The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63

FREYA’S POV

Three days.

That’s how long Adrian has been unconscious. Three days of watching his chest rise and fall. Three days of holding his hand. Three days of waiting for him to wake up.

Dr. Chen says he’s healing. That his body is repairing itself. That unconsciousness is his systern’s way of conserving energy for recovery.

But three days feels like an eternity.

I barely leave his side. Clara brings me food but I don’t eat. Water I force down. Changes my bandages while I sit next to his bed refusing to move.

The bond is stronger now. I can feel him through it more clearly. Feel his pain fading. Feel his strength returning. Feel him getting closer to waking up.

But not yet. Not quite yet.

“You need to rest.” Marcus appears in the doorway. He looks exhausted. Dark circles under his eyes. New scars across his face. Freya. You’re going to collapse.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You haven’t slept. Barely eaten. You’re running on fumes.” He moves into the room. Sits in the chair across from me. “Adrian would want you to take care of yourself.”

“Adrian would do the same thing if our positions were reversed/

“True. Which is why I’m telling you instead of asking. Go shower. Eat a real meal. Sleep for a few hours. I’ll stay with him. If anything changes I’ll come get you immediately.”

I don’t want to leave. Don’t want to miss the moment he wakes up. But Marcus is right. I smell like three days of fear and sweat My body aches. My eyes burn.

“Two hours. That’s it.” I stand slowly. Everything protests. “And you come get me the second he wakes up.”

“Deal.”

I force myself out of the room. Down the hallway to where they set up sleeping quarters. A small bedroom. Simple but clean. Someone laid out fresh clothes on the bed.

The shower feels incredible. Hot water washing away days of grime and blood and terror. I stand under the spray until the water runs clear. Until I feel almost human again.

Clean clothes. Soft cotton. Not my usual style but comfortable. I catch my reflection in the mirror.

I look different. Thinner. Sharper. There’s something in my eyes that wasn’t there before. Something harder. More dangerous. Being kidnapped. Tortured. Fighting for my life. Watching Adrian nearly die. It changed me. Made me into something else. Maybe Clara was right. Maybe I am becoming a warrior.

The cafeteria is empty this time of night. Just me and the pack members on guard duty. Someone left food out. Sandwiches. Fruit. Things that don’t need reheating.

I force myself to eat. The food tastes like ash but I swallow it anyway. My body needs fuel. Needs strength. I can’t possibly help

Adrian if I’m falling apart.

“Mind if I join you?”

Kelvin stands in the doorway. He looks different too. Nervous and guilty. Like he’s not sure he’s allowed to be here.

“It’s a free world.”

He sits across from me but doesn’t take any food. Just sits there fidgeting with his hands. “I’m glad you’re okay. Both of you. I wasn’t sure… after I left you there… if you made it out.”

“We barely did. Thanks to you helping Adrian escape.” I take another bite. Force it down. “Why did you do it? Help us?” 1

“Because I’m tired of being my father’s weapon. Tired of hurting innocent people. Tired of hating myself.” He meets my eyes. “I know it doesn’t change what I did to your mother. Nothing can change that. But maybe I can start trying to be better. To do better.”

“You saved Adrian’s life. And mine. That counts for something.”

“Does it? Because your pack still wants to kill me. Marcus has guards on me constantly. No one trusts me. Everyone thinks I’m going to betray you all.”

“Can you blame them? You’ve given them every reason not to trust you.”

“No. I can’t blame them.” He stands. “I just wanted you to know. I’m here. If you need anything. If I can help. I owe you both that much.”

He leaves before I can respond. I sit there alone with my half-eaten sandwich and thoughts I don’t want to think.

Kelvin killed my mother. There’s no changing that. No forgiving that. But he also saved Adrian. Saved me. Risked his life to help us escape.

People are complicated. Capable of terrible things and noble things. Sometimes both at once.

I don’t know what to do with that information. Don’t know how to reconcile the man who murdered my mother with the man who helped save my mate.

So I just finish eating and head back to Adrian’s room.

Marcus is still there. Reading something on his tablet. He looks up when renter. “No change. But his vitals are stronger. Dr. Chen thinks maybe tomorrow.”

“You can go rest. I’ll take it from here.”

“You sure? It’s only been an hour.”

“I’m sure. I showered. I ate. I feel better.” It’s a lie but he seems to buy it. “Go. Get some sleep.”

Marcus leaves. I reclaim my spot in the chair next to Adrian’s bed. Take his hand. Press it against my cheek.

“Please wake up. I need you to wake up. Need to see your eyes. Hear your voice. Know you’re really okay.” My voice cracks. “I can’t do this without you. Can’t be strong without you. Please.”

His fingers twitch. Just barely. So subtle I almost miss it.

Then his eyes open. Just a crack. Blue irises finding mine. Focusing with effort.

“Freya.” My name comes out as a rasp. Barely audible. But the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.

“You’re awake. Oh god you’re awake.” I lean forward. Careful not to jostle him. “How do you feel? Are you in pain? Should I get Dr. Chen?”

“…” He swallows. Tries again. “I’m okay. Hurts. But okay. You?”

“I’m fine. Better now that you’re awake.” Tears stream down my face. “You scared me. You were so hurt. I thought… I thought I lost you.”

His hand squeezes mine. Weak but there, “Can’t lose me. I’m too stubborn to die.”

I laugh through the tears. “Yeah. You really are.”

“What happened? After the compound. How did we get out”

“Marcus and the pack. They tracked us. Fought their way in. Got us out during the chaos.” I wipe my face. “We lost three wolves in the extraction. But we made it. We’re safe.”

“Where are we?”

“Safe house. One of the pack’s emergency locations. We’ve been here three days.”

“Three days.” He tries to sit up. Grimaces. Falls back. “Fuck. Three days unconscious.”

“Your body needed to heal. Dr. Chen said you were touch and go for a while. Organ damage. Blood loss. Silver poisoning. It was bad Adrian. Really bad.”

“But I’m alive. We both are. That’s what matters.” His eyes search mine. “What about Asher? Did we kill him?”

“I don’t know. Everything after you got hurt is fuzzy. I remember fighting him. Clara and Marcus pulling us out. Then nothing until I woke up here.” I lean closer. “But we can worry about Asher later. Right now you need to focus on healing.”

“Need to…” He trails off. His eyes are closing again. “Stay. Don’t leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” I climb carefully into the bed next to him. Curl against his side. “Sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”.

His arm comes around me. Even injured. Even barely conscious. He pulls me close. Protective. Possessive.

Mine.

Within seconds his breathing evens out. He’s asleep again but it’s different this time. Not unconscious. Just resting. Healing.

I press my ear to his chest. Listen to his heartbeat. Strong. Steady. Alive.

We survived. Against impossible odds. Against Asher’s torture. Against everything.

We survived.

And now we get to figure out what comes next. Together.

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CHAPTER 64

Chapter 64

ADRIAN’S POV

I wake up to her scent.

That’s the first thing I’m aware of, not the pain, not weakness, Just Freya. Her smell surrounding me. Vanilla and something uniquely her, Close So close.

My eyes open. She’s curled against my side, with her head on my chest. One hand fisted in my shirt like even in sleep she needs to hold onto me.

The bond hums between us. Stronger than before. The shared trauma. The blood exchange. The desperate fight to keep each other alive. It forged something deeper. Something unbreakable.

“Our mate is Safe, here and Alive.”

Kael is there. Weak but present. The silver poisoning is fading. Given time we’ll be back to full strength.

But right now I don’t need strength. Just need this. Her. This moment. This peace.

I run my fingers through her hair gently, in other not to wake her but I can’t help touching her. Making sure she’s real. That this isn’t some fever dream.

She stirs. Her eyes flutter open. Brown meeting blue. “You’re awake. Again. This time for real.”

“How long?”

“Few hours. You woke up last night. Talked for a minute. Then passed out again.” She sits up slightly. Careful of my injuries.” How do you feel?”

“Like I got torn apart by a pack of wolves and put back together wrong.” I shift. Everything protests but it’s manageable. “But alive. Thanks to you.”

“Thanks to me? You saved me Adrian. Multiple times. I’m the one who got captured. Got us both nearly killed.”

“And I’m the one who walked into Asher’s trap. Who got chained up like an amateur. Who almost died because I was too weak to protect you properly.” My hand cups her face. “We both fucked up. We both survived. Can we call it even?”

“Even.” She leans into my touch. “I was so scared. Watching you bleed out. Feeling you fading through the bond. I thought… I didn’t know what I’d do if you died.”

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