The Lycan Prince’s Wolfless Slave (Academy Romance) novel Chapter 322

Chapter 322

I stop walking for a brief second, turning my head to look down at her. She looks so incredibly beautiful and innocent that it physically aches to just look at her. The urge to pull her against me and claim her in front of the whole damn world slams into me so badly, but ! force it down. I know I can’t do that yet. I can’t mark her while this web of secrets is surrounding us. Before I can truly have her forever, I have to first remove every single obstacle in our way-firstly my tyrant of a father, and secondly the very same cousin we are currently walking to check on.

I start walking again. “Well, he’s family no matter what, Lyra. Even if I can’t tolerate the bastard most times, he carries royal Lycan blood. I don’t want anyone else hurting him. If anyone is going to break his bones, it should be me.”

Lyra lets out a small huff, trying to keep up with my long strides. “But you two are always hurting each other, Kai. Why do you both act

like you completely hate each other’s guts then?”

I look straight ahead as the bitter memories of my childhood bubbles to the surface. “It’s not exactly that I hate Roman, the truth is… we

have never been close since childhood. Not even a little bit.”

“Why?” she asks, tilting her head. I normally wouldn’t answer anyone but there’s something about Lyra’s sweet soft voice that just makes

me want to keep talking.

So I talk.

“Ever since we were young, Roman always acted like I had the short end of the stick, Because I am the crown prince, my father treated me like a weapon. I was trained brutally, beaten into shape, and given little to no affection. Roman’s father was different. Roman had freedom. Love. Fun. But instead of being satisfied with that, Roman looked at my title and grew resentful. He started competing with me for absolutely everything-training scores, my father’s praise, attention from the guards. It built a massive wall of resentment between us from the time we could walk.”

I pause, a dark shadow crossing my mind as I remember the turning point in our rivalry. “And then, a few years ago, something happened that made him hate me a whole lot more than before.”

Lyra slows down her pace, looking up at me with wide, curious eyes. “What happened, Kai?”

I stop walking completely, turning my entire body to face her right on the steps of the hospital building. I look into her eyes, wanting her to understand the history before we step into that room.

“Rina was once Roman’s girlfriend,” I say clearly, watching her face. “They were together for almost a year when we were teenagers. Roman was completely infatuated with her, and he genuinely believed Rina would be revealed as his fated mate the moment he turned eighteen. He had his entire future planned around her.”

A look of shock instantly crosses Lyra’s face, her lips parting slightly as she processes the info.

“But the moment kina saw me at a royal gala, everything changed,” I continue, my voice entirely devoid of pride. “She didn’t care about Roman anymore. She left him without a second thought and chose to pursue me instead.”

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Chapter 322

Lyra stares at me in silent shock, and I see her hands tightening on the fabric of her shirt.

I let out a rough breath, wanting to be completely honest with her. “Because we were young, and quite frankly, because I didn’t give a single shit about mates or love back then, I didn’t care. When my father came to me a week later and told me that an alliance with Princess Rina’s pack would be a perfect chosen match for my future throne, I said yes immediately. I didn’t hesitate. Why would I say no when I didn’t care anyway?”

I look down at my hands, remembering the look on my cousin’s face back then. “It was only after I said yes to the alliance and signed the

papers that I found out Roman was actually with her first. I didn’t even know.”

Lyra continues to stare at me silently, listening to every word.

“Since that day, Roman hated me with a burning passion, accusing me of always wanting whatever he had,” I say softly. “And me, being a total dick 1 didn’t even bother to apologize to him. I didn’t try to explain that Rina had completely manipulated the entire situation to get closer to the throne. I just let him believe the lie. Roman firmly believed that I knowingly took what was his just because I could. The last thing said to me about it was that I could keep her, and that he would find a way to forget he was ever with her.”

As

ch the doors of the hospital building, I can perceive the sterile smell of antiseptics already. The automatic doors slide open. I st in the lobby, turning to Lyra one last time before we find his room.

the reason why I think Roman wants you so badly right now, Lyra,” I say, my voice dropping into a dark, warning whisper. “Half of might genuinely want you simply because he’s attracted or even in love with you… But the other half of him…”

Wants to get back at you for taking his girlfriend…”

Lyra finishes the sentence for me. We stare at each other in a tense silence.

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