The Lycan Prince’s Wolfless Slave (Academy Romance) novel Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Kara and I hold hands as we leave her apartment. The evening air feels cool as the sun begins to set. We start walking toward the main hall where the party is already starting to pick up. I hear the distant sound of music and the voices of hundreds of students. Usually, I’d be trying to hide in the shadows, but tonight, the shimmer of this red dress makes me feel like I actually belong here. I know I look good.

Other students are also rushing out of their dorms, all of them dressed in their best clothes. Most of the girls are wearing elegant gowns like mine and Kara’s, while the guys are putting on nice suits or tuxes. I keep scanning the crowd as we walk.

Amara and Isolde told me they’d meet us at the front gate of the hall, and I’m dying to see how they look. I know Isolde probably found something bright and sparkly, and Amara usually goes for something bold.

My mind shifts to Erika. After she walked out of my hospital room yesterday with that cold comment, I haven’t heard a single word from her. I’m expecting her to be at the event, though. She was so excited about Princess Rina giving her the chance to attend despite failing her assessment test. I still have a bad feeling about what Rina wants with my friend. It doesn’t make sense for a royal like her to suddenly be best friends with a level-one wolf like Erika. I just hope Erika trusts me enough to finally confide in me tonight and tell me what’s really going on. I don’t want to overwhelm her by asking her questions that she doesn’t want to answer.

Kara drags me out of my thoughts by squeezing my hand playfully. “So… are you excited to possibly meet your fated mate at the wolf event like I am?”

2

I blink at her, completely confused. “Wait, what do you mean exactly?”

“Lyra, what do you think the wolf event is actually about? It’s not just for dancing and drinking punch.”

She leans in closer as we walk, her voice dropping to a whisper. She explains that in a few hours, the full red moon will rise in the sky. When that happens, every wolf’s senses are heightened to an extreme level. The energy of the red moon acts like a magnet, making it almost impossible not to find your other half if they are nearby. That’s why the Academy holds this event every six months/it’s the best time for new couples to realize they are fated.

I’m genuinely surprised by her explanation. Back in my pack at home, we had/ceremonies, but nothing like this. “What if there’s no other half for some people?” I ask, my voice sounding a bit small. “What if some of us are just…/meant to be alone?”

Kara just laughs and shakes her head. “There is always another half for every wolf, Lyra. Even the Lycans. The Moon Goddess doesn’t leave anyone out.”

She pauses for a second, her expression turning a bit more thoughtful. “Although, I should tell you that Lycans aren’t bound to the bond as tightly as normal wolves are. We have more of a choice, I guess. We can feel the pull, but we can also ignore it if we’re stubborn enough. But for most, when that red moon hits… there’s no fighting it.”

I look up at the sky, where the moon is already starting to change to a pink color. My heart does a nervous little dance in my chest. If what Kara is saying is true, then tonight could change everything. I’ve already been rejected by one fated mate, and the thought of going through that pull again makes me feel sick and hopeful all at once.

But then I think of Kai. He isn’t my fated mate, he’s iny master. He’s already chosen Rina. If the red moon rises and I feel a pull toward a stranger, will I still feel this… weird feeling I feel when he’s close?

“Don’t look so worried,” Kara says, nudging me. “Just enjoy the music and the dress. Whatever happens tonight is written in the stars anyway.

As we reach the gate, my mind suddenly goes to Ryan. For years, I was so certain he was my fated mate, my one and only. I had built my entire future around that belief, only for it to end in rejection. But what if I was wrong the whole time? What if there was never a bond at all, and I was just a teenage girl attracted to a handsome popular boy in my pack?

The curiosity bites at me until I finally turn to Kara.

2:24 pm M

Chapter 88

“Um, how do you actually recognize the bond, Kara? I mean, how does a person really know for sure that someone is their fated?”

Kara stops walking for a second and smiles softly at me. “It’s like an invisible thread, she says in a quiet voice. “A string that starts to tighten between the two of you the moment you’re near ch other. But the very first thing you’ll recognize is the scent. It hits you harder than anything else. It’s a smell that belongs only to them, and to you, it’s the best thing in the world…”

As she speaks, a memory flashes in my mind-the very first moment t met Prince Kai in that tub. I remember how his scent flooded my senses instantly. It was an intoxicating scent of something dark and electric that I couldn’t put a name to. My breath catches in my throat. Oh, Goddess…

“Then, Kara continues, oblivious to the panic rising in my chest, “there the supernatural attraction. It’s art instant, primal pull that you can’t deny, no matter how hard you try to fight it. Your wolf recognizes theirs before your human mind even catches up.”

I think about the magnetic pull I feel every time Kai walks into a room. I think about how I can’t help the attraction, even when I’m telling myself that I hate him. I think about the way my heart races and my skin tingles every time he’s close to me or looks at me with those piercing green eyes.

Could it be that…? No. No, it can’t. He’s a Lycan Prince. I’m a rejected slave. It’s impossible.

I try to clear my throat and keep my face straight as Kara finishes explaining the mechanics of the bond, the exact same bond I’ve been feeling for the forbidden prince for weeks. I can feel the heat crawling up my neck, and I know my face is flushing a deep, tell-tale red.

Kara stops talking and looks at me closely. Her eyes narrow as she catches the look on my face. She pauses, a slow realization dawning on her.

“Wait,” she says, her voice rising with excitement. “Lyra… do you already have someone you feel a mate bond with? Is that why you’re blushing like that right now?”

“I…” I’m completely speechless. I just stare at her, unable to find a single word to deny it.

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