All Chapters of Mated To The Monster Boys: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

SeraphinaIt was already evening when I stepped into the training hall corridor. My steps were quick, almost impatient. My mind was a jumble of nerves and anticipation, a tangled mess of everything that had happened over the past few days. I was supposed to meet Auren here for a discussion before my private session, the one where he would guide me through the new spells Professor Vale had designed for me. I had been looking forward to it all day. And yet, the room was empty, but Auren was nowhere to be found. My stomach twisted at the thought. He never avoided me when I needed him; he was always present, he never went off the rails, not once. Not ever. Not when it was important, not when it mattered. My fingers flexed against the strap of my bag, tightening without thinking. Why wasn’t he here?As I moved closer to Vale’s office, a low, irritated grumble cut through the hall. It was unmistakable. Kael's grumbling voice and face were marred with lines of frown. My pulse jumped, my stoma

SERAPHINA.The training hall was quiet except for the faint hum of energy from the candles arranged in a perfect circle around me. The air felt heavy tonight, charged, as if the entire room was holding its breath. My hands trembled as I adjusted the hem of my robe, the silk sticking to my palms. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat. It was almost time to begin. Professor Vale stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching me with that expression that was impossible to read, the kind that made me want to both impress him and run from the room.He didn’t say a word at first, only motioned toward the chalk marks on the floor. His eyes were sharp as a blade under the lamplight. “Start,” he said finally, his voice smooth but cold. “Let’s see if you’ve learned anything from last week.” I swallowed hard, trying to gather my focus. The first chant was simple, or at least it was supposed to be a low-level wind control spell. I’d watched others do it easily. But every time I tried, The energ

AUREN.The silence in Vale’s office felt too tense while he helped me into the chair near his desk, and the first thing I noticed was how steady his hands were. No tremor. No hesitation. The man could have been dissecting a spell instead of dressing a student’s wounds.The scent of antiseptic and parchment filled the air. He had already rolled his sleeves past his elbows, the faint light from the rune-lamp throwing gold across the veins that ran up his forearms. When he began to clean the cuts, I didn’t make a sound. The water stung; the cloth dragged; I stayed still. It was easier to let him think I didn’t care.For a while, the only sounds were the dip of cloth into water, the rip of new bandages, and the muted rhythm of our breathing. I watched him work precisely, detached, too calm, and wondered if anything ever rattled him. When he finally tied off the last strip of gauze, he leaned back and exhaled softly.“There,” he said, voice even. “You’ll live.”“I noticed,” I answered. My

SERAPHINA.I'm running. Limping, really, but trying to make it look like running. My lungs are burning. My side hurts when one of them hits me, and every breath stabs. My hands are shaking, wrists torn open from the ropes. The air outside is cold and wet, biting at my skin, but it keeps me awake.I just killed two men. Or maybe one. I don’t know. I can’t think about that. I just have to keep moving. The academy towers behind me like a black wall. I can’t go back. If they find out what happened, they’ll lock me up or worse.My ankle keeps twisting. I grab at a tree to steady myself and nearly fall. My vision’s a mess, dark at the edges, light flashing when I blink. My heart won’t slow down. I’m running out of ground and out of strength. A hand catches my arm. I scream and try to pull away, but the grip tightens.“Seraphina.” It’s Lucien. His voice hits me with reality and op struggling, still breathing hard, still ready to fight. He looks furious, jaw tight, eyes sharp, every word burn

SERAPHINA’S POV.The noise ripped through my sleep before I even had the chance to breathe. It was sharp, a high-pitched vibration that slammed straight into my chest. My ears rang, my stomach twisted, and I sat up so fast the world tilted. My head throbbed. My heart was hammering. For a second, I didn’t know where I was. The room was dark except for the faint light seeping through the wooden walls, and Lucien was already standing, his arm instinctively thrown out in front of me, his body tense, eyes scanning the room like we were under attack.The noise went on for a few seconds, just this constant shrill sound that made my eyes sting, and then it cut off. The silence that followed was worse. My lungs felt empty. My pulse wouldn’t slow down.The door slammed open. Auren stood in the doorway. His face was pale, but his eyes burned. The kind of anger I’d only seen once before, the kind that came with betrayal, like someone had pulled the ground out from under him. He looked at me first,