Chapter 2 2
Rhea's Pov
Let go
Heat crawls up my skin from the feel of his hot breath against my neck, a wildfire creeping under my pulse. I refuse to give in to it.
“Let go,"I manage to say, my voice low but firm.
Damien’s lips curves, the kind of smile that tells he plans on doing the exact opposite of what I just said. “You sure that’s what you want, little mate?"
The nickname stirs something in me. I hate that it does.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm not little, neither am I your mate."
He pauses and lets his eyes run their course all over me, before that teasing smirk returns again. "You sure do look small to me, plus, is there really any need denying the bond," he takes a step closer, stealing the very breath from my lungs. "You feel it too. Don't you, little Mate?"
I know he's just teasing me but fuck it. He's right.
I feel it. No matter how hard I try, I do.
It doesn't help that Lucien is also standing right behind me, close enough that I can feel his calm presence like gravity itself. He doesn’t say anything, but his eyes, those storm-grey eyes, never leave mine.
I inhale slowly, trying not to lose composure. "You’re both standing too close.” I blurt out.
“Funny. I was thinking the exact opposite.” Damien leans In, his voice a warm breath against my ear. I immediately feel tingles run through my body.
Nyra moans, restless. "He smells like us. I need him. We need him. Claim them."
"You slut. Shut the fuck up, now is not the time" I shout in my head, fighting to steady my breath while looking up to this succubus of a man, towering over me. “You’re out of line. I said to let go sir."
His smile deepens. “But I don't want to. You have no idea how long we've been waiting for you.”
My brows furrowed. "Sorry to be rude Professor, but what the heck is wrong with you and what are you talking about?"
"You…."
"Enough." Lucien finally cuts in, his voice is quiet but sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. He turns to me, the edge in his voice softening. “Go home, Miss Hale.”
I swallow hard. “Gladly. But please refrain from touching me next time, for no reason. I’ll report you.”
With that, I push past them and out into the corridor. The air outside the hall feels too bright, too thin. I keep walking until the noise fades behind me, until my pulse starts to slow.
Nyra's whispers still fill my head. "They’re ours. OURS."
I shake my head. “No. I have Mark. He loves me and I love him. I’m nor..”
But the word catches in my throat, refusing to even come out.
By the time I reach the campus gate, my hands are still shaking.
The cold air should help. But it doesn’t. Every breath still feels too fast. Too hot.
"You shouldn’t have run," Nyra says, finally seeming to gain some sort of sense back, though her voice still sounds rough. "You should’ve stayed. We needed to understand.."
“I don’t want to understand,” I mutter, tugging my jacket tighter. “I want to forget.”
"You can’t forget your own mates."
“I’m not…” My voice catches. “I’m not like them. I have a life. A fiancé. A future.”
"Do you believe that, or are you trying to convince me?"
I ignore her, walking faster. Students pass by laughing, the sound sharp in my ears, yet everything just feels off-balance, like I’ve stepped into someone else’s life and can’t find the way out.
By the time I reach my apartment, my pulse still hasn’t settled.
The door opens before I can unlock it and Mark stands there, sleeves rolled up, smiling bright. He smells like pine and trees. Normal. Safe.
“There you are,” he says. “I was starting to worry.”
“Sorry. Long day.”
He studies my face. “You look pale. Are you okay?”
I force a smile and step inside. “Just tired. New professors. Long lectures.”
He laughs, guiding me toward the couch. “The usual academic torture.”
His touch is gentle, steady. Nothing like what I felt earlier. And yet, my body still feels…wired. Like I can’t quite turn off the electricity humming beneath my skin.
Mark leans closer, his brow creased. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lie.
He nods, but the worry doesn’t fade. “You’ve been tense lately. Is it the wedding planning? We can slow down if you need to.”
"No. It's okay. I want this." If there was anything I wanted now, it was to sink into his voice, his warmth, his embrace. His normality. And pretend the world still made sense. But when he brushes a strand of hair from my cheek, all I can think of is another touch, one that burned through me.
Nyra stirs restlessly. You feel it too, don’t you? The difference.
“Stop,” I whisper under my breath.
Mark blinks. “What?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly, faking a smile. “Just talking to myself again.”
He laughs softly. “You really need a break from everything."
“Yeah.”
He kisses my forehead and stands. “Dinner in ten. And maybe afterwards, we can actually relax and have some fun?"
I nod, but my chest feels tight. He’s right here, the kind, steady man I promised to marry. And yet, for the first time, I feel like I’m standing in two different worlds.
When he leaves the room, I sink onto the couch, pressing my hands against my knees to stop the shaking.
Nyra’s whisper curls around my thoughts. "You can’t hide forever, Rhea. We both know that."
I close my eyes. “Watch me. Worst comes to worse. I'll just move again. All I have to do is wait till after the wedding."
After that, all this mate bullshit will be over.