The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8

FREYA’S POV

The guest bedroom is huge.

Bigger than my entire apartment. Floor to ceiling windows show the city lights below. A king sized bed with white sheets sits in the center. There is a bathroom attached. Marble. Glass shower. Everything

looks like it belongs in a magazine.

I drop my duffle bag on the floor and just stand there. My feet hurt. The dress is ruined. I can still smell blood. Derek’s blood. Adrian’s blood. The whole apartment fight replays in my head on loop.

Werewolves tearing each other apart in my living room. Furniture exploding. Adrian’s eyes glowing blue as he pinned that man to the ground.

My hands start shaking again. I clench them into fists.

“There are clothes in the closet.” Adrian’s voice comes from the doorway. “Should fit you. Bathroom has everything you need. Towels. Soap. Whatever.”

I do not turn around. Cannot look at him right now. “Whose clothes?”

“No one’s. I had them brought in today. For you.”

Of course he did. Because he planned this. Knew I would end up here eventually.

“The door locks from the inside.” He continues when I do not respond. “You can lock it if that makes you

feel safer. I will not come in without permission.”

“Good.”

J

Silence. I can feel him standing there. Watching me. The air feels thick. Wrong. Like there is too much of it or not enough.

“Freya-”

“Please just go.” My voice cracks. “Please.”

More silence. Then footsteps. The door closes softly.

I am alone.

The shaking gets worse. My legs give out. I sink to the floor and pull my knees to my chest. Press my forehead against them and try to breathe.

Everything is wrong. Everything is broken. My mother is dead. Really dead. Murdered. And I am not human. Never was human. My whole life has been a lie.

The tears come hot and fast. I cry until my throat hurts. Until there is nothing left. Just emptiness.

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Eventually I stand up. My body moves on autopilot. I need a shower. Need to wash off the blood and the fear and the feeling of Derek’s hands grabbing me.

The bathroom is as ridiculous as the bedroom. All white marble and gold fixtures. The shower has about fifteen different knobs. I turn them randomly until water starts flowing.

I peel off the emerald dress. It falls to the floor in a heap. The beautiful expensive dress Adrian bought me. Ruined now. Just like everything else.

The shower is hot. Almost too hot. I stand under the spray and watch the water circle the drain. Pink at

first from the blood. Then clear.

I stay there until the water runs cold. Until my fingers prune. Until I cannot avoid the real world anymore.

There are towels folded on a shelf. Thick. Soft. Probably cost more than my car. I wrap one around myself and walk back into the bedroom.

The closet is walk-in. Full of clothes still with tags attached. Jeans in my size. Shirts. Sweaters. Pajamas. Underwear. Bras. Everything.

How did he know my size? Has he been watching me that closely?

I grab a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. Simple. Cotton. Nothing fancy. Get dressed quickly.

My duffle bag sits where I dropped it. The journal pokes out the top. My mother’s journal. Full of secrets

and lies and truths I am not ready to face.

I pull it out anyway. Sit on the edge of the massive bed and open to where I left off.

There are more entries. Dated after the one about the binding. She writes about my first steps. My first

words. Normal mother things.

Then the entries change.

Freya turned five today. I saw it again. Her eyes. Just for a second they flashed gold. The binding is holding but I wonder for how long.

She asked about her father today. What do I tell her? That he is alive but cannot see us? That he watches

from a distance but will never hold her? I told her he died before she was born. The lie tastes like ash.

Someone followed me to work. I am sure of it. The same black car I saw last week. They are getting

bolder. I need to be more careful.

Freya had a nightmare. She dreamed of running through a forest. Of hunting. She woke up crying. I held her and lied. Told her it was just a dream. But I know better. The wolf is calling to her even through the binding.

I am running out of time. I can feel it. They are closing in. I need to make arrangements. Need to ensure Freya will be safe when I am gone.

Adrian Metcalfe agreed to the promise. He will watch over her. Protect her. I do not know him well but

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her father trusted him. That has to be enough.

The words blur. I blink hard. Keep reading.

If something happens to me there is more Freya needs to know. About her father’s pack. About the bloodline. About why she is special.

The safe deposit box has everything. Letters from her father. Documents about the pack wars. Proof of who killed him and why.

Yes. Killed him. I found out last week. My love. My beautiful dangerous love. Dead for three years and I

never knew.

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