Mated with a human

chapter 27

Luke’s side…

Luke woke up shivering.

His teeth chattered as consciousness returned, his body stiff and aching. Cold water still dripped from the showerhead above him. He blinked, confused, then realized—he had fallen asleep in the shower.

Great…

With unsteady movements, he forced himself up, his legs weak beneath him. His chest felt tight, his head light. He turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying himself as quickly as he could.

A small cough escaped him.

Then another.

He didn’t have the energy to think about it.

Pulling on his pajamas, he made his way to his bed and collapsed onto it, curling slightly under the blankets for warmth. His body trembled, but exhaustion won the battle.

As he drifted back to sleep, one thought slipped through his fading consciousness—

What’s happening to me…?

And with that, Luke fell asleep, coughing softly in the quiet of his room.

__________

In the woods surrounding the mansion…

Chaos ruled the night.

The yard was torn apart—earth churned, trees scarred, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood. Wolves clashed against wolves, snarls ripping through the darkness as bodies collided with deadly force.

Gerald stood at the center of it all.

An alpha in every sense of the word.

No matter how many came at him, none could bring him down. His power crushed theirs, his presence alone enough to break weaker wills. One by one, the attackers fell, until the forest finally grew quiet again.

Too quiet.

Only two of them were left alive.

They were dragged into the interrogation room beneath the mansion, restrained and shaking. Fear rolled off them in waves—it was suffocating.

Then the door opened.

Gerald walked in.

The room instantly felt smaller.

No one spoke. No one dared to breathe too loudly.

He didn’t shout. He didn’t threaten. He simply looked at them, his eyes cold, void of mercy.

“Who sent you?” his voice came out low, dangerous.

Silence.

The men exchanged terrified glances but said nothing.

Gerald exhaled slowly, clearly done with patience.

What followed was swift and brutal—meant to break, not persuade. The room echoed with screams, the kind that clawed at the walls and seeped into the bones of anyone listening.

One of them couldn’t take it.

He broke.

A name tore from his throat in pure panic.

Gerald froze.

For half a second.

Recognition flickered in his eyes—and then fury ignited, far worse than before. His jaw tightened as he turned away from them, rage simmering beneath his calm exterior.

As he reached the door, he stopped.

“Finish it,” he ordered coldly, without looking back.

Pleading followed him down the corridor, desperate and useless.

The door closed.

Gerald walked away, his steps steady, his expression unreadable—but inside, something dark had been awakened.

Whoever was behind this…

had just declared war.

________

The next Tuesday morning…

Luke stirred slightly when the light filtered into his room, but his body refused to cooperate. Every muscle felt heavy, like he had weights tied to his limbs. His head throbbed, his chest felt tight, and even breathing took effort.

I’ll get up in a minute… he told himself.

But minutes passed, and he still couldn’t move.

School slipped from his mind as exhaustion dragged him back down into the mattress. He turned his face into the pillow, his body too weak to even sit up.

Downstairs, his grandmother noticed the time.

Luke was never this late.

Concern tugged at her chest as she made her way upstairs, knocking gently on his bedroom door.

“Luke, sweetheart? You’re going to be late for school.”

There was a pause.

Then, faintly, she heard his voice—hoarse, barely above a whisper.

“You can… come in, Gogo…”

Her brows knit together immediately.

She opened the door and stepped inside, stopping short when she saw him. Luke was still in bed, his skin pale, eyes half-open, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool morning air.

“Oh my boy…” she murmured, rushing to his side.

She placed a hand on his forehead, then his cheek. He was burning up.

“Luke, this isn’t normal,” she said softly, worry heavy in her voice. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

He tried to sit up but failed, letting out a quiet breath as his strength gave out.

“I… I’m just tired,” he muttered weakly. “I’ll be fine…”

His grandmother wasn’t convinced—not even a little.

She pulled the blanket up around him and brushed his hair back gently.

“No school today,” she said firmly. “You’re staying right here. I’ll make you some tea and call the clinic if I have to.”

Luke wanted to argue, but the effort felt impossible. His eyelids drooped again, his body betraying him.

As he slipped back into an uneasy half-sleep, his grandmother sat beside him, watching closely—unease settling deep in her chest.

Something was wrong.

____

On the other side…

Students filled the school grounds, laughter and chatter spilling across the parking area as cars rolled in one after another.

Sofia drove through the gates, her expression calm but distant. She parked, cut the engine, and was about to step out when a shadow fell across her window.

She frowned.

Jayson.

Her first instinct was to ignore him and walk away—but then her eyes dropped to what he was holding.

Her bag.

The one she had been searching for.

Jayson lifted it slightly. “You left this in my car… that night.”

Sofia froze for a second, then opened her door and stepped out. Without saying a word, she took the bag from his hand, opened her car, placed it inside, and shut the door.

She turned away.

“Are you really going to leave like that?” Jayson called after her.

She paused.

Slowly, Sofia turned back, her eyes cold. “Jayson… what do you want, huh?”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Why are you acting like we’re strangers? Did you already forget I’m your boyfriend?”

That made her laugh—a short, bitter sound.

She folded her arms over her chest. “You mean my ex boyfriend. We’re not dating anymore. What are you even talking about?”

Jayson frowned deeply. “Sofia, what the hell? When did we break up?”

She stared at him, disbelief flashing in her eyes. “The moment you left me on the side of the road. Alone. Late at night.”

His mouth opened, but she didn’t let him speak.

“I had to walk home,” she continued, her voice steady but sharp. “Do you know some men tried to kidnap me? If someone hadn’t stepped in… I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

Jayson went silent.

“You don’t care about me,” she said quietly. “So why should I stay with someone like that? Forget it.”

She turned on her heel and walked away, not looking back.

Jayson remained where he was, standing alone in the parking lot, the weight of her words settling heavily around him as students continued moving past—unaware, uncaring.