CHAPTER FOUR

"Hand me your phone." The command was not loud, and he didn't need it to be. It carried a weight that tightened my chest as if invisible chains were coiled around me.

I looked at him, my fingers tightening around the device in my pocket. "What… why?"

"Are you questioning me, Arian?" He raised a brow, his expression icy.

The way he said my name wasn't affectionate or neutral. It was venom-laced with control, and my stomach knotted. I wanted to resist, but a part of me, still caged by our bond, leaned toward obedience.

"I just…" I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "It's my phone; you can't just…"

"I can," he said smoothly, tilting his head and flashing his eyes with something other than cruelty and amusement. "And I will. If you want this bond broken, if you want me gone from your life, then you'll do exactly as I say."

His words clawed at me; I wanted to scream at him, throw the bond in his face, and ask why the moon goddess would tie me to someone like him. I thought she would understand my pain over Kael's actions.

Against my will, my hand trembled as I withdrew the phone and placed it in his open palm. The smirk that tugged at his mouth was small and almost imperceptible, but I noticed it. And the pain I felt was greater than the rejection itself.

Lioran typed something quick. I tried to crane my neck to see what he was doing, but he stepped aside and blocked the screen. His silence made matters worse, each second stretching taut like wire about to snap.

Finally, he returned it to me. "My line is in your phone. There is no excuse for this behavior, and you wouldn’t choose to run away from it.”

The air between us thickened, and he leaned down, his breath brushing against my ear. "Do you want freedom? Earn it."

"What?" I froze.

"Your first task." His tone was flat and devoid of warmth: "Go to the male dorm." Room 407 is Neville's private room."

The name struck me like a blow. Nevile Wales is Rowan's sworn rival.

I couldn't keep the words from coming out: "Why Neville of all people, man?"

I tried to act manly although I had no idea how they behaved. Lioran's eyes twinkled, but there was nothing kind about them.

"He possesses something I desire: his training stick. Please bring it to me."

I stared, my heart pounding against my ribcage. 

"That's—Nevile doesn't allow anyone near his belongings. If he finds out..."

Lioran leaned back and folded his arms. "Then I suppose we'll see if you're clever enough to do it without being caught."

He tilted his head, studying me like a predator playing with prey: "Fail, and you'll stay by my side, as my pet, Lunch Box."

The word hit me like ice water, and my chest seized. "Pet?"

He didn't flinch. "Arian, the little savior boy, has been reduced to the state he always feared: obedient, caged, and mine. That is the deal.

My mouth dried up, and I wanted to spit at him, telling him that I would rather die than serve him. The truth was that desperation had already wrapped itself around me. If I failed this task, if I didn't even try, he would bind me tighter than this bond already was.

I clenched my fists. "Fine, Veylar."

He smirked, but there was no triumph in his eyes, just a sharper "Good boy, let's see how far you'll crawl."

I bit the inside of my cheek until it tasted like iron. I didn't dare to look back at him as I stood there, clutching my phone and trying to ignore the other students' curious stares as I exited the hall.

They stared, whispers already beginning. Everyone wanted to know what Lioran Veylar had said to me and what drew me to him, but I didn't care. I had one goal in mind: to complete this task successfully. I despised how the whispers followed me, how stares clung to my back like leeches.

They mistook me for prey due to my behavior. I just don't want to interact with people, which they may interpret as a weakness.

The same boy who had once protected me in the silence was now the shadow that bothered me the most. Not only did he save me from his brother, but the cold stare in his eyes frightened me. I felt like a mistake had been carved into my flesh.

The male dormitory loomed ahead, its massive structure casting dark shadows. My hands shook as I pushed open the door and slipped inside in silent steps. Nevile Wales was more than just someone to steal from; according to what I've heard in side conversations, he was a menace, the Veylar twins' rival. He was ruthless, proud, and exhibited a different form of evil.

My heart raced faster with each hallway I passed and every closed door I looked at. Finally, I reached the door marked with Neville's crest, my pulse racing as I gripped the handle and slowly twisted it open.

The air inside felt warm and heavy. I stepped inside as quietly as possible, my eyes searching for the walk-in closet.

If I could just get in, grab the damn training stick, and leave...

But the moment I stepped toward the closet, I froze. A low chuckle echoed throughout the room, and then I noticed them as the door opened instantly.

Nevile entered, his upper body naked, carrying a random blonde. Their kiss was so wild that I thought he hadn't noticed I was there. His hands moved with predatory ease across her body, tugging at her blouse, his voice low and rough as he murmured things I couldn't bear to hear.

The girl giggled breathlessly, arching into him, until the creak of the floorboard beneath my foot revealed me. Nevile's head snapped up, and his eyes locked on mine.

For a moment, I forgot about breathing, the training stick, the task, and the plan. Everything vanished as his gaze darkened, becoming dangerous and furious.

"What?" He growled, his voice thick with rage and disbelief. 

"What are you doing in my room, new boy? Weren't you told this place was off-limits?"

The girl beneath him gasped, scrambling for cover, but Neville did not move away from her. His entire focus was on me, his rival's fated mate, who stood motionless at his door like a criminal apprehended in the act.

My pulse roared in my ears, and I couldn't move or think. Then my phone rang. The sharp sound sliced through the dense silence like a blade. Nevile's gaze shifted to the device I held in my hand. Lioran's name glowed on the screen.