ADRIAN’S POV

She smelled like heartbreak.

I caught it the moment Freya Reed walked into my classroom. That sharp bitter scent underneath her usual cheap soap and coffee. Something had broken her last night.

Good.

Broken things were easier to claim.

I leaned back in my chair and watched her slide into her usual seat in the third row. She kept her head down. Blonde hair falling forward to hide her face. The other students were loud around her but she sat quiet with shaking hands.

Three weeks ago she turned nineteen and her scent finally punched through whatever binding had kept it hidden. The word MATE slammed into me so hard I nearly shifted right there at my desk. Kael had roared inside my head and demanded I take what was ours.

But I could not. Not yet. She had no idea what she was. Had no idea I was anything more than her professor.

So I waited. Watched. Planned.

Then Kelvin Brooks showed up. Werewolf. Cocky little bastard. Son of my enemy. Dating MY mate.

That could not stand.

Last night I followed her home from the diner and watched Kelvin arrive with another woman. Heard the fight. Saw them leave. I left my note on her door at midnight because opportunity does not wait.

Now she was here looking destroyed and I was going to use every second of it.

“Good morning.” I stood and moved around my desk. Leaned against the front edge. Let my eyes scan the room before landing on her. “Turn to page forty seven.”

She looked up.

Our eyes met and something electric shot between us. Her breath caught. Just for a second. Then she looked away fast and fumbled with her book.

Kael purred inside me. She felt it too. The pull. The bond trying to snap into place even through the binding.

I forced myself to look away and called on another student to read. The lecture dragged. Fifty minutes of pretending to care about Gothic literature while my wolf wanted to clear the room and pin her against the desk.

Finally the clock hit nine fifty. “That is all for today. Essays due Friday.”

Students started packing up. Freya shoved her things into her bag and stood quickly.

“Miss Reed.” My voice cut through the noise. “Stay.”

She froze. Every other student filed past her. A few looked back curious but no one said anything.

I waited until the last one left then walked to the door and closed it. Locked it.

The click echoed in the quiet room.

Freya stood by her desk clutching her bag. “I got your note.”

“I know.”

“How did you know where I live?”

“Does it matter?” I moved closer. Just a few steps. Enough to make her nervous.

She backed up half a step. “What do you want?”

Straight to the point. I liked that. No games.

“I heard about Kelvin.”

Her face went pale then red. “How?”

“People talk.” I stopped a few feet away. Close enough to smell her properly now. Fear and anger and something sweeter underneath. “His wedding is Saturday.”

“So?”

“So you should go.”

She stared at me like I had lost my mind. “You want me to go watch my ex get married? Are you serious?”

“I want you to go with me.”

Silence.

She blinked. “What?”

“As my date. We go together. You look incredible. He realizes what he lost. Everyone wins.”

“That is insane.”

“Is it?” I tilted my head. Studied her face. “Or is it exactly what you want? To walk in there and make him regret everything?”

Her jaw tightened. I could see the war in her eyes. Pride fighting with the need for revenge.

“You are my professor,” she said finally. “There are rules.”

“We would not be breaking any rules. Just attending a public event together. Nothing inappropriate.” I paused. Let the word hang between us. Inappropriate. Like we were both thinking about all the ways we could break those rules.

Her cheeks flushed. “This does not make sense. Why would you even want to go?”

“Let me worry about that.”

“No. I need to know what you get out of this.”

Smart girl. Suspicious. I could work with that. “I get to irritate people I do not like. You get revenge. Simple.”

“Nothing is ever simple.”

“Then consider it a favor.”

“I did not ask for a favor.”

“But you need one.” I took another step closer. She did not back up this time. Just watched me with those wide brown eyes. “Kelvin does not deserve you. His family does not get to make you feel small. So we show them you are not someone they can throw away.”

“By pretending to date my professor.”

“By making them think twice about underestimating you.”

She bit her lip. That nervous habit that made Kael want to bite it for her. “I have nothing to wear. I work all week. I cannot afford…”

“I will handle everything. Clothes. Car. All of it. You just show up.”

“Why would you do that?”

Because you are mine. The words almost came out. I swallowed them. “Does it matter?”

“Yes.”

We stood there staring at each other. The room felt smaller. Hotter. I could hear her heartbeat from here. Fast but not panicked.

She was considering it.

“One night,” I said quietly. “Just the wedding. After that we go back to normal. You never have to see me outside class again.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then you say no. I am not going to force you.” I held her gaze. Let her see I meant it. “But we both know you want this.”

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