Chapter Five: Fragile

"Let go of me," Rhiannon breathed, her face burning as she wrenched her wrists from Theron's grip.

She snatched her backpack off the podium, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs as she spun on her heel and fled the lecture hall, the doors swinging shut behind her.

Behind her, Theron stood still, his hands sliding into his pockets.

‘She’s running,’ Acheron growled restlessly inside his mind. ‘Go after her. Bring her back. The human world is too dangerous for her.’

‘Patience,’ Theron commanded back, though his own jaw tightened as he listened to her unsteady heartbeat. ‘She is a stubborn little bird. Pull the cage too quickly, and she will break.’

Rhiannon burst through the exit doors of the humanities building, welcoming the crisp afternoon air. She took a deep breath, trying to clear the lingering scent of him from her lungs.

"Rhiannon!"

A bright, familiar voice cut through the storm in her head.

She turned, her tense expression softening as Julian walked across the lawn toward her.

He was wearing his gray university hoodie, a warm smile on his face as he slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a brief hug.

"Hey," Julian said, kissing the side of her head. "I managed to get out of my engineering lab twenty minutes early. Thought I'd surprise you and walk you home."

"Julian," Rhiannon let out a sigh of relief, leaning into his side. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

Julian chuckled, looking down at her. He frowned, noticing her pale cheeks. "Are you okay? You look a little flushed. Did the World Lit class go badly?"

"No, the class was fine," Rhiannon muttered, crossing her arms to hide the slight tremble in her hands. "We just had a... very intense guest lecturer today."

"Right, the billionaire guy everyone was talking about," Julian said casually, adjusting his backpack strap. "Well, forget about him. Let’s go get some lunch, darling. My treat."

He reached down, affectionately wrapping his hand around her upper arm to turn her toward the parking lot.

It was a completely normal gesture between them. But the moment Julian's fingers closed around her skin, the temperature across them plummeted.

A sudden, freezing gust of wind swept through the courtyard, making Julian freeze in his tracks, a shiver running down his spine.

Rhiannon gasped as a heavy, crushing pressure dropped onto her chest, instantly stealing the air from her lungs.

Her heart stumbled, skipping a beat. Cold sweat broke out across her skin as her vision began to blur and turn dark.

"Rhiannon?" Julian's smile vanished, replaced by panic as he felt her weight drop.

"Hey, what's wrong? You're freezing—"

Through her blackened vision, Rhiannon didn't look at Julian. Her eyes were drawn upward toward the third-floor balcony of the university's administrative building.

Standing there, casting a long shadow over the courtyard, was Theron Vance.

He was looking down at them, his face a mask of pure rage. Even from three stories away, Rhiannon could see it clearly. His obsidian eyes were gone—replaced by a terrifying glow of violet and gold.

And beneath his unbuttoned collar, the black serpent tattoo coiling around his neck was blazing a furious, bleeding crimson.

‘Kill him,’ Acheron was roaring in Theron's head, the beast transforming into a bloodthirsty monster at the sight of another male holding her. ‘HE TOUCHED HER. HE TOOK HER BREATH. SNAP HIS NECK.’

Theron’s fingers gripped the stone balustrade. With a sickening crack, the solid granite fractured beneath his hands.

Every beat of her heart seemed to fight against the crushing weight pressing down on her chest.

"Rhiannon!" Julian's panicked voice faded into nothing as her body went limp, her knees buckling as the darkness finally swallowed her whole.

But she didn't hit the concrete.

Before Julian could even register that she was falling, a sudden gust of wind swept across the grass. In a blur of speed, a massive figure materialized out of nowhere.

Theron caught her.

His large arms wrapped securely around her frame, lifting her effortlessly against his chest before her boots could even scrape the ground. The sudden scent of winter frost and rich mint crashed over her fading senses.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Julian shouted, stumbling backward in shock. "Let go of her! Who do you think you are?!"

Theron didn't answer him. He didn't even look at him. His violet-gold eyes remained fixed entirely on Rhiannon's pale face. He adjusted her in his arms, pulling her protectively against his chest as if she were made of glass.

"I said, let her go!" Julian stepped forward, his love for Rhiannon pushing him forward despite the terrifying pressure radiating off the older man. He reached out to grab Theron’s shoulder.

He never touched him.

Two massive, suited men stepped out from the shadows with terrifying speed, intercepting Julian before he could take another step. They completely blocked him, their cold dominance making Julian’s knees tremble.

"Step back, sir," one of the guards said coldly.

"She’s my girlfriend!" Julian yelled, trying to look around them. "Rhiannon! Hey—whatever you are, put her down!"

His screams soon attracted the attention of students around the courtyard. They started pointing and whispering among themselves.

“What’s going on? Is he kidnapping her?”

“Isn’t that the new professor? Who’s that with him?”

“That’s Julian screaming, it must be—ahh! Oh my God that’s Rhiannon! What’s going on?”

"Your presence is no longer required," Theron’s deep baritone echoed through the courtyard. He turned his back on Julian, carrying her toward the armored black SUVs that had already pulled up.

"Wait—where are you taking her?!" Julian's frantic shouts grew distant as the guards kept him pinned to the spot.

Theron didn't look back. He slid into the back seat of the lead vehicle, holding Rhiannon against his chest as the heavy doors slammed shut.

"Drive," Theron ordered darkly.

The engine roared to life, the tires gripping the asphalt as the convoy tore away from the university gates.

Inside the vehicle, Theron kept Rhiannon pulled firmly against his chest. He placed his large hand over her breastbone, expecting to feel a steady pulse.

Instead, her heart was fluttering like a dying bird—weak, erratic, and dangerously faint.

A cold panic pierced straight through Theron’s core. His brow furrowed in confusion. ‘Why is she so weak?’

He had assumed her pale skin and stuttering pulse before were just from human fear under his gaze. But this was different. She was slipping away in his arms.

Frustration and fear gnawed at his chest.

‘Why would the Moon Goddess hand him a fragile, brittle human as his fated mate?’

Unable to contain the rising panic, Theron pulled his phone from his jacket and dialed a number. The line clicked open instantly.

"Bellamy," Theron growled, his deep voice vibrating with desperation. "The girl. My mate. She collapsed. Her heart... it feels like it’s barely beating."

On the other end of the line, Bellamy remained silent for a second.

"Calm down, Sovereign," Bellamy replied smoothly. "She is a human. She doesn't possess our healing factor. You are a supreme Lycan. Your sheer, raw presence alone is likely overwhelming to her system. She just needs rest. Let her sleep."

The line went dead. Theron slowly lowered the phone. ‘Overwhelmed by my presence?’

Relief washed over him, but it only lasted a beat. His gaze fell to the unconscious woman in his arms. A sharp pang of guilt settled deep in his chest.

The very thing meant to protect her had become the only thing that hurt her.

His fingers curled against the leather seat. Frustration quickly swallowed the guilt.

"This is a crueler curse than the one already placed upon me.” Theron muttered, a dark laugh tearing from his throat. "Three thousand years... and the Moon Goddess decides to play a trick on me? To amplify the torment?"

The beast within him took the rejection personally. Acheron went completely feral, roaring against the confines of Theron's mind, clawing viciously at his chest to get out.

Theron’s control snapped.

His eyes bled into a blinding violet-gold. Beneath his collar, the black serpent tattoo on his neck burned crimson, pulsing with his raging heartbeat. His lips curled back as his fangs lengthened, aching to tear into something—to claim, to mark, to destroy the distance between them.

The air inside the SUV turned heavy. A suffocating pressure exploded from Theron’s frame, filling the cabin.

In the front seat, the Gamma guard’s eyes widened in terror. He clutched his throat, gasping for air. Beside him, the driver’s hands locked tight on the steering wheel.

Both men choked, a dark trail of blood spilling from their lips as their lungs collapsed under the weight of his aura.

The SUV swerved violently across the empty road.

The urge to sink his teeth into Rhiannon's neck was a blinding scream in Theron's head. Acheron almost took complete control, pushing Theron to claim her right there in the car.

Then, a tiny, breathless sound broke through the static of his rage.

Rhiannon whimpered. Her brow furrowed in pain, her fragile body tensing against the pressure of his aura.

The sound struck Theron. His mind snapped him back to reality as he reined his power back in, slamming the gates of his control over the roaring beast.

The crushing pressure vanished from the car. In the front seat, the driver slammed on the brakes. Both coughed violently as they sucked in lungfuls of air, their breathing slowly stabilizing.

Theron sat stunned, his own chest heaving as he realized how completely overwhelmed he had just been.

He had almost killed his own men. He had almost killed her.

His gaze snapped down to Rhiannon’s face. Her features were still twisted in discomfort.

Shaken, Theron immediately loosened his grip, terrified of his own strength. But as he looked down at her bare arms, he felt a sharp pang of regret. His fingers had left dark red marks on her delicate, pale skin.

‘I’m supposed to protect you again, not overwhelm you.’

His eyes drifted down to her parted lips. His chest tightened. The urge to lean down and sink his teeth into those stubborn lips was intoxicating. But instead, he merely leaned closer, burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent of sweet vanilla.

"Zillah..." Theron whispered. "If this is your way of punishing me... please come back to me. I’ve suffered enough."

He pressed his forehead gently against her soft hair, inhaling her scent to steady his shattering composure.

Deep within his soul, Acheron stopped roaring. The great black wolf let out a low whimper, lowering his massive head and curling into a ball.

Outside the tinted windows, the armored convoy swept through the towering gates of Theron's secluded estate.