Chapter 42: My Mate

Aina

"I am screwed. This is the end for me."

Aina took several nervous steps backward, her eyes glued to the door as it rattled under a heavy barrage of fists. She was trapped, and the sweet jasmine scent of her omega status was already seeping through the scent-blocking cream. If she didn’t escape soon, her entire scheme would crumble.

Backing up blindly, her shoulder brushed against something that felt deceptively like a human body. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she spun around, bringing her fists up to fight.

Instead of an enemy, she found herself staring at a statue.

Carved from glossy black obsidian and crowned with a dark, tightly curled wig, the figure wore an ornate Renaissance gown of rich, dark purple velvet. Golden brocade panels lined with delicate pearls framed the fitted bodice, contrasting with cream silk undersleeves that cascaded from puffed, beaded shoulders. The matching purple velvet skirt draped gracefully to the floor, studded with golden gems and intricate trim. Even in stone, the girl’s beauty was breathtaking.

"Beautiful," Aina whispered, mesmerized.

She flicked her gaze around the dimly lit room. Panic had blinded her when she first burst inside, but now she took in her surroundings. Every wall was covered with portraits of the same girl, chestnut-brown hair, shining golden eyes, and a warm smile. Statues of her lined the room, each wearing a different elaborate outfit. It was a shrine, a museum dedicated entirely to her memory.

BANG!

The violent slam against the door shattered her trance, yanking her back to reality.

"Travis," a voice sang out from the hallway. Aina instantly recognized it as Malric’s voice. The sound sent a cold shiver down her spine, dampening her skin with sweat. "Come out, my little rat. I promise I won’t hurt you. I just want to talk." His tone was deceptively gentle, though a vicious thread of cruelty ran right beneath it.

I need to get out of here.

Thinking fast, Aina sprinted to a nearby window and threw it open, ready to jump. She froze at the edge. Directly beneath the frame lay a thick, tangled bed of thorn bushes. Leaping would be suicide. She’d bleed out from the gashes, and even if she managed to run, the vampires would track her down in a heart-beat. They were too fast, and the scent of her fresh blood would be an irresistible flare in the dark.

Shoot, what do I do? If I go out there, my secret is exposed. Everyone will know I’m not Travis, Aina paused, the thought lingering in her mind.

She was not Travis. She was Aina, disguised as Travis. Which meant she could simply be Aina again.

The realization hit her like a spark. Her brain kicked into overdrive, and her hands moved with frantic speed. She rushed around the room, flinging open every remaining window to let the cold wind howl through. She killed the lights, plunging the room into shadow while trying her best to ignore the splintering wood of the door.

"Sorry, sorry," she muttered under her breath, apologizing profusely to the obsidian statue as she stripped the heavy purple gown off its shoulders.

She threw off her suit, unwrapped the binding from her chest, and slipped into the dress. Working furiously, she licked the blood off her scrapes, yanked the dark wig off the statue’s head, and pulled it over her own hair. It fit like a glove. Finally, she tore off her glasses, shoved them down the bodice of her dress, and plucked out her contacts, revealing her natural purple eyes.

When she looked down, she no longer looked like Travis. Though the siblings bore a tiny resemblance, without the sharp glasses and short blond hair, no one would look twice at the female omega standing in the dark. They were looking for a boy. They would never suspect her.

Everything was a blurry haze without her lenses, but she didn’t care. All she needed was for the monsters beyond the threshold to buy the act. A final, violent blow shattered the frame, and the heavy door came crashing down.

Malric

The heavy oak door finally surrendered, its iron hinges snapping with a deafening crack as it crashed inward onto the floorboards. Malric stepped over the splintered wood, his boots echoing sharply, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "Travis..." he sang softly, his voice carrying through the dimly lit room with terrifying ease. "Come out, my little rat. I promised you that I will not hurt you... I just want to talk."

He took a step deeper into the space, fully expecting to find a trembling, bruised boy cowering in a corner. Instead, the air inside the room hit him hard. Malric froze mid-stride. A scent drifted past his nostrils, an intoxicating, ethereal blend of wild, blooming jasmine that cut straight through the shadows. It wasn’t faint. It was thick, warm, and overwhelming, wrapping around his senses and sinking directly into his soul like liquid fire.

His heart thundered against his ribs, beating with a sudden, violent force that made his breath catch in his throat. Every instinct, every drop of his wolf-shifter blood in his veins screamed out in recognition.

Mate.

Standing near the open window, framed by the cold night air and fluttering curtains, was a girl. Malric’s breath hitched completely. She was, without a single doubt, one of the most breathtaking creatures he had ever laid eyes on. She wore a dramatic Renaissance gown of deep, rich purple velvet, adorned with golden brocade, delicate pearls, and cream silk undersleeves that cascaded past her wrists. A dark, tightly curled wig framed a porcelain face, but it was her eyes that held him captive, striking, jewel-like purple orbs that glowed in the dim light like twin amethysts.

He couldn’t move. The mighty Prince Malric, who had spent his entire life being feared and terrifying commoners, stood completely struck dumb, paralyzed by a single scent.

"Where is that little dimwit?" Max yelled, barging into the room right behind him with Jax close on his heels, thoroughly breaking the silence.

Max’s eyes darted around the room, completely oblivious to the cosmic shift happening right beside him. His gaze landed on the mysterious girl standing by the window. "Hey! You! Have you seen a boy around your height in here?" Malric’s ears strained to catch her response, his chest tightening in desperate anticipation.

The girl lifted a slender, pale hand, pointing toward the wide-open window where the curtains blew wildly in the wind. "Yes," she murmured, her voice smooth, slightly raspy, and carrying a delicate melody that sent a shiver straight down Malric’s spine. "I did see him. He... he shifted into his wolf form and jumped right out the window."

"Dammit!" Max hissed, stomping his foot in annoyance. "He escaped!"

Jax, however, wasn’t looking at the window. His eyes were locked firmly onto the girl in the purple dress. A sly, charming smirk spread across Jax’s face, and he stepped forward, running a hand through his hair as he tried to put on his best charming persona.

"Well, well..." Jax purred, stepping directly into her personal space and grabbing her hand to press a smooth kiss against her knuckles. "I haven’t seen you around, beautiful. What’s your name? I’m sure I would have remembered if a girl as gorgeous as you attended our academy."

Before the girl could even draw a breath to reply, a violent shadow crossed the room.