When We Were Mates (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Luna Demetra.

“Okay, I’m going to get coffee. I don’t know if it’ll fix this, but I’m thinking coffee can help. Lolly hacks away because she knows she’s in trouble for signing me up.

I look at Wren.

“She signed me up for Dragon Class” I say it because I need to hear it out loud one more time to fully accept it as my reality. “And that thing Cassie said. Mascot. That sounds like something that gets bloody. Is it?”

Wren smile is bad. “W–well. Yeah. But right now the more urgent thing is Professor Lake’s class. If you don’t speak to him you’ll be locked out for the semester”

“You think I want to go back to his class!? You think I want to look at his face for four months?”

Wren looks at me again, and I can tell she’s confused.

“Why are you so upset at Professor Lake specifically?”

“Because he’s a coward. Who even hired him…. look at his track record. He’s just a coward Lycan who-

“He’s actually a really good art professor.”

“What he is is a compulsive liar and a complete prick-

“Okay.” Wren blinks twice and I feel genuinely bad about it because I am not like this in real life. I am a reasonable. measured, emotionally regulated adult she–wolf and seeing Lake’s face in that classroom has apparently dissolved all of that completely.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m not… I don’t normally-”

“You’re going to fail everything if you miss his classes.” Wren says it gently but directly. “And it won’t be four months anymore. It’ll be the next winter camp, another four months, starting from scratch.”

Wait. What?”

I pull out my phone and quickly scrolling…checking what the deal is with this class, these made–up rules, this whole ridiculous system.

“Um, Demetra.” Wren touches my arm. “I’ve been a junior at Wolf Arts, and I’m finally a senior. You saved me back there in the corridor so I don’t want you making a decision you’re going to regret.” She nods toward the hallway. “His office is on the right. Just go. He’s not actually problematic as a professor. Just go and talk to him.”

I look back at it and you know what? I wasn’t done with all I needed to say to him anyway. Of course I should go back to complete it.

“Go.” Wren takes my bag off my shoulder for me. “I’ll wait for you.”

The office door. Right side of the hall, exactly where Wren said. I don’t knock…. he doesn’t deserve the courtesy of a warning, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. I push the door open and walk in.

Lake is taking his coat off.

“Sit,” he says, without looking up.

1/3

M

10:50 am p ppp.

Chapter 161

“I’ll sit when I want to sit.” I fold my arms and stay where I am and don’t close the door behind me because I won’t be here long enough for it to matter.

“Fine by me

“You don’t have the right to kick me out of that class.” I take one step further in. “And I want to be extremely clear that I don’t even want to be in your class in the first place. Do you understand what it’s like to walk into a room and see the face of the wolf who compulsed me? Who…who kissed me without my permission and made me feel like I was losing my mind trying to understand why I couldn’t say no?”

Lake sets his coat over the back of the chair and then he sits on the edge of his desk.

“I apologize.”

1 stop.

“You…what? You apologize for what!?”

“For compelling you. And for the kiss. I apologize for both.”

“Not forgiven!”

“You don’t have to forgive me, Demetra.”

“Stop saying my name!”

“You don’t have to forgive me, Pride.” He adjusts it without any visible discomfort. “But I’ve paid for it.”

“I don’t care about the beating Emris gave you! In fact I’m standing here wishing he’d ended you right there so I’d never have to look at your face again. He fought you because you called him to a contest. But I wish he’d ended you because of what you did to me.

Specifically. Because of that!”

The office is quieter now.

I thought the anger was mostly gone. When I say it this time, my voice shakes. I’m angry. So angry. I didn’t think I still had this much anger left…thought I’d buried it after the fight, after Lake begged, after Emris won. But seeing him here, acting like nothing ever happened, makes me feel erratic. Like it wasn’t enough!

Maybe if he was scared and hiding somewhere like a coward for the rest of his life, I’d be fine.

Maybe if he looked broken…I’d feel good.

“So what do you want to do about it, Pride? Hit me? Slap me? Pour hot coffee in my face? Tell me what it’ll take to move past this so we can both be in the same building for four months without-”

“All of the above.” I say.

“Then come hit me.” He tucks both hands into his pockets and just… stands there.

“Are you afraid? Now that your mate isn’t here

are you afraid?”

I walk across the office very fast and hit him across the face!

The sound of it is sharp and clean and my whole hand lights up with it.

He makes a sound and puts one hand up to his nose. And then he smiles.

2/3

Copre

MOT GUA

د شد

In that lykk

ins.

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