Chapter 61 MORE CONTRACTS MADE IN HELL
MERRIELYNN.
Two weeks had passed since my last encounter with Cormac, and I hadn’t seen him at school since.
It was like he’d dropped off the face of the Earth.
For days, I’d convinced myself not to care. He wasn’t my responsibility.
The high-collared shirts he wore before disappearing had kept his secret safe. No one at Pinthorpe suspected what happened between us, and for that, I was relieved. But deep down, something felt wrong.
By the time my last period rolled around, I couldn’t focus. My pen tapped against my notebook as my mind wandered.
Where was he? Was he okay? I tried to push the thoughts away, but the worry gnawed at me.
Cormac wasn’t the kind of person to just vanish. Sure, he was unpredictable and frustrating, but he was still… consistent in his own way.
When the final bell rang, I didn’t even pretend to pack up slowly like I usually did. My legs carried me out of the classroom before I could second-guess myself. I needed to see him. I didn’t know if it was the mate bond pulling me or just guilt, but I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
The mate bond. I’d barely thought about it since it happened, trying to pretend it wasn’t real.
But now, as I stood outside the school gates, I closed my eyes and tried to feel for him.
My wolf stirred inside me, restless and eager to act.
Where is he?
Focusing on the connection I’d tried so hard to ignore. At first, there was nothing, just the usual hum of the world around me. But then, faintly, I felt him.
It wasn’t like seeing or hearing. It was a pull, a sense of direction that I couldn’t explain. My wolf urged me forward, and I let her guide me. The bond wasn’t strong—more like a thread than a rope—but it was enough. I followed the feeling, taking a cab then winding through streets and alleys until I found myself standing in front of an apartment building a few blocks from school.
I didn’t know what I was expecting, but the sight of the building gave me pause. It was high rise.
Lavish but not too flashy.
For some reason, it didn’t scream Cormac, but I could feel him inside. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open strolled in.
There was no bellman.
Huh.
My fingers itched to hit the penthouse floor button in the elevator, and I did.
Call it instinct.
There was only one door on the entire floor.
I knocked, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway. No answer. I knocked again, louder this time.
“Cormac,” I called, feeling ridiculous.
For a moment, I thought about leaving. But just as I turned to go, the door creaked open.
Cormac stood there, and my heart twisted at the sight of him. His hair was a mess, his green eyes bloodshot, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
He didn’t say anything, just stepped aside to let me in.
The apartment was large and spacious. With minimal furniture but sparse clutter.
The blinds were drawn, casting the room in a dim, gray light. Cormac collapsed onto the couch, his head tipping back against the cushions.
“What are you doing here?” he muttered, not bothering to look at me.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’ve been gone for two weeks, Cormac. People are starting to notice.”
“People don’t notice anything,” he scoffed. “And even if they did, why would you care?”
I crossed my arms, unsure how to answer. Why did I care? It wasn’t like we were friends. But seeing him like this—broken and defeated—stirred something in me I couldn’t ignore.
“I care because… I don’t know. Maybe because I feel responsible.”
“Responsible,” he repeated, laughing bitterly. “That’s rich. Is this where you gloat? Because if so, get it over with and leave.”
“I’m not here to gloat.”
“Then why are you here?” he snapped, finally looking at me. His eyes were sharp, but I could see the exhaustion behind them. He was hurting, and it wasn’t just physical.
I hesitated, my words catching in my throat. “I’m here to help.”
Cormac blinked, like he hadn’t heard me correctly. “Help?”
“Yes” I said, straightening my shoulders. “You... you know I know what’s happening to you.”
“And let me guess, you’re here to give some motivational quote on how I can beat my nature and keep going?” he asked, a bitter edge to his voice.
“No,” I admitted. “But I can make it easier.”
Cormac stared at me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought he was going to kick me out. But then he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Do you even know what you’re offering?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” I said, though my voice wavered. “I do.”
He shook his head, a hollow laugh escaping him. “You don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t be here.”
“The vary fact that I’m here should tell you how serious I am.” I said, stepping closer.
Cormac looked up at me, his gaze searching. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know,” I said. “But I want to. Because the sooner we deal with this, the sooner we can move on.”
He was silent for a long moment, his jaw tight. “You’re not letting me mark you,” he said finally.
“I know,” I said. “And you’re not going to.”
Cormac raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You’ve thought about this.”
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I don’t want you in my head. And I know you don’t want me in yours.”
He nodded slowly, like he couldn’t argue with that. “You’re sure about this?”
“Are you?” I countered.
Cormac laughed softly, shaking his head. “No, but that’s not new for me.”
I sat down beside him, my heart pounding. I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing, but I knew I couldn’t leave him like this. Whatever this bond was, it tied us together in ways I didn’t fully understand.
But in this moment, it didn’t matter.
“I don’t want this to mean anything,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“It won’t,” Cormac said, his tone just as soft.
But as he looked at me, I wondered if that was true.