Kael's pov
There were only three things I trusted.
Violence.
Discipline.
Control.
And now it seemed like I was losing them.
"Power," the professor said, pacing slowly before the students, "has never belonged merely to those who wield it, but to those who understand its origin."
Professor Vaelor's voice moved through the class as he turned to write on the luminous board.
Advanced Sovereign Dominion Theory.
"A discipline reserved for heirs, rulers, and those destined to shape kingdoms," He stated.
"Authority," he continued, "is not inherited through blood alone. It is recognised. Accepted. And when necessary—"
He paused.
"—taken."
I should have been listening, yet my attention strayed to the window beside me, where the academy grounds stretched beyond the glass. My gaze lingered on the vast expanse of the blue sky above. Its purity offers a sense of peace.
" Isn't that right, Kael?"
I snapped out of my gaze, turning to face Professor Vaelor.
"Since the sky appears to hold greater interest than my lecture, perhaps you would explain to the class the importance of the distinction between legitimate dominion and imposed sovereignty," he said, clearly challenging me.
A faint murmur rippled through the class as all eyes were turned to me.
Without hesitation, I answered. "Legitimate dominion exists when authority is acknowledged by the governed, sustained through loyalty, trust, and shared order."
"Imposed sovereignty relies on force alone. It may command obedience, but never devotion, and power without devotion is inherently unstable. Fear creates compliance, and loyalty creates kingdoms." I finished my eyes never leaving his as I stared at him with a blank glare.
Releasing a sigh, he broke eye contact with me, nodding his head in approval as he continued with the class.
The bell rang, signalling the end of the class. Grabbing my bag, I walked out of the room, irritation plastered on my face. Darien appeared beside me as we made our way to the school's cafeteria.
"Dude, what was that? Don't get me wrong, I know you're weird, but lately you've been acting even weirder than usual. You've been distracted all morning. You even let Valeor challenge you, and you let it slide. Is everything alright?" Darien said.
I ignored him, not wanting to get into it. This caused him to groan, but he didn't push it any further.
We walked down the halls, students moving aside before I reached them, not out of respect but out of instinct. I was used to it, being treated differently. It made me feel powerful knowing that they fear me. No one, not even the professors, would question me.
We reached the cafeteria and walked in. We took our usual spot at the far corner. Darien dropped into his seat, which was next to Taylor, while I sat opposite both of them.
"Mister student council, you're here early," Darien said, grabbing an apple off Taylor's tray.
"Hmmm, I'm always early. Plus, I had to make sure the felinarians knew their way around campus," he replied, snatching back the apple out of Darien's hand.
"Really, you've been stuck with that duty. I guess being student council president doesn't necessarily mean you're favored." Darien stated.
"They're actually not that bad, I mean, if you actually saw them, you would be swallowing your words right now," Taylor answered.
I rolled my eyes.
Taylor was irritating.
Not because he talked too much.
Or the fact that he was student council president, but because people genuinely liked him.
The kind of effortless popularity that couldn't be bought or demanded.
It simply existed.
"Let's hope they keep their claws to themselves."
"I mean, I wouldn't mind if I was scratched by that," Taylor said as he pointed out with his fork.
I followed its direction, landing on a table of what I supposed was the felines happily laughing.
The thought of them being so happy irritated me.
I let my eyes scan around the table, observing every one of them. Scoffing, my eyes landed on the girl at the far end of the table.
My vision tunneled as I stared at her, and everything stopped.
I was hit with a sudden scent that smelled sweet. It was a warm and intoxicating scent of faint sweetness of a sugary vanilla cookie.
Everything around her became blurry.
The cafeteria.
The movement.
Everything
Because suddenly…she existed.
The hum of voices around me faded until all I could hear was my heartbeat.
My wolf went silent. Completely silent.Then one word.One impossible word.
"MATE"
The word tore through my mind as the beast started to pace around, clawing at my chest, begging to be set free.
"MATE, MATE, MATE"
It screamed in my head, making me clutch my head in pain, and the pressure felt unbearable.
"Kael, you good man?" Darien asked, a look of concern plastered on his face.
I blinked hard, forcing my wolf down. "Fine."
But I wasn't fine.
And it only got worse when Seraphine appeared — all flawless smiles and feigned innocence. She glided up to our table, resting her hand on my shoulder before sliding onto my lap uninvited.
"There you are," she purred loud enough for half the cafeteria to hear. "I thought you were avoiding me."
"Maybe I was," I muttered, clearing annoyed at her presence.
My eyes drifted back to the table, staring at the girl who was supposed to be my mate.
She laughed at something one of her friends said.
And for reasons I couldn't explain…my eyes followed the sound.
Other people existed around her.
I knew that.
I could see them.
Yet every time someone looked in her direction…my wolf growled.
"I can feel your heart racing," Seraphina stated before following my gaze.
" Ahhh, you're looking at the felines."
My wolf growled, but I pushed him to the back of my head.
Seraphina twisted toward me, leaning down and brushing her lips against mine.
The move earned her a few looks from nearby tables, giving her exactly what she wanted.
"Can you guys please get a room? Honestly, I'm trying to eat here," Taylor said, faking a gag.
"Maybe later," she replied, pulling away. She stood up, leaving the table. I wiped my lips with the back of my palm. Before, I would have sunk into her kiss wanting more, but now I absolutely felt nothing. All I could think of was this felinara girl, which was somehow worse.
I didn't want a mate.
Didn't need one.
Love had buried enough people already.
Enraged at the thought of her roaming in my mind, I stood up, leaving the cafeteria.
I pushed past the crowd in the hall, ignoring the stares and whispers. My hands were shaking, my claws threatening to break through my skin. The beast prowled inside me, restless, growling
"She's ours," he snarled.
"Our fucking problem, that's what she is," I snapped back.
He only laughed, low and guttural.
"You can't in-scent fate boy,"
"Watch me."
————————
It was currently afternoon, and I was currently at the training grounds. They were filled with students set in pairs as they sparred against each other. Kinetic staff who left streaks of blue slammed against each other.
I watched as Darien and Taylor finished sparring against each other. Darien had a smirk plastered on his face, signaling his defeat against Taylor.
"You're a cheat, you know that," Taylor retorted.
"No, you're just weak," Darien shot back.
I ignored their bickering as my focus was elsewhere. My eyes were set on the far end of the yard, as I watched the felinarians practice. My eyes drifted to her as I watched her fight with precision and grace. I had to admit she was good.
"So, are we heading downtown later?" Darien said.
"Maybe," I answered, not breaking my gaze.
Taylor stood beside me as he followed my gaze.
"I was talking to the Princess earlier and learned that her name is Akilah, you know the one with the ponytail, pretty dark brown eyes," He said.
"Akilah."
The name settled somewhere under my skin.
I hated that.
"She's beautiful," he stated.
"What did he just say"
My jaw flexed. "I didn't notice."
"I swear she was carved by the gods.
I stayed silent.
"She's got this untouchable aura to her," he continued.
"Taylor, you don't even know this girl," Darien retorted.
"Yeah, but she seems different," Taylor tried to say.
"They're all different until they aren't. My advice to you is that you stay away from her, them.
"Being different doesn't always mean bad," he said.
"It doesn't, but trust me, I know bad news when I see it, "I said, giving one last glance at her, scoffing.
Without waiting for his response, I walked away.
——————
Once I reached my dorm room, I headed straight to the shower, needing to cool off. An image of her creeped it's self into my mind, making my wolf restless.
I slammed my hand against the shower wall, jaw clenched. "She's not ours. She will never be my mate."
"Your stubbornness will only drive you to make mistakes, just like it did with Elizabeth," he spat in my mind.
"Shut up," I snarled.
I turned the tap off, stepping out of the shower, grabbing a towel, my muscles tense. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Looking into the eyes that once showed life but were now a reminder of the monster I had become.
The memory of what had happened almost five years ago came crashing back.
~(Flash back)
The doors slammed hard enough to rattle the entire corridor.
I stormed out of my father's chamber, fury boiling in my veins, his words still echoing in my ears like poison. The guards outside stiffened as I passed, but none dared meet my gaze.
The palace walls seemed to blur as anger drove my steps faster. Every single word he spoke clawed at my mind.
I took a sharp turn at a corner, not paying attention to my surroundings, colliding into something.
A soft body slammed into me before crashing to the floor with a sharp thud.
"Ouch!"
I blinked, looking down at the small figure lying on the floor.
A little girl lay sprawled on the marble floor. Her brown locs were tied into pigtails. She looked up at me, her lips forming an exaggerated pout, her large blue eyes that mirrored my own shining with accusation.
For a moment, my anger faltered.
I crouched down, lifting her gently onto her feet. "I'm sorry," I muttered. "You're just so tiny, I didn't realize you were there ."
She gasped in outrage and smacked my hand away when I tried to poke her adorable cheeks.
"No I'm not! I'm a big girl!"
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. I rubbed her head, messing up her neatly done hair, amused by her stubborn glare. She crossed her arms, trying very hard to look intimidating despite barely reaching my waist.
I stepped around her, intending to leave.
Her fingers wrapped around my wrist.
"Where are you going?"
Her grip was surprisingly firm.
"To blow off steam," I answered.
Her expression softened instantly. "He did it again, didn't he? He yelled at you."
I stared at her.
I looked into her eyes and knew there was no point in lying. She may be young, but she was smart for her age.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing serious," I replied, trying to ease her mind.
She studied me for a long moment, then nodded.
I left her standing in the middle of the hall and walked toward my usual refuge — the abandoned library in the west wing.
Dust ruled its shelves. Silence clung to its walls like rot.
Which made it perfect.
I pulled out a book from the shelf, blowing the dust from it. Opening it, placed a small tube containing a silver liquid in it, with it sat a syringe which I pulled out.
Pouring the liquid into the syringe, I injected it into a familiar spot on my arm, pressing down on the syringe as the liquid slowly entered beneath my skin.
The burning liquid feeling sensation. I closed my eyes as the darkness swallowed my world and everything became numb.
My eyes shot open, waking me up upon the cold stone floor. I look around the room, and my eyes fall upon the syringes lying next to me.
They lay scattered beside me, traces of the substance clinging to the needle.
Fragments of memory returned slowly — the argument with my father, the crushing pressure in my chest, the desperate need to escape the noise inside my own mind.
I dragged myself to my feet, dizziness washing over me in violent waves. The world tilted as I staggered toward the door, leaving the syringes where they lay.
I barely made it back to my chambers before collapsing onto my bed. The room spun endlessly around me, shadows twisting along the walls before sleep swallowed me.
—————————-
I could hear movement outside my room, pacing up and down. I groaned, dragging myself upright, irritation flaring instantly. My skull pounded as though something inside it was trying to break free.
Whoever was making that noise was about to regret it.
I yanked the door open, revealing what was happening. The hallway was in chaos.
Maids rushed back and forth, their faces pale with panic. Guards rushing past. It seemed like they were looking for something.
I stopped one of the passing maids.
"What are you looking for that requires this much noise?" My voice was rough with sleep.
She froze at the sight of me.
"Your highness," she stammered, bowing quickly. "It's Miss Elizabeth… she's gone missing."
The fog in my mind cleared instantly.
"What do you mean she's gone?"
"When I went to check on her this morning, she wasn't in her room," the maid explained nervously. "Her bed is untouched. It appears she never slept there."
A strange unease crept through me.
Elizabeth never left her chambers alone.
I dismissed the maid and pulled on my shoes, the dull ache in my veins forgotten.
Training grounds. Gardens. Courtyards. Corridors.
With every passing hour, the weight in my chest grew heavier — pressing, suffocating.
Then a single memory surfaced.
A quiet corridor.
A stubborn girl.
The abandoned library.
My blood ran cold.
I ran.
The west wing stretched before me like a hollow grave, its silence unnatural compared to the chaos elsewhere in the palace. The library doors stood slightly open.
I pushed them inward.
I walked further into the room, searching every aisle, until I came across a pair of shoes peeping beside the table.
My gaze dropped to the floor where I had last left the syringe, and it wasn't there.
My breath hitched as I walked to the pair of feet. My breath getting heavy with each step.
Then I saw her. His small frame lay motionless. Her hair spread across the stone floor. Her hand rested near a now empty vial.
I rushed forward, dropping to my knees beside her.
Elizabeth
Her skin was pale.
Her breathing shallow.
Too shallow.
"Elizabeth," I whispered, shaking her gently.
No response.
Her lashes fluttered faintly, lips parting as if trying to form words that never came.
Terror, unlike anything I'd ever known, gripped my heart.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She wasn't supposed to be here.
She was never supposed to find these.
Her fingers twitched weakly against my hand.
And for the briefest moment, her eyes opened.
Her once bright blue eyes, now dull, were becoming lifeless.
Terrified, I shook her, trying to wake her up, calling her name, but nothing. Tears started to flow down my face.
She was the last person who looked at me and saw something worth saving.
And now all I could feel was her cold hand
"What have I done?"
~(End of flashback)
I opened my eyes, breath harsh, the mirror fogged in front of me.
I grabbed a clean shirt and pulled it over my head, pushing the memory down like I always did.
The memory came flooding back. Which only made me angrier. I had tried so hard to forget about it, to never forgive myself. To let the guilt eat me, because nothing could ever take back that day.
A knock at my door pulled me out of my thoughts.
Darien leaned against the frame, his usual smirk in place. His blonde hair was slicked back, his shirt half-buttoned, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"You ready?" he asked.
"I'm not in the mood to go out," I answered.
"Well, you should be, since you clearly look like shit, a little fun will clear all that away," he said.
I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. He was right; I did look like shit. Ever since the memories came back, I haven't slept.
Grabbing my jacket, I stepped out, him following behind as we made our way out of my dormitory.
Maybe a couple of drinks is all I need to forget about this nightmare.