(Kael's pov)
I should have accepted the rejection.
Instead…
I refused it.
Because no one rejects me.
No one.
Not kings.
Not enemies.
And certainly not some stubborn little werecat who barely reached my shoulder.
Yet somehow…
She had walked into my room…
Looked me dead in the eyes…
And made me question my own damn control.
I hated her. Hated that she had looked me dead in the eye and dared to reject me. Me?
The fucking nerve.
Her tiny frame stood up against me as if that would do anything, her bold behavior after she tried to threaten me by destroying my door.
I am the fucking heir to the Lycan kingdom.
I was raised to believe people bowed before the Lycan throne.
They feared it.
Worshipped it.
Yet she looked at me…
Like I was beneath her.
She should have been praising the thought of standing a chance to belong to the Lycan prince of Lycaria, not spitting venom and storming off like she was the one doing me a favor.
I could still hear the words.
I reject you.
My wolf hadn't forgotten them, and neither would I.
"Kael," A voice called from behind me.
It was Taylor with a big smile plastered on his face. He was always cheerful, and it kinda irritated me, but he was one of my best friends, so I didn't mind it.
"Damn, you look like shit."
I didn't slow down as Taylor fell into step beside me.
The bastard looked annoyingly refreshed. Unlike me, he clearly hadn't spent the night fighting with his own head.
I shot him a glare. "Do I?"
Taylor snorted. "You've got murder in your eyes, so yeah. Either you didn't sleep… or Seraphina finally drove you insane."
My jaw ticked. "I'm fine"
Taylor shoved his hands into his pockets casually. "I wonder who's getting captain this year?"
I frowned. "Captain of what?"
"The Vanguard." He looked at me like I was stupid. "Ray graduated last year, which means that the coach has to choose a new leader."
Ah.
That.
The Vanguard unit.
Taylor bumped my shoulder lightly. "So? Think it'll be you?"
"Well, Rhyder hasn't said anything yet," I said
"We all know you're the best candidate," Taylor replied.
Becoming team captain was something already expected from me, and no one could fit the role apart from me.
"If it's not me," I said lazily, "then what other options are there?"
Taylor laughed loudly at that.
"There's the arrogant prince I know."
Arrogant?
Maybe.
Wrong?
Never.
Taylor's grin slowly faded as we passed the training grounds.
"Oh," he said casually, "heard Coach Rhyder was talking to Akilah yesterday."
I kept my expression neutral.
"Hm."
"Coach asked Akilah to join the Vanguard."
"Good for her."
"She refused."
I kept walking. Shrugging my shoulders.
Taylor frowned.
"That's all you've got?"
"Should there be more?"
I stared at him.
"I mean, it would have been nice to have her on the team," he shrugged.
"I wanted to see her fight after missing your whole little arena moment yesterday. Everyone is talking about it. It looked like she had beaten you."
My jaw tightened.
"She would've been a drag to the team," I said harshly. "And what about your affection towards her anyway? You've been praising her ever since she arrived; it's like you're obsessed with her."
"I am not obsessed with her; it's called being nice. Something you clearly don't know about," He shot back.
"Not everyone is like you, Taylor; we have actual problems that can't be dealt with a simple smile," I answered.
Taylor's brows lifted slowly.
"You alright?" he asked carefully. "You've been acting strange more than usual."
"I'm fine," I lied.
"Speaking of disasters, Seraphina's been telling everyone you two are back together."
A frustrated breath left my nose instantly.
Of course she had.
Seraphina never understood boundaries. Never understood restraint. She saw possession as affection and obsession as loyalty.
The worst part?
My father encouraged it.
Because in his eyes, Seraphina would make the perfect queen someday.
Beautiful. Ruthless. Manipulative.
Exactly the kind of woman fit for the Lycaria throne.
The problem was I didn't want a queen. I saw how my mother was treated, how she suffered, how the king disregarded her so quickly after her death, and married his mistress and took in her demon spawns.
"You seen her?" I asked coldly.
Taylor nodded toward the western courtyard. "She's probably at the usual spot with the others."
I changed direction immediately.
Taylor followed beside me quietly while the academy buzzed around us.
The deeper we moved into the western wing, the louder the laughter became. Students gathered around the marble fountain beneath glowing vines.
And there she was.
Seraphina lounged across one of the stone benches like she owned the entire courtyard.
Platinum blonde hair cascading down her back in soft waves. Pink gloss shining against full lips. Long legs crossed elegantly beneath a dangerously short skirt.
Darien sat nearby, laughing with two other Lycans while Seraphina's little group hung around her like loyal servants.
Then her eyes found me.
And she smiled.
Slowly.
Possessively.
"Kael," she purred.
The entire group went quiet instantly.
I stopped in front of them.
"Everyone leave."
No one argued.
The group scattered quickly, though Darien paused long enough to clap a hand against my shoulder.
"Try not to kill each other," he muttered before dragging Taylor away with him.
The moment we were alone, Seraphina stood.
That smug smile never left her face.
The fact that I'd publicly approached her clearly meant something to her.
Unfortunately for both of us, she was about to hate what came next.
She stepped closer slowly.
"Miss me already?"
"We need to talk."
Her smile widened. "About?"
"You need to stop spreading rumors about us," I said, getting straight to the point.
There was silence between us before she started laughing softly.
"I don't know what you mean."
"We are not getting back together."
The amusement in her eyes dimmed slightly.
"Really?" she asked smoothly. "Because a few nights ago you were on top of me in your bed."
I clenched my jaw.
"That doesn't mean anything."
The expression on her face fell.
"That night was nothing more than simple entertainment."
Seraphina crossed her arms slowly, studying me with narrowed eyes.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You suddenly don't want me touching you. You barely look at me." She stepped closer. "So tell me, Kael… who is she?"
"Drop it."
Her eyes darkened instantly.
There it was.
That madness beneath the beauty.
She wrapped her arms around my neck suddenly, pressing herself against me. Her scent flooded my senses while her lips brushed dangerously close to mine.
"Fucking me isn't for your entertainment," she whispered. "You crave a warm body, and that warm body is me."
"And I want you too. I just want everything to go back to the way things were before," she said, trying to kiss me.
I shoved her away immediately.
Her eyes flashed with fury.
"Who is she?" Seraphina repeated coldly.
I stared at her.
"There is no one."
"Liar."
The word sliced through the air.
She stepped closer again, voice dropping lower.
"You think I don't notice things?" she hissed. "You haven't touched me in weeks. You barely even look at me anymore."
I said nothing.
Seraphina laughed bitterly.
"You asshole."
My wolf snarled violently beneath my skin.
"Watch your mouth."
"Oh?" she mocked. "So there is someone"
I moved before thinking and towered over her.
"Enough."
For a second—even Seraphina looked nervous.
Then her expression hardened again.
"You know what your father promised me," she said quietly. "I am supposed to be queen."
I stepped back from her.
"And?"
Her eyes widened slightly at the coldness in my voice.
"And?" she repeated. "Kael, I've spent years beside you—"
"That was your choice."
Pain flickered across her face.
Then she smiled.
"If I find out you're messing around with someone else…," her voice laced with venom. "I will make it my life's mission to make her disappear."
"Do you remember Amelia?"
I didn't answer.
"Or Claire? Funny how they both transferred after getting too close to you."
My wolf erupted instantly.
Violence slammed through me so hard that my claws threatened to come out.
Because she wasn't bluffing.
Every girl I'd ever slept with eventually transferred schools… disappeared from social circles… or ended up terrified because of her, and I ignored it. I didn't care, but I didn't want to think about what Seraphina would do if she found out about my mate bond with Akilah.
"I won't let you be happy with anyone else," she whispered. "If I can't have you… No one will."
Then she turned and walked away.
Just like that.
Leaving chaos behind her like perfume.
My entire body burned with restrained rage. My wolf clawed violently inside me, demanding release.
Before I lost control completely—
Laughter drifted across the courtyard.
Her laughter.
My head snapped up instantly following the direction the sweet sound came from.
Across the courtyard, Akilah walked between her friends beneath the silver trees.
She looked… happy.
And for some reason—
That irritated me.
No.
It infuriated me.
How dare she laugh while my entire head felt like war? Like she hadn't ruined everything?
The sight irritated me more than Seraphina ever could.
I watched as they entered the cafe, arms linked together.
Aggravated, I walked towards the cafe. Upon entering, the smell of roasted coffee beans, cinnamon, and rain-damp wood hit me.
Warm amber lights hung from the ceiling while students crowded the booths lining the walls. Low music played softly in the background, blending with quiet conversations and the hiss of steaming milk behind the counter.
I looked around the room until I spotted her sitting alone near the window.
One leg crossed over the other, her fingers tapping lazily against the table, completely unaware of the attention she was receiving.
That thought alone made my jaw tighten.
I walked towards her slowly.
Before I could speak, her eyes lifted to mine.
Instant irritation flashed across her face.
"At this point," she drawled coldly, "I should start charging you for following me around."
I pulled out the chair across from her without asking and sat down.
Her expression darkened immediately.
"What do you want?"
"Wow, no hello, no sorry for breaking your door," I said sarcastically.
She looked at me with a blank face.
"You look awfully smug today, kitty."
Her eyes narrowed instantly at the nickname.
"I'm serious, Kael."
"So am I."
I leaned back lazily in the chair, studying her.
"You really thought that was funny?" I asked quietly.
Akilah's brows pulled together slightly as she leaned back in her chair. "What are you talking about now?"
"You walked into my room like you had the upper hand. Like you could throw around a rejection and I'd just stand there and take it."
Her eyes narrowed. "I rejected you because I don't want you."
A dark chuckle left my throat.
"You don't walk up to the future king of Lycaria, reject him to his face, insult him in his own room, then expect there to be no consequences."
Her chin lifted instantly at that.
"Wow, I see the reason why everyone is so scared of the big bad wolf. Does everyone clap when you breathe too?"
"Only the ones intelligent enough to know their place."
"Funny. I was just thinking how fragile your ego must be."
"You're confusing confidence with superiority," I said.
"No. I'm confusing arrogance with insecurity," she shot back.
It was the look in her eyes when she said it.
Defiant.
Unafraid.
Like she genuinely believed she could challenge me and walk away untouched.
"You broke my door," I continued flatly.
"You slammed it in my face," she muttered.
"And?"
"And maybe your stupid oversized wolf strength cracked the frame."
I looked at her in disbelief.
"You left a noticeable dent in it."
"Well, maybe your kingdom should build stronger doors."
A low growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it.
"You done growling like a stray dog?" she asked sweetly.
My fingers tightened against the table.
"I heard Coach Ryder asked you to join Vanguard."
Her expression shifted slightly.
Barely noticeable, but I caught it.
"And so what if he did? Is there a problem?"
A humorless chuckle left my throat.
"Well, I heard you turned it down, honestly I think that's the right thing to do," I stated.
"Well, I appreciate your…"
"Honestly, you would be stupid enough to join. I bet you wouldn't even last long, I mean it's really intense and judging from our last training you can barely keep up." I said with a smile.
"Really," she said
"Really,"
"You know what I think?" she said softly.
"I don't particularly care."
"I think you hate the idea of me joining because you're scared I'll actually be better than you."
I didn't say anything. I just looked at her. She had a smile on her face.
"You really overestimate yourself," I said.
She slowly stood from her chair until she was now hovering above me.
Despite the height difference, she didn't look intimidated.
If anything—
She looked furious.
"You know what your problem is, Kael?" she asked softly. "You're so used to people bowing to you that the second someone actually stands up to you, you lose your damn mind."
"I hate to break it to you, kitty, but I never lose."
She clicked her tongue, "That sounds exactly like something a loser would say."
For one dangerous second, I just stared at her.
Because there it was again.
That fire.
That refusal to submit.
And somehow it only made me want to push harder.
"You think trying to reject me made you powerful?" I asked quietly. "It only showed how truly weak you are."
"No, it showed that I don't care who or what you are; I am not scared of you, and there is nothing that you could do about it," she shot back instantly.
"You don't know anything about me. I always have my way."
"And you don't know anything about me either," she snapped. "Yet you act like I'm already beneath you."
"Akilah," her attention snapped away from me as she looked at her friends standing by the door holding what seemed to be coffee cups.
She looked at me before turning to grab her bag and head to the door, but not before looking at me one last time.
"You know what, coach Ryder might be onto something."
She starts to walk away but stops to look back.
"Actually…"
"I think I will join the Vanguard."
"I wouldn't want you getting lonely."
A low growl climbed up my throat before I could stop it.
My jaw clenched as I stared toward the café entrance long after she was gone.
The truth was that every time Akilah challenged me, every time she looked me dead in the eyes instead of lowering hers like everyone else, it felt like I was losing control, and I didn't understand why.
Laughing, I stood up from the table and stormed out of the cafe.
I inhaled her lingering scent, trying to calm the beast down.
I hated everything about her
I hated that in order to stay calm, I needed to sniff her out in order to calm down. How easily she gets to me, how every time she doesn't back down, I find myself being drawn to her even more.
It seems the more I try to erase her from my mind, the more I find myself going back to her.