~Lucas~
I step into an empty lecture hall, and slam the door behind me. I'm restless. My phone won't just stop buzzing. Mirabelle keeps calling. She wants to know if I've done it yet…if I've finally rejected Vivianne.
My parents would never forgive me if I didn't. They expect someone reputable, someone with a wolf. Not a girl like her. Not someone who seems too fragile.
But last night changed everything. I hadn't meant to find her. I was only picking up supplies from a store near the bar where she works, when I felt it. The mate bond. Her scent …hyacinth and jasmine. It was... Irresistible.
I immediately called Mirabelle that night, I told her. I thought loyalty and honesty would soften the blow. It didn't.
She was furious, spitting questions and threats. But when I promised I'd reject Vivianne, that I wouldn't risk us, wouldn't risk her…her voice cooled. I thought that was the end of it.
Except it isn't. Because the moment I saw Vivianne again, standing there with those wide eyes, I couldn't tear myself away. The words I'd rehearsed, the rejection I swore would be simple…it all died on my tongue.
And then she ran.
When I finally catch up to Vivianne and convince her to talk, I don't expect her to agree. But she does. And the second my hand closes around hers, the world tilts. Heat shoots through me, all I want is her. To pull her in, to claim her, to never let go.
And yet… I can't.
Because Mirabelle and I made a promise, years ago, when we first started dating…that if fate dared to choose someone else for us, we would reject them. That nothing, not even a mate-bond, would undo what we had.
For two years we repeated it like a vow, a shield against destiny. I gave her a promise ring, told her one day she would be my wife.
My choice. My future.
But my wolf doesn't care about vows. He howls inside me, demanding for his mate. He wants Vivianne. I feel helpless.
"There you are."
Mirabelle's voice slices through the haze. I jolt, realizing I didn't even hear her come in. She's standing in the doorway, arms crossed, frown twisting what should be a perfect face.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, been calling too."
She's flawless, always is. A flare of yellow fabric clings to her, the dress patterned with flowers, sunlight against her skin. She moves toward me, a confident sway in every step.
She perches on the desk, opening her legs just slightly, an invitation. And like a moth, I go to her, though my chest feels heavy, I fold her into a hug.
Her fingers slip through my hair, nails grazing my scalp, before she presses her lips against my neck. She blows a playful raspberry, I can swear she's rolling her eyes. And yet, all I can think is how wrong this feels.
I look up and kiss her, my tongue sliding into her mouth until our tongues tangle. Her hand trails down, cupping the bulge of my hardened dick straining against my pants, and a groan rumbles out of me before I can stop it. At this moment I realize I might never be able to resist Mirabelle.
For a moment, Vivianne's face flickers in my mind, but I push it away. This, Mirabelle, is the only way to silence those thoughts, the only way to remind myself of the promise we made.
My mouth moves to her ear, I carefully lick it. And I for one know she loves it when I do this. She lets out a loud moan. "Fuck me, you tease!"
I slide down, my tongue finding her clit, tracing slow, deliberate circles that make her writhe. Her voice breaks into desperate cries.
"Please…Lucas, just stick it in me!"
I rise to kiss her again, our mouths collide. She doesn't hesitate this time. She quickly unzips my pants, and frees me.
The moment my cock presses against her slick cunt, she guides me in, and everything else, every thought, every conflict, burns away as I sink into her.
I grind into her, as both of us moaning helplessly. I spread her legs even wider, fucking her recklessly. And then release hits me hard, I pull out and spill my cum on the floor while moaning like a beast.
We collapse against each other, panting in the quiet aftermath.
"So…" Mirabelle finally says, her chest still rising and falling. "Tessa told me she saw you and Vivianne in the hallway. Holding hands. And in the love-garden too."
Her words hang between us. She waits, clearly expecting me to deny it.
But I don't.
She scoffs, the sound sharp as she adjusts her dress. "Well? Did you at least reject her?"
Silence stretches. I can't bring myself to look at her. Lying to her has never been possible, and tonight is no different. I cup her delicate face, forcing myself to look into her eyes.
"Not really…" My voice is almost pleading. "But I told her I love you. That I want to be with you."
She jerks back, but I tighten my hold, refusing to let her slip away. "I love you, Mirabelle," I breathe, desperate to make her believe it.
Her eyes harden. "Then why didn't you just reject her?" she snaps. "It's that simple! You never know how to finish what you start."
I straighten, dragging a palm over my eyes in raw frustration. "She asked me not to do it today. She was crying, Mirabelle. She was crying so much."
Her voice cuts sharp. "Since when do you care about how she feels? Just admit it…you don't want to reject her. You're too weak to get anything done."
Maybe she's right. Maybe I am weak. The truth is, I don't know who I'd be without her. Mirabelle is the only thing that keeps me tethered, the only one who makes me feel like I matter. Without her, I'm nothing.
I seize both her wrists, forcing her to look at me. "I'll reject her tomorrow. What difference does it make if it's today or tomorrow?"
Her laugh is cruel. "When have you ever given me what I asked for? I'm all you've got! Without me, you're worthless.
And the one time I ask for something, you still can't deliver. I'm just glad I have Tessa… gods know what I'd do without her when it comes to dealing with Vivianne."
The words snap through me like a whip. My chest tightens, heat crawling up the back of my neck.
"What did you do?"
The question rips from my throat.
The silence after is deafening. Her eyes flicker, and the air between us curdles.
The word hisses in my ears like boiling oil. I turn, my gaze slicing into her.
She only shrugs, twirling a strand of hair around her finger like none of this matters.
"What the fuck did you do?," I ask again, my voice tight.
She exhales like I'm boring her. "Didn't say I did anything."
Then, casually, almost playful… "Or maybe… I might've done something."
My fists clench at my sides.
Her smile doesn't falter. "Nothing too crazy. I just sent the girls to… talk to her. That's all."
My chest seizes, fury biting at the edges of my composure. "Mirabelle."
"What?" she pouts, eyes widening with mock innocence. "You promised me you'd never leave. You said we'd both reject our mates when the time came.
But now? You're different, Lucas. All tense and broody since the bond hit. I just thought…"
"You thought kicking the shit out of her would make me feel better?"
My chest heaves as I shove past the lecture doors and break into a run. Vivianne. She could be hurt badly. I need to find her.
Behind me, Mirabelle's voice cuts through the chaos. "Lucas! Wait…"
I don't stop. My steps hammer across the pavement until I reach the parking lot. She's still on my heels, and before I can stop her, she slides into the passenger seat.
"Would you calm down? You're acting crazy," she snaps.
I don't answer. My jaw locks as I turn the ignition and tear down the street. We pull up at the bar where Vivianne works. My stomach twists when the manager tells us she's already been rushed to the hospital.
By the time I get back to the car, I feel hollowed out, like something vital has been carved from me. My face must show it, because Mirabelle keeps pelting me with questions, her voice an annoying ound that doesn't register, not really.
The hospital reeks of antiseptic. I get into the ward she's in, and then…I see her. My mate. My Vivianne. Relief crash into me so hard my eyes sting.
Mirabelle hovers close, but after a tense back-and-forth, she finally relents and slumps into the waiting room. Only then do I step inside, my heart in my throat, and go to Vivianne.