Chapter Three: Deep Water

Theron’s hot breath still lingered against her pulse point, sending an erratic, terrifying shiver straight down Rhiannon’s spine.

She slammed both palms flat against his chest, pushing against his marble-hard frame with every ounce of strength she possessed.

"Get out of my space."

Theron didn't even budge. He felt like a solid stone wall, completely unbothered by her resistance. But he slowly straightened to his full height, his dark smirk widening into something dangerously amused.

Inside his mind, Acheron was practically scratching at his ribs.

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

Theron forced the beast down, his obsidian eyes smoothing over into a mask of cold formality.

"Feisty."

"Rhiannon, stop it," Devon cut in, his voice thick with a warning edge that was actually born out of terror for his sister's life.

He quickly stepped between them, his large hand gripping the strap of his tactical duffel bag.

"Mr. Vance is doing us a massive favor. Treat him with respect."

"Mr. Vance can learn what a boundary is,"

Rhiannon shot back, crossing her arms tightly over her chest to hide the slight tremor in her fingers.

She ignored the familiar ache in her chest, forcing her chin up defensively. Her gaze softened as she looked at her brother, the guilt of her secret trip to Vrykania rushing back. She didn't want him to leave angry.

Stepping past Theron's suffocating aura, Rhiannon threw her arms around Devon’s neck, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry about sneaking out. Be careful on your deployment, okay?"

Devon froze, wrapping his massive arms around her, holding her like she might vanish into thin air. He knew her heart was ticking away, and leaving her was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped to absolute zero.

A suffocating wave of pressure flooded the apartment.

Theron’s obsidian eyes flared a dangerous, dark purple.

Acheron snarled.

‘Another male touches our mate.’

Even though Devon was her brother, the primal beast inside the King violently rejected the sight of any male holding his fated mate.

‘Mine.’

The territorial pressure hitting Devon’s lungs was immense. His inner wolf, Fenrir, cried out, forcing Devon to stiffen and gently break the hug before the King lost control and tore the roof off the building.

"I have to go, little one," Devon whispered, his voice strained as he briefly kissed the top of her head.

"Wait, Devon," Rhiannon asked, pulling back. "What about Talia? Did she get back safe? I haven’t heard from her.”

At the mention of the princess, Devon’s expression hardened into frost. The thought of Talia smuggling his dying sister into a wolf den flashed in his eyes.

"She is none of your business. And she is certainly none of mine."

Before Rhiannon could defend her best friend, Devon turned sharply, grabbed his tactical gear, and walked out the front door.

The heavy click of the lock echoed in the space. Silence descended on the

apartment.

Rhiannon turned around slowly, her hazel eyes locking onto the tall, imposing figure still standing in her living room. Theron was scanning her home, his gaze drifting over the worn-out couch and the stack of university textbooks.

"So," Rhiannon said, her signature stubbornness flaring to mask her nerves. "Mr. Shadow Trillionaire. What exactly does a benefactor do? Stand in my living room and look menacing?"

Theron didn't look at her. He walked over to the window, his hands sliding into his suit pockets as he looked down at the streets outside.

His supreme Lycan senses easily picked up the rhythm of her heart. It was beating incredibly fast, erratic, and weak. He subtly furrowed his brow, his jaw tightening.

‘She is so fragile,’ Theron thought, a flicker of disdain crossing his mind. To a supreme predator like him, humans were practically made of glass. He simply assumed her weak, racing heart was a pathetic human trait—a symptom of her mortal fear of his presence.

"I observe," Theron murmured, his deep baritone vibrating through the room.

"Your brother is an asset to my organization. Ensuring your survival is my priority. You will go to your classes at Blackthorne. You will maintain your routine. And I will be exactly where I need to be."

"I don't need an entourage to go to English Literature, Vance," Rhiannon scoffed, walking past him to grab her backpack from the counter.

As she brushed past him, the potent scent of dark forest mint and heavy winter frost rolled off his skin. It was so intense, so deeply familiar, that her mind suddenly flashed with a brief image of a bleeding pink moon and a monstrous shadow pinning her into the grass.

Rhiannon gasped, stumbling back a step as she clutched her head.

"Rhiannon?"

Before she could even register his movement, Theron blurred. He was instantly in front of her, his large, warm hand catching her elbow before she could hit the floor.

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

"I'm fine," she hissed, shaking him off instantly, though her heart was hammering frantically against her ribs.

She looked up at him, suspicion clouding her gaze. "How did you do that? You were across the room."

Theron’s jaw tightened. He had moved on pure instinct, forgetting for a fraction of a second that she was a human who couldn't perceive his speed.

"You're clumsy," he lied smoothly, his voice dropping into a cold, flat cadence. "And you look pale. Did you skip breakfast?"

"None of your business," she snapped, pulling her backpack over her shoulder. She marched toward the front door, desperate to escape the suffocating aura of his presence. "I'm going to campus. Don't follow me."

Theron stayed standing by the window, watching her door slam shut.

The moment she was gone, he let out a low, dark growl that rattled the glass panes in the window frame. He pulled at his crisp white collar, loosening his tie as his black runic tattoos began to throb beneath his skin.

‘She’s gone,’ Acheron rumbled deep within his consciousness, no longer purring. The beast was pacing frantically now.

‘Too far. Her scent... it’s so sweet. She appears very fragile. Why don’t we mark her now to protect her—‘

“Enough.”

Theron’s eyes flashed a violent, dangerous shade of purple-gold.

He also sensed the faint, erratic friction of her mitral valve.

"Are humans this fragile?" Theron whispered to the empty room, his features twisting with a desperate, unhinged possessiveness.

"The cosmic bond waited three thousand years to give me a mate… I must protect her at all costs.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing a number.

"Bellamy," Theron commanded into the receiver. "Move my private security detail into the Blackthorne campus perimeter. Clear out the top floor of the university's administrative building. I am taking over the board of trustees by noon."

On the other end of the line, Prince Bellamy sighed. “And the girl?”

Theron looked out the window, his gaze locking onto Rhiannon's small, fragile figure walking across the street below.

"She thinks I'm a corporate shark," Theron murmured, a dark smile kissing his lips. "Let's show her how deep the water goes."

****

The morning air on the Blackthorne University campus was crisp, but Rhiannon could barely focus on her surroundings. The moment she reached the quiet quad near the library, she pulled out her phone and dialed Talia.

It rang three times before Talia finally picked up.

"Rhiannon?" Talia's voice came through the speaker, but it sounded completely wrong. It was thick, distant, and muffled—like she had been crying for hours.

"Talia, oh my god, are you okay?" Rhiannon asked immediately, her guilt flaring up again.

"I woke up in my bed this morning. I'm so sorry, I totally 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, sitting in the dark royal palace of Vrykania, Talia covered her mouth to stifle a sob. The memory of Devon’s screaming voice echoed in her head, ripping her soul to shreds.

"I'm... I'm fine, Rhiannon," Talia lied, her voice trembling as she tried to force a normal tone. "I just... I caught the flu. I'm staying home today. I won't be on campus."

"The flu? From the border weather?" Rhiannon sighed, crossing her arms. "Look, did Devon find out we left the country? I just saw him packing his bags for a deployment, and when I asked about you, he sounded absolutely furious. He said you were none of his business."

The phone line went completely silent.

Talia’s heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Talia? Are you there?" Rhiannon pressed, feeling a heavy weight in her stomach.

"I have to go, Rhiannon," Talia choked out, her voice breaking completely. "Just... stay safe. Please. Don't go near the eastern frontier again."

Before Rhiannon could ask another question, the line went dead.

Rhiannon stared at her phone screen, utterly bewildered. "What is wrong with everyone today?"

She let out a frustrated breath and turned around to walk toward her lecture hall, but her next words froze in her throat.

Parked directly along the university’s restricted administrative curb was a fleet of three identical, sleek black armored SUVs. Elite security guards in tailored suits stood attention around the vehicles, clearing the perimeter.

The rear door of the center SUV swung open.

A polished leather shoe stepped onto the campus pavement, followed by the towering, flawlessly tailored frame of Theron Vance. He adjusted his silver cufflinks, his piercing obsidian eyes scanning the student crowd until they locked directly onto her.

The entire campus seemed to fall silent as the university president hurried down the concrete steps, bowing slightly as he greeted him.

Theron didn't look at the president. His dark gaze remained glued to Rhiannon’s pale face from across the quad. A slow, predatory smirk touched his sharp lips.

Rhiannon clutched her backpack straps, her heart giving another violent, erratic thud beneath her ribs.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She muttered through gritted teeth.

The corporate shark had followed her to school.