Chapter 26 "Seduce a Man"
Lyra's POV
After the phone call
The line went dead. Dorian's final words echoed in my ears like poison: "You're just a temporary mark that moonlight will wash away."
My legs felt unsteady, and I pressed my back against the cold stone wall for support. Students passed by, their conversations and laughter creating a distant buzz that felt like it belonged to another world.
He doesn't mean it, my wolf whimpered. His scent changed when he said those things. There was pain underneath the cruelty.
"It doesn't matter what he meant," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "He chose her. He'll always choose her."
The rational part of my mind knew I should go home, crawl into bed, and let myself process this devastating conversation. But the thought of returning to that empty apartment, surrounded by reminders of the life I'd foolishly hoped we might build together, made my chest tighten with panic.
My phone buzzed with a text message from an unknown number: Final sample solution still in lab storage. Pickup required before disposal today.
Perfect. A task. I pushed myself away from the wall and headed toward the research laboratories.
I'd worked so hard all these years, pushing past the whispers and sneers from wolves like Seraphina's father, who'd once said, "Lone wolves never amount to anything." I'd used those words as fuel, driving myself to excel in my studies, to prove that he was wrong.
But Dorian's disgust cut deeper than any insult I'd endured before.
He was lying, my wolf insisted. I could smell the change in his scent. Feel the conflict in his words.
"It doesn't matter," I whispered, shaking my head. "He's found his fated mate."
Pushing away from the pillar, I forced myself forward, crossing the ancient cobblestone courtyard. The academy hallways were nearly empty, most students holed up in study rooms preparing for their trials. I made my way to the research laboratories, desperate for the numbing comfort of routine work.
As I rounded the corner to the lab corridor, I froze. Derek Hawthorne, Chloe's older brother and notorious campus troublemaker, leaned against the doorframe of my laboratory, his massive frame blocking the entrance.
"Well, look who's here," Derek drawled. "The 'academic miracle' Lyra Nightfall. The lone wolf who attends school on Blackthorne charity."
Like his sister, he didn't regard me as the Alpha heir's mate; to him, I was still just that lone wolf.
"Please step aside, Mr. Hawthorne," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I need to retrieve my experimental samples."
Derek's eyes traveled slowly up and down my body. "Seraphina sent me to have a little chat with you. She's concerned about your... unwillingness to accept reality."
I attempted to move past him into the laboratory, but he shifted his body, deliberately blocking my path.
"You know, it's almost pathetic," Derek continued. "Seraphina comes back, and here you are, still clinging to Dorian like some desperate little wolf. Don't you have any pride?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, don't play dumb, sweetheart. Everyone can see how he looks at her. How he's always looked at her." Derek leaned closer. "Seraphina thought maybe you'd be smart enough to step aside gracefully, but apparently you need a more... direct approach."
He's invading our territory, my wolf snarled inside me. Challenge him!
Derek leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to seduce a man. Create a nice little scandal that gives Dorian the perfect excuse to end your pathetic trial bond. I originally thought you could seduce his cousin, but now..." His eyes gleamed with predatory interest. "Maybe you can try seducing me instead, beautiful."
His gaze deliberately traveled down to my neckline, trying to peek at my cleavage. I felt a chill of fear. He was known as a notorious playboy, and clearly had taken an interest in me now.
His words sent a chill through me, but I maintained my composure as I finally managed to push past him into the laboratory. To my dismay, he followed me inside.
A few students were working at their stations, carefully measuring ingredients for their final projects. Derek loudly cleared his throat.
"The lab is undergoing special cleaning today," he announced. "Everyone out."
The students looked up, startled. None dared to challenge a member of the Hawthorne family.
The door closed behind the last student.
Derek approached my workstation, standing uncomfortably close. "Seraphina's quite brilliant, you know. She figured out exactly how to handle this little... situation."
He moved closer, his shoulder touching mine. "She knows Dorian better than anyone. Knows he's too conflicted to directly propose rejection, no matter how much he wants to be with his true mate."
I tensed as I felt his hand deliberately rest on my shoulder, then slowly slide down my back. His other hand lifted a strand of my hair.
"But if you were caught in a compromising position with another man...Well, that would give him all the excuse he needs, wouldn't it?"
His fingertips intentionally traced along my neck. "I'm here to make you an offer, sweetheart. Play along, create your little scandal, and I can make sure you land somewhere... comfortable. Refuse, and things might get very unpleasant for you."
I shoved him away forcefully. "Get away from me!"
Derek grabbed my wrist, squeezing hard enough to bruise. "No one refuses Seraphina Crimson. Especially not a pathetic lone wolf like you."
He backed me against the lab table, his body trapping mine. "She's offering you a way out with some dignity left intact. You should be grateful."
"Grateful?" I spat. "You mean grateful to be Seraphina's puppet? Just like you are?"
Derek's grip tightened. "Careful what you say about her."
"Why?" I challenged. "Everyone knows you're obsessed with her. Following her around like a lovesick dog, doing her dirty work because you think she might notice you."
His face darkened. "Shut up."
"She's using you, Derek. Just like she uses everyone. You think she cares about you? You're nothing but a convenient tool to her." I met his gaze defiantly. "At least I was chosen as a mate, even if it's just a trial mate bond. What are you? Her errand boy?"
"I said shut up!" Derek's hand released my wrist, only to crack across my face in a sharp slap that sent my head snapping to the side.
The sting spread across my cheek, hot and immediate. My wolf snarled with fury at the assault, and I felt my eyes flash to their obsidian darkness.
"That's for disrespecting someone far above your station," Derek hissed. "Seraphina is everything you'll never be—noble, powerful, worthy of an Alpha's love."
"And yet here you are, doing her bidding while she's probably with Dorian right now."
Derek's expression twisted with rage and something that looked like pain. His hand shot out, grabbing the collar of my shirt, yanking it with a rough tug. "You think you're so special, don't you?" he snarled, his fingers clawing at the fabric.