Her Soul Bonded Mate

Chapter 14

Liam

I stood outside the criminology department holding Neffi, trying to get her to breathe. She was crying. I hadn’t seen her that upset since her parents’ murder, not even the attacks by the wolves had left her this shaken. Outwardly, I was cool trying to comfort her, but inside—inside my wolf was pissed. It felt like it was ready to kill who ever or what ever hurt my girl.

“Are you okay?” I heard her roommate, Taylor, ask as she approached us. Taylor and I really weren’t friends. She was more of Sam’s friend than mine and after she found out about Neffi and I, her pleasantries towards me changed. It wasn’t exactly hostility, but it wasn’t friendly either. It was more along the lines of a quick hello and goodbye. It didn’t really bother me because no matter how much she and Sam wanted it, the only woman I wanted was Neffi, who at that moment was crying in my arms, hysterical but not talking; instead, she was mumbling and sobbing and I felt helpless.

“Does she look okay?” I snapped at Taylor. It wasn’t on purpose, it was my wolf’s anger and rage.

“Don’t yell at me, this isn’t my fault,” Taylor said, defensively and rightly so. It probably wasn’t her fault, but I needed someone to be angry at for hurting my mate.

“What happened?” I asked, not ready to apologize, but allowing my anger to soothe a bit.

“I don’t know. One moment we were talking about the Halloween party and the next she was crying, then she ran out the room,” Taylor explained, her voice and body coming off just as angry and paranoid as my own. Suddenly, Neffi’s body went limp in my arms.

“Baby,” I said, terrified as I held her seemingly lifeless body.

“Neffi,” Taylor said, as she moved closer towards me, then placed her finger under Neffi’s nose. There were a few moments in my life that I had been terrified, but none came close to what I was feeling that day. It didn’t help that it was a bit chilly outside and people kept walking past us glaring as if it were a sideshow. That only increased my rage, “She’s OK, just fainted. Let’s get her back to the dorm and let her rest," She said with a sigh of relief.

“I got her, you get back to class,” I said, deciding then to take Neffi back to my room.

Unsurprisingly, Taylor shook her head, then waved her hand back and forward and said, “That’s okay. You can carry her to our room, and I will look after her. I’ll let you know when she’s awake,” she said, dismissing my offer.

Instead of responding, I picked up Neffi and carried her towards the dorms. The good thing was, we were in the same building, so I didn’t have to argue with her about where I was taking my girlfriend. The walk to the building which was only a few meters away was intense, uncomfortable, and quiet. There were so many things that I wanted to say to Taylor—mostly for Neffi. I knew that despite the whole loner girl routine that she had adopted over the past five months, what Neffi genuinely wanted was a friend, and Taylor had been that friend for her. So, it was best for me to clear the air for Neffi’s sake. The only problem was, I couldn’t figure out what to say. The words would not come out. It was as if they were stuck in my throat and no matter how hard I tried, they failed me, so instead of saying anything we walked the 10 meters to our dorm hall.

The moment we stepped on the elevator, I pushed five while Taylor pushed seven. After noticing the number, she looked at me, with distrust in her eyes. “Did you push your floor by mistake?” She asked, trying to hide her animosity.

“No, you said take her back to the dorm, I’m taking her back to the dorm, and I’m looking after her. It’s my responsibility, not yours,” I said, trying to be as polite as possible.

“Right,” Taylor said, with a snort, and that’s when the doors opened, and I had to fight to keep my wolf in check. Of course, Taylor followed behind, not taking her eyes off me or Neffi. It was as if she were a guardian or jealous ex and not the best friend, which pissed me off even more; however, I kept quiet, allowing my anger to simmer at least until we entered the room.

The moment I opened the door, I saw Seb, sitting at his desk. “Hey, what are you doing back? And I see you are carrying my dream girl in your arms,” he said, giving Neffi a once over, before turning his attention back to me. At first he was smiling until he saw the look on my face which I was sure screamed: If you touch her, I will kill you.

“Seb, that’s Taylor, Taylor, this is my roommate Sebastian, who apparently doesn’t like breathing,” I said, staring him down. Not on purpose, but when it came to Neffi, I didn’t care if it was a joke or a compliment, no one could claim her but me.

“Sorry, force of habit. Nice to meet you Taylor. Now why are you carrying a passed-out beautiful girl Liam?” He asked, lowing his gaze, the way he always did whenever I, got angry.

“She passed out. I don’t know why, yet, but until I find out I’m keeping her here,” I said, as I placed Neffi on my bed with as much care as I would a newborn baby.

“Oh, this must be the girlfriend I heard so much about. And are you?” He asked, Taylor.

“Her roommate. I told him to bring her to our room but…” She started, to say.

“I told you it’s not necessary, you get to class, I will let you know when she wakes up,” I said, as I pulled my chair next to my bed. I then sat down and stared at Neffi, waiting for her to open her eyes. At least when she wakes, I would be able to know what happened and take care of it.

“Fine, just remember to let me know when she wakes,” Taylor said, sounding concerned. I only waved my hand as a symbol of agreeing, then heard her walk out the door.

“So…” Seb started to say.

“She doesn’t like me very much. Long story short, her and Sam are friends and I guess she’s showing sister support or whatever. I don’t care, I’m more worried about Neffi,” I said, as I grabbed the sleeping Neffi’s hand. At least I hoped she was asleep and not in a coma.

“I have to admit she is beautiful, I see why you are so sprung and decided to mark her,” Seb said, through what sounded like a smile and flattery.

“ It's not just about her beauty. I’ve known her for years. We hardly talked, mostly because I was listening to friends who told me that she was out of my league,” I said, remembering all those conversations between myself and my friends back home.

“I mean, besides the different species thing, I’d have to agree, she’s definitely out of your league,” he teased.

“Funny,” I snorted.

“But on a different note, do you still want to train this weekend at the cottage?” He asked, reminding me about my weekend away from Neffi. The reason for the training was because of the lack of control I still had, plus I needed to learn how to fight better. Don’t get me wrong, as a hockey player, fighting was pretty much part of the routine, so I could hold my own, but after recent events involving a particular pack that was after me for a reason beyond my understanding, I had to get strong and learn to fight harder. I would have preferred to spend that weekend with Neffi, but a promise is a promise and I needed all the help I could get.

“Do I have a choice? I have to protect myself and Neffi from that pack. Even if I could take down a few like I did back at the park, taking down all of them by myself in this state is impossible,” I said, feeling defeated.

“Glad you understand. My father will be there and so will a few other men that were scattered and he told me to tell you that he won't go easy on you. Just because you just learned what you are.”

“I didn’t expect him too,” I said, as I sat back in my chair and brought my hand up to my chin, my eyes never leaving Neffi, who was still unconscious.

“I should get to class, I’ll catch you later,” Seb said, before exiting the room and leaving me alone with my thoughts and Neffi.