The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

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CHAPTER 22

FREYA’S POV

Three days of avoiding each other.

Three days of passing in hallways without speaking. Of eating meals at different times. Of pretending the other person does not exist.

Three days since Adrian kissed me and then pushed me away.

I hate this. Hate the tension. Hate the silence. Hate feeling like a prisoner in his penthouse even though

he never said I could not leave.

But I did not leave. Not until today. Not until I woke up and realized I could not breathe in there anymore.

The coffee shop near campus is the same as I remember. Small. Crowded. Smells like espresso and old

books. I used to come here between classes. Used to sit in the corner and do homework while Clara

complained about professors.

That feels like a lifetime ago. Back when I was human. Back when my biggest problem was paying rent and passing exams.

Now I am a werewolf who does not know how to be a werewolf. Living with an Alpha who wants me but pushes me away. Hiding from people who want me dead.

My life is a mess.

I order coffee and find a seat by the window. Watch people walk past. Students heading to class. Professors rushing between buildings. Everyone living their normal lives.

I miss normal. Miss not knowing about werewolves and mates and pack politics. Miss being ignorant.

But I cannot go back. Cannot unknow what I know now. Cannot pretend I am still that girl who thought Kelvin was the worst thing that could happen to her.

Kelvin is nothing compared to what I am dealing with now.

My phone buzzes. Adrian. Again. Fifth time in the last hour.

Where are you?

I ignore it. Like I ignored the other four. He does not get to push me away and then track my every move. Does not get to ignore me for three days and then suddenly care where I am.

I take a sip of coffee. It is too hot. Burns my tongue. I drink it anyway.

The door opens. A group of students walks in. Loud. Laughing. One of them looks familiar. Someone from my literature class. The class I have not attended in weeks.

The class Adrian teaches.

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CHAPTER 22

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I wonder if he noticed I stopped coming. Probably not. Probably too busy with pack business and

avoiding me.

My phone buzzes again.

Freya answer me. Now.

The demanding tone makes me angry. Makes me want to throw the phone across the room. Who does he think he is? My father? My owner?

I am not his to command. Not his to control. Even if he is my mate. Even if the bond pulls at me constantly. Even if every cell in my body wants to go back to him.

I type back finally.

I am fine. Stop texting me.

Three dots appear immediately. Then disappear. Then appear again. Like he is typing and deleting. Typing and deleting.

Finally a message comes through.

We need to talk.

No we do not.

Yes we do. Come back. Please.

The please surprises me. Adrian does not say please. Does not ask. Just demands and expects

obedience.

But I am not ready to go back. Not ready to face him. Not ready to have whatever conversation he thinks

we need to have.

I need space. Give me a few hours.

No response this time. Just silence.

Good. Let him stew. Let him wonder where I am. Let him feel a fraction of what I have been feeling for three days.

I finish my coffee and order another. The barista gives me a weird look. Probably because I look terrible. Have not slept well. Have not eaten much. Have been living on coffee and anger.

The anger is easier than admitting I miss him. Easier than admitting that when he pushed me away it hurt. Easier than facing the fact that I want him even after everything.

Even after the lies. After the secrets. After he told me I was not ready and sent me away like a child.

I want him. And I hate myself for it.

“Freya?”

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I look up. Clara stands next to my table. She looks nervous. Guilty. Like she knows she is the last person

I want to see.

“What are you doing here?” My voice is cold.

“I saw you through the window. Thought I would say hi.” She gestures to the empty chair. “Can I sit?”

“No.”

“Freya please. I know you are angry. I know I messed up. But we need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“Then just listen. Five minutes. That is all I ask.” She sits down anyway. Uninvited. “I am sorry. For lying. For spying. For everything.”

“You were my friend Clara. My only friend. And you were reporting everything to him.” I lean forward. “Do you know how that feels? To find out the one person you trusted was fake?”

“It was not fake. My friendship was never fake.” She looks genuinely hurt. “Yes Adrian asked me to watch you. To keep you safe. But I cared about you Freya. I still care about you.”

“Just not enough to tell me the truth.”

“I could not. Pack law. Alpha orders. I had no choice.” She reaches across the table. I pull my hand away. “But everything else was real. Every conversation. Every movie night. Every time I was there for you. That was me. Not orders. Not duty. Just me being your friend.”

I want to believe her. Want to forgive her. Want things to go back to how they were.

But I cannot. Trust is not something you can just glue back together once it breaks.

“You should go.” I look away. Out the window. Anywhere but at her. “I do not want to do this right now.”

“Adrian is losing his mind looking for you. Do you know that? He has half the pack searching the city. Marcus called me twenty minutes ago asking if I had seen you.” She leans closer. “You need to go back. Or at least tell him you are okay. Before he does something crazy.”

“Let him be crazy. Not my problem.”

“It is your problem when he starts a war because he thinks something happened to you.” Clara’s voice gets urgent. “You do not understand pack dynamics yet. Do not understand what happens when an Alpha thinks his mate is in danger. Adrian is barely holding on as it is. This will push him over the edge.”

“Good. Maybe he needs to be pushed.” I stand up. Grab my phone. “Thanks for the concern but I am fine. You can report back to him now.”

“Freya wait..”

I walk out before she can finish. The cold air hits me. Sharp. Biting. I pull my jacket tighter and start walking.

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CHAPTER 22

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