<h4>Chapter 504: The Teasing Game</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as he lifted his brows at my sudden question... slow, elegant, assessing.


    As if he could hear all the unspoken meaning wrapped inside that tiny question.


    He didn’t respond immediately, which made my stomach twist with nerves.


    Then, in that deep, unwavering voice of his, he said, "I will be free for you."


    My heart stuttered.


    I rushed to add, "I mean... you don’t have to rearrange anything. If you have important work-"


    "Angel."


    That endearment silenced me.


    He stepped closer, gaze steady and far too intense for someone who had just gifted me jewels worth more than my entire closetbined.


    "I said," he repeated, "I will be free for you tomorrow evening."


    Warmth bloomed in my chest... embarrassingly fast, embarrassingly strong.


    He didn’t say he was free.


    He said he <i>would be free</i>.


    Meaning he wasn’t, but he was choosing to be.


    For me.


    Before I could react, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.


    A woman’s familiar voice answered... polished, crisp, clearly ustomed to dealing with River’s schedules.


    "Cancel everything after six tomorrow," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.


    "No, not postponing. Cancel. I need to be with someone very important."


    My breath caught.


    Thest word... <i>important</i>... rolled off his tongue like it carried weight.


    Meaning.


    Intention.


    And he said it while looking directly at me.


    By the time he ended the call, any lingering annoyance about his ridiculous training session had evaporated.


    This man.


    This infuriating, intense, breathtaking man... was going to be the death of me.


    First, the present.


    Now this?


    Only if he could agree to thest thing I needed from him tonight... then he would truly be the perfect mate.


    Before my doubts could talk me out of it, I stood up from the vanity stool and stepped into his space. His breath hitched... barely, but I noticed. His eyes flickered down, taking in the way my pajama straps brushed my shoulders and how close I was standing.


    I lifted my arms and looped them around his neck.


    His hands didn’t touch me... he kept them at his sides like he was restraining himself with visible effort.


    Good.


    Because I was trying not to melt into him.


    I rose onto my toes, my voice soft, hopeful, nearly pleading as I asked, "Can I... have a day off from training tomorrow?"


    His entire demeanor changed in an instant.


    The warmth vanished.


    The soft edges hardened.


    The alpha reced the mate.


    "No," he said immediately.


    I barely kept myself from groaning aloud.


    "I need tomorrow to prepare," I argued quickly.


    "Your training is more important."


    "River," I said, tilting my head, letting my thumbs brush the back of his neck in gentle circles, "I haven’t had a break in over ten days."


    His eyes narrowed slightly.


    "You have trained for weeks without a day off before."


    "That’s not the point," I muttered.


    "Then what is the point?"


    "I need time to get everything ready," I insisted. "Tomorrow is important."


    "For what?"


    His voice was low. Curious. Suspicious.


    "Just... stuff," I hedged, refusing to give him more ammunition.


    He crossed his arms now - oh wonderful, the full stubborn alpha stance.


    "There’s only one week left before you return to the Academy," he reminded me. "Your training stops after that. We need to make the most of it."


    I rolled my eyes. "I will literally have physicalbat ss every day at the Academy."


    "Weekends," he said, deadpan.


    I blinked.


    "What?"


    "You’ll get weekends off there. No physicalbat sses."


    I stared at him.


    He stared back like he had just delivered the winning argument.


    Ugh.


    He was too good at this.


    The debate was slipping through my fingers, so I dropped logic entirely and reced it with a tactic that always <i>nearly</i> worked.


    I let my eyes soften.


    I tilted my head just slightly.


    I let my arms slide from his neck to his shoulders, fingers brushing down the firm line of muscle.


    "Don’t ruin tomorrow for me," I whispered.


    His nostrils red.


    Good.


    I leaned closer, but made sure to still not closing thatst inch between us, yet enough that I felt the tension coil tight between us.


    "I want everything to go perfectly," I murmured. "Please?"


    He closed his eyes.


    Another good sign.


    I pressed on, my tone low and coaxing, every word dipped in warmth.


    "One day, River. Just one. You have already done so much for me tonight. Don’t take this one thing away."


    He let out a long, slow exhale... the sound a man makes when he knows he’s losing.


    When he opened his eyes again, they were darker.


    Softer.


    Defeated.


    "Angel ..."


    He rubbed his hand over his jaw.


    "You are impossible."


    "I know," I said sweetly. "But I’m your impossible."


    He groaned... actually groaned.


    Victory tingled through me.


    I pushed once more, hands gently cupping the back of his neck, my lips an inch from his.


    "Say yes."


    He hesitated only for another heartbeat.


    Then...


    "Fine."


    I smiled. A bright, triumphant, borderline smug smile.


    "Just tomorrow." He reminded.


    "Deal."


    We stood there like that, suspended in the thickest tension imaginable.


    His eyes dropped to my lips.


    Mine flicked to his.


    Just one inch apart.


    One breath.


    One slip of control.


    But... neither of us moved.


    This had be a game - one neither of us admitted, but both desperately yed.


    Who would break first?


    Who would be the one to close the distance?


    Not tonight.


    Not yet.


    But tomorrow...


    Tomorrow everything would change.


    At least... I nned to make sure it did.


    River finally stepped back - slowly, reluctantly, like pulling himself away required actual effort.


    He nced at the emerald ne on my throat, then at my face, then back to my lips.


    His voice was rougher when he spoke.


    "Goodnight, Angel."


    I swallowed. "Goodnight, River."


    He turned, walking out of the closet with a steadiness that betrayed nothing... except the subtle clench of his jaw and the way his fingers curled once at his side.


    He paused at the doorway, looking back onest time.


    That look...


    Stars, that look.


    Like he wanted to return.


    Like he wanted to push me against the wall and kiss me breathless.


    Like he was struggling not to.


    Then he left.


    The door clicked softly behind him.


    And with that, the teasing game that had been going on all holiday continued.... stretched tight, coiled, waiting for the final snap.