Chapter 160

Kieran:
Oscar’s head was lowered slightly, hands resting inside his jacket pockets, but his stance was firm. Steady.
He wasn’t going to tell us who his mate was.
Not yet.
“I’m not hiding her forever,” he spoke after a moment, his voice softer now. “When she’s ready to meet the family, I’ll bring her to you. Until then, I just want to enjoy this… without judgment, pressure, or any sort of interference. I know what I’m asking for. But I also know I have never asked for much from either of you.”
He was right. Oscar had always been the golden boy. Our second youngest. He never complained, never rebelled, always carried his share of the family burden with more grace than anyone his age should be expected to.
And now he was simply asking to be left alone with the one person who finally made him feel whole.
I stepped forward first, unable to suppress the smile tugging at my lips. I pulled him into a hug, not the kind of stiff embrace that passed as masculine among most shifters, but a real one, like the big brother I was.
“I’m happy for you,” I said, thumping his back before letting go. “You are lucky, Oscar. Most of us are still waiting to find our mates… Don’t take it for granted. Cherish her.”
He gave me a small, grateful smile, one that barely reached his eyes but still meant something. I turned with him toward River, who had yet to say a word. His jaw was locked, eyes unreadable, and he was tapping his fingers against his folded arms.
“River,” I said, calling his name when he didn’t respond.
He finally looked up.
His gaze shifted between me and Oscar, and then slowly, he pushed himself off the desk. His expression was stoic but not cold. “I still think declining the Bills alliance is short-sighted,” he said in a firm voice but it was no longer confrontational. “But I respect your decision.”
Oscar straightened a little more, slightly surprised.
River held up a hand before Oscar could say anything. “That being said, I won’t investigate who your mate is. I won’t push it. But I expect that when the time comes, you’ll tell us. No surprises.”
“Of course,” Oscar nodded.
“Just like Kieran said, you are lucky. Cherish her.”
And then without waiting for a response, he stepped past us, opened the office door, and left, leaving behind a silence that was much lighter than before.
Oscar exhaled with visible relief. And I smiled at him. “Well. That went better than I thought it would.”
He chuckled. “Speak for yourself. I thought River was going to order me to marry Jasmine right here.”
We walked out of the office together, the tension behind us but still clinging faintly to the edges of our thoughts. I had no more classes to attend, but Oscar still had third-years in his next period. We were walking through the hallway that connected the administrative wing to the east study corridor when I saw her.
Evaline.
My steps slowed without conscious thought, my eyes locking onto her slender form walking along the opposite hallway.
She wasn’t alone, Rowan was with her, but even from this distance, I could see it.
She didn’t look like herself.
Her shoulders were sagged as if the weight of the world rested there. Her skin was pale, her steps small and unsure. There was no smile, no spark in her movements. Only… exhaustion. Sadness.
My heart twisted painfully.
“Hey,” Oscar’s voice pulled me back, and I realized I had stopped walking. “What’s wrong?”
I didn’t respond immediately, I was still staring at Evaline. His eyes started following mine.
And then-
“Oh, Oscar!”
A sugary voice cut through the air, so high-pitched it nearly made me flinch. We both turned just in time to see Jasmine Bills skipping – yes, skipping – down the hallway toward us.
And before Oscar could react, she launched herself into his arms.
“What the – Miss Bills -?” he tried to say, staggering slightly as her arms locked tightly around his torso like a vine choking a tree.
I took a slow step back and raised a brow.
Oscar looked horrified. He turned to me, with wide, pleading eyes, as if begging me to extract him from the mess.
I smirked and shook my head.
“I’m not getting in the middle of that,” I mouthed the words, already turning back toward the opposite hallway.
But Evaline was no longer there.
Rowan and she had disappeared from view. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
Something like panic struck me then. I hadn’t seen her in nearly two weeks. I had spent those days pushing her out of my mind, distancing myself, thinking it was for the best. But now, watching her walk away like that, shattered and barely standing… it left me feeling like the worst coward in the world.
Behind me, Oscar finally broke free from Jasmine’s death grip and took a step back. “We are not getting engaged,” he said bluntly, brushing off his jacket. “My brother will cancel this engagement deal with your father today. And I would appreciate it if you will keep your distance.”
Jasmine’s face crumbled into stunned silence, her mascara-lined lashes fluttering as if he had just smacked her across the face.
Oscar didn’t look back. He turned and walked away down another corridor, vanishing around the bend.
And I?
I fled the other way.
My legs moved on their own, my mind filled with one face – Evaline’s. I didn’t know what I would say when I found her. I just knew I needed to see her again.
It didn’t take long.
I spotted them at the entrance of the dormitory wing – Rowan and Evaline. He was holding her up, his arm tightly around her waist. Her legs looked barely functional, her steps stuttering like her limbs were refusing to support her anymore.
She was crying.
Even from afar, I could see the tears streaming down her face. And it broke me.
Then… she crumpled.
“Evaline!” I called, rushing forward, heart thundering in my chest as her body gave way and she collapsed into Rowan’s arms.
He barely caught her in time, his voice panicked as he called her name again and again. “Eva! Eva, look at me!”