The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 84

CHAPTER 84

ADRIAN’S POV

The meeting with Thomas goes better than expected.

He shows up alone. No backup. No ambush. Just an exhausted Beta wiro’s tired of serving a tyrant. We talk for two hours. About Asher’s plans. About his weaknesses. About the wolves in his pack who are loyal and the ones who are looking for any excuse to defect.

Thomas agrees to feed us intelligence. Weekly reports on troop movements, strategy sessions, supply lines. Everything we need to stay ahead of Asher’s plans.

In exchange we promise sanctuary when this is over. Protection for him and any wolves he helps extracf. A place in our pack if he wants it.

It’s more than we hoped for. More than we expected. A genuine inside source. A way to anticipate Asher’s moves before he makes them.

Freya stayed hidden the whole time. Watching from the treeline. Ready to intervene if needed. But everything went smoothly. No trap. No betrayal. Just a successful recruitment of the most valuable spy we could ask for.

We’re heading back now. Jogging through the woods. The meeting location is an hour from pack lands. We should be home before dawn.

“That went well.” Freya runs beside me easily. Her new wolf form giving her stamina she never had as human. “Thomas seemed genuine. Scared but genuine.”

“He is. I could smell his fear. His desperation. His hatred for what Asher has become.” I navigate around a fallen tree. “This could change everything Freya. Having someone inside Asher’s inner circle. Someone feeding us real intelligence. We might actually have a chance now.”

“We always had a chance.” She grins at me. “But yes. This helps. This gives us an edge we desperately needed.”

We run in comfortable silence for a while. Just enjoying the night. The freedom. The feeling of being wolves together. Of running side by side as equals.

Then Freya stumbles. Catches herself. But something about the way she moves has changed. Her scent shifts. Sweeter. Headier. More intoxicating.

Heat. She’s going into heat. The first time since we met. Since the bond formed. Since everything changed.

My wolf surges forward. Demanding. Possessive. Wanting to claim our mate right here. Right now. Complete the bond in the most primal way possible.

“Adrian.” Her voice is breathless. Need bleeding through. “Something’s wrong. I feel… hot. Like I’m burning from the inside.”

“You’re going into heat. It’s normal for newly shifted wolves. Especially ones with incomplete bonds.” I force myself to keep moving. Keep distance between us. “We need to get back to pack lands. Get you somewhere safe. Somewhere I can lock you in until it passes.”

“Lock me in?” She stops running. Faces me. Her eyes are pure gold now. Wolf closer to the surface than human. “Why would you lock me in?”

“Because you’re not thinking clearly. Because heat makes wolves irrational. Makes them do things they’ll regret later.” I take a step back. Her scent is overwhelming. Making Kael howl with need. Making my control slip. “We need to get you home. Now.”

She moves closer. Stalking. Predatory. Every inch the wolf she’s become. “Or. We could stop running. Stop denying what we both want. What we both need.”

“Freya. You’re in heat. You’re not thinking straight. I won’t take advantage”

“Fnuthinking perfectly clearly.” She’s right in front of me now. Close enough to touch. Close enough to claim. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you. The heat just makes it impossible to hide. To pretend I can wait.”

“We agreed. Not until you’re stable. Not until…”

She kisses me. Hard. Desperate. Pouring all her ticed and heat and desire into it. My control shatters. I kiss back. Grabbing her.. Pulling her against me. Letting Kael surface errough to meet her need with my own.

We break apart panting. “This is a bad idea.” Even as I say it I’m backing her against a tree. “We should wait. Should…”

“Fuck waiting.” She yanks at my clothes. “I’m done waiting. Done pretending we can resist this. Done playing by rules that don’t matter.” She shifts back to human. Naked. Perfect. “Take me Adrian. Right here. Right now. Make me yours.”

“Freya..”

“Please.” The word breaks me. “I need you. Need this. Need to feel you inside me. Claiming me. Making me yours in every way

beg.” except the mark.” She wraps her legs around my waist. “Please don’t make me

“We should probably get back.” She takes no move to separate. “Before someone comes looking.” “Probably.” I don’t let goriligi. “But give me a minute. Need to make sure I can walk first.”

She laughs. The sound is pure joys Pure satisfaction. Pure love. “You wrecked me Adrian Absolutely wrecked me.”

“Good.” I tilt her face up. “That was the point. To wreck you. To show you exactly how much I want you. How hard it is to resist you. How much I need you.”

“You have me. You’ve always had me.” She kisses me softly, “Mark or no mark. Bond complete or not. I’m yours. Forever.”

“And I’m yours. Forever.” I hold her close. “But we really should get back. Before your heat gets worse. Before I lose all control and claim you completely right here in the woods.”

She grins. “Would that be so bad?” {

“Yes. Because when I mark you it’s going to be in our bed. Where we can take our time. Where I can worship every inch of you. Where it’s special. Not rushed in the woods because you went into heat.” I start gathering our scattered clothes. “Trust me. You want to wait for that.”

“Fine.” She dresses reluctantly. “But Adrian? This heat is going to last days. And I’m going to need you. A lot. Can you handle that?”

“Baby. I’ve waited two hundred years for you. I can handle a few days of heat.” I pull her close one more time. “In fact. I’m looking forward to it. To having an excuse to lock ourselves in our room. To ignore everything else. To just be together.”

“Then let’s go home.” She takes my hand. “I suddenly can’t wait to test your stamina.”

We run back to pack lands. Both knowing the next few days will be intense. Both knowing we’ll barely leave our room. Both knowing this changes something between us. Deepens something that was already deep.

And when her heat passes. When we can think clearly again. When the bond is even stronger than before.

Maybe then I’ll finally give us what we both want. What we’ve both been denying. What we both need.

The mark. The complete bond. The forever we’ve been building toward.

Maybe.