Chapter 177: Her Shameless Mate

Words : 1031 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 177: Her Shameless MateEvaline: The Academy gates loomed in front of us, their towering iron bars now softly lit by the golden haze of the setting sun. Oscar brought the car to a gentle stop, parking beneath the shadow of the old sycamore trees that were lining the outer wall. The silence in the area was almost uncanny. No students, no staff, no movement, just the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant call of an evening bird. It was Tuesday, and we all know how weekdays worked here. No one was allowed to leave campus, not without express permission. Most students would be in the dorms, study halls, or grabbing early dinner in the dining hall by now. The path ahead, stretching from the gates to the administrative building, was completely empty. I exhaled quietly and turned to Oscar, unclipping my seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride," I said. "And for... everything else. For taking care of me." He didn’t say anything right away, but the way his emerald eyes settled on me with a mixture of warmth and mischief should have warned me. I reached for the door handle, ready to slip out quickly and quietly- "That was the most insincere thank you I have ever heard," he said flatly. I blinked. "Excuse me?" He tilted his head, smirking as he leaned back lazily in his seat. "Don’t ’excuse me’ me. You are brushing me off like I just loaned you a pen, not... carried you through a whole pregnancy check-up and dropped you off after a night full of doting and emotional labor." I couldn’t help but shake my head at the theatrical way he phrased it. "Okay, fine. How do you want me to thank you then?" Without missing a beat, he turned his face and tapped his cheek with a finger. "A kiss. Right here." I raised a brow, my smile turning sly. "You are serious?" "Deadly," he said. I leaned toward him, already playing along when- "And don’t worry," he added with a devilish grin, "I’m not too heartbroken that you might not want to kiss me now that Draven has satisfied you thoroughly all day." I froze halfway, my breath catching in my throat. "W-What?" He didn’t look the least bit apologetic. In fact, he looked immensely pleased with himself as he turned to look at me fully. "You heard me," he said, his voice casual, teasing. "It’s okay. I get it. You two had your fun. I mean, it was very obvious from the way I felt that emotion spike." I felt like my soul left my body. "H-How do you know that?" I managed to squeak, my face undoubtedly resembling a tomato. "You really forgot?" He chuckled. "We accepted our bond, Eva. Verbally. That was enough to open an emotional link between us. Not as strong as being marked or mated, but enough. And emotions, especially intense ones, tend to leak through." Pleasure. He felt my pleasure through the bond. The realization had my hands flying to my cheeks. I buried my face in them with a soft groan. "This is mortifying." He laughed outright now. "Hey, don’t feel bad. Honestly, I didn’t expect to be so... okay with it." That had me dropping my hands and looking up. "You are not bothered?" He shook his head slowly. "Surprisingly, no. I’m actually... glad. Glad that Draven took good care of you. That you got to feel that close to him. That you both had that time." My chest squeezed at the raw honesty in his voice. I hadn’t expected this reaction. Not from a possessive, high-ranking Alpha. Not from a mate. He tilted his head again and added with a sly grin, "The only part that made me slightly jealous was knowing it wasn’t me making you feel that good." I gawked at him, torn between laughing and crawling under the seat. He leaned in again, turning his cheek to me once more. "Now, are you going to reward me properly this time?" I rolled my eyes fondly and leaned in again. But just as I pressed my lips toward his cheek... he turned. And our lips met. It wasn’t deep. It wasn’t urgent. It was sweet, unexpected, and soft. My eyes fluttered shut instinctively, my heart lurching in my chest as our lips moved gently in sync. I felt the warmth of his palm resting against my jaw, cradling me as if I were something fragile. I pulled away first, breathless. He didn’t chase the kiss. He just smiled - that slow, smug smile of his. "Much better," he whispered. "You tricked me," I said, giving him an accusing look. "You loved it." I couldn’t argue. I looked away. My hand returned to the door again, but this time I paused. "I’m really glad it was you," I said softly. "That you were the one with me through all of this." He didn’t tease this time. "Me too." With one last lingering glance, I stepped out of the car with his jacket wrapped around my shoulders and his scent clinging to my skin along with Draven’s. And even though I was walking alone toward the Academy gates, I didn’t feel alone at all. The cold evening air nipped at my cheeks as I silently slipped inside. There was only one warrior stationed there and he didn’t even blink as he saw me entering. I didn’t have to wonder who was behind all this. I glanced back once. Oscar’s car was still there, headlights off, his silhouette just visible through the windshield. He was watching me, I knew it. I gave him a small wave, and the flash of his hand in return made me smile. Pulling the jacket tighter, I headed toward the dorms. The path was empty, the Academy quiet except for the crunch of my shoes on gravel. It felt strange coming back to all this... normal. The dorm rooms, the study halls, the Academy life - so unchanged while so much had changed for me. I was tangled in a world of emotions and bonds, and yet, for the first time in days... I didn’t feel lost.

Chapter 177: Her Shameless Mate

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