Amanda’s face turned beet red, her nails digging into the desk in frustration before she whipped her head toward Griffin, her voice high-pitched and aggrieved.
"Do something!" She demanded, her pathetic plea dripping with entitlement as if Griffin was supposed to step in and defend her honor.
But Griffin’s expression was the perfect picture of unimpressed as he gave her a look that clearly said, Are you stupid?
The whole thing was too much for Roman, and he crumpled forward in laughter, his shoulders shaking from the force of it. Apparently, this was shaping up to be one of the most entertaining classes he’d attended in a while.
Unfortunately, Mr. Radcliff was not amused. "Violet Purple," he called out, "you seem to have a problem with the sacred mate bond." The way he said it made it seem as if she had insulted it somehow.
Violet recognized the not-so-subtle accusation immediately and responded innocently, "Of course not, Mr. Radcliff. It’s just that the concept of the mate bond makes me question freedom of choice if the Moon Goddess is the one deciding."
Her voice was carefully measured, neutral enough to sound like it was an intellectual question, rather than a challenge. Violet wasn’t stupid enough to outright provoke the wolves, especially not now that she was at her most vulnerable.
"That’s a nice question that deserves an answer, don’t you think, Mr. Radcliff?" Griffin interjected, his voice calm and pointed, as if he too detected the teacher’s irritability.
Radcliff’s jaw tightened, but in the end, he forced a stiff response. "Yes, of course, it’s a good question," he said, walking to the front of the board.
Violet breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to have dodged that bullet. She then turned to silently thank Griffin but he had already turned away and Violet knew deep down that the move was a dismissal. It seems just like Alaric, someone else was mad at her. It was not surprising though. She fucked up.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Radcliff began the answer to her question.
"While the mate bond serves as a force that draws two souls together, it does not create feelings from nothing. It merely enhances what is already there. For example, in cases where mates start as enemies to lovers, the attraction often exists long before the bond is fully recognized.
"Perhaps they’ve been drawn to each other for weeks, months, maybe even years, feeling a pull they don’t understand or refuse to acknowledge. They may mistake it for irritation, rivalry, or even hatred. But the truth is, their souls have already begun to recognize each other, even if their minds haven’t caught up yet.
"Even for those whose bonds snap into place instantly, they have to put in effort to maintain the relationship. So no, the bond does not force love. But it does make it impossible to ignore. I hope that answers your doubt, miss. Purple." He said pointedly.
Violet raised a brow. She had to admit, even though the man was an asshole pretty much most of the times, he was a good teacher.
"Clear, sir." Violet admitted.
"Good," Radcliff said, brimming with such smugness that she half-expected him to fan out peacock feathers right there.
"We’re pressed for time, so that concludes today’s questions. Let us move on with the lesson."
Radcliff forged ahead on the electronic board, underlining the next point. "Now, let’s briefly discuss the distinction between ’fated mates’ and ’chosen mates.’"
He turned back toward the class, gaze sweeping over them as he continued.
"As we already know, fated mates are the pairs chosen by the Moon Goddess herself, bound by an unbreakable spiritual connection. On the other hand, we also have chosen mates, wolves who form bonds outside the goddess-ordained connection. While these bonds may not have the same mystical pull, they are still highly respected in our culture. Not every wolf finds their fated mate, and in those cases, they have the freedom to choose their own partners whether human or wolf. These relationships can be just as strong, but the fated bond runs deeper."
The class was still digesting his words, when the bell rang and there was a sigh of relief. Lessons was over!
Chairs scraped against the floor with students stretching as they rose from their seats, the room filling with the rustle of backpacks and low chatter.
"Wait." Radcliff suddenly said, making everyone freeze mid-step. "Now before you go, your assignment..."
The class groaned in unison. No!
But Radcliff’s expression remained impassive as he continued mercilessly.
"You will each write an essay imagining one of your classmates as your potential mate. I expect thorough reasoning on why you believe they would be a good match."
Violet practically groaned.What the hell kind of assignment was that?
Of all the awkward, pointless things to write about, why this? How was she supposed to pretend someone in this class was her freaking soulmate? That was not her thing.
Still grumbling internally, Violet rose to her feet only for Roman Draven to materialize right in front of her without warning.
"Hello, little rogue queen," he drawled
Violet pursed her lips at him. "I thought alphas weren’t supposed to talk to rogues," she said coolly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and tried to go in the other direction only to collide with a solid wall of muscle.
Griffin Hale.
Violet blinked up at him, taking in his grim expression. Someone was moody.
"We need to talk." Griffin said tersely.
Violet nodded, much to Roman’s horror.
"What? No—what the hell, Purple? You can’t just—"His protest was cut short by the sudden buzz of his phone.
But it wasn’t just his, all around them, phones were buzzing with notification at once.
A ripple of tension passed through the students as they instinctively reached for their devices, eyes eagerly scanning their screens.
Violet picked up her phone as well only for her expression to darken the next seconds.