MINE
1190 Words
Avery bolted from the courtyard at full speed.
The air lashed against her face as she ran past the academy buildings. Her heartbeat pounded violently against her ribs and every nerve inside her body screamed danger.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Her skin burned.
Her hearing sharpened painfully.
And worst of all.
She could feel eyes on her.
Watching.
Hunting.
From the shadows surrounding Blackridge Academy, Avery felt something lethal staring directly at her.
Her instincts completely took over.
Run.
That was the only thought left inside her mind.
Her shoes slammed against the stone pathways as she pushed herself faster. Students turned in confusion as she rushed past them like she was escaping death itself.
Her senses were malfunctioning.
At least that was the lie she kept telling herself.
Because normal people could not hear this much.
She could hear conversations happening floors away.
The distant ringing of phones.
The sound of rainwater dripping through gutters several buildings away.
Even heartbeats.
Dozens of them.
No.
Hundreds.
Avery’s breathing became uneven.
Then suddenly.
A scream echoed somewhere inside the academy.
Meanwhile beneath Blackridge Academy.
Inside the hidden council chamber.
Chaos erupted.
Several elite students dressed in academy blazers were pinned violently onto the floor under an overwhelming pressure.
Some held their heads tightly while groaning in pain.
Others slammed against the walls trying to breathe properly.
The weaker wolves already had blood leaking from their noses and ears.
This was the first time in years.
Caelan Blackridge had lost control of his pheromones.
The pressure pouring out from him was monstrous.
Raw dominance flooded the underground chamber violently.
Several students could barely even lift their heads.
“A powerful scent has been released,” one of the Betas spoke through gritted teeth.
His wolf was trembling violently beneath the pressure.
“Find them immediately.”
The room instantly stiffened.
Every wolf inside had smelled it.
Ancient.
Wild.
Dangerously immature.
Whoever released that scent had no idea what they were doing.
And if they continued releasing it this recklessly.
Every supernatural creature near the academy would find them.
One after another the council members rushed out of the chamber.
Their movements were controlled.
Careful.
Ordinary humans could never know what they truly were.
But among all of them.
Caelan moved the fastest.
Several meters ahead of everyone else.
His dark figure practically glided through the academy grounds as his wolf tracked the scent obsessively.
Mine.
His primal possessiveness grew more violent with every second.
His eyes scanned the surroundings coldly.
Predatory.
Dangerous.
Then finally
He found her.
Avery crouched behind the sports building.
Her body trembled slightly. She gripped her head tightly.
Her emotions were spiraling out of control.
Fear.
Confusion.
Panic.
Caelan felt all of it immediately.
His wolf became restless.
“What’s happening to me?” Avery asked shakily.
Her golden eyes lifted toward him in panic.
For a brief second.
Caelan stopped moving.
Mate.
The word echoed violently inside him.
Not just because of her scent.
But because his wolf had completely lost its mind the moment it saw her.
Mine.
Protect her.
Claim her.
Hide her.
The instincts crashed through him violently.
Before Caelan could answer.
He smelled them.
Other wolves approaching rapidly.
Not only students from the academy.
Rogues too.
The scent had spread too far.
Time was running out.
If someone else reached her first.
Chaos would erupt.
Caelan’s expression darkened instantly.
“Sorry,” he said quietly.
Then he moved.
Avery barely had time to react before he crossed the distance .
His hand slid gently around the back of her neck.
Warm.
Firm.
Possessive.
Avery froze completely.
Then.
Caelan lowered his head toward her neck.
His lips brushed softly against her skin.
The world seemed to stop.
Immediately
His scent completely enveloped her.
Dark.
Cold.
Dangerously intoxicating.
The chaotic scent surrounding Avery disappeared beneath his instantly.
Masked.
Hidden.
Protected.
Caelan closed his eyes briefly.
But he already knew this was temporary.
A simple scent claiming would not fully protect her for long.
To truly shield her.
He would eventually need the formal bond.
The ritual.
The mark.
But for now.
This was enough to establish a temporary mate claim.
Enough to warn every wolf nearby that she belonged to him.
The effect happened instantly.
Caelan suddenly felt her emotions pouring into him.
Fear.
Confusion.
Humiliation.
Loneliness.
The emotions hit him harder than expected.
Without realizing it, his wolf released calming pheromones slowly around her.
Avery’s breathing steadied slightly.
The panic inside her began fading.
But the moment the fear disappeared.
Something else replaced it.
Heat.
Avery suddenly stiffened.
Her body reacted violently to his closeness.
Feelings that did not belong to her flooded through her system.
Possessiveness.
Need.
Desire.
She instinctively stepped backward in panic.
But Caelan’s hand immediately wrapped around her waist.
The contact sent warmth spreading violently through her body.
Her temperature rose instantly.
Caelan’s expression darkened slightly.
Because through the temporary bond.
He could feel her arousal too.
Avery looked up at him shakily.
“What did you do to me?” she whispered.
Caelan stared at her quietly for several seconds.
Then.
“I kept you alive.”
His deep voice slid down her spine like heat.
Avery hated how her body reacted to it.
She immediately looked away.
Something about this entire situation felt dangerous.
Not only because of what was happening to her.
But because of how naturally her body responded to him.
“Let’s go,” Caelan spoke quietly.
The restraint in his voice sounded strained.
Like he was fighting something violent inside himself.
Avery noticed the slight tension in his jaw as he slowly released her waist.
Still.
The moment he stepped away, her body instinctively wanted him closer again.
Like an invisible thread now connected them.
The realization terrified her.
Together they walked back toward the courtyard.
The atmosphere outside had completely changed.
The moment students saw them returning side by side.
Silence spread.
Ordinary students looked confused.
But the werewolves understood immediately.
Several wolves instinctively lowered their heads slightly toward Avery.
Respect.
Submission.
Recognition.
The she-wolves stared at her with naked hostility.
Especially when they noticed Caelan’s scent wrapped completely around her.
Alice’s face instantly turned pale.
Fear flickered visibly inside her eyes.
Without thinking she moved closer toward Caelan possessively.
Only for him to step around her entirely.
His hand returned naturally toward Avery’s waist.
Protective.
Claiming.
The hidden council members arriving nearby looked absolutely stunned.
The Lycan heir had publicly claimed someone.
Without permission.
Without council approval.
Political chaos was coming.
Avery noticed it too.
The way people moved aside for her now.
The way their gazes shifted.
Fear.
Respect.
Shock.
The same people who mocked her moments ago now looked at her differently.
Like touching her would suddenly become dangerous.
Avery slowly looked up at Caelan.
“What exactly are you?” she asked quietly.
Caelan stared at her for a moment.
Then suddenly.
He chuckled softly.
The sound was low and strangely intimate.
He lowered his head slightly until they were almost eye level.
“The reason,” he murmured calmly, “no one can touch you now.”
- Writer
