The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 34

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CHAPTER 34

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CHAPTER 34

FREYA’S POV

The security guard at the front desk looks up when I burst through the doors. He recognizes me, I can tell. He just nods and waves me through without asking questions. Probably seen this before. Probably seen other idiots run from Adrian and come crawling back.

The elevator ride up takes forever. I catch my reflection in the polished doors and wince. My hair is a complete disaster. My face is so pale I look like a ghost. My eyes are wild and red from crying.

I look completely insane.

I feel completely insane.

What if he doesn’t want me anymore? What if I pushed too far this time? What if

The doors slide open.

The penthouse is so dark. So quiet. It feels empty but I know he is here. I can feel him somehow.

“Adrian?” My voice comes out cracked and small and terrified.

Nothing. Just silence.

I step inside anyway. The elevator closes behind me with a soft ding and suddenly I am trapped. I cannot back out now even if I wanted to.

“I know you’re here.” I move further into the living room. “Please. I just need”

A sound comes from upstairs. Footsteps. Heavy ones. Then he appears at the top of the stairs.

Adrian.

He looks completely wrecked. His hair is all messy like he has been running his hands through it for hours. His shirt is wrinkled and half untucked. His eyes are so dark with exhaustion it hurts to look at

him.

He just stares at me like I am a ghost. Like I might vanish if he blinks too hard.

“Freya.” My name sounds broken in his mouth.

“I’m sorry.” The words rush out. “I’m so sorry. For everything. For running. For not trusting you. For”

He is down the stairs before I can even finish my sentence. Moving way too fast.

PS: I think I like him being a werewolf if it meant him running in speed to meet me.

His hands come up to cup my face. So gentle despite how desperate his eyes look.

“Tell me you’re staying.” His voice is rough. Raw. “Tell me you’re not going to run again.”

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“I’m staying.” Tears spill over. Can’t stop them. “I’m done running. I swear.”

“What happened? What changed?” His thumbs wipe my tears. His touch makes my chest ache.

“Vanessa found me. Threatened me. Said I have twenty-four hours to leave the city or-” I grab his wrists. Hold on like he’s the only solid thing left. “She admitted it. She’s part of Asher’s plan. She sent Kelvin to that restaurant. It was a trap and I”

His eyes flash that bright electric blue. The wolf coming through.

“She threatened you?”

“Yes. But that is not why I came back.” I step even closer to him. Close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off his body. “I came back because I realized something. Running will not save me. Being alone will not keep me safe. And you are not the monster I thought you were.”

“Freya”

“Let me finish. Please.” My hands shake. “When Vanessa left, all I could think about was you. About how you let me go even though it hurt you. About how you’ve been protecting me this whole time. About how stupid I’ve been pushing away the one person who”

I can’t finish. The words get stuck.

He rests his forehead against mine. Our breaths are mixing together in the small space between us.

“The one person who what?”

“Who loves me.” The words come out as barely a whisper. “You love me. Really love me. And I have been

too scared to accept it.”

“I do love you.” He says it simply. Like it’s the easiest truth in the world. “More than anything. More than makes sense. More than is probably healthy.”

A laugh bubbles up. Wet and broken. “That’s really unhealthy.”

“I know.” His lips curve. Almost a smile. “But I can’t help it. You’re my mate. My everything. Even when you hate me. Even when you run. Even when you slap me.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. I deserved it.” He pulls back just enough to look at me properly. “But Freya, I need you to be

sure. Really sure. Because if you stay this time, I’m not letting you go again. I can’t. It’s killing me.”

“I’m sure.” I am. For the first time since this nightmare started, I’m completely sure. “I choose you. I choose us. I choose to stop fighting what we are.”

Something just breaks in his expression. Relief and joy and so much love all crashing together at once.

Then he kisses me.

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CHAPTER 34

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Not gentle at all. Not careful. Just desperate and claiming and everything I have been too scared to want.

I kiss him back just as hard. My hands are fisting in his shirt. His arms wrap around me so tight like he is afraid I will disappear into thin air.

We finally break apart and we are both breathing so hard. His eyes are glowing now. Full bright blue.

“Mine.” The word comes out half growl. “You are mine.”

“Yours.” I agree. And saying it does not feel like losing at all. It feels like coming home. “I am yours.”

He kisses me again. Softer this time. Sweeter.

When we finally pull apart he doesn’t let me go. Just holds me against his chest. His heart pounds under

my ear.

“We need to deal with Vanessa.” His voice rumbles through his chest. “And Asher. And Kelvin. But first”

“First you need to hold me.” I burrow closer. “Please. Just hold me and tell me everything’s going to be okay.”

“Everything’s going to be okay.” He kisses the top of my head. “I promise. No one’s going to hurt you. Not Vanessa. Not Asher. Not anyone.”

“You can’t promise that.’

“Watch me.” His arms tighten. “You’re under my protection now. Really under it. No more running. No more hiding. You’re mine to protect. And I protect what’s mine.”

The possessiveness should probably bother me. Should make me want to argue and push back.

Instead it just makes me feel incredibly safe.

“What happens now?” I ask.

J

“Now you rest. Eat. Let me take care of you.” He pulls back. Cups my face again. “And tomorrow we start training. Really training. So you can protect yourself. So you never feel helpless again.”

“Training how?”

“Your wolf. We need to wake her up fully. Help you shift. Teach you to fight.” His eyes are serious. Intense. “I can’t always be there. But your wolf can. She’ll keep you safe when I can’t.”

The thought absolutely terrifies me. But it also feels right somehow. Like something I have been avoiding that I should not have been.

“Okay.” I nod against his chest. “Tomorrow we train. Tonight though…”

“Tonight you sleep. In my bed. Where you belong.” He does not make it sound like a question at all.

I should probably argue. Should insist on the guest room. Should try to maintain some kind of distance.

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But I do not want distance anymore. I do not want space. I do not want anything except him.

“Your bed.” I agree quietly. “But just sleeping. I am not ready for anything else yet.”

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