My Second-Chance At Love.

SOPHIA'S POV: 

Maxwell, who had once held me through every nightmare, every breakdown after my parents’ deaths. Maxwell, who had promised that he’d never leave, was now saying that he was only with me out of pity.

For a second, I thought maybe I hadn’t heard him right. Maybe he was angry, maybe he didn’t mean it. But the look in his eyes made me realize that he wasn’t bluffing.

My heart clenched so hard I could barely breathe. Did I do this? Was it me? Did my sadness push him away? Did my pain make him run into the arms of another woman?

Tears blurred my vision but I quickly wiped them away furiously, because no, I wasn’t going to cry for him anymore.

“I can’t believe I’m standing here blaming myself for your stupidity,” I said, my voice trembling at first, then steadying. 

Before I could turn away, the girl in the towel stepped forward. “How dare you talk to my man like that?”

Her hand shot up, but I caught it midair and slapped her hard across the face. Maxwell grabbed my arm. “Sophia, are you insane?”

I slapped him too. “No, I’m done!” I screamed. “I’m done with you!”

Gasps rippled through the crowd gathering around us. I could see phones coming up, cameras flashing but I didn’t care because I could barely see straight.

I shoved past them, ignoring Maxwell’s voice calling after me. My tears wouldn’t stop, my throat hurt, and my hands were shaking as I pushed through the hallway toward the elevator.

By the time the doors closed, my reflection in the mirrored wall looked like a stranger, red eyes, trembling lips, and a heart that felt like it had just been split open. When the elevator dinged open, I stormed out of the building, clutching my bag tightly until I had reached the cab and stepped inside.

The cab driver asked if I was okay as I entered, but I could only bring myself to nod before telling him to take me to Dormitory C4. 

We asked for directions along the way, and when we arrived, I handed him a few bills, then he placed my suitcases at the reception and after mumbling a “thank you,” I walked inside.

There, I pressed the little bell on the desk impatiently until a lady hurried out from a back door, drying her hands on a towel. She asked if I was okay, noting the tears in my eyes but I quickly wiped it and told her my full name and room number that I had been given after doing all the necessary registrations online.

She checked her records, nodded, then handed me my room keys and asked if I needed help with my bags. Nodding, she disappeared and came back with a boy who looked a little older than me. “This is Finn. He’ll help you with the bags.”

He nodded politely, grabbed a couple of my suitcases, and followed me to the elevator. When we reached my floor, I unlocked the door, thanked him quietly, and watched him leave.

The room was simple with a bed, desk, dressing table, wardrobe, and pale blue curtains that swayed slightly with the breeze from the half-open window. 

I sank onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, as everything crashed down. I had left my aunt’s warmth, for this?

Hissing, I rose up, grabbed my jacket, wiped my face with baby wipes, pocketed my phone, and slipped some cash into my purse. Then I locked my door and took the elevator back down. Outside, the night had already swallowed the sky as I started walking, hoping I’d find a taxi still on duty.

Universities in the Capital of every Kingdom were usually public, so students were allowed to leave the campus freely at specific hours, but either had a car or you didn’t, and I didn’t. And from what I’d read online, taxis usually circled the university until a certain time, but it was already a few minutes past that time. 

As luck would have it, an empty cab drove by. I waved my hand and it slowed down, reversing back to me.

“Do you need a ride?” The driver asked.

I nodded, saying that I needed a ride and hopped in.

When we reached the gate, the guards stepped forward, asking for my ID, and I told them I didn’t have one yet because I’d just transferred that day. I held up the transfer slip on my phone, explaining that I’d left something behind at the airport and needed to go back for it.

One of them sighed and told me to be 

back before nine, since the gate would close at nine-thirty. Because after that, I’d have to wait until morning. I nodded, but as the car rolled out of the campus gates and into the street, I leaned forward and told the driver to take me to the nearest bar.

The lights of ‘Blue Moon Tavern’ shimmered ahead a few minutes later and I paid him, stepped out, and pushed open the door. I found an empty spot at the counter and slid into the stool.

“What can I get you?” The bartender asked.

“Something strong,” I replied.

He raised a brow but poured me a shot anyway and I downed it in one gulp, then downed a couple more. At some point, someone sat beside me, a man, maybe mid-thirties, with dark hair, sharp jawline and grey eyes.

“Rough night?” He asked.

I laughed weakly. “You could say that.”

He studied me for a second. “Aren’t you a little young to be drinking that much?”

“I may not look the part, but I actually turned twenty, about a month ago.” I said defensively. 

He tilted his head. “Still doesn’t look like you can handle it.”

“Wanna bet?” I challenged him, lifting the glass.

He smiled faintly. “Alright then.”

We drank, and we talked but I didn’t even remember half the words, something about heartbreak, about how stupid love was, about how I wanted to forget everything. And somewhere between laughter and tears, the world started spinning, And then, everything went blank.

<><>

When I woke up, the first thing I felt was the pounding in my head and the second was the sound of heavy breathing beside me. I sat up fast, heart racing to see that I was in an unfamiliar room

The man from last night was asleep beside me, shirtless and my heart stopped when I realized that my clothes were half on, half off.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, then I scrambled off the bed, threw on my jacket, grabbed my purse and phone, and ran out of the room.

The hallway outside was the same bar from last night which meant that I’d never even left the building. My face burned as I hurried past the empty counter, out the door, and into the cold morning.

I caught the first taxi I saw. When I reached the university, I got out of the taxi and reached the gate on foot to see that the morning guards were different.

“ID?” One asked.

“I’m a transfer student,” I said quickly, showing them my slip again. 

“Where are your bags?” He demanded.

“I resumed yesterday, but I stepped out last night in search of a box that I had forgotten at the airport but I wasn't able to return before the gates closed so I stayed at a hotel and just came back.”

They nodded slowly and waved me through.

By the time I got to my room, my legs felt like lead. I dropped my purse on the desk, grabbed some toiletries from my bag, went straight to the bathroom, and took a long shower. Then, I got dressed, dried my hair, and headed to the admissions office.

The woman there smiled politely. “Sophia Gray, right? You’re transferring into Business Management. Here’s your schedule, ID, PE uniform, and your course materials. One of your professor’s already in class, so please introduce yourself when you arrive.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

She turned to another student nearby. “Darcy, could you show her where the FIN 221 class is?”

Darcy smiled at me. “Sure thing! Come on.”

As we walked, she glanced at me sideways. “You look familiar.”

My heart stuttered. “Really?” I said lightly.

She shrugged. “Maybe I’ve seen you around socials or something. Anyway, I’m in Economics. You?”

“Business Management.”

“What year?”

“Second.”

“Oh, I am in my second year as well!” She exclaimed. “Want me to give you a tour after class? It’s kind of a maze here.”

I hesitated, but her warmth made it hard to refuse. “Sure. That’d be great.”

“Cool.” She pulled out her phone, already tapping at the screen. “Here, let’s exchange socials. Let me know when you are ready for the tour.”

I laughed softly and handed her mine. 

Here…” She stopped outside a classroom door. “You’re gonna love your professor, everyone says he’s amazing.”

“Thanks,” I said, forcing a smile.

She waved and walked off and I took a deep breath, opened the door, then stepped inside to see the professor standing at the front, his back to the class, explaining something projected on the board.

“Excuse me, Sir.” I said softly.

He turned around, and I froze as my eyes remained frozen on my professor who turned out to be the man from last night.

Just as my pulse began to race out of control, my wolf stirred in my chest, whispering the one word that shattered whatever was left of me.

‘MATE!’