The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

FREYA’S POV

Adrian stands there. His eyes are wild. Intense. Blue fire. His chest is heaving like he ran the whole way

here.

“What the hell are you doing?” His voice is rough. Barely controlled. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be out here alone?”

I yank my arm away. “I can take care of myself.”

“No. You cannot. Not yet. Not until your wolf awakens fully. Not until you can defend yourself properly.” He steps closer. “You left without security. Without telling anyone. Without thinking about what could happen.”

“I needed air. I needed space. I needed to not be trapped in your penthouse for one damn day.” I cross my arms. “And I do not need your permission to leave.”

“Yes you do. While you are under my protection you do exactly what I say. And I say you do not leave without telling me.” His eyes flash. “Do you understand?”

“No. I do not understand. You do not get to ignore me for three days and then suddenly act like you own me.” I step closer too. Refusing to back down. “You pushed me away Adrian. You told me I was not ready. You made me feel like I was the problem. So do not stand here now acting like you have any right to tell me what to do.”

His jaw clenches. I can see him fighting for control. See the wolf underneath pushing forward.

“You want to know why I pushed you away?” His voice drops. Gets dangerous. “Because I was seconds away from claiming you on my kitchen floor. Because my control was gone. Because if I had not stopped I would have marked you without your permission. Without you fully understanding what that means.”

“Maybe I wanted you to.”

“You do not know what you are saying.”

“Stop telling me what I know. Stop treating me like a child.” I am yelling now. Do not care who hears. “I am not fragile. I am not stupid. I know what I want.”

“Do you? Do you really? Because three days ago you could not even admit you felt the bond. Could not admit you wanted me. And now you are standing here saying you wanted me to claim you?” He laughs. Dark. Bitter. “You are lying to yourself Freya. You always are.”

The words hit like a slap. Because he is right. I am lying. Have been lying. To him. To myself. To

everyone.

But hearing him say it makes something inside me snap.

“You know what? Maybe I am lying. Maybe I do not know what I want. Maybe I am confused and scared

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and completely out of my depth.” I step back. Away from him. “But that does not give you the right to push me away one second and then chase me down the next. That does not give you the right to tell me

what I can and cannot do.”

“I am trying to keep you safe.”

“I do not want safe. I want honest. I want someone who does not play games with me. Who does not push me away because they are scared of losing control.” My voice cracks. “I am so tired Adrian. Tired of all of this. Tired of the bond and the mate thing and the werewolf drama. Tired of feeling like I am drowning and no one will throw me a rope.”

His expression softens. “Freya-”

“No. Do not do that. Do not look at me like that.” I wrap my arms around myself. “Do not make this harder than it already is.”

“What are you saying?”

“I am saying maybe I cannot do this. Maybe I am not strong enough. Maybe I am just a human who got dragged into something she does not belong in.” Tears burn my eyes. I blink them back. “Maybe you should have just left me alone. Let me live my boring human life. Let me be ignorant and safe and

normal.”

“You were never going to be normal. Not with your bloodline. Not with what you are.” He takes a step toward me. “Running from this will not change anything. You are still a werewolf. Still my mate. Still in danger whether you accept it or not.”

“Then maybe I do not accept it. Maybe I reject all of it. The bond. The mate thing. You.” The words taste like ash but I say them anyway. “Maybe I want nothing to do with your werewolf world. Maybe I just want to go back to being human and pretend none of this ever happened.”

His eyes flash. Anger now. “You cannot reject the bond. It does not work like that.”

“Watch me.” I turn away. Start walking. “Do not follow me. Do not text me. Do not send your pack after me. Just leave me alone.”

“Freya stop.”

“No. I am done stopping. Done listening. Done pretending I am okay with any of this.” I walk faster. “Stay away from me Adrian. I mean it. Do not come near me again.”

“You are being irrational,”

I spin back around. “Irrational? You think I am being irrational? My ex boyfriend killed my mother. I found out I am not human. I have people trying to murder me. And I am living with a man who keeps pushing me away and pulling me back like I am some kind of toy.” I laugh. It sounds broken. “Yeah. I am irrational. Because my entire life is insane.”

“That is not fair.”

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“Fair? Nothing about this is fair.” I wipe angry tears from my face. “I did not ask for any of this. Did not ask to be a werewolf or your mate or a target. I just wanted a normal life. A normal boyfriend. Normal problems. But I cannot have that because apparently I am special. I am royalty. I am destined.”

“Freya please-”

“Please what? Please calm down? Please be reasonable? Please accept that my life is never going to be normal again?” I shake my head. “I cannot. I cannot do this anymore. Cannot pretend I am strong enough for whatever is coming. Cannot pretend the bond does not terrify me. Cannot pretend I know what I am doing.”

He is in front of me before I can blink. Moving too fast. His hands grip my shoulders. “Look at me.”

I do not want to. Do not want to see whatever is in his eyes. But I look anyway because I am weak.

“You are strong enough. Stronger than you know. Stronger than I am sometimes.” His voice is intense. And I am sorry. Sorry I pushed you away. Sorry I have not been what you need. Sorry this is so hard.”

“Sorry does not fix anything.”

“I know. But it is all I have right now.” His hands slide down my arms. “Come back with me. We will figure this out. Together. I promise.”

“Your promises do not mean anything. Not when you keep breaking them.” I pull away from his touch.” You said you would protect me. That I would be safe. But I do not feel safe. I feel trapped. I feel like I am suffocating.”

“Then tell me what you need. Tell me how to fix this.”

“I need you to stop. Stop pushing me. Stop pulling me. Stop making me feel things I do not want to feel.” I step back. “I need space. Real space. Not your version of space where you track my every move and send your pack after me. Real space where I can breathe and think and figure out what I want.”

“I cannot give you that. Not when you are in danger. Not when Asher wants you dead.”

“Then we are at an impasse. Because I cannot give you what you want either.” I turn around again. Goodbye Adrian.”

“This is not over.”

“Yes it is.” I do not look back. “Maybe I do not even want this. Do not disturb me with your werewolf drama anymore. I cannot believe I fell for any of it. For you. For the bond. For all the lies you told me about destiny and fate and mates.”

“They are not lies,”

“Then they are just excuses. Excuses for you to control me. To make decisions for me. To treat me like I am something that belongs to you.” My voice gets stronger. Angrier. “But I do not belong to you. I do not belong to anyone. And I am done pretending otherwise.”

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“Freya-”

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“Do not.” I hold up my hand. “Do not follow me. Do not come after me. Do not send Marcus or Clara or anyone else. Just leave me alone. For once in your life respect what I am asking for and leave me the

hell alone.”

I walk away. Fast. Before he can say anything else. Before I change my mind. Before the part of me that

wants to run back to him wins.

People on the street stare. Probably heard everything. Probably think we are crazy.

They are right.

I turn the corner. Keep walking. Do not look back. Do not let myself think about the look on his face. The pain in his eyes. The way his hands dropped to his sides like I had hit him.

I just walk. One foot in front of the other. Away from Adrian. Away from the bond. Away from everything that terrifies me.

My phone buzzes. I pull it out. Adrian.

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