The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 70

FREYA’S POV

Pain.

Everything is pain.

My bones are breaking. Reforming. Breaking again. Skin stretching. Tearing Fur trying to emerge but getting stuck halfway.

I scream. Finally scream. Can’t hold it back anymore.

The wolf inside me is thrashing. Trying to take control. Trying to fully shift. But something is blocking her. Keeping her trapped between human and animal. Between conscious and feral.

“What’s happening?” Chief Winters’s voice. Panicked. “You said this was safe!”

“It should be! I’ve done this ritual dozens of times!” The witch backs away from the circle. “But her wolf… it’s too strong. Too powerful. The binding didn’t just suppress it. It twisted it. Changed it. And now it’s emerging wrong”

My hands claw at the floor. Nails lengthening into claws. Shredding the concrete. My vision shifts. Goes gold. Everything becomes sharper. Clearer. But wrong. Distorted. Like looking through broken glass.

Sounds assault me. Every heartbeat in the building. Every breath. Every whispered conversation three floors up. It’s too much. Too loud. Too overwhelming.

I try to speak. Try to ask them to make it stop. But what comes out is a growl. Low. Dangerous. Not human. Not quite wolt. Something in between.

“We need to reverse it!” Chief Winters moves toward the circle. “Do something! Undo the ritual!”

“I can’t! Once the binding breaks there’s no putting it back!” The witch is gathering her things. Backing toward the door. “This is beyond my expertise. I’ve never seen a wolf emerge like this. So unstable. So volatile.”

Another wave of pain crashes through me. My spine arches. Something in my back cracks. Relocates. Fur erupts along my arms. My legs. But patches. Not complete. Not right.

I’m stuck. Caught between forms. Between human and wolf. Between sanity and madness.

And the wolf. She’s so angry. So confused. So desperate to be free that she doesn’t care who gets hurt. Doesn’t care about-central or safety or anything except breaking out of this cage my body has become.

“Get back!” I manage to force the words out. Half-human. Half-growl. “Not….sate…”

But Chief Winters doesn’t listen. He moves closer. Trying to help. Trying to reach me

Big mistake.

My wolf sees movement. Sees a threat. And she reacts.

I lunge. Faster than I’ve ever moved. Faster than should be possible. My claws rake across his chest. Not deep Not Natal. But enough to draw blood. Enough to make him stumble back with a cry of pain.

“Freya! Stop!” His voice. But I barely hear it over the roaring in my head Over my wolf’s string (ver the reining bravel to attack. To defend. To survive.

The witch is at the door now. “I’m sorry I’m so sorry that I carri help her. This this is suinting te neem deurdre f partial shift that won’t complete. A woll too powerful for its vessel.” She yanks The door open Toestrin Restrain her. Before she kulla silmeone.

Then she’s gone. Running Abandoning un Leaving Chier Winters alone with a lei partially shittest was whe human.

I try to pull back. Try to regain control. But the wolf is too strong. Che’s been caged for too long, Suppressed for too many years. Now that she’s free, even partially, she’s not going back quietly,

Chief Winters presses a hand to his bleeding chest. His eyes meet mine. “Freya. I know you’re in there. I know you can bear she You need to fight this. Fight her. Don’t let the wolf take over completely.”

Fight. Yes. Fight. But how? How do I fight something that’s part of me? How do I control something I don’t understand?

I stumble away from him. Put distance between us. My body feels wrong. Proportions off. Arms too long. Legs bent at anges that shouldn’t be possible, Claws where fingers should be. Fangs in a mouth that’s still mostly human.

A monster. I’ve become a monster.

Another growl rips from my throat. Not directed at anyone. Just frustration. Pain. Fear. Everything I can’t express in words anymore.

The door opens. Clara stands there. Eyes wide. “What the fuck happened? I heard screaming and-“She sees me. Sees Chief Winters bleeding. Her expression goes from confused to horrified. “Oh god. Freya?”

I want to tell her to run. To get away. To warn the others. But all that comes out is a snarl.

She backs out slowly. Hands raised. “Okay. Okay. I’m going to get help. You stay right there. Don’t move.”

But I can’t stay still. The wolf won’t let me. She’s pacing. Circling. Looking for exits. Looking for threats. Looking for anything to attack or escape or fight.

My muscles bunch. Ready to spring. Ready to chase Clara. Ready to-

No. NO. I won’t hurt her. Won’t hurt my friend. Won’t let this thing inside me turn me into a killer.

I throw myself against the wall instead. Hard. Using pain to ground myself. To remind myself I’m still Freya. Still human Stri control.

Except I’m not in control. Not even close.

The wolf snarls in my head. Angry I denied her prey. Angry I’m fighting her. Angry at everything

Chief Winters moves slowly toward the door. Keeping his eyes on me. “I’m sorry Freya I’m so sorry. I thought this would re Thought you’d awaken properly. I never meant for this to happen.”

His words barely register. Too focused on not attacking. On not giving in completely. On holding onto wipever shreds of humanity I have left.

Then I smell him. Adrian. Coming down the stairs. Moving fast. The bond between us flares bright Pur Demamang Mate. My wolf recognizes him. Wants him. Needs him

But also sees him as a threat. As someone trying to control her. Cage her Luck her away aga

The door crashes open. Adrian fills the doorway Takes in the scene Me partially suited Chel Where The circle on the floor. Understanding dawns on his face

“What did you do?” His voice is deadly quiet. More terrifying than shouting “What the hack dat von de

I want to explain. Want to apologize Want to tell him I did this be us. For our future Ford chame bet beside lun

But all that comes out is a token whipper Hall Human Hair wol All pat

His eyes meet mine Blutgaid Alphato whatewri la******

L

↑ shift

1

2

3 r

end

+15 Bonus

Itry. Try so hard. But my wolf is reacting to his Alpha command. Fighting it. Rebelling against it. She won’t be controlled. Won’t be ordered. Won’t submit even to him.

My body tenses. Ready to attack or flee. Not sure which. Not sure of anything except overwhelming instinct and pain and fear

“Get everyone out.” Adrian doesn’t look away from me. Commands Chief Winters and Clara who’s returned with Marcus “Clear the basement. Now.”

They hesitate. “Adrian we can help-”

“NOW!” Alpha command. Undeniable. They leave. Running. Sealing us in together.

Just me and Adrian. Predator and prey. Mate and mate. Monster and man.

“We’re going to fix this.” His voice softens slightly. “Whatever it takes. However long it takes. We’ll stabilize your wolf. Get you back to yourself. I promise.”

But I can see it in his eyes. The fear. The uncertainty. The knowledge that he might not be able to keep that promise.

That I might be stuck like this forever. Trapped between forms. Between sanity and madness. Between human and beast.

A fate worse than death.

Comments

Support

Share

a

C

ADRIAN’S POV

She’s magnificent and terrifying in equal measure.

*15 Bonus

Freya crouches in the corner. Partially shifted. Gold eyes glowing. Claws extended. For patches across her skin. Caught between human and wolf in a way that shouldn’t be possible.

And it’s killing her. I can see it. Feel it through the bond. Her body tearing itself apart trying to complete a shift it can’t finish. Her wolf too powerful. Her human form too weak. Neither able to dominate. Both fighting for control.

“What the fuck were you thinking? Anger bleeds into my voice despite trying to stay calm. “A ritual? Without telling me? Without anyone who could help if something went wrong?”

She whimpers. Tries to speak. What comes out is garbled. Half-words. Half-growls. Nothing coherent.

Kael surges forward in my mind. Demanding I help our mate. Demanding I fix this. But I don’t know how. Have never seen a wolf stuck like this. Never heard of a partial shift that won’t complete.

“Carl you shift back? Back to human?” I take a step closer. “Try baby. Just try.”

Her body convulses. Bones crack. She screams. The sound half-human half-animal. Pure agony. But nothing changes. She’s still stuck. Still caught between forms.

Fuck.

I pull out my phone. Call Dr. Chen. “I need you in the basement. Now. Emergency.”

“What kind of…”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify