Jake's motorcycle tore through city streets like a predator in pursuit—his eyes scanning every pedestrian and car with intense focus as if he might find Felix hiding somewhere in plain sight. The thought made him angry—more at himself than anything—and he pushed the bike to go faster, almost reckless as he weaved through crowded intersections and honking taxis.
He tried his phone again, cursing when it went straight to voicemail. Again.
Where the *hell* was the kid? The city was huge—he could be anywhere—
—but Jake *knew*.
He knew Felix's patterns. His routines. The way he avoided eye contact in crowds, the path he always took to school through the quieter side streets—like a ghost trying not to be seen.
And more than that…
Jake could *feel* him.
The bond they'd sealed last night wasn't just physical—it was *magical*. Deeply, irrevocably so. And even though Felix had run—panicked and scared and convinced he wasn't enough—it still pulsed between them like a thread woven into their very souls.
Every beat of Jake's heart pulled him toward one place: **Eastwell Academy**, where Felix attended pre-med classes under an alias, buried beneath student numbers and financial aid paperwork no one important ever checked twice.
Jake smirked—just slightly—as he turned the bike sharply down Crescent Way, tires screeching against pavement.
"You can run," he muttered under his breath, cutting off an oblivious delivery van without slowing down. "But you're still mine."
Up ahead—the iron gates of Eastwell loomed past elm-lined sidewalks, students in uniform walking in pairs or small groups toward the main building like ants returning to formic acid trails after rain
But among them?
No sign of messy dark hair
No wide green eyes flashing with defiance
No backpack slung too casually over one shoulder like armor
Felix was here somewhere—he could *feel it*
And this time?
Jake wasn't letting him disappear without being seen
Not by teachers
Not by classmates
**By no one**
Because from now on—the world would know:
Felix belonged to him
And anyone who tried to make that love hide?
They'd learn what it meant when an Alpha stopped playing nice
The news.
Jake's heart skipped a beat as the news played from the café TV he'd ducked into to get out of the cold
His eyes scanned the screen—headline at the bottom reading "*Local Teen Struck by Car, Condition Unknown*"—before the anchor began discussing something about next week's weather forecast.
"Damn it," he whispered, digging in his pocket for his keys "Damn *it."*
Jake threw his untouched coffee into the trash and raced outside—hopped on his bike and took off fast down the street.
*Let it be someone else*
He weaved through traffic, speeding around corners faster than he should've.
*Please let him be alright*
The traffic light turned yellow just as he reached the corner... but he pushed the throttle down anyway, tearing through the intersection before the cars could start moving again
*Please don't be Felix*
The hospital came into view up ahead, grey and imposing against a clear winter sky. Jake felt his throat close up, but forced himself to keep moving. If it *was* Felix...
He wouldn't panic.
He couldn't.
He pushed the bike as fast as it could go, racing around the last corner in a sharp turn that made the rear tire skid against the pavement and his heart nearly pound out of his chest.
He parked haphazardly at the side of the ER entrance and swung off the bike, keys in hand
*Please let him be alright. Please.*
He burst through glass doors and up to a reception desk where a tired-looking nurse glanced up from her computer.
"Yes, can I help you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the disheveled figure standing before her.
"I need to know if a boy was brought in—a teenager, dark hair, green eyes," Jake said, his voice tight with barely restrained panic. "He might not have been conscious—he could've come in under John Doe."
The woman narrowed her eyes, studying his face as if trying to place it. "I'm afraid I can't disclose any information without knowing your name, and if you're a relative or not."
Jake felt his patience snap, every moment slipping past like fine grains of sand. "I *am* a family member," he said firmly, meeting her eyes with fire in his own. "Now *tell me* if a boy matching that description has been brought in."
The nurse stared at him a moment, her gaze flickering over every inch of his face as if searching for something. "One moment," she finally said, picking up her phone.
Jake waited, tapping his foot against the floor as he tried to catch his breath. *Please let him be alright. Please let him be alive. Please—*
After what felt like an eternity, the nurse hung up the phone. She turned back to him, expression unreadable.
"Follow me," she said simply, standing up from her chair and indicating a hallway off to the side.
Jake fell into step beside her, every nerve in his body crackling with tension. *What was going on? Why wouldn't she just tell him?*
They passed several hospital rooms, doctors and nurses bustling inside and out of them with clipboards and syringes.
Jake itched to ask questions, to insist for answers, but bit his tongue. This was too important.
They came to a stop outside a small room near the far back corner of the hospital. The nurse opened the door, gesturing for Jake to go inside.
Jake hesitated a moment—and then stepped over the threshold.
His heart nearly stopped.
There—on the hospital bed—was Felix.
He lay motionless, eyes closed. A few flecks of dried blood were visible on the skin of his cheek and forehead—but aside from that, he looked normal.
Too normal.
Jake felt his knees almost buckle with relief as he crossed the room in one step, dropping to his knees beside the bed. He reached out, trembling, and laid a gentle hand on Felix's wrist—almost as if he were scared to break him.
"Felix..."
Felix's eyes opened slowly, the familiar green color dull and unfocused. But even half-awake and pain-dazed, he still recognized who was kneeling next to him.
"Jake..." he murmured, blinking tiredly. "You... you're here...?"
"Yeah, sweetheart," Jake whispered, thumb gently brushing over Felix's wrist. "I'm here."
His voice cracked—just slightly—as the weight of everything crashed down at once: fear, relief, anger at himself for not finding him sooner.
Felix tried to smile but winced instead, a soft whimper escaping his lips. "Hurts..." he mumbled.
"I know, sweetheart," Jake murmured, voice thick with emotion. He leaned forward and pressed a feather-light kiss to Felix's forehead—careful of the bruises, gentle despite the storm raging inside him.
"You're safe now." His hand slid up to cradle the side of Felix's face. "I've got you."
Felix blinked slowly, eyes fluttering as if fighting to stay awake. "You... shouldn't be here..." he whispered weakly. "People will see..."
Jake's jaw tightened—possessive fire flashing in his purple eyes.
"Let them see," he growled low, thumb brushing over Felix's cheekbone. "*Let them all know.* You're mine—and I don't care who knows it anymore."
A nurse quietly stepped into the doorway behind them—but stopped short at the raw intimacy in the room
And for once
Jake didn't hide
Didn't pull away
Just kept his hand on Felix's skin
Where it belonged
A sharp vibration buzzed against Jake's thigh—his phone.
He ignored it at first, eyes locked on Felix's fragile form. But it kept ringing. Insistent. Annoying.
With a low growl, he pulled the device free and glanced at the screen:
**Daniel – 4 Missed Calls**
**12 New Messages**
*"You were supposed to be on set 30 minutes ago!!"*
*"Jake, we can't shoot without you—the whole crew is waiting!"*
*"If you're still chasing that kid—STOP. You're going to ruin everything!"*
Jake stared at the words—and then slowly, deliberately—locked the screen and shoved it back into his pocket.
Let them wait.
Let the world burn.
Felix stirred again with a soft whimper, fingers twitching like he wanted to reach out but didn't have the strength.
Jake caught his hand before he could even try—and laced their fingers together tight.
"I'm not leaving," he whispered firmly. "Not this time."
The phone buzzed again—but this time?
It went unanswered.
And somewhere deep in Jake's chest—a truth settled like stone:
*Nothing mattered more than this.*
5 minutes later, Daniel's voice came through the hospital intercom system, loud and panicked:Second manager "Mr. Vexley? There's a man at the front desk demanding to see you—he says it's urgent!"
Jake stiffened—eyes flashing purple for just a second—before standing slowly from his crouch beside the bed.
Felix whimpered instantly at the loss of contact. "No… don't go…"
"I won't," Jake promised, brushing hair from Felix's forehead with one hand while glaring toward the door with lethal intent. "But *he* won't stop coming unless I deal with him now."
The door swung open before he could stop it—and Daniel stormed in, disheveled and red-faced.
"Do you have any idea how much money we're losing because you're playing nurse?!" he snapped—then froze when he saw Felix in the bed and Jake's hand still clutching his.
Jake didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
One slow step forward—with eyes now glowing faintly violet—and deep magic thrumming beneath his skin like thunder about to break.
"Say that again," Jake murmured, low and dangerous. "And I'll make sure you forget not just today… but every day we've ever worked together."
Daniel paled—stepped back instinctively—even as part of him fought not to believe what he was seeing
*Powers? Real ones? All this time?!*
But Jake wasn't bluffing.
And seconds later?
Daniel turned on shaky legs—and walked himself out without another word
Back at Felix's side in an instant
Hand returning where it belonged
Safe
Protected
Claimed
"No one takes me from you again," Jake whispered against Felix's temple as monitors beeped softly between them like heartbeats matching rhythm
**Forever Mine** —even if the world trembles when I say it