Chapter 3

It only took me a couple of minutes to apply my make-up but I wasn’t brave enough to go back downstairs right away. I waited upstairs until I heard Ryker say goodbye to his parents and leave, and then I waited a couple of extra minutes before setting off for college myself. Maybe avoiding him wasn’t the most mature way of dealing with our feelings for one another but I didn’t have any better ideas.

Every time we found ourselves alone in the same room together we ended up being drawn to each other in pretty much the same way. Part of me wondered if what we were feeling was just a crush or something more. Maybe the way we were drawn to each other meant that we were destined to be together.

That would probably be the best-case scenario for me. If I end up with the same trait that my mom had then it would put me and anyone around me in danger. That would include my mate, that much was clear from the way they killed my dad alongside my mom. My parents had loved each other more than anything but it hadn’t been enough to save them in the end.

I had wanted to meet my mate all my life. I wanted the kind of love my parents and Ryker’s parents had but the older I got the more I worried about my mate. It would be selfish of me to accept my mate knowing the danger I would be putting them in. The responsible thing to do would be to reject them to save them.

Even if I was blessed with a mate who was strong enough to keep us both safe. What was there to say that they wouldn’t want to use me for the power I could give them? It was a huge risk. Being special would mean I couldn’t even trust my own mate.

That is why I hoped that Ryker would end up as my mate. He already knew what he would be getting into with me. He already knew all of my secrets and I knew I could trust him. Maybe that was even why I felt so drawn to him in the first place. I felt safe around him in a way that I didn’t with anyone else.

I looked at my phone as I approached the classroom. I must have been daydreaming too much on my walk over here because I only had a few minutes before my class was due to start. I quickened my pace and joined the rest of my classmates who were all rushing to get to their classes on time.

When I arrived at my first class Ryker was already sitting at one of the desks at the back of the class. He had saved the desk next to him by putting his backpack in the seat. My ex, Mary-Anne was standing over him saying something. She looked upset.

I sighed and started mentally preparing myself for yet another breakdown. She was having real issues letting go of our relationship and it looked like she was giving Ryker a hard time about it. I backed up so that I was out of her line of sight but I could still hear what they were talking about.

“I have seen the way you look at her,” Mary-Anne said, I could hear her sobbing.

“There is nothing going on between us,” Ryker replied.

He didn’t sound convincing, in fact, he sounded suspicious as hell. If I was Mary-Anne that would have been all of the confirmation I needed to prove that there was something going on between the two of us.

“I know you are lying.” She replied. She sounded angry but at least it sounded as though she wasn’t crying any more.

“Think whatever you want Mary-Anne, I really don’t care.”

Ryker’s words only seemed to anger her further, causing her to growl in frustration and shout at him.

“How dare you steal her from me. You could have any girl you wanted and yet you have to take mine.” She screamed.

I cringed, I had to go and rescue him before things escalated. When I walked into the room everyone’s attention was directed towards the drama at the back of the room so I had to slam the door shut to draw their attention to me.

“I already told you why we couldn’t be together any more Mary-Anne. Why do we have to have this same conversation every time I see you.”

“But it doesn’t make sense.” She objected.

“Of course it does. You met your mate. You should be with her, not me.”

“I don’t care, I will reject her. I love you.” She had never told me she loved me before and this seemed like an odd time to make such a declaration.

She was crying again and I felt so guilty about all of this. We were only meant to be having some fun together, I never thought she would fall in love with me. If I had realised she was starting to develop feelings for me then I would have broken up with her sooner.

“Don’t do that. You only get one mate, you should at least give her a chance.” I couldn’t believe I was fighting for someone else’s mate bond when I didn’t even know if I could accept my own mate. Maybe if I was honest I was a bit jealous of Mary-Anne. If I was in her place I would have claimed my mate the second I recognised the bond.

I saw the anger cross Mary-Anne’s face as I spoke. The last thing she wanted was for me to speak up in defence of her mate. She turned her full attention towards me and I was sure that I was about to get the full weight of her anger.

“Miss Demont and Miss Thyme get to your seats now.” My teacher shouted as they walked into the room.

I had never been so happy for a maths lesson to start before. Of course, that relief was short-lived and it completely disappeared at the mention of a pop quiz. I failed to see why anyone would want to make us do a pop quiz first lesson on a Friday just because none of us completed the homework earlier this week. Surely that is classified as cruel and unusual punishment.

I turned over the test paper and suppressed a groan. Algebra, my life would be much better if I never had to do algebra again. Studying maths might look good on my resume but I would be glad to obliterate all traces of it from my brain once I graduated.