Elora’s POV
“What do you want?” Irritation soaked every word.
Focus.
I needed to focus.
Nearly impossible with his bare chest and the hard cut of his abs right there, on display.
“I—I need to talk to you.” I planted my feet and made myself hold the ground.
Inside, I was falling apart.
This boy had humiliated me one too many times.
Nothing said he wouldn’t again.
He stepped back, arms folding across his chest, and let me pass.
Then he kicked the door shut behind me with the heel of one foot.
Don’t look at his abs.
Do not look at his abs.
“About?”
“About…”
I gave myself a tour of his room instead—anything to escape the mess in my own head.
Dark walls, red accents, a king-sized bed shoved against the far wall.
If I didn’t know better, I’d have called him a vampire.
“I don’t have all night, four-eyes.” He clicked his tongue.
My lips trembled as I tried to fix on his face and failed.
I hated the thought the second it surfaced: I wanted to trace every line of those arms with my fingertips.
No.
That wasn’t me.
That was Elysia.
“I can’t focus, Varek!” I snapped—and regretted it instantly.
I couldn’t believe I’d said it out loud.
A cocky smile flickered at the corner of his mouth.
“You can’t focus?” He tilted his head and stepped in.
My breath locked as I backed up, and up, until the wall stopped me.
Exactly like that night in the woods.
“I—I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I have a trial for the Elite Team.” I turned my face away so I wouldn’t have to drown in those eyes.
He chuckled.
“So?”
“So?” I echoed.
“So we do the thing we’ve both been dodging, and then we leave each other alone.”
His eyes caught mine and held them, refusing to let me hide.
His gaze was cold, unreadable.
“You think it’s that easy to make it disappear, four-eyes?” he spat.
“You think we can just pretend it doesn’t exist?”
“Yes!” My voice shook, but I threw it at him anyway.
He was toying with me.
He was the one who’d said he didn’t want me in the first place.
“Neither of us wants this.
So let’s end it.”
“End it.” He arched a brow.
“You think you walk in here, say a few pretty words, and it all vanishes?”
I swallowed hard, waiting for the game to break.
“We have to.
I can’t keep doing this with you.”
“We haven’t done anything yet.”
Heat flared up my neck.
“You know what I mean.”
He studied me for a long moment.
I stared right back, sharp, refusing to shrink.
“Alright,” he said, nodding.
“Then go on.
End it for me.”
A sudden ache lanced through my chest, and I couldn’t understand why.
This was what I wanted.
“Fine.” I bared it in his face.
“I, Elora Vane of the Thornhart Pack, reject you, Prince Varek, heir to the Aethelgardian throne, as my mate.”
I shut my eyes and braced for it—that hollow, tearing loss everyone described when a bond snapped.
Five seconds.
Six.
Silence.
I opened my eyes.
His jaw ticked.
Then a dark, quiet laugh slid out of him.
“I…” he began.
“Prince Varek, do not accept your rejection.”
My heart dropped straight out of my body.
“What?” I breathed, taking my last step back into the wall.
“You can’t—”
“I can.
And I did.” His eyes drove into mine, voice cold as a blade.
“I won’t be rejected by a puppy.
No, four-eyes.
You are mine.
To torment.
To control.”
I shook my head, breath sawing.
No.
No, no.
This wasn’t the script.
We hated each other.
He was supposed to take the rejection and let us both walk free.
“You can’t force me into this,” I said.
“You don’t even want me!”
“You’re right.
I don’t.” His gaze hardened.
“But you don’t get to decide how this ends.” He leaned in, closer, until only a breath separated his lips from mine.
And God help me, all I could think about was closing it.
My heart slammed.
For one traitorous second, I nearly gave in.
Then reality crashed back down.
No.
Not again.
I moved to slip past him—but he caught me, one hand closing over my chin.
Firm.
Not cruel.
“I didn’t say we were finished.” He tilted his head, and his mouth crashed down onto mine.