her. She’s delusional enough to think he’d love us even if we pooped unicorns.
Clearing my throat, I straighten up and dart down the rest of the stairs.
Relief floods me as the cool air hits my face the moment I step outside.
“You’re pretty fast, you know,” he says behind me. I spin around, horrified, and see him catching his
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breath.
“You trailed after me!”
I wish I could vanish into the earth, hiding myself in the soil.
“This is the only exit,” he replies calmly.
I let out a sharp breath through my nose. His clever remarks are becoming more noticeable–and I’m not sure I appreciate them.
“It was pretty obvious I was trying to get away from you, and you chasing after me doesn’t exa-”
Before I can even finish, my foot catches on a stray shoelace. Today isn’t in my favor. I stumble forward, landing face–first on the rocky ground.
In a heartbeat, Callum is kneeling beside me, scanning for any signs of injury. I catch the brief glow of bright blue in his eyes.
“You should have watched your step!” he scolds, voice raised.
My eyes widen at him.
“You don’t need to yell!” I retort, rolling my eyes in irritation.
I hate that my voice trembles slightly. I quickly avert my gaze.
“Your tights are ruined,” he murmurs in a gentler tone. He reaches toward them. I’m wearing black pantyhose beneath a short skirt and a long–sleeved top.
Instinctively, I draw my legs inward.
“You scraped your knee,” he notes, reaching out again.
“Let’s just get going–we’re already late for class.” I try to push myself up, but a sharp pain shoots thr ough, and I wince.
“You should take it easy,” he says, rising with me and steadying my balance to keep me from falling
again.
“Come on, it’s just a little scrape. I’ll be-”
He catches the way I flinch mid–sentence, the sting making me pause. It’s awful that he has to see me like this. I’d trade anything to undo this whole awkward scene.
He pulls me in, wrapping me in his arms. I land against his chest.
“Please,” he breathes in deeply, his face buried in my hair, “don’t be difficult. Just rest. I’ll mindlink the teachers and let them know you’re staying back today.”
Since most of the teachers are part of our pack, and he outranks nearly everyone, notifying them won’t be a problem.
My innocent thoughts start racing.
‘Does this mean he actually cares? Are we supposed to scent–mark him? What if…‘
I have to shut my wolf down before she spirals into something completely inappropriate.
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“Are you alright?” he asks, his eyes holding a quiet concern.
“Yeah, my wolf… she was just being herself,” I admit, watching a flicker of excitement rise in him before it quickly fades.
“Oh…”
Without warning, he lifts me off the ground like I weigh nothing.
“You really don’t have to carry me, you know? I can walk.”
It’s already humiliating enough that he watched me fall–twice. Now this?
“You’re injured. I’m not letting you walk like this,” he says firmly.
“It’s just a scrape on my knee. I’ll survive,” he says, sniffing the air while carrying me up the stairs, giving me the perfect chance to examine his face in detail.
His jawline is sharply defined, and the way the light hits his eyes makes them stand out even more – that rich golden–brown hue becoming increasingly captivating.
“You might want to snap a picture,” he remarks.
“Maybe I will,” I reply, pretending to sound bold. He grins slightly, glancing down at me.
I realize, to my surprise, that he’s leading us into his room rather than mine.
“Uhh… I’m pretty sure my room is still one floor up,” I point out, giving him a puzzled look, though internally I’m giddy with excitement like a complete fool.
“You’re not exactly light, you know. You should be grateful I carried you this far,” he jokes.
It’s almost unbelievable how drastically his attitude has changed compared to how distant he’s been lately.
“You’re really stunning when you smile. You should do it more,” I tell him. The words seem to wipe the expression right off his face, like I’ve said something I shouldn’t have. He places me gently on the bed, though now his demeanor feels more distant, more guarded.
“Did I… say something I shouldn’t have?” I ask, but he silently shakes his head.
Honestly, the wound had already healed before we even came down the stairs, but I didn’t mind staying in his arms just a bit longer.
“I’ll grab something to clean that up,” he offers.
“There’s no need. It’s already healed.”
“Oh,” he replies, and an awkward silence settles between us.
די
“Well, I guess I should head out. Thanks for looking after me,” I say, rising and heading toward the door.
“For today,” he suddenly blurts out, stopping me in my tracks. “Can we pretend–for now–that we’re m ated? Just to see where it leads…” The suggestion is enough to send my wolf spinning with curiosity.
Still facing the door, I take a moment to collect myself, determined not to make a fool of myself again.
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“I like the sound of that,” I say, proud of my composure. “But just so you know, I want the full experience. Flowers included,” I add, spinning around to face him.
He steps a little closer, smiling warmly. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
I gaze at him, silently wishing he’d close the distance between us and pull me into a hug. But life rarely gives us everything we want.
“So,” I ask with a playful grin, “what’s your plan for our first day?”
Aurelia’s POV
Theron lies unconscious in the infirmary, and I still haven’t come to terms with the emotions stirring inside me. I stare at his still form, unmoving on the bed. His father had specifically ordered that I stay close to him. He didn’t share the reason with anyone else, but I understood perfectly. He was banking on the mate bond to somehow accelerate Theron’s recovery. No one has figured out why he collapsed.
Truthfully, I couldn’t care less. I’m standing by the doorway, putting as much distance between us as I can. A part of me honestly hopes he doesn’t wake up. If he dies, I won’t have to face what’s coming
next.
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