Elora POV
I couldn't stop looking at him.
He stood too still among the crowd, like he didn't belong in a place where people laughed and rushed and lived normally. Everything around him felt… quieter. Like the air itself was careful not to disturb him.
Mike.
I finally understood why my chest felt tight the moment I saw him.
He wasn't just my mate.
He was dangerous in a way I couldn't explain.
Our eyes met.
That was it.
Something inside me shifted—deep, automatic, instinctive.
But I hated it.
Because instead of warmth… I felt pressure.
Like something was already deciding my life for me.
I took a step back without thinking.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
Aurora POV
"Elora," I whispered again, tighter this time.
She didn't answer me.
Her hand was still gripping my sleeve, but her body wasn't moving properly anymore. It was like she was stuck between staying and running.
I followed her gaze.
That was when I saw him properly.
A man standing in the middle of the students like the world had opened just for him.
He wasn't smiling.
He wasn't speaking.
But people were moving out of his way without even realizing it.
Like they feared him.
Or respected him too much to stand in his path.
"Who is that?" I asked quietly.
Elora didn't answer.
That alone told me everything.
Whoever he was… he mattered.
Elora POV
He started walking.
Slow.
Controlled.
Every step made the air feel heavier.
My heartbeat got louder.
Not excitement.
Not happiness.
Something closer to panic.
He stopped right in front of me.
I couldn't breathe properly.
Up close, he looked even worse.
Not ugly.
Not kind.
Just overwhelming.
His eyes dropped to me like I was already understood.
"Mate," he said simply.
One word.
But it hit harder than anything else I had ever heard.
My fingers curled slightly.
I didn't like how final that sounded.
Aurora POV
I saw Elora freeze completely.
That wasn't like her.
She was always loud. Always moving. Always talking.
But now she looked like she had been caught in something she couldn't escape.
The man—Mike—was looking at her like she belonged to him.
Not in a gentle way.
In a decided way.
"Elora…" I stepped closer.
But another man moved slightly behind Mike, stopping me.
A guard.
No—something more.
His presence alone told me he wasn't just security.
He was trained.
Dangerous.
"Stand back," he said flatly.
I frowned.
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
Just stared at me like I didn't matter.
That irritated me more than I expected.
Elora POV
"I don't want this," I said suddenly.
My voice came out shaky, but I forced it anyway.
Mike didn't react the way I expected.
He didn't look surprised.
He didn't look offended.
He just stared at me for a long moment.
Then he said, "You don't understand what you are to me."
My stomach tightened.
"That doesn't matter," I replied quickly. "I didn't ask for this."
Something flickered in his eyes.
Not anger.
Something worse.
Control.
"I didn't ask either," he said quietly.
Then he stepped closer.
I stepped back immediately.
He stopped.
Not because I told him to.
Because he decided to.
That scared me more.
Aurora POV
I didn't like this.
Not at all.
Elora looked trapped in a way I had never seen before.
I moved forward again, ignoring the guard.
"Leave her alone," I said firmly.
The guard finally looked at me properly.
A pause.
Then a faint, almost insulting smile.
"Human," he said.
That word wasn't an insult.
But the way he said it made it feel like one.
Before I could respond, Mike raised a hand slightly.
The guard went silent immediately.
That surprised me.
Even the strongest people here were listening to him.
Mike turned his head slightly.
And for the first time…
his eyes landed on me.
Not fully.
Just briefly.
But it was enough.
Something in the air changed again.
A pause.
A moment that felt too quiet.
Then he looked away.
Like I wasn't important enough to focus on.
And I should've been relieved.
But instead…
I felt something I didn't understand.
Like I had just been noticed by something I shouldn't have been noticed by.
Elora POV
He finally spoke again.
"Come with me."
My hands clenched.
"No."
It came out immediately.
Too fast.
Too honest.
A silence followed.
People were watching now.
Whispering.
Waiting.
He tilted his head slightly.
And then said something that made my chest tighten.
"You will."
Not a threat.
A certainty.
Aurora POV
I stepped forward again without thinking.
But the guard moved faster.
Blocking me completely this time.
"Don't interfere," he said coldly.
I stared at him.
My heart was beating faster now.
Not because I was scared of him…
But because I hated being stopped.
Behind him, Elora stood frozen.
And Mike just watched her like he already knew how this would end.
And for the first time since I met Elora…
I felt helpless watching her.
Like I couldn't reach her.
No matter how close I stood.