Chapter 12
Twelve
Cooper
I ’m seconds away from going feral. It’s been an entire month since my mate went into that hospital, and it feels as if there’s been no progress on my end.
I’ve even tried going up there with a subpoena to see Nina with my lawyer last week, but we were rejected. They said they didn’t need to adhere to it because Nina was voluntarily committed. The signature on the paperwork backed up their claim, however, I know it’s a lie.
I’m only still teaching to hold onto a semblance of self control and normalcy. I have always known that my need to have a submissive relationship was to release the fury and annoyance that lives just under my skin. It keeps me calm to have that release valve.
I can praise and degrade in the same breath, keeping a sub riding the edge of pleasure.
Nina was a gift I didn’t think I would ever receive. Every nerve ending feels raw, my need to protect her subverted at every turn, and it’s turning me into a monster.
“Sir?” Brooke asks tentatively at the door .
Forcing air into my lungs, I nod.
“Yes,” I growl, unable to help it.
“Do you need anything else today? I was going to get ready to leave,” she explains.
“No, thank you,” I sigh. “I’m going to knock out the rest of these papers and then I’ll go home.”
“Professor, may I make a suggestion?” she asks.
My glare is the only response I give her as I rub my pounding temples. I doubt she’s going to offer to suck my cock, not when I released her from that arrangement.
“I might suck as your assistant, but I do know all of your lessons like the back of my hand,” she says. “Will you let me grade those at home? Otherwise, I think everyone is going to fail.”
Glancing down at my red pen and the marks I’ve already been making as I destroyed this student’s paper, I sigh.
“Yeah, I think that may be better,” I accept, pushing the papers away as I cap the pen.
“I noticed you’ve been more aggressive than usual,” Brooke says gently, walking over to pick up the papers. “Can you tell me why?”
“You know we don’t discuss private matters,” I remind her, stretching to attempt to relax my strained muscles.
“Of course, I know,” she says with a nod, straightening out the papers and putting them in a folder to add to her bag. “I was just wondering.”
“Fair warning, my mood is going to be shit for awhile,” I say before deciding to give her a small tidbit. “The reason I released your contract is because I met my scent match. But, I can’t see her right now and it’s making me lose my goddamned mind.”
“She doesn’t want to see you?” Brooke asks, wide eyed.
“It would be easier if that was the case. I could work with that by convincing her to give me a chance,” I mutter. “She’s being held against her will and I can’t get to her. I know that sounds dramatic, but?— ”
“You’re not prone to dramatics,” she says, shaking her head as the folder slides into her bag. “I could tell there was something different. You were actually happy for just a little while. Still you, still difficult, but lighter.”
“And now that she’s gone, I just want to burn everything down,” I explain. Blowing out a breath, I stand. “I’m trying to get her out, but they’re throwing their weight behind mental health law.”
“Like the psych ward kind?” Brooke asks.
“Yep,” I grunt, grabbing my bag and pulling on my coat.
“Except, there’s nothing wrong with her except her bitch of a mother.
It’s complicated and frustrating, and I’m doing the best I can.
If shit gets any worse, I’m going to take a step away from teaching.
The only reason I haven’t already is because it’s something for me to focus on. ”
Brooke nods, and I can tell she’s thinking hard.
“What?” I ask, brow raised. For some reason, I don’t want her to think badly of Nina. In fact, I can feel myself getting incensed by the thought.
“Nothing, it’s just that even though I’m a beta, I hear things about how dangerous it is for omegas,” she explains. “It’s scary shit, you know? I’m going to light a candle on my way home for her safe return.”
“Thank you,” I breathe, shocked.
“Girls have to stick together,” she says with a shrug, leaving.
I wasn’t expecting her to say any of that. Closing up the office, I walk out of the building with heavy steps. My chest hurts so often, if I didn’t know that it was because I miss Nina, I’d worry that I was having the heart attack everyone teases me I’ll have one day.
The cold wind is a welcome punishment as I walk out into the late afternoon air. Everyone is leaving, happy to be done with the day. I refuse to hurry as people pull out of the lot, because my son got his road rage from me. It’s why I’m on his ass about his driving .
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I curse, knowing I won’t be able to answer until I’m in my car. My hands are freezing, even stuffed in my pockets. Hurrying, I unlock my doors and get into the vehicle. Pulling out my phone as I hit the start button, I answer it.
“This is Professor Thornefield. How can I help you?” I ask.
I didn’t bother to check the caller ID due to my hurry, and I pinch my nose in frustration as I hear Vivian’s irritating voice. Fuck, why did I even bother getting out of bed today?
“Cooper, I need you to do something for me ,” her cool, coy voice says.
A long time ago, I let myself get pulled in by that voice. I allowed myself to get wrapped around her finger like an idiot, convinced I was in love with her. What a joke.
“I don’t think you have that kind of pull anymore, Vivian,” I murmur, turning the heat up.
I don’t trust myself to drive while speaking to her.
“ This is for my daughter’s wellbeing, Cooper. You’ve been throwing up quite the disturbance at Weeping Willow. I need you to reject her,” she says confidently.
My heart plummets and I find myself growling.
“I’m sorry, I need you to repeat that with context,” I say. While my voice sounds calm, I know that Brooke would be heading for cover if she heard me.
I’m about to blow, and I will not take any prisoners.
“ I…need…Nina to be free,” Vivian says so slowly, I begin to imagine snapping her fucking neck.
Something has changed inside of me. Instead of simply pretending that I’m squeezing people’s heads till they pop off so I feel better, I fucking itch to do it.
“Why?” I drawl, counting in my head.
“I need it ,” she hisses. “ How else will I get her set up with a pack that’ll align with my interests?”
“I have money,” I remind her. “If your new husband isn’t giving you enough, I’ll give you some, but I am not rejecting Nina, and neither is Ethan.”
“ Ugh, I forgot the well built twit was also her mate, ” she grumbles. “ It just won’t do for her to marry my ex-husband. You knew her when she was a child, Cooper. For all anyone knows, you could have tucked her in.”
I never did, though. Vivian was very determined to keep Nina and I apart, and I wasn’t her father. Those were the lines drawn in the sand, which is why it’s not odd for me that she’s my scent match. I wish that I’d been able to shelter her more from her mother’s abuse.
No one can change my mind on this. Vivian is abusive to her daughter, constantly using her to cement her own position in society. It’s fucking disgusting.
My chest heaves as I silently fume. I’m working myself up, and I refuse to keep quiet. I just need to know more about her plans before I burn them all down.
“You’ve never had a scent match before, which means you don’t understand how strong it is,” I say, digging the knife into her chest. I firmly believe she wasn’t given one because she’s such a terrible person, I simply didn’t realize it until it was almost too late.
My regret lies in not being able to take Nina with me.
“That’s why I need you to reject her ,” Vivian complains, as if I’m the child who isn’t processing things fast enough for her.
“Here’s the thing, though. Nina will always look for me at every heat, she’ll feel the gnawing pain inside of her because her mates aren’t with her.
Our connection runs deep, despite not knowing each other for long,” I remind her.
“It doesn’t matter how many years it’s been since we’ve seen each other. Scent matching is forever.”
“ Unless you reject her !” Vivian screams. Ha, there’s the cracks inside her seemingly placid nature.
Vivian is a fucking hot head, but few people have had shit thrown at them like I have by her. Her aim sucks, and consistently gets worse the angrier she gets.
“So you can sell her to the highest bidder?” I ask nonchalantly, though I feel anything but. “Are you already shopping around for a pack for her, dear ex-wife?”
“I’m not your dear anything, Cooper ,” she grumbles . “I need her to be the perfect daughter, and while the hospital doctors state she’s not there yet, they promise she will be soon. Nina will be pliant, obedient ? —”
“Boring!” I yell out, my fist clenching.
I need to hit things. Maybe I can convince Ethan to spar with me.
If not, I’ll beat up a punching bag. “She’ll be a blue blooded version of you then.
I want the fire, the brat who talks back to me, and runs away when she can see I'm about seconds away from snapping so I can chase her.”
“ Ew ,” Vivian says. “ Please don’t talk about the sex games you play with my daughter. See, this is why you can’t be fucking and mating your step-daughter.”
“We aren’t married anymore,” I rumble. “You and I were never right for each other, because while I may be a jealous bastard, I have redeeming qualities. You’re just someone I want to kill and then bury so that even the wild animals won’t want to mess with you.”
“ Nonsense ,” Vivian giggles nervously. “ You’re overwrought with emotion. This is another reason why you shouldn’t be with someone so young. Nina will drive you crazy. She needs to be with a pack who can show her a firm hand.”
Remembering the way I taught Nina all about punishment, I smirk.
“I think my brand of that works just fine,” I croon.
“My problem is that I am without my scent match, and I am seconds away from going feral, Vivian. I will never, ever reject Nina. Ethan won’t ever do it either.
Therefore, it seems as if you’re shit out of luck.
Get her the fuck out of that joke of an institution. ”
“ It’s not a joke, Cooper !” she whines. “ These institutions are doing great work for families with wayward children. Nina needs to have an attitude adjustment.”
“That’s not what you’re proposing and you know it!
” I roar. Patience is not something I possess, but my fracturing soul isn’t fairing well during this conversation.
“You are trying to turn her into another person, one who doesn’t have any other thoughts but the ones you put there.
Nina will fight those doctors tooth and nail until there’s nothing left of her.
Do you want to be responsible for killing your daughter? ”
“She’ll be perfect ,” Vivian sniffs, pretending to cry. “ Why can't you let her go, you insufferable man! You don’t know what she or I need. You’re trying to ruin all of my plans.”
“I won’t only ruin them,” I promise,“I’ll burn everything you care about to the fucking ground.
Nina deserves to live her life as far away from you as possible.
I will not only find a way to remove her from that facility, I’ll also ensure you won’t ever have a legal leg to stand on as her mother and guardian.
I will bond her, marry her, and put a baby in her. ”
Wow. I wasn’t expecting the last part to come out, but it’s not a surprise to me that I have a heavy breeding kink. Everything I can do to tie Nina to me is something I need to happen.
“ Cooper, you’re impossible to deal with,” Vivian screeches. “ The very idea of Nina pregnant by you is enough to make me physically ill.”
“I’ll make sure not to send any Christmas cards with her belly swollen with child then,” I murmur. “Mark my words, Vivian, this is one fight you won’t be winning.”
Hanging up on her screams, I blow out a breath. I would love to indulge in the loss of control, but this is the most I’ll allow myself. Dropping my head back onto the headrest, I take some deep, cleansing breaths.
We will get her back. I repeat this over and over as I straighten my spine and begin the drive home. I know Ethan has irons in the fire to help Nina, I just need to hold on until one of them works out .
The issue is, if I’m feeling these effects after a month of being away from her, what’s happening to her?
Hold on, Princess. Please.