LURGARD.

"Theresa..." I called out, my voice lower than usual, restrained, as though I was holding something back, something dangerous, something I didn’t fully trust myself with.

My eyes stayed fixed on her, studying every little detail, every shift in her expression. There was something different, something that didn’t sit right with me, and it gnawed at my thoughts.

"Tell me..." I continued, my tone tightening slightly despite my efforts to remain calm. "Why are your lips swollen?"

The last part came out sharper, louder than I intended, edged with something close to anger... or was it jealousy?

The moment the words left my mouth, Theresa’s face paled, and I noticed it instantly and without thinking, I took a step forward.

But just as I moved...

"Mate!" Lu’s voice thundered through my head, loud, commanding, impossible to ignore.

I froze completely.

A sudden surge of emotion crashed into me, overwhelming, confusing. Joy flickered through me first, raw, powerful, undeniable. My mate... she was right in front of me. After everything, after all these years, fate had finally bound her to me.

Mine.

The word echoed dangerously in my mind.

But just as quickly, that joy was shadowed by something else—fear and sadness because I knew Theresa.

I knew the way she looked at me, and the way she avoided me...it was clear she didn’t want me and confirming this bond... would only push her further away.

I swallowed hard, my jaw tightening as I fought against the urge to say it aloud. The word sat at the tip of my tongue, heavy, demanding release.

"Seal the bond, jerk!" Lu growled again, his voice laced with urgency. "What if someone else claims her?"

My hands clenched at my sides, and for a moment... I almost gave in, because I almost let it slip.

But I knew better.

Lu was pushing me, provoking me, trying to force a decision I wasn’t ready to make and I couldn’t risk it.

Not when the outcome could mean losing her the very moment I found her. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I exhaled sharply and turned away from her, cutting off the moment before it could spiral further.

"Stay in check, Lu," I warned internally, my voice firm despite the chaos inside me. "You won’t want us to lose her."

There was resistance... tension... but eventually, he backed down as silence followed. Only then did I realize how tightly I had been biting my lips.

I released them slowly, the metallic taste of blood spreading across my tongue as I felt it stain the corner of my mouth.

"What’s wrong with you?" Theresa’s voice cut through the silence.

I turned back to her immediately.

For a brief moment—just a fleeting second—I thought I saw something in her eyes.

Concern.

But it vanished just as quickly as it came, replaced by a cold indifference that hit harder than anything else.

And just like that, the distance between us felt wider than ever.

"I don’t have time for your drama, Lurgard," she said, her voice flat, edged with irritation that cut deeper than it should have. "I need to finish this drip and rest, so I can get discharged on time. I really do not like this hospital environment."

Her words were simple, direct... but the distance in them was unmistakable.

I scoffed, the sound coming out harsher than I intended, a defense against the tightness building in my chest.

"Well," I replied, my tone laced with sarcasm, "I think you are enjoying it... since you get the chance to have someone else’s lips on yours."

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew they carried more than just mockery. It was filled with jealousy, raw and unfiltered.

Theresa’s eyes darkened instantly, a storm brewing in them as anger seeped through, sharp and unrestrained.

"I hate you, Lurgard..." she said, her voice low but steady, each word deliberate. She paused briefly, as though letting it sink in before continuing, "...just so you know... that’s why the lips that will be on mine won’t be yours."

The impact was immediate, It hit harder than any blow ever could.

For a moment, I just stood there, frozen, her words echoing over and over in my head.

I hate you.

My jaw tightened, my fists clenching at my sides as I fought to keep my expression from betraying what I was feeling.

She misunderstood.

Of course she did.

But how could she not see it?

How could she not understand that...

"Arrrghhhhhhhhhhhh!" The scream tore through my mind, silent to the world but deafening to me, as I turned my face away from her, unable to hold her gaze any longer.

The emotions in her eyes had been real.

Every word she said... she meant it.

But why?

Why did she hate me so much?

"Get yourself together," Lu’s voice cut through sharply, firm and grounding. "We still have the upper hand... she is our mate."

I inhaled slowly, forcing the storm inside me to settle, even if only on the surface.

That’s right.

She was mine.

No matter how much she resisted now... it wouldn’t stay that way.

I would change it.

I had to.

And without realizing it, I had the urge to lean in and claim those wide sexy pink lips of hers, but that would only make her right.

I turned back to her, my expression composed, a faint smile tugging at my lips as though her words hadn’t just torn through me moments ago.

"I don’t think you do, Theresa..." I said softly, my voice smoother now, controlled. I reached out, brushing a loose strand of her hair gently behind her ear, my fingers lingering just a second longer than necessary.

"Remember... we were once lovers," I added, my gaze locking onto hers, searching for any reaction, any crack in that cold exterior.

Then my smile deepened, turning into something more dangerous, more certain.

"I will make you crave my attention."

The words hung between us, heavy with intent.

I stepped back slowly, creating distance before I lost control again, before the emotions I had barely suppressed resurfaced.

Without another word, I turned and walked toward the door.

My hand rested briefly on the handle as I paused, my voice coming out quieter this time, but no less firm.

"Hate me all you want now..." I said, not looking back, "...but you won’t get the chance later."

Then I stepped out.

The door closed behind me with a soft click.

Only then did I let out a deep breath, my chest rising and falling as I tried to steady myself.

One thought lingered, stubborn and unyielding.

You aren’t permitted to hate me, Theresa.