Mated with a human

chapter 12

Back at School – Sofia & Jayson

Sofia was heading toward the exit when Jayson suddenly appeared in front of her and grabbed her arm.

“Come with me,” he said sharply.

She tried pulling away. “Let go, Jayson!”

But he was stronger. He dragged her toward an empty classroom, shut the door behind them, and blocked her way.

Sofia folded her arms across her chest, glaring.

“What do you want?”

Jayson ran a hand through his wet hair, voice shaking with frustration.

“Sofia… what’s going on with you? I tried talking to you the whole day but you kept running from me. Last night you hung up on me. What was that?”

Sofia sighed. “I told you last night. We’re over. What more do you want me to say?”

Jayson froze.

“Over?” he repeated, voice rising. “What’s that supposed to mean? You can’t break up with me—not after everything. No way, Sofia. Think about what you’re saying.”

He stepped closer.

She stepped back.

He caught her hips and pulled her toward him.

“Jayson—stop!” she snapped, pushing his chest.

But he turned her around, trapping her between him and the wall, hands braced on either side of her.

She looked up at him, furious.

“What are you doing? I said le—”

He cut her off by kissing her.

She fought him at first—pushing, shaking her head—but slowly, breathlessly, she stopped resisting.

The kiss deepened.

The room fell silent.

Outside, Molly and Zoe were already in their boyfriends’ car. They waited, but Sofia didn’t show. They eventually left without her.

---

Luke Arriving Home

June pulled up outside the address Luke gave her.

He didn’t notice—his mind was far away.

“Luke…” she called softly.

No response.

She tried again. “Luke?”

Still nothing.

On the third try, she gently touched his hand resting on his thigh.

The warm contact snapped him back instantly.

He looked down at her hand—touching his—and quickly pulled his hand away, staring at her sharply.

June’s eyes widened. She withdrew immediately, looking down.

“I—I’m sorry. I called you but you weren’t answering. I didn’t mean to touch you.”

Luke’s chest eased slightly.

“…Thanks for the ride,” he said quietly. “Be safe.”

Then he opened the door and stepped out into the rain.

June watched him walk away before slowly driving off.

---

Gerald – The Flashback

At the mansion, Gerald sat alone in his study, staring at nothing.

The rain outside drummed softly against the windows.

Then…

the memories came back.

The mansion—years ago—filled with chaos.

Shouting.

Running.

People screaming orders.

He grabbed Rose’s hand, pulling her toward the door.

“We need to leave NOW—before it’s too late!”

She yanked her hand away, tears streaming down her face.

“Gerald… what are you doing? I am not leaving without you. If I go—you come with me.”

He stared at her, heart twisting.

“Rose… please. You know I can’t leave. Not now.”

She shook her head, sobbing harder.

“I can’t be without you! You promised me you would always be there! What are you trying to do now?”

His heart ached.

His eyes burned.

He turned away so she wouldn’t see the tears forming.

He wiped his face quickly.

Then he looked at her again, voice low and pained.

“Rose… you know I love you. I will always love you. But if you stay… they will kill you. What about our baby? Don’t you want him to live? Don’t break my heart. Come on—do it for him.”

She hesitated.

He took that chance—stepped forward and swept her into his arms in bridal style. She gasped softly. He looked down at her.

“Trust me.”

He ran down the hallway, straight to the kitchen, calling his most loyal servant.

He pressed a hidden button in the wall.

A secret door opened.

They stepped inside the passage.

He put her down gently.

“You’ll go with him,” he said softly. “He’ll protect you. When you reach home… make sure no one sees you. Make sure your parents leave the village with you. Here—money. Enough until the baby is born.”

Rose couldn’t hold the tears anymore.

She threw her arms around him, shaking.

They held each other tightly.

Then she pulled back and he kissed her—slowly, deeply, painfully.

He knelt and kissed her belly, whispering,

“I love you, my son.”

Then he placed a pendant around Rose’s neck.

“This will protect you.”

She sobbed. “Please be safe…”

The servant took her hand and they disappeared into the secret passage.

Gerald closed it, turned… and ran back toward the battle, transforming into his wolf.

---

Back to the Present

“Daddy?”

A voice pulled him back.

Gerald blinked, tears on his cheeks. He quickly wiped them with his sleeve and turned.

Amara stood at the doorway.

“Yes, Amara? Do you need something?” he asked calmly.

She hesitated—she noticed his eyes were slightly red, but she didn’t comment.

“Daddy… can you take me to the airport now? Please.”

Gerald looked at the clock. Then he stood, grabbed his coat, and walked toward her.

“Let’s go.”

They stepped out of the study and ran into Dyran in the hallway.

Dyran smirked. “Goodbye, sister.”

Amara rolled her eyes. “Bye. Try staying out of trouble for once.”

Gerald asked, “Did you say goodbye to your mother?”

“Yes.”

Then they walked out into the rain, heading to the car, and drove off toward the airport.

________

THE NEXT DAY — MORNING

The sun wasn’t even up yet when Dyran’s door burst open.

A servant stepped in quickly, bowing slightly.

“The King says you must be ready in fifteen minutes,” he announced, placing a neatly prepared black suit on the bed. Then he left without waiting for a response.

Dyran groaned, dragging himself out of bed—still half-asleep.

He showered, dried off, and stared at the suit as if it were a punishment.

He hated suits.

He loved casual clothes.

He had only worn a suit once—and that was years ago for some boring royal event he never wanted to attend again.

But today… he had no choice.

He put it on anyway.

The fabric felt stiff, tight, strange.

When it came time for the tie… he stood there, blank.

“How does this stupid thing even work?” he muttered.

Eventually he gave up and went downstairs without a tie—hair brushed neatly aside, smelling like a rich businessman, but face showing pure irritation.

He walked into the dining room, ready to sit—

But Gerald stood up the moment he entered.

“You’re late for breakfast,” Gerald said coldly. “We are leaving.”

Dyran opened his mouth to argue, but his mother Cillian gave him a sharp look—the kind that said don’t make it worse.

He shut up immediately.

Gerald stopped at the doorway, noticing something missing.

“Wear a tie.”

Then he walked out.

Cillian sighed deeply and stood up.

She fixed the tie around his neck with quick, practiced movements.

“Dyran,” she whispered sternly, “don’t mess this up. This is your chance. And stop being stubborn. I won’t be there to save you.”

“Yes, Mom. I heard you,” he muttered.

Then he followed his father out.

---

THE CAR RIDE

Silence.

The air inside the car felt thick and heavy.

Gerald sat beside him in the back, scrolling on his tablet, eyes sharp and cold.

Dyran stared out the window, feeling like a prisoner being escorted to court.

He cleared his throat.

“So… what kind of job will I be doing at the company?”

Gerald did not reply.

Dyran tried again—

But Gerald lifted a hand sharply, silencing him.

“When we are in my car, there is silence,” Gerald said without looking up. “You need your own car. And I don’t like people asking too many questions. Just keep quiet. I’m busy.”

He returned to his tablet.

Dyran’s jaw clenched.

He wanted to snap back.

To shout.

But he held it in.

Stared out the window.

Let the silence swallow him until they arrived.

---

LUKE — THE DREAM

Luke sat alone at his aunt’s kitchen table, eating breakfast quietly.

Then—

A soft voice. A woman’s voice.

“Luke…”

He looked up.

A woman stood in the doorway—long black hair, white flowing dress, face blurred by the morning light.

She turned and walked away.

Confused, Luke followed her down the hallway.

She stopped in his room, standing with her back to him by the window.

He closed the door, swallowing hard.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?”

The woman slowly turned around, her face gentle, glowing.

“Do you recognize me?” she asked.

Luke stepped closer, eyes narrowing.

“Your face looks… familiar. Like my…”

His voice cracked.

“…my mom.”

The woman smiled sadly.

“Luke… I am your mother. You are my son.”

Luke frowned deeply and stepped back.

“That’s impossible. My mother died long ago. You’re not her.”

She opened her hand.

Inside it—

his raindrop pendant.

His eyes widened.

He grabbed his neck—

It was gone.

“Give that back!” he snapped, stepping forward.

But the woman vanished—

then appeared behind him.

“Luke,” she whispered, “trust your instincts. Trust no one.”

He spun around angrily.

“What are you talking about?!”

She walked closer, touching his cheek lightly. Her cold fingers made him freeze.

“You will understand soon,” she whispered, a single tear falling.

Then—

She vanished.

Everything went dark.

The alarm clock’s ringing jolted Luke awake.

He shot up in bed—sweaty, shaken, breathing hard.

It was 6:30 AM.

He forced himself to the shower, trying to shake off the dream… but her words replayed again and again.

Trust no one.