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“Calm? Sweet and cuddly?” They both laughed. “I’m calm, yes. That’s my true nature. But you must know, poika, the bond in its early stages is weak and is missing a solid foundation. Until there is security, it’s unpredictable, which makes the Korrena unpredictable. I wasn’t as bad as your father, but I had my moments.”

Lukas sighed. “I definitely have been more aggressive…”

“Then you must work on that. It is hard, I know. But it will be worth it. I promise.”

Blaire rolled over onto her side to face him. He knew what he wanted. He needed to convince her he was worth the effort. Worth the unknown.

“I must go now, poika. Please, call me more. Your father and I miss you so much.”

He heard his father grunt in the background and call out, “I want to meet her soon!”

Lukas laughed softly. “Sure. Soon.”

Monday morning, Blaire and Lukas went to class together, not having talked much since she ripped up the picture of her and Caleb. She had stayed in bed most of Sunday after the nurse visited.

She felt awful. Lukas had brought her a sandwich on Sunday, since she hadn’t eaten anything but a bunch of chocolate since Friday, but she couldn’t eat more than a bite or two. Her cycle kept her nauseous. Not eating made it worse. But eating also made it worse. It was a double-edged sword. He grumbled about her stubbornness, but she did manage to drink the teas and juice he kept bringing her. He wasn’t angry, he was concerned for her. They didn’t get much opportunity to talk, so he didn’t know what was wrong. All she wanted to do was sleep. She was ready for it to be over with already. It had been a long time since it had been this bad, but the nurse assured her no one could smell it except Lukas, and he said that was only if she had an accident. She visited the bathroom often.

Lukas carried Blaire’s backpack for her as he walked with her to class, resting his hand on her back gently in case she had trouble with balance at any point. His caring and attentive behavior made her heart flutter. The big problem was she couldn’t look at him. Every single time their eyes met, she had to look away due to the blush overtaking her features. She couldn’t stop thinking about the dream from Saturday night.

Something in the way Lukas had changed since he confronted her about Aiden had Blaire looking at him differently. He seemed softer, the lingering edges disappearing. She thought back to how he acted in the diner when Caleb came. She felt so safe in his arms, and his reassuring words calmed her even in the face of her trauma. Then, on her bed, sharing chocolate, and his attentiveness to her need for physical closeness. His understanding of her seeing a counselor without judgment.

Blaire opened the classroom door and stepped inside with Lukas following, shutting the door behind them, and ran a hand through his hair.

“Blaire!” Riley shouted from her desk, causing Aiden to swing his gaze toward the door and furrow his brow when he saw Blaire’s face.

Blaire lowered herself into her seat as Lukas set her backpack down, before taking his seat behind her. Aiden raised a brow at him, nodding toward the backpack. Lukas shrugged.

“I heard you weren’t feeling well…” Aiden said, frowning as he gave Blaire a once-over with his eyes.

Blaire looked at him in confusion. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Riley came to see you yesterday, and Lukas said you weren’t feeling well.”

“Yeah,” Riley said. “You were asleep, so I didn’t want to wake you. …not that he would have let me, anyway. He didn’t even let me in the room.” Riley glared at Lukas.

Blaire looked over her shoulder at Lukas, but he just stared at her quietly. She felt thankful he didn’t blab to everyone she was on her period. It wasn’t anyone’s business.

“But for real… you look pale. Like, really, really, pale. Are you sure you’re okay to be in class?” Riley said, studying Blaire’s face.

“I’m fine…” Blaire sighed and rubbed her eyes with her hand. “I just haven’t been feeling all that good since I woke up Sunday, so I spent most of the time in bed trying to sleep it off. I haven’t eaten much of anything.”

Blaire put a hand on her lower abdomen as it cramped, her face twisting in discomfort. She should have taken more pain pills. Riley looked at her and her brows lifted. Blaire wondered if she figured it out.

“I mean, Lukas tried to get me to eat yesterday, but I just didn’t feel like it. I’ve only had those few fries at the diner and some chocolate with Lukas on Saturday—aside from those couple bites of sandwich Lukas made me eat. That’s probably why I’m pale.”

Riley frowned at her.

Lukas shifted in his seat again behind her and Aiden glanced in his direction, asking, “What is it?”

Blaire followed his gaze to Lukas, who looked stressed. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

Lukas nodded. “Just wondering if you need pain medicine…”

Before Blaire could tell him she would love some, wondering if he could feel her pain, Vincent approached the aisle and stopped next to her desk. She hadn’t seen him since the day they met in the cafeteria. He wasn’t in uniform today, instead wearing a pair of tight black slacks, a button-down black shirt with the sleeves rolled up his corded forearms, accented by a black vest buttoned over the top. Aside from the bracelets, rings, and nail polish, he looked aristocratic but with a dark and gothic edge. While the polished and refined look wasn’t what she found attractive in a man, she could appreciate his masculine beauty.

Vincent stopped at her desk and tilted his head to the side, studying her face. “Are you alright, Blaire?”

Lukas snapped at him. “What the hell are you doing in our class?”