Shout out to JTmaru who consistently votes on every chapter, letting me know at least someone is still reading along! Hey passive readers... give me a wave here so I know how many of you are still sticking along! Love you all :)

Also... CONTENT WARNING: Depicting of rape in the following chapter. If this is a triggering topic, please do not keep reading. I have more PG stories with milder themes... look for the colourful covers.

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"Which question do you want to do?" Olivia asked as we sat in the library after classes on Friday afternoon.

"I haven't really thought about it. You can pick," I replied.

Grimacing, she turned to look back at the various presentation topics the lecturer had given us on the works of Shakespeare. And while a small crease worried its way between her brows as she concentrated on the words, I couldn't stop my eyes trailing over her.

Today, she was wearing a green knitted sweater paired with black jeans. A simple outfit, but it complimented her fair complexion and vibrant hair brilliantly. What was really striking was that she had tied her locks into a loose bun, not sporting her usual worn-out hair look. With her hair styled like this, I could see her neck and the gentle pulsing of her blood through the delicate skin.

What really surprised me though was, while a part of me found my mouth watering at the idea of tasting her fruit-scented blood, I was more curious about how it would feel to just brush my lips over the hollow behind her ear. To hold her close to my body. To—

"Lukas?" a voice echoed out loud, bringing me fully out of my head.

Gaze snapping to her awaiting eyes, I uttered a, "Huh?"

"Seriously, mate... did you sleep last night?" she asked. "You're always drifting off to a world that doesn't seem here."

"Sorry," I mumbled, turning my head to the desk. For once I wasn't actually going to memory land though... It was just her on my mind.

"It's okay," she said, tone a little softer, hand resting on my wrist. Her touch pulled on the bond invitation, making my heart glow with delight and begging me to move closer. But I  somehow managed to resist. "What I said before you exited this conversation was that I think we should do Romeo and Juliet."

"But you hate it," I responded.

Laughing, she said, "Yes. But I also think we both have a lot to dissect on it. I'm certainly familiar with it and various debates, so it could be really easy."

"If that's what you want to do..."

"Is it what you want to do?"

"Anything works for me," I said, throwing her a small smile. Because anything she wanted to do, I would do too.

But she frowned, lips pressing together.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Let's research."

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

We worked a little on our assignment every day over the following week (except Saturday and Sunday, of course). I grew used to talking to her—to her gentle voice, her banter, her minor jokes here and there about me drifting off.

By the following Friday, as I watched Olivia in the midst of her setup routine, placing her pencil case to the right, book in the middle, pens to the left, and laptop to the front, I couldn't help but wonder what she'd do if things did go askew. Because the reality was, if she were to ever get involved with me, her life would be far from normal. I was curious to know if she could handle that...

Which was why, as she was distracted with opening her notebook, I picked up one of her pencils and placed it in front of her laptop, closer to me on the other side of the table.

Glancing up at the pencil, she frowned. Then she reached over to grab it and put it back. But as she focussed on rectifying her setup, I then went to her pencil case. Eyes locked on her, with one finger I casually nudged the pencil case to the edge of the table.

Her eyes flickered up to me, that adorable crease worrying between her brows, before shooting back to her misplaced pencil case. "What on earth are you doing?" she gasped, voice mixing between annoyance and humour.

"Sit one session with one of these items where I've placed them," I challenged her, moving her pens again as she reached for the pencil case.

"Lukas!" she half-whined, half-laughed. "Leave them where I put them."

"No," I said, closing her notebook back up.

She came to a stop, finally giving me her full attention, bottom lip jutting out. But I couldn't stifle the smile spreading across my face. While she was doing her best to pretend she was mad at me, I could see the hints of warmth and tenderness behind her glare. "Glad you're in a good mood today," she said softly.

At that comment, my heart skipped a beat, and I looked to the table, feeling any elated feelings wash out of me. "I'm not... I..."

"It's okay to have good days, you know."

Was it? Did I deserve to have good days when Erica and Anja... I sighed. "Yeah... I know." But I didn't really.

Her hand gently came atop mine. "Will you feel even better if I put up with one item moved?"

She'd do that for me? Meeting her gaze, I grinned and nodded. "Or two?"

"Don't push it, buddy."

We still didn't approach personal topics as we continued our presentation. Content-focussed discussion was always what we stuck to, never straying into personal matters. Nonetheless, I was thriving in the ability to joke with her. And to know she considered me her 'buddy'... her friend.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

When our study session had come to an end and Olivia had packed all her belongings into her bag, she paused, looking at me.

"Something the matter?" I asked her.

"Are you not going?" she asked, seemingly avoiding eye contact.

"I was going to do a little more on another assignment..." I trailed off.

"Oh."

"Why?"

"No reason." She turned to leave, but I grabbed her wrist before she could go. Yet as I felt the puckered flesh beneath my fingertip and her squirming in my grasp, knowing I was touching it, I released her at once, letting my hand fall down to grasp her palm instead.

"Why, Olivia?" I tried again.

"I just... I don't know. I was hoping we could get dinner together tonight before we parted." She was swaying lightly, bottom lip snagged between her teeth as she kept her gaze downcasted. I could hear her heart beating a little faster, see the tinge of pink overtaking her face. It took a lot of courage for her to ask me this.

I felt guilty already knowing my response, so I dropped my hold of her as I looked away. "I still have a lot to do on this assignment."

The crestfallen notes to her sigh told me all I needed to know: she heard the lie in my tone. "That's okay." She had evidently gotten her hopes up from my kinder attitude today.

"Maybe next time," I whispered as she turned away.

"Sure, next time. See you Monday, Lukas," she casted over her shoulder before walking out of my sight.

A small part of me wanted to ditch the books and chase after her, apologising until the sadness I had instilled in her had dissipated. But I didn't. Because she was safer if we stayed like this...

Instead, I sat there, staring at her empty chair for an immeasurable amount of time, until finally I returned to my book and continued researching.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

I left the library about an hour later, my hand itching at my side to text or call her to see if she made it home okay. But I shook the thought as I stepped out of the building into the brisk February air.

While the days of light snow coverage that masked the green hues of park grassland were long gone, the air still bit at my skin despite the scarf and thick jacket I adorned.

After taking a moment to cast a small heating spell over my body, I began my trek home.

But as I placed one foot in front of the other, away from the warm library and further into the city landscape, a sense of dread hung in the air around me.

Buzzing and icy, I came to a pause as I tuned into the magical sensation calling to me. It spread through the ground, into my core, pulling on my heart, tugging me in a certain direction of London.

My head whipped towards the northern districts.

What's over there? I wondered. And what is this magic...

I began running, not knowing why or where, keeping my pace as close to a human's as possible. Nonetheless, as I got closer to whatever was reaching for me, I felt the vibrations intensify, permeating me with a sense of fear and despair. So I ran even faster. Faster than what the humans around me could see with their naked eye.

As I entered the perimeter of the Highgate district, I heard her scream.

"No, please, stop," the familiar voice cried into the night, begging my ears to seek out her location.

I took off at once in the direction of the sound. Most of my mind was focussed on getting to her in time. But a very small part of me wondered how on earth it was possible I knew she was in trouble. This wasn't a side effect of bond invitations.

Her cries got louder as I flew through the bends of the streets, the waft of alcohol and sound of pub chatter intensifying.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, this time her calls closer.

Finally, I rounded a corner to an alleyway, glancing down to find the source of the pull and screams.

In the shadows of the night, the man had her pinned to the wall with one hand, the other groping at her breast, her underwear dragged down to her knees.

Tears were streaming down her face. Red locks tangled and matted as he gyrated his body against her.

"Get off her," I growled from where I stood. But when he made no movement to do as instructed, I ran to her side in an instant.

Before the man had time to react, I grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt, and threw him against the brick wall, his bones crunching when he collided. As he collected himself, shoulder slumping from the impact, I put myself between him and Olivia.

"What's your problem?" he slurred at me, buckling his pants back together before looking up. But as he met my venomous gaze, he cowered backwards.

"Get. The fuck. Out of here," I seethed. I wanted nothing more than to sink my teeth into his neck and drain him. To clench my hand around his manhood and squeeze it until it exploded into skin and blood so that he could never do this again. To just grab his head and snap his neck right then and there. But Olivia was watching. Olivia needed me right now. And I couldn't be there for her while he was still in sight.

Besides... I could just hunt him down later.