The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

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CHAPTER 24

ADRIAN’S POV

I stand on the street and watch her disappear around the corner. Every instinct screams to follow. To

chase. To drag her back to where she belongs.

With me.

Go after her. Now. She is ours. She does not get to reject us.

Kael is roaring inside my head. Louder than he has ever been. Demanding. Violent. Desperate.

OURS. She is OURS. Go get her. Claim her. Make her understand she cannot leave us.

I cannot move. Cannot make my legs work. Cannot do anything except stand here like an idiot while my mate walks away.

Rejects me. Rejects the bond. Rejects everything.

Then force her. She does not know what she wants. We know. We decide. Go. NOW.

No.

*What do you mean no? She is getting away. Every second we stand here she gets further. GO.*

I said no. I will not force her. Will not drag her back against her will. Will not be that kind of Alpha.

Then you are weak. Pathetic. No wonder she left. She needs strength and you give her nothing.

The words cut deep because part of me agrees. Part of me thinks Kael is right. That I should have grabbed her. Should have thrown her over my shoulder. Should have taken her home and locked her in my room until she stopped being stupid.

But that is not love. That is possession. Control. Everything she just accused me of being.

My phone is in my hand before I realize I pulled it out. I dial Marcus.

“Alpha?” He answers immediately.

“She left.” My voice sounds wrong. Hollow. “She rejected the bond. Told me to leave her alone. Blocked

my number.”

Silence on the other end. Then Marcus curses. “Where is she now?”

“I do not know. She walked away. I let her go.”

“You let her go? Adrian she is in danger. Asher wants her dead. She cannot be out there alone.”

“I know.” I run a hand through my hair. Pull until it hurts. “I know but I cannot force her. Cannot drag her back. She made her choice.”

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CHAPTER 24

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“Her choice is going to get her killed.”

“Then we protect her anyway. Without her knowing. I want eyes on her at all times. Every second. I want to know where she goes. Who she talks to. If anyone even looks at her wrong.” My voice gets harder. Colder. “She wants space. Fine. I will give her space. But I will not let her die because she is too

stubborn to accept help.”

“Understood. I will put together a team. Discreet surveillance. She will never know we are there.” Marcus pauses. “Are you okay?”

“No. But it does not matter. Just find her. Keep her safe. That is all that matters.”

I hang up before he can say anything else. Before I have to admit how not okay I actually am.

She rejected us. Our mate rejected us. This is not supposed to happen. Mates do not reject each other.

Apparently ours does.

Then we made a mistake. We were too soft. Too patient. Should have claimed her when we had the

chance. Should have marked her so she could not run.

And she would have hated us for it. Would have felt trapped. Violated. Is that what you want?

I want her. I do not care how. I do not care if she hates us. At least she would be ours. At least she would

be safe.

That is not how this works.

Then how does it work? Because what we are doing is not working. She is gone. She walked away. And we are standing here doing nothing.

I am doing something. I am giving her what she asked for. Space. Respect. The choice to decide what

she wants.

What she wants is to run. To hide. To pretend she is not ours. And you are letting her.

Yes. I am letting her. Because forcing her is not the answer.

You are wrong. But you will see. You will see what happens when you let your mate walk away. When you give her space instead of claiming her. When you choose her comfort over the bond.

What happens?

We lose her. Forever.

The words echo in my head. Louder than anything else. We lose her forever.

No. I will not lose her. Cannot lose her. She is everything. The only thing. Without her there is nothing.

Then go get her.

I cannot.

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CHALTER 24

Coward.

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Maybe. Maybe I am a coward. Maybe letting her go is the worst decision I have ever made. Maybe Kael is right and I should have claimed her when I had the chance.

But I cannot take it back now. Cannot undo what was said. What was done.

All I can do is keep her safe. Even if she hates me for it. Even if she never speaks to me again. Even if the bond stays incomplete forever.

At least she will be alive.

I start walking. Not toward her. Toward my car. Toward the pack house. Toward anywhere that is not here standing on this street where she rejected me.

The drive is a blur. I do not remember getting in the car. Do not remember the route. Just end up at the

pack house staring at the building.

Inside wolves stop talking when they see me. Conversations die. Everyone stares.

They can smell it on me. The bond breaking. The rejection. The pain.

Marcus appears from the conference room. Takes one look at my face and gestures for me to follow. We go to my office. He closes the door.

“Sit before you fall down.”

I do not sit. Cannot sit. Too much energy. Too much rage. Too much everything.

“I need a drink.”

Marcus goes to the cabinet. Pours two glasses of whiskey. Hands me one. I drain it in one swallow. Pour

another.

“She really rejected you.” It is not a question.

“Yes.”

“And you let her walk away.”

“Yes.”

“Are you insane? Do you know what happens when an Alpha loses his mate? When the bond breaks before completion?” Marcus sets his glass down hard. “You lose your mind. You become unstable. Dangerous. You could hurt the pack. Hurt yourself. Hurt everyone.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you let her go?”

“Because she asked me to.” I meet his eyes. “Because she was drowning and I was the one holding her under. Because keeping her against her will would destroy us both.”

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“And letting her go will not?”

“Maybe. Probably. But at least this way she has a choice. At least she gets to decide.” I finish the second drink. “I will not be another man who takes her choices away.”

Marcus studies me. “You love her.”

“Of course I love her. She is my mate.”

“No. I mean you actually love her. Not just the bond. Not just fate. You love her.” He sits down. “I have known you for ten years. Never seen you like this. Never seen you put anyone above yourself. Above the pack. But you just let your mate walk away because she asked you to. That is not an Alpha move. That is a man in love move.”

Maybe he is right. Maybe it is love. Maybe the bond became something more when I was not paying

attention.

Does not matter now. She is gone either way.

“I have three wolves on her already.” Marcus pulls out his phone. Shows me a map. A red dot moving through the city. “Tracking her phone. Discreet surveillance. She has no idea.”

“Where is she going?”

“Looks like toward the east side. Near where her old apartment was. Maybe looking for somewhere to stay.”

“She has no money. No resources. Nowhere to go.” Panic claws at me. “She is completely vulnerable.”

“I know. That is why I have three wolves on her. If anyone even looks at her wrong they will intervene.” Marcus zooms in on the map. “She just stopped. Corner of Fifth and Main. Standing on the sidewalk.

Been there for five minutes.”

“Is she okay?”

“Physically yes. Emotionally?” Marcus shrugs. “Hard to say. But she is not crying. Not panicking. Just standing there.”

Maybe she realized she has nowhere to go. No one to turn to. Maybe she is regretting her choice. Maybe she wants to come back but is too proud to call.

*Then go get her. She is waiting for us. Hoping we will come. Prove to her we will not give up.*

Or maybe she is just trying to figure out her next move. Does not mean she wants me there.

“Keep me updated. Every hour. I want to know where she is. What she is doing. If she is safe.” I head for

I the door. “And if anyone from Asher’s pack gets within a hundred feet of her I want them dealt with. Permanently.”

“Adrian-”

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“Permanently Marcus. I do not care about pack politics. I do not care about consequences. Anyone who tries to hurt her dies. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

I leave before he can argue. Go to the training room. Need to hit something. Need to break something. Need to do anything except think about her walking away. Her voice saying she does not want this. Does

not want me.

The training dummy does not stand a chance. I tear into it. Fists. Claws. Teeth. Until it is nothing but shredded fabric and stuffing.

Then I start on the next one.

And the next.

Until my knuckles are bloody. Until my body aches. Until I am too tired to think.

But it does not help. Nothing helps. She is still gone. Still out there alone. Still rejecting everything we