Chapter 16 16
POV LOIS
No.
This can’t be. It’s a trap, a game, something hormonal—there had to be some kind of explanation for this.
Maybe a game.
I only asked… to be saved. Not to feel irrevocably drawn to one of the twins, to the point of thinking he could be my mate—when that wasn’t possible.
I could feel him. I could hear him. I could smell him. I knew he was behind the damn door, prowling. And the worst part? This was Ezequiel’s room, where I was staying. They had another room, but it wasn’t set up, filled with who-knows-what, and to make things worse, the train had already left.
Damn it.
I was trapped here with him.
What is happening?!
“Stay away from the door, Emmanuel!” I shouted. I knew he couldn’t fully resist, but I didn’t want to feel these damn impulses either. And I knew I was weaker than him—he was the one who had to resist, to keep his distance, or I would be forced to reject him outright, even if that wasn’t what I wanted.
I couldn’t let myself fall into these instincts.
I had to wait for this to calm down, because this was a mistake. And if it was a mistake, maybe tomorrow—in a few hours—everything would go back to normal. We couldn’t do anything reckless.
It was a mistake! Why did this have to happen again? There was no logic to it. I had already found my mate once, even if I was harshly rejected. I found him, and that person was probably living a happy life with someone else now.
I curled up on the bed, eyes fixed on the door. I didn’t fully trust Emmanuel to resist entering, even though I’d locked the door. This was stronger than conscious will—unless you had the intention to reject, this tug pulled you toward the other person.
And he was there, right behind the door, barely holding himself back.
I watched the sun rise before I finally stepped out of the room. Emmanuel stood in front of the door with a breakfast tray, ready for me.
My stomach growled loudly, humiliating me. But I needed to say no. I had to catch a train as soon as possible.
“Emmanuel, I have to go.”
“Good morning.”
He held the tray at chest height, that soft morning smile on his face.
“Just breakfast, Lois. That’s all. You’re hungry.”
I pressed my hand to my stomach. I hadn’t eaten dinner, I hadn’t slept, I was exhausted and starving—but my priority was getting out of here, taking that train, going home to my parents, figuring out how we would get the money for my blood.
“Please, just that. Then I’ll walk you to the station.”
“Just breakfast.”
I took the tray, unwilling to go back inside the room—if I stepped in, he would follow me.
I walked through the house until I found the kitchen. I set the tray on the small table and sat down to eat.
I was in the twins’ house.
I wanted to look at everything—every detail, snoop around, go into Emmanuel’s room, throw myself on his bed and roll around in it. I bet it was as big and comfortable as Ezequiel’s. I wanted to see his closet, walk into his bathroom, and—
Lois, you’re getting carried away!
Of course Emmanuel joined me.
He watched me eat all of it. Not only was it delicious, it was a lot, and I was starving.
“Do you want me to make you something else?” he asked—he’d made it himself, making the gesture even sweeter.
I ate everything and didn’t give him a single bite. I should have felt ashamed, but all I wanted was to ask him for another plate. I could’ve eaten two more. I didn’t even bother to ask whether this was meant to be shared or if it was just for me.
“Does it smell like coffee?”
“Yes, it’s freshly brewed. I didn’t know if you drank any.”
He served me a cup with one spoonful of sugar.
“Lois. Accept me.”
The sip of coffee burned my tongue. I stared at the dark liquid, too afraid to meet Emmanuel’s eyes.
“I don’t want to reject you, because I know how it feels. I’ll give it time so this misunderstanding can resolve itself, because this is a mistake. This can’t be real. I already had a mate, and you’re not him. It’s an error. It has to be.”
“What if you were given another chance after being rejected?”
“Do you know how many people are rejected every day? And I don’t see anyone handing out second chances.”
So that couldn’t be the logic behind this.
“But you did get one. Think of it as a gift from the Moon Goddess.”
“The Moon Goddess?”
Was she involved in this?
My skin prickled; maybe all of this was a dream, and I was still trapped with those bastards. Maybe it was just a long dream and I had never left my pack at all—I was still in my bed, sound asleep, believing all of this was real, that nothing had happened with the twins, that I hadn’t come to the university with Viviana and was still in my humble home with my wonderful parents.
“This is real.”
“No, it’s not! I only asked for help! Not another mate!”
I only… ugh. I didn’t even get to ask for anything! I only thought… about them! Damn it.