The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 61

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CHAPTER 61

ADRIAN’S POV

Asher blocks it. He shifted at some point. Massive gray wolf. Eyes glowing with malice. Between us and freedom.

“You really thought it would be that easy?” His voice in my head. Pack link. “You really thought I’d let you just walk out with her?” 1

“Get behind me.” I push Freya backward. Position myself between her and the threat.

More wolves flood into the room. Six. Eight. Ten. All shifted. All ready to tear us apart.

We’re surrounded. Outnumbered. Outmatched.

I’m weak and she can’t shift. We have no weapons. No backup. No options.

“This is where it ends Adrian.” Asher prowls closer. “You die. She watches. Then she dies knowing you couldn’t protect her.”

“Or.” I shift again. Despite the agony. Despite knowing I’m too weak for this. “You get through me first. And I promise that won’t be easy.”

Asher laughs. “You can barely stand. This will be over in seconds.”

He’s right. But I don’t care. If I die here at least I die protecting her. At least she knows I tried. At least the last thing I do in this life is fight for the person I love.

The wolves circle. Tightening the perimeter. Cutting off any escape route.

Freya’s hand finds my fur. “I love you. Whatever happens. I love you.”

“I love you too. Always.”

Then everything happens at once.

The wall to our left explodes. Literally explodes. Concrete and dust and debris everywhere.

Wolves pour through the opening. MY wolves. My pack. Marcus leading them. Clara right behind. Twenty of my best fighters.

The rescue team. They found us. They came.

Hope surges. Maybe we will survive this after all.

“Get them out!” Marcus’s voice. “Adrian. Freya. Move. NOW.”

But Asher blocks the exit. And he’s not moving. Not giving up. Not letting us leave.

“Take her.” I shove Freya toward Marcus. “Get her out. I’ll handle Asher.”

“No!” Freya grabs for me. “I’m not leaving you.”

“You don’t have a choice.” I meet her eyes. Pour everything into that look. All my love. My hope. My desperate need for her to survive. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

It’s a lie. We both know it. But Marcus grabs her anyway. Starts pulling her toward the opening. Toward freedom. Asher attacks while I’m distracted. His jaws close around my side. Teeth sink into flesh. Into organs. Critical

damage.

1 scream. Fall. Blood everywhere. Too much blood.

Freya’s scream echoes through the room. “ADRIAN!”

Marcus has her now. Fighting to get her through the broken wall. She’s fighting him. Fighting to get back to me. But Clara helps. Together they drag her out. Out to safety.

Good. She’s safe. She’ll survive. That’s all that matters.

Asher releases me. Shifts to humans. Stands over me bleeding out on the floor.

“I told you. I told you this is where it ends.” He picks up the silver knife. “But I’m merciful. I’ll make it quick.”

He raises the knife. Aims for my heart. This is it. This is how I die.

Then Freya crashes back into the room. Half-shifted. Her wolf partially emerged. Eyes glowing gold. Feral. Desperate. Powerful beyond her training.

She slams into Asher. Knocks him off his feet. The knife goes flying.

Her claws rake across his face. His chest. Anywhere she can reach. Savage. Protective. Her mate is threatened and her wolf doesn’t care about training or control or anything except eliminating the threat.

Asher shifts. They fight. Wolf to partially-shifted wolf. She’s untrained. Wild. But she’s fighting with everything

she has.

Marcus appears. Grabs me. Starts dragging me toward the exit. “Clara. Help me. We need to move him.”

Clara’s hands join his. They lift me. My vision blurs. Too much blood loss. Organs damaged. Maybe fatal.

“Freya.” I try to say her name. Can barely form words. “Get Freya.”

“She’s coming. Clara’s getting her. Just hold on.” Marcus’s voice sounds far away. “Don’t you dare die on me. Don’t you fucking dare.”

Through the broken wall. Into the compound yard. Vehicles waiting. Engine running.

Someone lifts Freya. Carries her. She’s still partially shifted. Still feral, Still covered in Asher’s blood.

They put us in the same vehicle. Her in my arms. Both of us were bleeding. Both of us are barely conscious. “Go go go!” Marcus yells. “Get them out of here. NOW.”

The vehicle peels out. Bullets ping off the armored sides. Wolves chase us. But we’re faster. We’re escaping.

I look down at Freya. Her eyes are closing. Her breathing was shallow.

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