The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 55

CHAFTER 55

FREYA’S POV

The compound looks like a prison

High walls. Guard towers. Wolves patrolling every inch. Kelvin drives through the gates like he owns the place because his father does own the place.

“Welcome home.” His voice drips with sarcasm. “Hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Where is Adrian?” I try to keep my voice steady. “You said you would stop hurting him.”

“And we did. He’s alive but obviously chained, we can’teg that monster loose But his alive.” Kelvin parks near a large building that looks like a warehouse. “You’ll see him soon enough. After Father has his chat with you.”

He drags me out of the car. My legs feel like jelly but I force them to work. Force thyself to walk instead of being dragged like livestock.

Inside the building is worse than outside. Cold. Dark. The smell of blood and fear soaked into the concrete. Cells line the walls. Some empty. Some not.

I hear growling. Whimpering. The sounds of wolves in pain.

“What is this place?” My voice comes out as a whisper.

“Where Father keeps problems until he solves them. Permanently.” Kelvin pulls me deeper into the building. Past cells. Past suffering. Past things I do not want to see.

Then I hear it. Adrian’s voice. Raw. Furious. Desperate.

“FREYA. NO. WHAT DID YOU DO?”

My heart clenches. He knows. Somehow he knows I am here.

“Adrian.” I try to run toward his voice. Kelvin yanks me back.

“Not yet. Father first. Then maybe you get five minutes with your mate before we lock you up too.” He shoves me through a doorway into an office.

Asher sits behind a desk. Expensive suit. Clean hands. Like he did not just orchestrate a massacre hours ago.

“Freya Reed.” He stands. Smiles. “So kind of you to join us. Please sit.”

“I would rather stand.”

“Suit yourself.” He walks around the desk.”Do you know why you’re here?”

“Because your son lied to me and dragged me here against my will.”

“No. You’re here because you chose to be. You walked into that church. You agreed to come. You made the choice.” His smile widens. “You chose Adrian’s life over your freedom. How romantic.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Simple. I want you to reject the mate bond. Publicly. In front of Adrian. In front of witnesses.” Asher returns to his desk. “I want you to tell him you don’t want him. Don’t love him. That you were only using him for protection.”

The words hit like a physical blow. “I will never do that.”

“Then he suffers. Simple as that.” Asher opens a drawer. Pulls out a remote. Presses a button.

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Adrian’s steam echoes through the building. Fain. Pute agony. The bend flares white hot in my chest. I feel it. Feel what they are doing to him.

“Stop.” I lurch forward. “Stop hurting him.”

Asher presses the button again. The screaming stops. “You have the power to end his pain. first say the words. Reject him. Walk away. He’ll be free to find another mate eventually. You’ll be free to live whatever pathetic human life you had planned ”

“You’re lying. You’ll kill us both anyway.”

“Probably. But at least his death will be quick. Painless. Merciful.” Asher leans back in his chair. “Whereas if you refuse I’ll keep him alive for weeks, maybe Months, Years, Torturing him. Breaking him. Until there’s nothing left of the Alpha he was. And you’ll feel every second of it through your bond.”

My mind races. Looking for options. For escape routes. For anything.

There is nothing. No way out. No clever solution. Just impossible choices.

“I want to see him first.” My voice is stronger than I feel. “I want to see Adrian before I agree to anything.”

“Of course. Kelvin. Take her to her mate. Let them say goodbye.” Asher waves us away. “You have ten minutes. Use them wisely.

11

Kelvin drags me back through the hallway. Down stairs. Into what looks like a basement. The smell is worse down here.

He stops at a cell. Heavy steel door. Small window. He unlocks it. Shoves me inside. The door slams shut behind me.

Adrian is chained to the wall. Silver chains around his wrists. Around his throat. Around his chest. His skin is burned where the metal touches. Blistered. Raw. Blood drips from a dozen wounds.

But his eyes. His eyes are pure fury when they land on me.

“What did you do?” His voice is hoarse. “What stupid reckless idiotic thing did you do?”

“I saved you.” I move closer. Want to touch him but the chains keep him too far from reach. “They said they would stop hurting you if I came.”

“So you just walked into a trap? Just handed yourself over?” He pulls against the chains. They burn deeper. He does not seem to notice. “Do you have any idea what he’s going to do to you?”

“He wants me to reject the bond. To say I don’t want you. In front of everyone.” Tears burn my eyes. “He said if I do that he’ll let you go.”

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“He’s lying Freya. He’ll kill us both. There is no scenario where we walk out of here alive if you do what he wants.” Adrian’s voice breaks. “You should have stayed with Marcus. Should have waited for a real rescue. Should have trusted me to survive this.

11

“I couldn’t. I felt what they were doing to you through the bond. I couldn’t just sit there while you suffered.”

“So instead you threw yourself into hell with me. How does that help?” He stops pulling. Sags against the wall. “We’re both going to die here. Because you couldn’t follow one simple order. Stay safe. Stay alive. Stay away.”

The words hurt worse than anything Asher could do to me. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to help.”

“You can’t help. You’re human. Untrained. Powerless against what’s coming.” His eyes meet mine. “The only thing you did was give Asher exactly what he wanted. Both of us. Helpless. Trapped. Ready to be destroyed.”

“So what do I do? Just reject you? Say the words? Set you free?”

“No.” The word is absolute. “You don’t reject me. You don’t give him that satisfaction. You survive as long as you can. You look for a way out. And when Marcus comes because he will come you be ready to run.”

V

“What about you?”

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“I’m already dead Freya. These chains. Tris cen. I’m not getting out of here.” His voice gets quieter. “But you still have a chance, Don’t waste it trying to save someone who’s already gone.”

“You’re not gone. You’re right here. Right in front of me.” I move as close as the chains allow “And I’m not giving up on you. “Then you’re a fool.”

“Maybe. But I’m your fool.” I reach through the chains. Manage to touch his hand. His fingers are cold. Burned. “We survive this together or we don’t survive at all. That’s what I told you before. I meant it.”

He stares at our connected hands. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Probably. But at least I’ll die trying to save the person I love.”

The words hang between us. I did not mean to say them. Did not plan it. But the are true. Somewhere between the training and the fighting and the fear I fell in love with this broken angry Alpha who would burn the world for me.

“Freya.” His voice is wrecked. “Don’t say that. Don’t make this harder.”

“Too late. It’s already hard.” I squeeze his hand. “I love you Adrian. I’m sorry I didn’t say it before. I’m sorry I wasted time being scared and angry and stupid. I love you.”

“I love you too.” The admission sounds like it’s being torn from him. “Which is why you need to survive this. Even if I don’t Promise me you’ll survive.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Promise me.”

The door opens. Kelvin stands there. “Time’s up lovebirds. Father is waiting.”

I don’t move. Can’t move. This might be the last time I see Adrian alive. The last time I touch him. The last time I hear his voice.

“I’ll find a way.” I whisper. “I’ll find a way to get us both out.”

“Don’t.” His grip tightens on my hand. “Just survive. That’s all I ask. Survive.”

Kelvin grabs my arm. Pulls me away. Our hands separate. The loss of contact feels like losing a limb.

“I love you.” I call back as Kelvin drags me toward the door. “I love you Adrian.”

“I love you too.” His voice follows me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Too late for that. I already did the stupidest thing possible. I traded my freedom for his. And now we are both trapped. Both waiting to die. Both completely out of options.

Kelvin pulls me back upstairs. Back to Asher’s office. Back to impossible choices and certain death.

“Well?” Asher looks up from his desk. “Did you say your goodbyes? Make your peace?”

“I’ll do it.” The words come out steady. Clear. “I’ll reject the bond. I’ll say whatever you want. Just don’t hurt him anymore.” “Excellent.” Asher stands. “Then let’s make this official. I’ll gather witnesses. We’ll do this properly. By pack law. By tradition.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow. At dawn. Give you both one more night to contemplate your choices.” He nods to Kelvin. “Lock her up. Separate cell. I don’t want them conspiring.”

Kelvin drags me back down. Past Adrian’s cell. Further into the darkness. To an empty cell at the end. No windows. No light Just

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four walls and a door that locks from the outside

He shoves me in Thit the ground hard.

“Enjoy your last night alive.” Kelvin’s voice is almost sympathetic. “For what it’s worth I’m sorry. You were better fun deserved. Better than any of this.”

The door slams. Locks. Darkness swallows everything

I sit in the dark and feel the bond humming in my chest. Adrian is still alive. Stil fighting. Still refusing to give up

And tomorrow I have to stand in front of him and break his heart. Have to reject him. Have to make him think I never wanted him

Have to destroy us both to save him.

Even though I know it won’t work. Know Asher will kill us anyway. Know this is for nothing

But at least Adrian will die knowing I loved him. At least he’ll have that. At least I gave him the truth before the end

That has to be enough. That has to matter.

Even if nothing else does.

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CHAFTER 56

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