Chapter 38 Chapter 0038

Chapter 38 Chapter 0038
•AVELINE•

I scoffed, unable to believe how selfish he was. He knew that I would never know peace for as long as he was still engaged to Kaila.

He knew that his father might come for me and ruin every plan I had when I came to the academy, but he didn't want to let me go for his selfish reasons.

I walked out of the glass door and closed it behind me, so no one in the corridor could hear our conversation or take more pictures of us together.

"Did you see the pictures on the wall? Did you hear how they are calling me names?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he answered, his brows furrowing. "What's going on?"

"I am being ridiculed and accused of trying to ruin your relationship with Kaila," I answered, keeping my voice steady. "They all think that I tried to seduce you last night when you took me into your room. And I know who took the pictures, Dominic."

"I don't think—"

"You don't think what?" I cut him off, leaning closer toward him. "Can't you see that you're ruining my life? I have asked you so many times to break the bond between us, but you've refused."

"We are not severing the mate bond, Aveline," he answered, his voice was ridiculously calm. "You are mine and I will handle this. No one will accuse you of something in my name without facts."

"Can't you see that the only solution to this problem is severing the mate bond?"

"No, I won't break it. Not because of anyone."

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" My voice broke as I looked up at him. "You're punishing me because you know that your father would never let you be with me."

"This is not about my father."

"You want to ruin my life," I scoffed. "You won't let me go even when you know this is wrong. But why am I being used as a pawn in your game?"

"Can we talk about this when I return?"

"It hasn't even been a month since I have been here, and now you want me to stay behind while you escape the wildfire that you caused so I would deal with it alone?"

"I will ensure that no one touches you while I am away," he answered, leaning close to touch my arm, but I pulled away from him.

"I never want to see you again," I muttered before I turned toward the entrance door and walked back inside it. I slammed it closed behind me and headed to the elevator.

But before I got there, I bumped into someone again.

"If it's not the man's snatcher herself," Kaila scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "If I were you, I would withdraw from the school and save myself the humiliation that I would cause you."

My jaw tightened.

It was so easy for her to speak because she never saw the sleepless nights I had, trying to pass all my subjects, knowing they were the only ones that would get me through school, not my father’s status as the Alpha.

"Is that what you were hoping I would do when you took pictures of Dominic and me?" I scoffed, leaning closer to her. "Honey, that would never happen. If you want Dominic, get him. I won't stop you. But trying to humiliate me in front of the school won't get you anywhere."

"You're really brave for thinking that I would turn a blind eye and watch you trying to get between us, but you're nothing but a roach under my foot. Dominic is mine and you will leave him alone. Do you understand?"

I rolled my eyes when I realized that I would get nowhere with her. She was fighting a losing battle with me because I didn't want Dominic anymore.

I made peace with the fact that Dominic would never be mine. The only thing that was stressing me out was his father coming to my house.

I didn't tell Dominic because I knew if I told him, he would want to be there and tell them the truth about what happened between us.

"I don't have time for this." I pushed past her and her two friends and walked away. I went to the elevator and closed it before anyone approached.

I leaned against the elevator wall and took deep breaths. My chest was tightening and I felt a knot in my stomach. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.

I had lost so much in such a short period and didn't know how to feel about everything that was happening.

When I felt the mate bond for the first time between Dominic and me, I never thought that it would affect me the way it did.

I never thought it would take away the peace that I thought I would have once I was in college. And I never thought that I would ever beg him to sever it.

When the elevator doors opened on my floor, I saw Matteo.

I stood there for a moment, trying to hold myself together, but when he opened his arms for me, I lost all the control I thought I possessed, and ran into him.

He held me together as I silently sobbed on his shoulder and said nothing.

"All those who took pictures on the wall will be punished if they share the pictures on the internet," he muttered. "So, don't worry, Aveline, I've got your back."

I didn't answer, but that was all I needed to hear. For that moment, I was sane and when I slightly lifted my head from his shoulder, I knew exactly what I was going to do.

Dominic might have been the first man I had ever fallen in love with, but he was certainly never going to be the last one.

So, I pulled back from Matteo, looked at him for a moment, and slammed my lips against his.