Lucas stood on the small balcony of Julie's dorm, the warm sunlight filtering through the trees in the distance. His mind was a storm of thoughts as he stared at the door to her room. He had never been this restless before—never been so drawn to someone in all his centuries. But Julie wasn't just anyone. She was his mate.
The pull to be near her was almost overwhelming. As he stood in the quiet, he inhaled deeply, savoring her scent that lingered in the air—faint but still distinct, like jasmine and wildflowers mixed with the subtle hint of ink from her books. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm the frantic beating of his heart.
This was a mistake. He shouldn't be here. But he had to know more—he had to understand why he felt this way, why everything in him urged him to claim her, to protect her. To make her his.
*Patience,* he reminded himself, steadying his breath. *I need to be sure. I can't let my emotions dictate my actions. Not yet.*
But the pull was too strong, and before he could stop himself, he reached for the window, slipping inside her room with the ease of someone used to moving in the shadows.
The room was small and modest, but it was neat—clean. Books lined one wall, and photos of her friends, including Samuel, Nathan, Rebecca, and Misha, decorated the walls. It was in these small details that Lucas saw her life—her friendships, her struggles, her sense of independence. She was human. And yet, there was something more beneath that simple, normal surface. Something he couldn't quite grasp.
His eyes caught one picture in particular—Julie smiling brightly as Samuel, the boy who had wrapped an arm around her, leaned into her. A wave of possessiveness surged through him, hard and sudden. No one was allowed to touch her like that—*no one.* He had to keep the boys away.
Turning his attention to the wardrobe, he opened it. It was startlingly sparse—just a few sets of clothes, nothing extravagant. Not a single piece of jewelry or sign of a life filled with luxury. Just the basics. *Her life has been stripped down to survival,* he thought, a pang of sympathy slicing through him.
But that wasn't all. As he rifled through her belongings, his hand paused when it brushed against something unusual—a rectangular box tucked in the back of the wardrobe. His curiosity piqued, Lucas opened it carefully, half expecting something mundane, something he could dismiss. But instead, his breath caught in his throat.
There, nestled inside, was a large, immaculate white feather.
Lucas' fingers hovered over it, and then, with great caution, he touched it. The moment his skin made contact, a bolt of recognition struck him like lightning. This wasn't just any feather. This was an *angel's* feather.
He frowned. *How could she—*
Julie was a human. How could she possess such a thing? Angel feathers were rare, sacred, and impossible to obtain. They were the divine's most prized treasures, and yet, here it was, resting in her hands—hidden, protected. Lucas' mind raced. *Does she know about the supernatural? Does she understand what she has?*
He had to know. But asking her directly would be too risky. He needed more information—he couldn't reveal himself, couldn't risk exposing their world to her yet.
He placed the feather back in the box and pushed it back into the wardrobe, but not before a thought flashed in his mind. *She might not even know what she holds...*
She *mustn't* know.
As Lucas stood there in the silence of her room, something inside him urged him to stay, to search through her papers, her life, everything. But he couldn't. He had already crossed a line. He had to leave before she returned.
With a final glance at her room, Lucas turned toward the window. His eyes scanned the courtyard below, and with the practiced grace of a predator, he slipped out of the room and back onto the balcony, disappearing into the shadows of the university grounds.
---
**Meanwhile, Julie's Day**
Julie's morning had been a whirlwind. She had barely slept the night before, her mind still replaying her strange encounter with Lucas in class. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them, something unspoken that lingered like an electric charge in the air. She tried to focus during her classes, but her thoughts kept drifting back to him.
His intense gaze. The way he looked at her, almost as if he were seeing something she couldn't. It left her feeling exposed, vulnerable, yet strangely *alive.*
At lunch, she tried to forget about it, focusing on her part-time job interview at the university library. It wasn't much, but it was something, and she had hoped it would give her some financial relief. The interview went smoothly—she was told she'd know by Friday if she had gotten the position—but as she walked back to the dorm afterward, her thoughts still kept returning to the mystery of Lucas and the undeniable pull she felt toward him.
Her phone buzzed, breaking her train of thought. It was a message from Misha. *"How was the interview? Meet us in the cafeteria later. We're all waiting for you."*
Julie smiled at the message but couldn't help but feel a strange unease in the pit of her stomach. It was as if the universe was conspiring to keep her on edge today.
She made her way towards the cafeteria to meet her friends and graph something to eat forp hisp early dinner because she knew she will not come out of the dorm later since she is too tired.
She spotted misha and Rebecca at the cor ner table nonsight of Samuels and nathan.after wpaving at them she made her way towards the counter and order a meal for her and make way towards the table with the tray. Girls greeted her with the smile. They chat a bit about their day when Julie's thought drofterd to none other than Lucas.
At that moment, Misha's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Julie? Are you alright? You've been zoning out all day."
Julie turned, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… tired."
Misha narrowed her eyes but said nothing, nodding as she sat down beside Julie. "You know, Samuel's been acting weird around you. I think he might be falling for you."
Julie's stomach twisted. "Samuel? No, he's just being nice."
Misha's expression softened. "If you say so, but… something's different."
Julie wasn't sure how to respond, but just then, a familiar shiver ran down her spine. She instinctively turned towards the window, her pulse racing for reasons she couldn't quite explain. Her eyes darted around, and then… nothing.
But somehow, she felt as though she's being watched.
---
**Back with Lucas**
Lucas had only one thought as he climbed into his car and drove through the university gates. *Keep her safe. Watch her closely.*
His mind linked with one of his most trusted men, instructing him to keep a watchful eye on Julie. He needed every detail—every move she made. The feather had only deepened his suspicions, and he was not ready to let her go, not with so many questions still unanswered.
*I will find out everything,* he thought, his hand gripping the steering wheel as he sped down the winding roads into the woods. He had other business to handle, but Julie—Julie had become his priority.
---
**Julie's Return to Her Room**
When Julie finally returned to her dorm later that evening, she walked into the room with a sense of unease she couldn't shake. She had been so focused on her interview that she hadn't noticed the slight chill in the air. The room felt different now, though she couldn't put her finger on why.
As she dropped her bag onto her bed, she noticed something odd—something out of place. Her wardrobe door, which she had left slightly ajar, was now fully open. She frowned, walking over and pushing it back into position. But there was nothing else amiss. No signs of anyone having been there.
*Maybe I just forgot to close it properly,* she thought, brushing it off.
But deep down, a quiet voice nagged at her, as if she weren't the only one who had been in the room today.
---
**Later that Night**
As Julie prepared for bed, the memory of the class and Lucas' eyes haunted her. *What was it about him?*
Outside, the wind howled, and for a moment, she thought she heard a rustle at the window. She turned, but the room was still—silent.
She was being ridiculous.
But still, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
As her head hit the pillow, the last thought she had before sleep took her was: *What if everything I'm feeling is connected to him?*
And somewhere far away, Lucas sat alone, his mind a tangle of thoughts about his mate, about the feather, and about the mystery that was Julie.
The feather. It was a sign. He knew that now. Whatever path lay ahead, he would follow it to the end. But for now, there was only one thing he could do: keep her safe. Keep her close. And make sure no one else got in the way of his mate.