The Vampire Princess and the mate curse

Chapter 8

-PIPPA-

I landed within the academy grounds, just a few feet from the guardhouse. The rain soaked my wings, making them sluggish and harder to retract.. My muscles ached with the effort, but that wasn’t the worst of it—I didn’t want to walk in unannounced, yet I also didn’t want the night guard to see my blotchy, tear-streaked face.

"Jordan, it’s me, Pippa. I’ll be spending the night, okay?" I called from a distance, angling my face away, letting the shadows hide my tear-streaked cheeks. "You can tell my parents I arrived safe and sound."

I turned on my heels, heading toward the building, but Jordan’s voice cut through the rain, stopping me in my tracks.

"Miss Matei?" He stuck his head out of the window, rain dampening his short hair. "Your father sent more men inside the building. Don’t freak out if you see Lukas or Viktor—they’re making rounds."

Huh? My father was never one to provide extra security here. What has changed? Had something happened? Or was he growing more paranoid?

A strange unease settled in my stomach, but I shook it off.

"Thanks for the info. Good night," I muttered, striding through the rain-slicked garden toward the academy doors.

Before I could reach the building, a deep voice stopped me.

"Pippa, wait!"

I didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Even through the downpour, his scent wrapped around me—vetiver and musk, something rich, intoxicating.

Helios.

The rain darkened his blond hair, and his damp blue shirt clung to his chest, outlining every defined muscle. His arms hung loosely at his sides, fingers curling and uncurling, as if he wasn’t sure what to do next.

And somehow, impossibly, he looked even more handsome.

I hated myself for noticing—again.

Behind him, the Uber he came in was still waiting, its headlights cutting through the rain.

"Why did you leave the club?" He stepped closer, shadows from the dim garden lights deepening the intensity of his gaze. "You said you were going to the bathroom, but you went straight for the exit."

"I wasn’t feeling well." The lie coated my tongue like ash, but the truth was too humiliating to admit.

"Was it because of me? I was an as.shole, I'm sorry." He shook his head, frustration threading through his voice. "It's your birthday, for f.uck’s sake. You should be able to drink whatever you want."

"It’s fine." It wasn’t. Not even close. It was so far from fine, the word was laughable. But all I wanted was for this conversation to end, so I could curl up in bed and cry into my pillow. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to ignore the chill, the ache, the weight of everything pressing down on me. "You should go back to the club. Your friend Tania is probably waiting for you."

I aimed for casual. I really did.

And failed miserably. I sounded like a jealous girlfriend. And I had no right to. He’d never once given me a reason to believe he wanted me.

Helios' expression shifted, concern melting into something like amusement.

"Tania?" His brow lifted, and a crooked smile appeared. "She’s not my friend. She keeps hitting on me, but I’ve told her over and over that I’m not interested."

"Didn’t seem like you were trying too hard to stop her," I scoffed.

His grin deepened, his dimples showing.

"Are you—" He started, but I cut him off. I didn’t like where this was headed.

"Whatever. Not my problem." I exhaled sharply and stepped back, putting distance between us. His proximity was dangerous—it scrambled my thoughts, pulled me in, and made me forget everything except him. And I couldn’t afford that. "It’s late, I’m cold. I just want to take this wet dress and go to bed. Bye, Helios."

"Pippa, stop!" he shouted, just before I could turn away. He stepped closer, closing the distance between us until only a few feet remained.

"I know you. I’ve known you all your life—I was there the day you were born. Something is wrong, and I need you to tell me, so I can fix it. "His smile was gone, replaced by a serious, worried expression. "I need to fix it," he pleaded.

Maybe it was the shots. Maybe it was exhaustion, the weight of keeping up the act, pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t.

Whatever it was, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I just wanted to rip off the bandage, let the truth bleed out, and finally, finally move on. Move forward without clinging to the impossible hope that one day, I’d wake up and find that he loved me the way I loved him.

So, for the first time, I told the truth. And I knew that after this, nothing would ever be the same.

"You can’t fix it. You can’t even see what’s right in front of you!" The words spilled out, frustration boiling over, breaking past every wall I’d built. "No matter how old I am, no matter how I look or what I wear, to you—I’ll always be a little kid!"

My eyes burned as tears mixed with the drizzle, dampening my cheeks.

"What? No—" He raised his hands, as if to defend himself, but I cut him off.

"Diapers? Seriously? I’m twenty-one! I am a f.ucking woman! What will it take for you to see me as one?" My tears kept falling—hot, relentless. I was a mess. Blurry makeup, damp hair, ruined dress. "Why can’t you see that I wanted you to see me as one? To want me?" My voice softened, every syllable laced with raw vulnerability.

For a moment, we just stood there, eyes locked, breathing unevenly.

Then, he closed his eyes briefly, lips parting as if to say something—

"That’s all right." I shook my head, cutting him off before he could gather his thoughts. "You don’t have to say it’s just a silly crush and I’ll get over it. Please—spare me the condescending speech. I just... I just need to be alone."

This time, I turned quickly, heading straight for the academy door and pushing it open until I reached the lobby.

But before I could get away, he grabbed my wrist, stopping me for the third time that night.

"I'm not a man of words, princess. I settle most of my problems with my fists. But before I take some action, you need to know something." His breath was uneven, his dark eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. "I see you as a woman. Oh, how I see it. I've wanted you for longer than I should have, fought it harder than I care to admit. And I’ve hated—hated—every time you called my parents Uncle and Aunt, like we were blood, like there was some invisible line I wasn’t allowed to cross."

His jaw tensed, his grip tightening around my wrist as if afraid I’d slip away.

"You have no idea what you do to me. I don't know how many times I’ve looked at you and wished I could reach for you how I wanted to. That I didn’t have to hold back." His voice was rough now, ragged. "What I feel for you isn’t family, it isn’t friendship—it’s something much more. Something I can't shake. You are the highlight of my days, the storm in my nights. And I don’t want to fight it anymore."

I blinked twice, my head spinning. Had I passed out from the tequila? Was I imagining this?

"For a guy who claims he’s not good with words," I whispered, "that was a hell of a lot of them."

A flicker of amusement flashed through his eyes before it vanished, replaced by something hotter, more reckless.

"Shut up, princess," he growled, before his lips crashed against mine.