Chapter 36 36
CHAPTER 36
\[Rhea’s POV\]
The next morning, my eyes were bloodshot, and heavy, dark bags sat under them like bruises. I had barely slept. Every time I had closed my eyes, I heard the sound of that knife slicing through Damian’s skin. I saw the black veins crawling up his arm. I saw Mark’s face in the shadows of my room, grinning at me with those cold, dead eyes.
I stood in my bathroom for a long time, splashing cold water on my face, but it didn't help the exhaustion. I felt heavy, like my body was filled with dumbbells. Looking back, I regretted not going with them. I didn't care if I was a burden; being alone in this apartment was a special kind of torture. The silence was too loud. Without the constant, grounding presence of Lucien and Damian, the walls felt like they were closing in on me.
However, as the sun rose over the city, that heavy, intense presence finally faded. The weight on my shoulders lifted, and for the first time in twelve hours, I could actually take a full breath without feeling like someone was choking me. Whatever had been watching me during the night was gone.
I didn't want to go to school, but I knew I had to. I needed to keep up the routine. I needed to show Mark, or whoever was tracking me, that I wasn't hiding in a hole.
The walk to the university was filled with paranoia. I found myself stopping every few yards, spinning around to see if a black SUV was waiting or if a masked figure was darting between the trees. Every rustle of a dead leaf made me jump. Every car engine that revved too loud made my heart leap into my throat. By the time I reached the main campus gates, I was shaking from the sheer effort of staying calm.
I was so busy looking over my shoulder that I wasn't looking where I was going.
"Oh!"
I slammed hard into something solid, hard like a brick wall. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and my heavy textbooks flew out of my arms, scattering across floor.
"I am so sorry!" I gasped, clutching my chest. "I wasn't looking, I..."
"It’s okay. Easy there."
I glanced up, pushing a stray lock of hair out of my face. I froze. Standing in front of me was Lucas. The same guy from the park. He was wearing a simple grey sweater today, but he still had that same calm, mysterious energy around him. Up close, in bright lights of the school, he was even more handsome than I remembered.
"You again," he said, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Lucas," I breathed. "I’m sorry. I’m a total mess today."
"I can see that," he said softly. He knelt down on the floor and started helping me gather my notebooks. "You look like you haven't slept in a week. Rough night?"
"You have no idea," I muttered, kneeling down beside him.
As we both reached for my history textbook, our hands brushed. It was just a slight, accidental touch of our fingers, but the reaction was instantaneous.
A sharp, electric thrill shot through my arm, vibrating straight to my heart. It wasn't the heavy, soul-crushing pull of the mate bond I felt with Lucien and Damian. This was different. It was lighter, but just as intense, like a jolt of pure energy waking up my nervous system.
My eyes widened. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. I looked at Lucas, and I could tell he felt it too. He pulled his hand back instantly, as if he had been burned, his own eyes wide with shock. For a second, we just stared at each other on the floor, surrounded by scattered papers and rushing students.
I didn't understand it. How could I feel anything for another man? I knew the twins were my mates. I had felt the bond. I had felt the claim. But this spark with Lucas... it felt like something familiar. Something deep in my DNA was humming in response to him.
Lucas cleared his throat, the shock on his face quickly masked by a neutral expression. He gathered the rest of the books and handed them to me, standing up quickly. He seemed flustered, his movements a bit more jagged than they had been a moment ago.
"I... I have to get to class," he said, avoiding my eyes.
"Wait!" I stood up, clutching my books to my chest.
He stopped, but he didn't turn around fully. I reached into my bag and pulled out the heavy wool coat he had lent me the day before. I had folded it neatly and put it in my bag first thing in the morning.
"Your coat," I said, holding it out to him. "Thank you again for saving me. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."
He turned back, his gaze lingering on the coat before moving to my face. He seemed to ease up a little, the tension in his shoulders dropping. He took the coat from me, his fingers careful not to touch mine this time.
"It was nothing, Rhea," he said, his voice returning to that smooth, calm tone. "Just glad you’re okay."
"I'll see you around?" I asked.
"Yeah, see you around."
He turned and walked away, disappearing into the sea of students. I stood there for a long moment, watching his back. My hand still felt tingly where we had touched. It was confusing, and it made me feel guilty. I felt like I was betraying Lucien and Damian just by feeling that spark, even if I hadn't asked for it.
The rest of the day was a blur. I sat through my lectures, but I didn't hear a word the professors said. Every time I looked at the front of the room, I expected to see Lucien’s sharp, silver eyes or Damian’s confident smirk. The classrooms felt empty without them.
I found myself constantly checking my phone, hoping for a text or a call. I wanted to know if they had reached the healer. I wanted to know if Damian was okay. The image of the black veins on his arm haunted me. I wondered if he was in pain right now. I wondered if Lucien was holding up, or if he was spiraling into rage.
By the time my last class ended, the sun was beginning to set, casting long, orange shadows across the campus. I felt a deep, aching loneliness. I needed to hear their voices. I needed to know I wasn't alone in this.
I walked out of the library, heading toward the quiet path that led to the bus stop. The campus was mostly empty now, the silence making my skin crawl. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I hovered my thumb over Lucien’s name, my heart beating fast.
'Just one call,' thought. 'Just to make sure they’re safe.'
I was just about to press the call button when a sudden, blinding pain suddenly exploded at the back of my skull. It felt like a flash of lightning. My knees buckled, and my phone slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the pavement.
Everything went dark. The last thing I felt was the cold ground against my cheek and a pair of hands grabbing my shoulders, dragging me away.