The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 49

CHAPTER 49

ADRIAN’S POV

I watch her walk away. Every step looks painful. Her shoulders are tight. Her movements stiff. I pushed her too hard today.

I had to. Tomorrow night could kill her. Better sore muscles now than a funeral later.

“You were too rough. She is exhausted. Fragile.”

She is not fragile. She proved that today. Did you see her? She cut us. Actually drew blood.

“Because we let our guard down. We were careless.”

No. She was good. Really good. Better than most wolves after months of training.

Kael is right. Freya learned faster than anyone I have ever trained. Her instinctsfare sharp. Her reflexes improving. She is becoming exactly what she needs to be.

A warrior.

My phone buzzes. Marcus.

Council is demanding another meeting. Tomorrow before you leave for the steel mill.

Perfect. More politics when I should be preparing for battle.

Tell them no. We leave at dusk. No time for meetings.

They said they will come here then. Force the issue.

I curse under my breath. The Council will not let this go. They see tomorrow night as my last chance to prove I can handle this. To prove Freya is not a weakness.

She is not a weakness. She is my strength.

Tell them that. Tell them she makes us stronger. Not weaker.

They would not understand. They have never felt the mate bond. Never had someone worth dying for.

*Fine. They can come. But they get ten minutes. Not a second more.*

Marcus sends back a confirmation. I pocket my phone and head upstairs. Need to check on Freya. Make sure she is not hurt beyond normal training soreness.

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The guest room door is open. Steam drifts from the attached bathroom. I can hear water rusining. Hear her moving around.

I lean against the doorframe. Wait. Give her privacy but stay close enough to help if needed.

The water stops. She emerges wrapped in a towel. Her hair is wet. Skin flushed from the heat. She looks like something from a

dream.

Then I see the bruise forming on her shoulder. Dark purple already. My stomach drops.

“How bad does that hurt?” I walk into the room.

She jumps. Clutches the towel tighter. “Adrian. I did not hear you come up.”

“Your shoulder. How bad?”

She glances at it. “It is fine. Just a bruise.”

“That is not just a bruise. That is deep tissue damage.” I move closer. Examine it without touching. “From when I swept your

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legs. I hit too hard.”

“You hit exactly as hard as you needed to. I was not fast enough. That is not your fault.”

“It is absolutely my fault. I am supposed to train you. Not injure you.” Kael is snarling side me. Furious that we hurt our mate. Let me see it properly.”

“Adrian really it is fine.”

“Freya. Please.” My voice comes out strained. “Let me see.”

She drops the towel slightly. Exposes the shoulder. The bruise is worse than I thought. Spreading down her arm. Swelling already starting.

Something dark and violent rises in my chest. I hurt her. I am the reason she is in pain. I am supposed to protect her and instead I am the one causing damage.

“You were training her. This happens in training. She is fine.”

She is not fine. Look at her. She can barely lift that arm.

“Can you move it?” I ask quietly. “Lift your arm?”

She tries. Gets it maybe halfway before her face twists in pain. She stops. “Okay. Maybe it hurts a little more than I thought.”

“A little.” I want to hit something. Want to shift and run until the guilt stops eating me alive. “You need ice. And rest. Training is done for today. For tomorrow too.”

“What? No. We train tomorrow morning. You said so.”

“That was before I saw this. You are injured. You need to heal.”

“I will heal fine. And I need that training more than I need rest.”/She grabs my hand with her good arm. “Adrian I can handle some pain. I cannot handle going into tomorrow night unprepared.”

“You are not going tomorrow night. Not with an injury like this.”

Her eyes flash. Anger replacing pain. “You do not get to decide that.”

“Yes I do. I am your Alpha. Your mate. And I say you stay here where you are safe.”

“No.” She steps back. Pulls her hand away. “We already had this conversation. I am going. With or without your permission.”

“Freya be reasonable. You are hurt. You cannot fight like this.”

“Then I will fight hurt. But I am not staying behind.” Her voice gets louder. “You do not get get dangerous. That is not how this works.”

to lock me away every time things

“That is exactly how this works when you are injured because of me.” My control is slipping. Kael is pushing forward. Demanding we keep her safe. Keep her here. “I will not watch you die tomorrow night because you were too stubborn to rest. “And I will not sit here safe while you walk into danger without me.” She moves closer. Ignoring her pain. “We are in this together. That is what you said. That is what being mates means. So either we both go or we both stay.”*

We stare at each other. Both furious. Both terrified. Both unwilling to back down.

“If you go you are a liability.” The words are cruel. Meant to wound. “You will slow us down. Get people killed. Get yourself killed.

Her face goes pale. “You do not mean that ”

“I do mean it. An injured fighter is worse than no fighter at all.” I hate myself for saving it. Hate the hurt in hereves. But I need

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her to understand. Need her to stay. “So you stay here. Safe. Alive. And I go do what needs to be done.”

“You are an asshole.” Her voice breaks. “You know that? You push me to be strong. To be a warrior. To stand beside the second things get real you try to lock me away like I am helpless.”

“You are not helpless. But you are hurt. There is a difference.”

you. Then

“The only difference is that you are scared.” She grabs clothes from the drawer. Polls them on awkwardly with one arm. “You are terrified something will happen to me so you are using this injury as an excuse to bench me.”

She is right. That is exactly what I am doing. But I cannot admit it. Cannot show her how close I am to losing my mind at the thought of her in danger.

“Believe whatever you want. You are not going tomorrow night. That is final.”

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“Nothing is final. I make my own choices Adrian. Not you.” She heads for the door. “Now get out. I need to rest since apparently I am too fragile to do anything else.”

The sarcasm cuts deep. But I deserve it. Deserve her anger. Deserve everything.

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