Kylan

“Ky,” Chrystal moaned into my ears as she reached her peak. Her body trembled beneath me, nails dug into my back, hard enough to leave marks.

I waited for a while before I rolled off her with a disappointed sigh. It didn’t feel satisfying, not in the way it should have—and it was all because of…her.

Chrystal had the audacity to place her hand on my chest and started tracing circles with her fingers. “That was amazing,” she whispered.

For you.

She leaned closer to kiss my cheek, but I could avoid it just in time. I rolled my eyes, pushing her away as I got out of bed. Our business was done here, and so was any desire to stay here with her.

"Why can’t you just stay with me for once?" Chrystal asked, her voice a little frustrated. “Like you used to.”

I ignored her, scanning my messy room. Only, it wasn’t my mess—it was Chrystal’s. Her clothes, her makeup were all scattered around the room and it made me think that perhaps I had made her too comfortable. We weren’t together anymore.

Luckily, I had a private room. One of the privileges that came with being heir to the Lycan throne. In my freshman year, I did share a room with Nate, who was Chrystal’s brother, and my future Beta who would follow into his Dad’s footsteps—but after a few months of complaining, I had managed to get us separate spaces.

Part of me just needed to breathe without him around all the time, and that small part of me wanted to respect my best friend by not fucking his twin within a ten-mile radius.

Now it had backfired.

“Make sure you take your shit with you this time. All of it,” I said coldly, heading for the bathroom before I could hear her response.

I jumped into the hot shower, trying to think of that one thing I had been trying to ignore—but couldn’t. I clenched my fist as I rested my head against the shower wall, my mind traveling back to the Starlight Festival.

Four-eyes….

That’s what I called her.

I didn’t know her name, and didn’t care for it.

All I knew was that she was my mate, and not the strong Lycan mate I wanted—no, a puppy.

That damn girl with those sharp blue eyes, hiding behind those glasses was my mate. The beast tried to show it to me when she had spied on me in the restroom, and I nearly prayed to the Moon Goddess for it not to be true.

The first thing I wanted to do when Nate opened that bottle was choke him to death for putting me in this position.

I had shoved her against that tree, and had been so close to ripping her apart for even speaking the word ‘mate,’ but then my body betrayed me. I had to get a taste of those plump lips, and once I did—I was unable to stop myself.

I hated myself for it. She was a stalker, a creep.

Why her?

I was heir to the throne, future king of the biggest Lycan kingdom, Lupyria. It didn’t make sense, nothing about this bond made sense—yet it did.

Perhaps this was my punishment from the Moon Goddess for that horrible thing I did many years ago.

That thing the king keptAnd reminding me of by showing me how little he cared for me.

With a throbbing head, I got out of the shower. A towel was wrapped around my waist as I walked back into the room, and unfortunately, Chrystal was still lying in bed, her eyes following me like she hadn’t gotten the message.

"You’re still here?"

"Well, yes," she replied. "Why wouldn’t I be?"

I ran a hand through my wet hair, trying to keep my temper in check. "Chrystal, you know the deal. What we had is over. I told you, if it isn’t for your body, I don’t want to see you. Now leave."

Chrystal’s face twisted in anger. I didn’t pity her because we were supposed to have this mutual understanding, one we had both agreed to.

After an on and off relationship that had been going on for years, we had broken up a few months ago, and this time it was for good.

Dad, the Lycan King, had pushed us to be together. He insisted that his Beta’s daughter and his heir to the throne were a perfect match, one that didn’t need the blessing of the Moon Goddess. No matter what the future held, we were destined to be together in his eyes.

I never liked disobeying him, so I endured—but at some point I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I had never been loyal to her, never loved her, and I wasn’t capable of loving anyone.

After what I had done to my brother, my very own flesh and blood, it didn’t take long to reach that conclusion.

“Leave,” I pointed to the door.

“But Kylan,” she whined, “my roommates are so lame. Except for Amy, I guess. She’s kind of alright, but a total try-hard. You should see the others, you’d laugh at them…”

I stopped listening and put on my clothes. The annoying tone of her voice was nothing more than an irrelevant background noise. She could complain all she wanted—but it’d end all the same, with her leaving my room.

Once I finished dressing, I yanked the covers off the bed, exposing her naked body. “Come on,” I encouraged, grabbing all her clothes from yesterday, then I tossed it at her. “Didn’t I make myself clear? Get dressed, take your shit—and leave.”

Chrystal grunted as she stood up and threw the dress over her head. “Who is the slut you’re with now?” she began accusing me. “Is that why you don’t want me around anymore?”

Slut?

My mind went blank.

“I’ll find her!” Chrystal shouted. “I’ll find her, and then I’ll ki—“

Refusing to let her finish that sentence, I had already pinned her against the wall. Agee took over as my hand gripped her throat, hard enough to send a clear message.

My claws appeared, teeth sharpened as the beast tried to take over, and a low growl came from deep in my chest.

“Careful, Chrystal,” I warned, my claws slightly grazing her skin.

Her eyes widened in shock, her expression filled with fear. In all the years we’d known each other, I had never lashed out at her like that. For the first time, she didn’t talk back, and I was sure it was because she had no idea what had taken over me.

I didn’t even know what was happening to me.

Startled, I managed to control the beast and stepped back. I felt disgusted, embarrassed at how easily I had lost control. This had never happened.

“Just…leave,” I muttered, turning my back on her so I wouldn’t have to see her fearful eyes.

There was a moment of silence, then she started gathering her belongings. “You could’ve killed me, you sick fuck!” she muttered under her breath, the words cutting deep.

The door slammed shut behind her, and I finally let out the long, frustrated breath I’d been holding back.

I glanced down at my hand, flexing my fingers that were claws just seconds ago, then I balled it into a fist. I didn’t want to hurt Chrystal. When she spoke about that ‘slut,’ the beast had instantly thought of four-eyes, and felt the need to protect her.

I was becoming possessive, losing control and it was not my choice. It was driving me insane.

Frustrated, I paced back and forth. How could I, the heir to the Lycan throne, get so possessive over that thing?

The king had drilled it into me time and time again, ‘If the Moon Goddess curses you with an unworthy mate, it means she hasn’t forgiven you for your sins, for what you’ve done to brother,’

For years I was forced to listen to his words, forced to think about what I had to do to secured my place as heir—and now I had received the ultimate punishment.

The mate bond.

I let out a loud growl, slamming everything from my desk in one go. She was driving me insane, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Pissed, I rushed to my walk-in closet. In a rage of anger, I threw all my jackets onto the floor, and searched for the one I knew would call me down.

My eyes landed on the leather jacket I had worn that night. I took the jacket, and then brought it to my face, inhaling her sweet scent that still lingered.

She smelled like candy—vanilla and sugar.

‘Mate!’ the beast growled from deep within.

“Shut up!”

‘Mate!’

“No!” I barked, clutching the jacket in my hand. So all that beast could think about was four-eyes? Okay, no problem.

All I had to do was reject her, something I already should’ve done in the woods—and then everything would go back to normal.

Determined, I stormed out of the room.

This pull, this bond, was suffocating me, and I needed something—anything—to make it stop.

As soon as I stepped into the hall, Nate slammed his arm over my shoulder. “Hey, Ky—“

“Not now, Nate,” I snapped, pushing him off and leaving him behind. I couldn’t deal with anyone right now. The only thing on my mind was four-eyes and rejecting her as my mate.

I sniffed the jacket in my hand one more time, then followed the clear trail, all the way to the building of the Lunar Hall building. It didn’t take long before I found the dorm where the smell was coming from. I waited around the corner.

So that’s where she stayed…four-eyes.

I took a step, but immediately retreated when I saw Chrystal step out.

“Shit,” I cursed under my breath.

Of all the people to walk out of that room, it had to be her. That could only mean one thing. Both of my stalkers were roommates.

The Moon Goddess truly had it out for me.

Chrystal walked in a different direction, and just as I was about to make another attempt, the door opened again. This time, it was her—Four-eyes.

She stepped out wearing tight jeans that hugged her curves and a simple tank top. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun, and my eyes moved to her lips. The same lips I had kissed not long ago—soft, warm, perfect…

I shook my head, snapping myself out of it. Those weren’t my thoughts—they belonged to the beast. I had only come here for one thing.

Four-eyes stood frozen in front of her door, her chest rising and falling as she scanned the area, searching for something—or someone.

Then she looked in my direction.

I couldn’t do anything but stare into those sad, blue eyes. It didn’t affect me, though. I knew the real pain was yet to come. She would be hurting far more when I would finally reject her.

Her sad gaze shifted to anger as she suddenly marched toward me, but I stood still, not moving a muscle.

‘Your fault,’ the beast growled.

Only then did it hit me. Those furious eyes? She was coming over to reject me.

Me?

Not liking where this was headed, I quickly turned and walked away, blending into the crowd of whispering female students who had now noticed my presence.

A smile appeared on my lips. So, Four-eyes thought she could reject me? Perhaps she was more amusing than I had given her credit for.

Violet

“Somebody please kill me!” I groaned, burying my head in my pillow. Classes hadn’t even officially started yet—and I was already exhausted.

How was I even supposed to focus after everything that happened last week?

Many had said finding your mate would be magical, like something out of a fairytale. Your mate was supposed to be your soulmate—but mine? Mine was a mate from the lowest pit of hell.

He was disgusting, scum—cold-hearted.

First, he kissed me, then told me to stay away, and then he followed me back to my dorm. None of it made any sense.

Each time I closed my eyes, all I could see were flashes of Kylan’s lip on mine and I hated it.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, all the girls could talk about was how he had been sleeping with Chrystal, and that the two would be getting back together.

I didn’t mind. Couldn’t give two shits actually—but Lumia was heartbroken.

I hated him with every bone in my body, and when I saw him in the hall, I could see it in his eyes. He felt the same.

Being the good person I was, I wanted to reject him right then and there to make it easier for the both of us—but before I could even get the words out, he had vanished.

Kylan was going to reject me at some point. That was a well-known fact. I only wanted to do it before he had the chance.

I heard three knocks on my door before it opened. “Come on—grab your bag, and let’s go!” I recognized Trinity’s voice. “You don’t want to smudge your pillow with any makeup.”

I lifted my head to glare at her. “I’m not wearing any.”

“Oh?” she frowned. “Drool then. Come on, let’s go.”

With a groan, I pushed myself out of bed. I grabbed my bag and then followed behind her.

“What’s the point in sharing a dorm when it’s mostly just the two of us?” Trinity scoffed as we walked. She was referring to Chrystal and Amy, our roommates, who were rarely around.

I shrugged. “I don’t mind it.”

Over the week, it had become clear to me that I wouldn’t bond with the two Lycan girls anyway. Not like I did with Trinity. She was nice, funny, easygoing and it felt like we had been friends for ages. Our connection felt natural.

“Maybe we’ll bump into my mate, and I can finally introduce you to him!” Trinity’s eyes lit up.

I forced a smile. “Yes, maybe.”

Trinity had found her mate at the Starlight Festival, and hadn’t stopped talking about him ever since. This whole week I had to hear about how tall, handsome, and kind he was—yet she refused to back up these claims by showing me a picture. She said he was someone I’d have to meet in person.

I wad happy for her, really. She deserved the world and so much more, but thinking about how things had turned out so differently for her made me feel a bit bitter.

My experience had been so humiliating, I hadn’t even told her about finding mine.

Trinity bumped my shoulder. “Don’t feel bad about not finding your mate yet. Maybe he isn’t at this school.”

“Yeah,” I murmured, glancing away. “Maybe.”

A while later, we had reached the crowded academic hall. Trinity pulled me into a tight hug.

“I have to go that way,” she pointed to a different wing of the building. “But have a good first day! And if we’re fighting someone, text me!”

I cracked a laugh, watching her leave. “I will!”

Unfortunately, we didn’t have any classes together today. I knew I couldn’t rely on her for four years, and had to do things on my own—but it wouldn’t be too far stretched to say I was already missing her.

As I walked down the hall, I looked for my classroom. When I finally found it, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to push all thoughts of Kylan out of my mind. What’s done was done, and now it was time for me to focus.

My first class of the day was the basic of healing.

I stepped inside the classroom, already seeing Esther, our RD, standing at the front. She shot me a warm smile which I returned.

Scanning the room, I searched for an empty seat, but then I heard it.

That familiar, annoying laugh.

I glanced over to where the sound was coming from and saw Chrystal sitting on a table, surrounded by her minions, including Amy. They were laughing and whispering, but their eyes were on me.

Whether they were laughing at me or with me, I didn’t know—and honestly, I didn’t care.

All I knew was that I needed to find a seat as far away from them as possible, so I did. I didn’t want to get into it with Chrystal, not when I already had enough trouble with Kylan. One noble Lycan was more than enough.

“Good morning, everyone!” Esther greeted as soon as I sat down. “Before we start, I want to do a quick introduction round. Name, age, where you’re from—”

Everyone groaned, but Esther continued, clearly not taking no for an answer. Luckily I was first, but as everyone was forced to introduce themselves my mind drifted elsewhere.

“Today we’ll be doing a simple healing exercise. Don’t worry, this is just to see where everyone is at, so no pressure.”

She explained the task in detail, but my mind was drifting again.

“Each of you will have a tank with thirty small fish,” Esther spoke. “The goal is to strengthen at least one of the weakened fish using your healing abilities. Good luck!”

I missed half of her instructions, but I didn’t care. The fish exercise was a basic I had learned from a young age. It was a standard among the healers of the Bloodrose pack—and we were all trained under the strongest pack’s healer, an old respected woman who had also tutored my Mom.

I looked at the tank which was placed in front of me. Swirling my finger, I healed one fish as I wanted to keep a low profile. I didn’t want to stand out or get labeled as the nerd or the show-off in class.

It used to be like that back home, and I didn’t want a repeat of that.

When I heard people talking and clapping in admiration, I turned my head toward Chrystal’s table.

“Fifteen fish,” Esther nodded her head, fixing the glasses on her nose. “Good job, Chrystal. Since you’ve already taken this class last year, I’m sure you can lead the other girls.”

Chrystal smirked, brushing her red locks behind her ear.

She really thought she was something. I hated her with a passion, but it wasn’t because of her—it was because of him.

‘She’s can’t lead us. We’ve done this many times before.’ Lumia crawled inside my mind. ‘Show her!’

I clenched my fists, staring down at the fish in my tank as anger took over my body.

‘First she stole our mate, and now she’s stealing our spotlight. She is not the best healer in this class.’

It was hard not to focus on Lumia’s voice as she pushed me closer to the edge. There was no reason for Kylan to dislike me the way he did, not while he surrounded himself with that.

It wasn’t fair.

‘End that bitch, Violet.’

“No—“

Before I could stop it, Lumia had won. The water in the tank splashed wildly, all thirty fish swimming around.

Gasps followed the room as everyone stood up to gather around my tank. My cheeks felt hot, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. I hated attention, and because of that jealous wolf, I now had a room full of it.

Violet

“Amazing,” Esther said, making me look up to meet her eyes. “This is a junior-level skill. We don’t expect freshmen to heal more than ten.”

Unsure of how to answer, I managed to give her an appreciative smile. From the corner of my eye, I caught Chrystal’s eyes shooting daggers in my direction.

If it wasn’t for Esther urging everyone to take a seat again, I had no idea what she might’ve done to me.

“Violet,” the woman spoke as everyone sat back down. “Please come visit me after class. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

The rest of the class was mostly theory, and after an hour the bell rang. Students began to gather their things, but I waited, just as Esther had told me to.

Chrystal who had been glaring at me for well over an hour, now stood at my table with her minions. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to stop whatever she had planned for me, I looked up to meet her gaze.

“Yes?” I asked.

Chrystal chuckled, rolling her eyes. “I wasn’t even talking to her,” she said to the other girls. “But I guess some people just need to be the center of attention—don’t they?”

I knew better than to respond. Speaking back would only invite trouble, so I diverted my gaze, keeping my mouth shut, and waited patiently until she left the classroom.

Once everyone was gone, I made my way over to Esther’s desk.

“Sit,” she said warmly, gesturing to the chair, and I sat down.

Esther studied me for a moment, tucking her gray hair behind her ear. Her gaze was observing and sharp as if she was trying to read me.

“Your mom was…Claire Hastings from the Bloodrose Pack, correct?” she asked after a moment of silence.

I nodded, unsure where this was going.

“She was one of my best students,” Esther acknowledged. “I also knew your dad, Greg. He was such a strong fighter, they were always together, always eager to learn. Your Dad Fergus too, of course…or Uncle?”

“Dad is alright,” I corrected her, a smile tugging at my lips.

Back home people rarely spoke about my parents, they treated them like literal ghosts. It was nice to hear about them for once.

“She was so good,” Esther continued, “And I’m going to give you the same opportunity I gave to her.”

I blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Have you heard of the Elite Team?”

I furrowed my brow, the name familiar. “Yes, my cousin—” I hesitated, correcting myself, “my brother, Dylan, is on that team.”

Esther nodded. “Indeed, he is, and so were your parents.”

The Elite Team was a special group within the academy, made up of the best students from all years. They were the face of the school, the protectors of the school and followed a separate program.

“I want you to take trial classes with the Elite Team,” Esther said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

My heart skipped a beat. “W-Why?” I stuttered.

“Because,” she sighed, “a freshman who can heal thirty fish in one go has a bright future ahead of her.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. I knew I had a talent, but no one ever told me I had a bright future. Not the teachers back home, not even the healer, no one.

I was used to being told what I needed to work on, or what I wasn’t doing good enough. Those were the things that made me push myself harder.

I wasn’t used to compliments, and hearing that I was good enough for something meant more to me than she could have ever imagined.

“The Elite Team is not something out of the ordinary for a Bloodrose,” Esther added, noticing my lack of reaction.

I hesitated, suddenly feeling the pressure that came with it. Protector of the school?

What I lacked in many other things, I made up for in healing—but I wasn’t some extraordinary student.

“I don’t know…”

Esther’s expression softened. “You’re strong, Violet—too strong. You need to challenge yourself before you get bored.”

I breathed, “This was only the first class—“

“And I only need a few seconds to see whether someone is good enough for the Elite Team,” Esther finished.

Her eyes were full of determination—she trusted me, believed in me—and I didn’t want to let her down. Maybe there really was something. Who knew?

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Esther smiled, relieved. “I’ll send you an email with the details.”

As I got up to leave, it suddenly occurred to me that something was bothering me—something only she could help with. “By the way,” I said. “When we first met, you called me Adelaide?”

The smile faded from Esther’s face. “Did I?” she cleared her throat.

“Yes, you did,” I reminded her. “I saw a picture of Mom…with that girl, Adelaide, in the hall?”

“They were close friends,” Esther replied quickly.

“Close friends or best friends?” I wondered.

“Best friends. I meant to call you Claire. I got it all mixed up. My bad.”

“I see,” I chuckled, finally making sense of the situation. “Do you maybe have her number or anything, so I can get in contact with her and—”

“No, she passed away many years ago.”

“She passed away?” I raised a brow.

“Yes… the things depression can do to a person.”

“Was she depressed?”

Esther didn’t answer, and grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from her desk. “I’ll write you a note. You should head to your next class.”

Other students were already beginning to fill the room for the next period. Esther scribbled something onto a piece of paper and handed it to me. “Here you go.”

The same woman who had been so warm just seconds ago was now cold and distant. By her tone, I could tell the conversation was over, but there were so many questions I still wanted to ask.

About Adelaide, and the bond she shared with Mom. Maybe it wasn’t important, but there was something about the way they hugged in that picture that pulled me in. I felt drawn to Adelaide, and I wanted to know more about her.

I took the note, deciding to let it drop before heading to my next class.

~

After two more classes, history and emotional healing—it was time for my lunch break.

With my tray in my hand, I looked across the crowded cafeteria. It was an unorganized mess. Everywhere I looked, students were talking, laughing, eating…kissing. I felt out of place, as usual.

I spotted Nate, sitting with a group of his friends at a table near the center. Kylan wasn’t there. Nate caught my eye and waved at me to come over.

I quickly turned my head, pretending I hadn’t seen him. I knew he meant well, but I had no business sitting at a table full of Lycans.

We might go to school together, have classes together—but we were not the same.

They disliked us, and we disliked them. It had always been like that.

I settled for a table all the way in the corner, hoping nobody would bother me, then my thoughts drifted back to the Elite Team.

How was I going to be part of a team when I could barely count to ten in public? I was socially awkward, not good at making friends—and now Esther expected me to be part of a team?

Was I really ready for something like that?

I pulled out my phone, hesitating a moment before dialing Dad, thinking telling him the good news would cheer me up. Maybe he would be proud of me for once or at least acknowledge what I had accomplished on my first day.

As always, the call went straight to voicemail, but I decided not to let it get to me. He was the Alpha—perhaps he was just busy.

I left him a voicemail instead. “Hey Dad, it’s me, Violet. I haven’t heard from you in a while, but I just wanted to tell you that I’m still alive. I…I miss you, and I love you. Bye.”

The voicemail ended with a beep. The love I had for him was one-sided. That man had never been warm, affectionate or caring for a single day in his life—but I still loved him. He had taken me in, took care of me when he didn’t have to. Regardless of everything, I was still grateful.

I sighed, playing around with the food on my tray.

Dad didn’t care.

My mate didn’t care.

My brother didn’t care.

None of those students cared.

Final conclusion? My life sucked and so did Starlight Academy. The only one keeping me sane was Trinity who was not here at the moment.

Suddenly, a loud tray slammed onto the table, making me flinch. My eyes widened as I looked straight ahead, coming face to face with someone familiar.

"Since you were ignoring me, I figured I’d invite myself over."

It was Nate.