Chapter 17: HE Is Going To Be Mine.

REED

I was furious, I’d been so close. So close to getting Asher to open up, to tell me what he was hiding, and he’d shut me out completely.

I stormed back to my dorm, slamming the door hard enough to crack the frame. Callum was there, looking concerned.

“What happened?” He asked, springing to his feet.

“He’s hiding something, something big.” I paced the room like a caged animal. “I saw him injecting himself with a drug that changes his scent. When I confronted him, he said it was medication for a medical condition, but he’s lying.” I told him before taking a seat on the bed.

“How do you know?” Callum asked.

“Because I can smell it on him! The lies, the fear, the-” I stopped, frustrated. “I need to know what he’s hiding, Callum. I need to understand what’s wrong with him.”

“Or maybe,” Callum said carefully, “you need to respect his privacy.”

I spun to face him. “What?”

“You heard me. Maybe Asher has a medical condition he doesn’t want to share. Maybe it’s personal, and maybe it’s none of your business.”

“Everything about him is my business!”

“Why? Because you’re obsessed with him?” Callum stood up. “Reed, you need to hear this: you can’t force someone to trust you. You can’t demand their secrets, and you definitely can’t break into their room and interrogate them about their private medical decisions.”

“I wasn’t interrogating-”

“Yes, you were.” Callum’s voice was firm. “And you need to stop, because whatever is going on with Asher, he clearly doesn’t want you involved, and you need to respect that.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because—” I stopped, the words catching in my throat. “Because I think he might be my mate, and if he’s in danger, if he’s sick, if something’s wrong, I need to protect him.”

Callum’s expression softened. “Even if he doesn’t want your protection?”

I didn’t answer, because the truth was, I didn’t care what Asher wanted. I was going to figure out his secret. I was going to uncover what he was hiding, and I was going to save him from whatever danger he was in. Whether he liked it or not.

The next morning, I was waiting outside Asher’s first class when he arrived.

He saw me and immediately turned around, trying to leave, but I hurriedly blocked his path.

“We need to talk,” I said.

“No, we don’t.” Asher tried to step around me but I moved with him, staying in his way.

“I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have broken into your room.” I apologized quickly.

Asher’s eyes narrowed. “But you’re not sorry about stalking me or demanding to know my secrets.”

“No,” I admitted. “I’m not sorry about that.”

“Then we have nothing to talk about.” Asher pushed past me, this time successfully. I watched him disappear into the classroom, frustration mounting.

This wasn’t working. The direct approach was just making him pull further away. I needed a different strategy, and I needed to investigate Asher’s background myself, and find out what he was hiding without confronting him directly.

I pulled out my phone and texted Callum.

’I need you to dig into Asher Graham’s history. Find out everything you can about him and his Pack. Who is bullying him to take the drugs, or why is he taking the drugs.’

Callum’s response came quickly.

’Reed, this is a bad idea.’

’Just do it.’ I ordered him.

’Fine, but you’re making a mistake.’

Maybe I was, but I didn’t care. I was going to figure out what Asher Graham was hiding, and then I was going to use that information to make him mine.

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