Chapter 88: Find a Boyfriend?

Adeline’s pov~

"Let me put it in the right words, Adeline," Blake cut in, his heavy gaze cutting through me, refusing to let me dodge the question. "We all know Raven protected you from the start because of what his grandmother asked him to do. He stood between you and the rest of the academy because of an obligation. So during all this time... have you felt any feelings for him? Anything at all?"

I stayed completely silent, staring up at him with a lost, confused look. My mind scrambled to process the sudden shift. Why is he asking me about Raven now?

Blake watched my silent reaction closely. He slowly nodded his head, as if my silence was the exact answer he was looking for.

"Adeline..." Blake continued, taking another half-step forward. "If Raven asks you to do something for him in return for everything he has done for you... will you do it?"

I frowned, crossing my arms even tighter against my chest. "Yes. Of course I owe him one. If he asks for something, I have to repay him. That’s just how it works."

Blake’s jaw clenched tightly, his eyes darkening with an intense, mysterious storm of emotions I couldn’t quite read.

"What if he asks you to do something that you don’t want to do?" Blake asked. "What if it’s something that you don’t want to do? Will you still do it for him... just because you think you owe him your life?"

I stared at him in utter confusion, my eyebrows pulling together.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice rising with a frantic edge. "Does he want me to help him with something right now? Is Raven planning to ask me for something?"

"No, no..." Blake cut in quickly, shaking his head as his hands remained deep in his pockets. "I’m just asking... if in case he uses protecting you in this academy as a reason to make you repay him with something he wants you to do. If he asks for something you don’t want to give or asks you to do something... you don’t want to do... then just come to me."

His last words dropped into a voice so soft, so raw with genuine concern, that it caught me completely off guard.

My chest tightened as a wave of uneasy questions flooded my mind. What is he even talking about? What could Raven possibly want from me or want me to do for him? Why is he acting like Raven is some kind of ticking time bomb? I have nothing to give...

"Wait, I don’t get it..." I stammered, shaking my head as my thoughts spun out of control. "What would Raven even want from me, possibly? I have nothing, and—"

"Do you understand me, Adeline?" Blake cut in again, his gaze locking onto mine. "If he asks you to do something that you don’t want to do, then you get the fuck out of there and come straight to me, okay?"

I just stood there, staring up at him, entirely speechless. Before I could process the heavy warning in his words, his usual casual, teasing mask smoothly slid back into place. A warm smile curved his lips, and his left hand reached out, giving a soft, gentle pat on top of my hooded head.

I blinked in surprise, leaning back slightly. "What was that for—"

"Weren’t you supposed to be in class?" a deep, rough voice suddenly boomed through the corridor. "What are you doing here?"

Raven was walking slowly toward us, his heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoing against the stone floor. His pitch-grey eyes were cold, darting first to Blake’s hand lingering near my head, and then locking straight onto mine.

"Yeah," I replied softly, swallowing the lump in my throat, forcing myself to step out from under Blake’s touch. "Yeah... I’m on my way."

"Didn’t know that the Prince of the First Throne was back to cornering someone who is under my protection... again," Raven growled softly, stopping a few feet away. He glared at Blake with a cold, territorial fury.

Blake didn’t flinch. He just smiled it off, tossing his hands back into his pockets with effortless composure. "Whoa, bro... calm down. We were just talking about group studies."

I couldn’t stand this, the constant pulling, the unspoken threats, the way they treated me like a territory line to be crossed. I looked straight at Raven, trying to bring some sanity back to the room.

I quickly cut in, wanting to diffuse the suffocating tension before the entire corridor turned into a war zone. "Yeah, he was just talking about that. And Raven... I already told you before, you don’t have to keep doing this out of obligation—"

"Since when are you two studying together?" Raven cut me off completely, his furious gaze snapping directly back to Blake, ignoring my words as if I hadn’t spoken at all. "Well, I never knew that you ever studied. That’s surprisingly diligent of you and unusual... Blake."

Goddess... Why does it always end up like this? Why does it feel like every single conversation between these princes turns into a silent war because of my presence? Or am I just overthinking?

"Yeah, we are studying together... just for today," I cut in sharply, desperate to break the suffocating standoff.

Blake turned toward me, his smile widening into a brilliant, triumphant smirk, his bright eyes flashing with satisfaction as he gave me a slow, deliberate wink. "Yes, we are studying together today... right, partner?"

I gave Blake a tight, subtle glare, my jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached, but I gave a single, stiff nod just to end the conversation.

"So... I’ll get going now," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Without waiting for either of them to reply, I turned on my heel and walked away down the corridor toward the lecture hall, keeping my hood pulled low and refusing to look back at either prince.

I stepped into the lecture hall. The room was already alive with noise, groups of male and female Alphas scattered in clusters, laughing, chatting, and showing off their dominant energy. I kept my head down, slipping past their sharp, judgment-filled gazes, and looked straight toward the back row.

As usual, Sierra was already there. She had reserved our spot in the corner, her backpack tossed casually onto the wooden seat next to her to keep anyone else from taking it.

I slowed my steps as I approached, but she didn’t even lift her head. Sierra was staring intently at her phone screen, her fingers flying across the keypad so fast it was a blur. I walked up the steps before sliding into the empty seat beside her.

A small, genuine smile was playing across her lips, and her eyes darted back and forth across her screen. I folded my arms flat on the desk and let my head drop onto them. Resting my head sideways on my forearm so I could watch her.

"So... is there something so special?" I asked softly, my voice laced with gentle amusement. "You’ve been looking so excited since I walked in that you haven’t even noticed me sitting here for the last two minutes."

"Oh my God, Adeline!" Sierra gasped out, turning toward me with a frantic breath, pressing her phone face-down against her desk. "I’m—I’m so sorry! I was just... totally lost in these texts. But yes! Oh Goddess, yes, there is something so incredibly special! You need to hear this right now!"

I stayed lying on my arms, looking up at her with a curious tilt of my head. "What is it?"

Sierra leaned in close, her eyes sparkling with a mix of pure excitement and unbridled happiness.

"You know what? My boyfriend... he told me we are going to have our official marking ceremony pretty soon! He’s going to mark me as his Luna, Adeline! It’s actually happening!"

A boyfriend? Sierra has a boyfriend?

A faint sting of surprise hit me, but I pushed it down instantly.

Of course she would. She’s a strong, high-ranking alpha female, beautiful, strong, capable. Why wouldn’t she have a mate or a boyfriend?

It made complete sense. The only reason I didn’t know about it was simply because she hadn’t mentioned it yet, and I had been far too wrapped up in my own chaotic, life-or-death drama with the Lycan Princes to ask about her personal life.

"Congratulations, Sierra. I’m really happy for you."

"Thank you!" Sierra replied softly, leaning her chin on her palm. She stared at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"So, Adeline..." Sierra purred. "Shouldn’t we try something else now? Life is moving so fast, and it’s already getting late for us. We should definitely be having so much fun! So... why don’t we find a boyfriend for you, too? That way, we can go on double dates!"

What? What did she just say?

A cold, bitter shock washed over me. Find a boyfriend... for me? Is she out of her mind? Who in their right mind would ever want a scentless, defective nobody like me as their girlfriend?

Who would look at a girl with no pack, marked by rejection, and think, I want to date her? No one. Absolutely no one with a functioning brain.

But He will...

And then, my memory ripped straight back to last night.

Zyran.

The suffocating heat.

The heavy, dominant scent of dark bourbon and raw Lycan power flooding my senses.

Zyran’s pitch-black eyes burning down into mine, his hot breath brushing against my lips right before he destroyed my sanity.

’I’m asking you directly, Adeline... Be my girlfriend. Let me hold you, let me protect you, and let me show you what it means to truly belong to me...’

And then... the kiss.

That raw, rough, terrifyingly intense kiss that had completely shattered my defences, stealing the very air from my lungs until my fingers tangled into his shirt and I stupidly, helplessly kissed him back.

’You’re my girlfriend now, Adeline. Which means your trouble becomes my fucking trouble.’