Chapter Three: Deep Water

Theron’s hot breath still lingered against her pulse point, sending a shiver racing down Rhiannon’s spine.

She slammed both palms against his chest and shoved with all the strength she could muster.

“Get out of my space.”

Theron didn’t budge. He stood like a stone wall, completely unmoved by her resistance.

Slowly, he straightened to his full height, a dangerous smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Acheron clawed impatiently against his restraint.

‘Touch her again. Claim her. She’s too fragile. Protect her.’

Theron forced the beast back into silence, his obsidian eyes settling behind a mask of cool composure.

“Feisty.”

“Rhiannon, stop.” Devon’s warning cut through the room, though the tension in his voice came less from anger than fear.

He stepped quickly between them, one hand tightening around the strap of his tactical duffel.

“Mr. Vance is doing us a huge favor. Show him some respect.”

“Mr. Vance can learn what a boundary is.”

Rhiannon folded her arms across her chest, hoping he wouldn’t notice the slight tremble in her hands.

The familiar ache beneath her ribs lingered, but she ignored it.

Instead, she looked past Theron to Devon.

The guilt from sneaking into Vrykania came rushing back. She didn’t want him leaving angry.

She threw her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry about sneaking out.”

Rhiannon hugged him tightly. “And… be careful on your deployment, okay?”

Devon froze. Then he pulled her into a careful embrace, holding her as though she might disappear if he let go.

Leaving her behind was the hardest thing he had ever done.

Suddenly, the temperature in the apartment plummeted. A crushing pressure swept through the room.

Theron’s obsidian eyes flashed with deep violet.

Acheron snarled.

‘Another male is touching our mate.’

The beast didn’t care that Devon was her brother. It only saw another male holding what belonged to him.

‘Mine.’

The territorial pressure bore down on Devon like a mountain.

Fenrir whimpered inside him.

Understanding exactly what was happening, Devon reluctantly loosened his hold before the King lost what little control he had left.

“I have to go, little one.”

His voice was rough as he pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head.

“Wait.” Rhiannon stepped back. “What about Talia? Did she get home safely? I haven’t heard from her.”

At the mention of Talia, Devon’s expression turned cold.

He remembered the princess leading his dying sister across the Vrykanian border.

“She is none of your business,” he said flatly. “And she’s certainly none of mine.”

Before Rhiannon could defend her friend, Devon walked out the front door.

The lock clicked shut. Silence settled over the apartment.

Rhiannon turned slowly to face the only other person left in the apartment.

Theron stood near the window, his broad frame almost swallowing the modest living room. His gaze swept over the worn sofa, the narrow kitchen, and the stack of university textbooks scattered across the counter.

“So…” Rhiannon broke the silence, her stubbornness rising to cover the unease creeping under her skin.

“Mr. Shadow Trillionaire.”

She crossed her arms.

“What exactly does a benefactor do? Stand around in my living room looking intimidating?”

Theron didn’t answer immediately.

He slipped both hands into his pockets and looked out at the quiet street below.

Even without turning around, he could hear the uneven rhythm of her heartbeat.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

‘She’s fragile.’

To a supreme Lycan, humans were little more than glass.

He dismissed the erratic rhythm of her heart as fear—nothing more than a mortal body struggling beneath the weight of his presence.

“I observe,” he said at last, his deep voice calm and measured.

“Your brother is an important asset to my organization. My responsibility is to ensure your safety. You’ll attend your classes at Blackthorne. You’ll continue your routine. And I’ll be wherever I need to be.”

Rhiannon let out a scoff as she reached for her backpack. “I don’t need an entourage to survive English Literature, Vance.”

She brushed past him.

The scent of dark forest mint and winter frost wrapped around her without warning.

It was so intense and deeply familiar that her mind flashed with the image of a bleeding pink moon and a monstrous shadow pinning her to the grass.

Rhiannon gasped. Her vision swam as she stumbled backward, clutching her head.

“Rhiannon.” Before she could blink, Theron was in front of her. His hand closed gently around her elbow, steadying her before she could fall.

His grip was firm, yet remarkably gentle, careful not to bruise her pale skin.

“I’m fine.” She pulled away immediately, her pulse racing.

Then she frowned. Suspicion clouded her gaze.

“How did you do that? You were standing across the room.”

Theron’s expression remained perfectly composed. For one careless moment, he’d forgotten she was human.

“You lost your balance,” he said calmly. “I was closer than you realized.”

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes. “I’m clumsy now?”

“You look pale.” His gaze lingered on her face. “Did you skip breakfast?”

She rolled her eyes. “None of your business.”

Swinging her backpack over one shoulder, she headed for the door. “I’m going to campus.”

She reached for the handle. “And don’t follow me.”

Rhiannon didn’t wait for a response before slamming the door behind her.

Silence settled over the apartment once again.

Theron remained where he was, listening until her footsteps faded into the distance.

Only then did a low growl rumble from his chest, vibrating through the apartment.

The windows trembled.

He loosened his tie with an impatient tug as the black runic tattoos beneath his shirt began to throb.

Acheron paced restlessly inside him.

‘She’s leaving. Too far. Her scent is fading.’

The beast’s frustration rippled through the bond.

‘She’s so fragile. Mark her now. Protect her.’

“Enough.”

Theron’s voice vibrated through the apartment. His eyes flashed with streaks of violet and gold before settling once more.

Even now, he could still sense the erratic rhythm of her heartbeat. It was faint and unsteady. Far too fragile.

His jaw tightened as he stared at the closed door. “Are humans this fragile?”

“The cosmic bond waited three thousand years to give me a mate… I won’t lose her.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The call connected immediately.

“Bellamy.” His voice returned to its usual calm authority. “Move my private security detail to Blackthorne University. Clear the top floor of the administrative building.”

“I’ll be assuming control of the board of trustees before noon.”

A brief silence followed. Then Bellamy sighed.

“And the girl?”

Theron stepped closer to the window. Far below, he spotted Rhiannon crossing the street toward campus.

Her small frame was completely unaware she was being watched.

A faint smile touched his lips. “She thinks I’m a corporate shark.”

His eyes followed her until she disappeared into the morning crowd. “Let’s show her how deep the water goes.”

*****

The morning air across Blackthorne University’s campus was crisp, but Rhiannon barely noticed.

Her thoughts were still tangled in everything that had happened since she woke up.

The moment she reached the quiet quad outside the library, she pulled out her phone and called Talia. It rang three times before the call connected.

“Rhiannon?”

Talia’s voice sounded hoarse. As though she’d been crying for hours.

“Talia?” Rhiannon frowned. “Are you okay? I woke up in my own bed this morning.”

She laughed nervously. “I’m so sorry. I completely blanked out after I fainted in the garden. Did Devon catch us? Is that how I got home?”

On the other end of the line, Talia sat alone inside the royal palace of Vrykania.

She pressed a trembling hand over her mouth, fighting back another sob.

Devon’s furious words still echoed in her mind.

“If she dies because of this… I’ll never forgive you.”

“I’m… I’m fine,” Talia lied, forcing the words past the tightness in her throat.

“I just caught the flu. I’m staying home today.” She sniffed. “I won’t be on campus.”

“The flu?” Rhiannon frowned. “From the border weather?”

She sighed. “Did Devon find out we crossed the border? I saw him packing for a deployment this morning, and when I asked about you…” She hesitated.

“He sounded furious. He said you were none of his business.”

Silence.

Talia’s heart splintered all over again.

“Talia?” Rhiannon’s voice softened. “Are you still there?”

“I have to go.” The words came out as little more than a whisper. “Just… stay safe. Please. Don’t go anywhere near the eastern frontier again.”

Before Rhiannon could ask another question, the call ended.

She lowered the phone slowly, staring at the dark screen. “What is wrong with everyone today?”

She let out a frustrated sigh and started toward her lecture hall. But she suddenly stopped.

Parked along the university’s restricted administrative curb was a convoy of three identical black armored SUVs.

Men in tailored black suits stood around the vehicles, quietly clearing the surrounding walkway.

The rear door of the center SUV opened.

A polished leather shoe touched the pavement. Theron Vance stepped out.

His tailored black suit looked as immaculate as it had that morning. He adjusted one silver cufflink before slowly lifting his gaze.

Across the crowded quad, his obsidian eyes found hers immediately.

Around him, the entire campus seemed to fall silent. The university president hurried down the front steps, greeting him with a respectful bow.

Theron never looked away from Rhiannon. A slow smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Rhiannon tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack. Her heart skipped once, then lurched into an uneven rhythm.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” she muttered beneath her breath.

The corporate shark had followed her to school.