Chapter 14 14
POV EMMANUEL
And this is me—the one from her first time—but I hadn’t seen her again.
Classes without Ezequiel were beyond boring. People here were boring. Second-years were boring. Everything without Ezequiel was boring.
I missed my brother.
Life without him was boring.
He still had a whole week before returning.
The moonless night was pitch black—couples hidden in corners kissing and whispering, others using this hour to run, like me. Morning runs weren’t enough; I also ran at night, because I was bored.
Although there was another reason.
I knew Viviana, Lois’s “friend,” went out a lot, and I wanted to “accidentally” run into her. That’s why we rented a room at the last minute in one of the old buildings. But Lois never came out, and I already missed my luxurious room.
When Ezequiel returned, I would tell him we should go back. It seemed impossible to see Lois again, to run into her.
Was it really that hard to find that Omega?
And why did we want to see her so badly? I couldn’t explain it, but we needed to see her.
People here were nosy. I didn’t like them. We were only in this old building for the chance—just the chance—of seeing Lois.
I looked up at the wide sky, not a single star, thick black clouds drifting one way and then the other. Was it going to rain?
The night was extremely dark.
I opened the front door, and the first thing that hit my face was that scent—it made my nose twitch and sent a jolt through my whole body, a growl rumbling from my chest.
My lips trembled, holding back another growl, but that scent got into my bones.
Could it be… my mate?
My wolf reacted in a way it had never reacted before—losing control and recognizing that scent the moment I stepped into the building.
I ran to the end of the hallway, following it. I heard footsteps upstairs and the scent drifting away. I rushed up the stairs, everything completely dark, and then further ahead I saw a group of guys walking—and among them… was her, whoever she was.
I had to see her face.
The scent grew stronger and stronger—she was only a few meters away.
I sprinted to the light switch and turned on the hallway lights.
Why now? Why here? Who was she?
I had traveled to countless places, been in many cities, visited countless villages and packs, completed two full years of training, and now… at twenty-three years old, in my second year of university, I had found her.
When the light spread across the hallway, I recognized the three guys there, a purse, a suitcase, and…
Lois.
Lois?!
Hernán, first year; Kevin, same year; and Leo, second year, my classmate in a few subjects. They were covering her mouth, taking her things, keeping her trapped between them—as if I hadn’t already seen her.
It was Lois.
That scent was hers.
Her.
What the hell was happening here?
And I don’t mean what they were doing—or trying to do.
I mean: what the hell was happening in me?
That scent.
Those sensations.
My heartbeat pounding in my ears.
The sudden sweat on my skin.
The desperation when I saw her.
Damn it.
We liked Lois, but what I felt now… was so much more. Beyond anything I’d ever felt. My fingers were sweating, my heart thundering, my eyes hunting for hers—but she was trapped between them.
I needed to see her.
I needed her.
What the fuck were they doing in the way?
What were they going to do to her?
Where were they taking her?
My head filled with images with every step I took toward them—images of a massacre, everything soaked in blood and bones crushed to dust. I wanted to tear them apart, and the feeling didn’t leave me. It blinded me in a dangerous way.
I needed him to remove his hands from her.
From Lois.
My Lois.
“What’s wrong, Emmanuel? Out running?” Hernán tightened his grip, pulling her behind him. Lois’s eyes met mine for a split second—pure terror in them, a trembling, overwhelming fear—and before she could blink, my hand was already reaching for her, trying to pull her toward me, but too many bodies stood between us.
Leo’s body slammed into me, pushing me back. I let go of Lois so I wouldn’t hurt her by pulling too hard.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Leo barked, moving in front of Hernán. His shoulders were huge, arms ridiculously bulky—at least they looked that way with all that uneven mass stacked on his torso. He was top-heavy, thin legs, deep voice, weird proportions.
“What’s wrong, Emmanuel? Just go. Do you know this Omega?” Hernán ran his fingers through her hair, and my blood boiled even hotter.
“Her name is Lois,” I whispered to myself.
“Well, Lois is going to provide us some services tonight.”
His lascivious tone disgusted me.
“She’s unemployed, it seems, so we kindly offered her work. Good pay—depending on how well she performs.” His fingers slid down Lois’s neck as his other hand pressed harder over her mouth.
“Take your filthy hands off her mouth.”
“What?”
“That you take… your hands… off her mouth.”
I moved toward Kevin, trying to reach Hernán—the one holding Lois prisoner. Leo swung at my face; I dodged to the right, Kevin grabbed my shoulders again, and this time I decided to fight. Leo’s massive body lunged toward me.
A fight was inevitable now.
Why did they always choose violence?
I didn’t understand it.
It would’ve been so easy to release Lois, give up whatever disgusting ideas they had, walk away and apologize. Admit they were wrong and never go near her again.
But they made me do this.
I didn’t want this.
“Mr. Emmanuel.”
Why the hell was he always around me?! Ever since Ezequiel left, his shadow was everywhere—morning, night, after classes. Please, Ezequiel, come back already. I had my own personal stalker: the director.
“Headmaster,” I said, pulling my hands away from Leo’s broken leg, pushing aside Kevin’s torn ear, and kicking the unconscious body of Hernán, collapsed beside Lois—silent Lois.
“Damn sticky blood.”
I shook my hands, droplets flying everywhere. My first instinct was to wipe them on my pants so I could touch Lois with clean hands—but now there was blood everywhere.