Chapter 3 CHAPTER 3
Rafael's POV
A human? My mate? No. That was impossible.
I sat on the stiff bed in the school clinic, the sharp smell of antiseptic stinging my nose. The nurse had left after checking me over, saying I just needed rest, but rest was the last thing I could manage. My head was a mess.
As much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn’t. The sparks. The heat. The way my wolf had clawed to the surface for the first time in… goddess, how long? Too long. The bond had snapped into place, clear as day. I felt it in my chest, in my bones.
Vivienne. The quiet girl with the books. A human. My mate.
I clenched my jaw, dragging both hands down my face. What kind of sick joke was this? The Moon Goddess had to be laughing at me. Of all people, of all lives, why give me this cursed match?
My entire existence revolved around finding my mate in time. Or else I…would be as good as dead
I didn’t have the luxury of choice. And now… this. A human who couldn’t survive in my world. A human who had no clue what I even was.
The thought burned through me. My chest tightened until I couldn’t sit still. I slammed my fist into the mattress, the sound echoing in the quiet room.
The door creaked open and Mathias stepped in, still in his jersey, hair messy from the game. He leaned against the frame like he owned the place.
“You good?” he asked.
I shot him a look, my jaw tight. “Does it look like I’m good?”
He smirked, unbothered. “Fair point.” He walked in and dropped into the chair by the bed. “You scared the hell out of everyone, though. Even Jessica almost cried her eyeliner off.”
I didn’t laugh. Couldn’t. The pressure in my chest was still too much.
Mathias must’ve noticed, because his grin faded. “Alright, enough jokes. We need to talk. About… him.” He tapped his chest, meaning my wolf.
My hands curled into fists. I didn’t want to hear it, but I knew where this was going.
“Raf,” he said carefully, “the others might not have caught it, but I did. Loud and clear.” His eyes sharpened, like he was making sure I couldn’t dodge it. “That girl. The one with the glasses. Vivienne. Your wolf called her mate.”
I felt my jaw tighten, a low growl tearing from my chest before I could stop it.
“Don’t say that word like it’s a good thing,” I snapped. “It’s not. It’s the worst damn thing that could’ve happened.”
Mathias just watched me, calm as always, like he was waiting for me to burn myself out.
“Our goal here was simple,” I went on, pacing across the room, my hands raking through my hair. “The Oracle said I’d find her in the human realm. Among the wolves who hide in with the humans. Not—” I stopped, grinding my teeth. “Not some… human girl. Why the hell would the Fates bind me to her?”
“Raf—”
“No!” I cut him off, my voice sharper than I meant. “Don’t tell me to calm down. You don’t get it. My wolf is dying—every damn day he grows weaker. I’ve got a year, maybe a year and a few months before the next full moon. If I don’t seal a mate bond by then… he’ll be gone.”
The words lodged in my throat, but I forced them out. “Do you know what that means? A son of an Alpha, wolf-less? That’s worse than death. I’d lose everything—status, power, the right to lead. I’d be nothing.”
Silence hung between us. Mathias’ expression darkened, and for once, he didn’t have some easy answer.
“And Vivienne—” I spat the name, hating how it lingered in my chest. “She can never be my mate. She’s human. Humans can’t take the bond, can’t survive the bite mark. It tears them apart. They’ve died from it before.”
I sank down onto the edge of the bed, pressing my hands into my knees.
“This is a damn joke. My father can’t know. If the Alpha finds out his son’s fated one is a human… he’ll destroy her. He’d never allow it. Humans are weak. Worthless. Bringing one home as my mate?” I laughed bitterly. “That’s irony for you.”
Mathias’ shoulders were tense now, his usual calm cracked. “So… what about Jessica?” he asked carefully.
I sneered. “Jessica’s nothing. Just a distraction. A toy. She was never the plan, and you know it.”
Mathias sighed, dragging his hand down his face. “Raf… listen. The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes. She wouldn’t tie you to a human without a reason. Maybe Vivienne isn’t what she looks like. Maybe there’s more to her. You have to believe there’s a purpose in this.”
I looked at him, his voice steady, almost convincing. But all I felt was the weight pressing harder on my chest.
“My wolf’s already cursed, already dying,” I muttered. “Every day I can feel him slipping. And now this? A human? You call that a purpose? It feels more like punishment.”
Mathias held my stare, unwilling to back down, but I shook my head, dragging a hand over my face.
“Hope doesn’t change the fact I’m running out of time.”