Chapter 5
1012 Words
You’re Mine to Protect
The class schedule sat on my desk.
Still crumpled.
Still unopened.
Still making my blood boil.
Lily picked it up between two fingers.
“So…”
She looked at me over the top of the paper.
“You’re telling me Kael Vale personally changed your timetable?”
“I don’t know how he did it.”
“But he did?”
I sighed.
“Apparently.”
Lily stared at me.
Then burst into laughter.
“What?”
“You’ve been on campus for less than forty-eight hours.”
“So?”
“So you’ve managed to get dumped, insult Serena Blackwood, and somehow catch Kael Vale’s attention.”
“When you put it like that…”
“It sounds insane.”
“It feels insane.”
Lily’s smile faded.
“You should change your classes.”
I blinked.
“You too?”
“I’m serious.”
“You don’t even know why he did it.”
“No.”
She hesitated.
“But Kael doesn’t interfere in people’s lives without a reason.”
That wasn’t comforting.
It was unsettling.
“I’ll think about it.”
“You won’t.”
“I won’t.”
⸻
That evening, Amara decided the one thing she needed was air.
Not pity.
Not advice.
Just silence.
She slipped out of the dorm and wandered toward the botanical gardens that bordered the old side of campus.
The sun had almost disappeared behind the trees.
The gardens were empty.
Peaceful.
For the first time since arriving at Eclipse University…
She could breathe.
She sat on a stone bench and closed her eyes.
Maybe tomorrow would be better.
Maybe—
A twig snapped.
She opened her eyes.
Someone stood at the entrance to the garden.
Ethan.
He looked exhausted.
As though he hadn’t slept.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
“I wasn’t hiding.”
“I know.”
Silence settled between them.
“I owe you an apology.”
She let out a humorless laugh.
“An apology?”
“I handled everything badly.”
“You think?”
“I never wanted to hurt you.”
“But you did.”
“I know.”
He took a hesitant step forward.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“After the semester started.”
“So you planned to let me move across the country…”
“…while you kept sleeping with someone else?”
His silence answered for him.
Amara shook her head.
“I loved you.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Tears burned behind her eyes.
“You don’t.”
“If you did…”
“…you never would have done this.”
He reached for her hand.
Instinctively, she stepped back.
His hand fell awkwardly to his side.
“I made a mistake.”
“A mistake is forgetting an anniversary.”
“A mistake is sending the wrong text.”
“You cheated on me for three months.”
His shoulders slumped.
“I still care about you.”
She stared at him.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
Before Ethan could answer—
A low growl echoed through the garden.
Both of them froze.
It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t aggressive.
It was…
A warning.
Ethan frowned.
“Did you hear that?”
Another growl.
Closer this time.
The hair on the back of Amara’s neck stood up.
The trees rustled violently.
Something moved between them.
Fast.
Too fast.
Ethan stepped in front of her.
“Who’s there?”
No answer.
Only silence.
Then—
A massive black wolf stepped from the shadows.
Amara forgot how to breathe.
It was enormous.
Its silver eyes reflected the fading light.
Its muscles rippled beneath glossy black fur.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Ethan stumbled backward.
“What the hell…”
The wolf ignored him.
Its gaze remained fixed on Amara.
It took one slow step closer.
Another.
Another.
She couldn’t move.
Couldn’t scream.
The wolf lowered its head slightly.
Not to attack.
Almost…
As if recognizing her.
Then another scent drifted through the air.
The wolf’s ears snapped backward.
Its body tensed.
It spun toward the trees—
And disappeared into the darkness.
Everything happened in seconds.
“What…”
Ethan whispered.
“…was that?”
Before Amara could answer—
A familiar voice came from behind them.
“I told you to stay away from places like this.”
She turned sharply.
Kael emerged from the shadows, his white shirt rolled to his forearms, his expression darker than the approaching night.
He looked from Ethan…
…to Amara…
…then to the forest.
His jaw clenched.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Amara folded her arms.
“There you go again.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
She stepped closer.
“You owe me answers.”
Kael didn’t deny it.
Instead, he looked at Ethan.
“Leave.”
Ethan frowned.
“I’m not leaving her alone with you.”
For the first time…
Kael smiled.
It wasn’t warm.
It wasn’t amused.
It was dangerous.
“You have exactly five seconds to walk away.”
Ethan didn’t move.
The smile vanished from Kael’s face.
In a voice so calm it sent a chill through the air, he said,
“You’ve already betrayed her once.”
“Don’t make the mistake of standing between us.”
The words landed like a threat.
Like a promise.
Amara stared at Kael.
“What does that even mean?”
He looked at her.
For just a second, the hard edges in his expression softened.
“You still don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
Kael took one slow step toward her.
His voice dropped to almost a whisper.
“Whether you like me…”
“…or hate me…”
“…from this moment on…”
“…you’re mine to protect.”
The words hung between them.
Heavy.
Impossible.
And somewhere deep in the forest…
A wolf howled.
Not once.
But three times.
As if announcing to the night…
That everything had just changed.
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