Don't Mess Up with a Lycan's Mate

Chapter 8: The Collar Reclaimed

Nora’s POV

The night had deepened. Kade led me out of the storage room, his hand locked around mine.

The shadows of the silver firs stretched long across the courtyard, moonlight cold on the stone path. The night wind was sharp, the memory of what had just happened sharper still—yet my body burned, sweat beading on my skin.

His jacket was draped heavy over my shoulders.

But heavier than the jacket were the two words he had spoken—Prince.

“…What you just said… was it true?”

I looked at him, my heart pounding like thunder. Whether true or not, whether Kade really was a prince or not, one thing was certain: our days at Silvermoon Academy would never be the same.

No—maybe peace had left me the day the term began.

Kade’s brows were drawn tight, his stride stiff and wide as if fueled by anger. When his gaze finally came back to me, it swept over my face, my shoulders, even tugged my jacket open to check my skin for wounds before pulling it back around me. He still didn’t answer my question.

His silence made my emotions burn hotter, like flames licking through reason.

I had told myself—forget Shadow Pack, forget my mother beaten at my father’s hands. Here at Silvermoon, I could start again. If I studied hard enough, earned good grades, I could take her away someday.

But Selena’s bullying never let up. No girls dared come near me, not when it meant destroyed belongings, humiliation in bathrooms, frogs stuffed in desks. Still, I told myself: it’s fine. The Moon Goddess was kind enough to give me a refuge—those quiet moments in the library, those accidental meetings with Kade. My last sanctuary.

Now that sanctuary had shattered.

Kade had saved me—twice. And to do it, he’d declared himself a prince in front of everyone.

Would a prince really care for a plain, unwanted Omega like me?

He said nothing, and I knew the answer: he’d only said it to drive Damian and Selena away.

I tore my hand from his, clutching his jacket close. My voice tightened. “It’s not true, is it? You’ve lost your mind—why not just leave, why claim to be a prince in front of them all?”

Kade’s eyes were steady. “Damian tore your shirt. He called you his property. That’s why I said it, Nora—you are no one’s property. You’re only yourself—”

“I know!” I cut him off, my voice breaking, years of fire spilling out. “Of course I know! That’s why I rejected him in Shadow Pack, in front of everyone. That’s why I ran here. That’s why I’ve endured all this bullying. Because I know better than anyone!”

My voice faltered. “But you don’t. I don’t know your past, your family, your hardships—but from your looks, your words, the way you carry yourself… you didn’t grow up in misery.”

Tears stung, but I bit my lip until it bled. I couldn’t let them fall.

And I understood then why I’d never dared ask Kade if he felt the same spark I had in the library.

Because whether prince or not, the gap between us was too wide.

I was terrified he would answer like Damian had once—mocking, cruel. That he’d crush the only fragile beauty I had left.

Kade’s hand brushed my cheek. Moonlight lit his eyes. They did not waver. “I don’t care about any of that, Nora. You know what I mean—everything.”

“But I care.” I shut my eyes, shutting him out. “You don’t know how cruel Damian and Selena can be. Now they’ll turn on you too. Damian won’t fear you—he’ll tear you apart. When the royals visit next week, he’ll find the cruelest way to ruin you, in front of everyone.”

“I don’t care.” Kade stepped closer, until there was no space left between us. His scent wrapped around me, his voice low and certain. “Trust me, Nora. I can handle it. I’ll fix it.”

For a heartbeat, I believed him. Heat flared in my chest; I almost drowned in it, in him.

Then cold reason doused me. I shook my head, stepped back. “Don’t say it so easily. You lied. You still haven’t told me the truth. And we—we’re not close. We’re barely friends. Just classmates.”

The last words shook in my throat.

He fell silent. From his pocket, he pulled something thin, fingers brushing it as though to show me. “Nora—”

I flinched aside. “Don’t. You don’t understand.”

His hand froze in the air.

I clutched his jacket tight. “Thank you for tonight. But I won’t let you pay the price for me. This is mine to bear.”

I turned and walked into the night. The cold wind cut my chest like ice, trying to smother the fire raging inside.

I couldn’t drag anyone else down. My mother had already suffered enough. If defiance came with a price—let me be the one to pay it.

Kade’s POV

Her trembling silhouette vanished into the dark.

My fists clenched and loosened at my sides until I forced myself to still. Not now, I told Rudolph when his growl threatened to burst free.

He snorted but fell quiet—until he couldn’t hold back. You should’ve told her everything. That you weren’t lying. Shown her the badge. Held her, like you did when you kicked that damn door down.

I pulled the emblem from my pocket, thin and sharp in the moonlight. Silver and black laurel encircled a narrow sword, etched with patterns invisible except to the terminals it could unlock. Proof of my blood. Proof of the crown.

I could have shown her. But I didn’t.

“Rudolph, she’s different. That’s why I hesitated. That’s why I was afraid. If her face turned into the same mask of flattery I’ve seen a thousand times… wouldn’t you be disappointed too?”

Rudolph growled in frustration. And until then, you’ll leave her to be bullied? That’s not how a male protects the female he wants. Don’t forget—the king and queen won’t arrive until next week. That’s days away.

“Nora’s not fragile. She’s fierce. She trains, even when no one watches. She’s stronger than you think.” I remembered following her once, watching her practice in the dark, her stubborn figure etched in my mind. My lips curved faintly. “And Damian’s not as powerful as he thinks. I won’t give him many chances to try.”

Rudolph scoffed. And you? What power do you have?

“I can bring my parents sooner. Force the truth into the open. Let Damian choke on his own schemes. And then everything—everything—will be revealed.”

Nora’s POV

Morning light rose, warm, but my chest felt heavier than the night before.

Since Kade had spoken the word prince in that corridor, the entire academy buzzed. Mockery. Doubt. Eager whispers of a coming spectacle.

Damian fanned the flames, Selena at his side, spreading the tale of Kade’s lies.

If not for me, Kade would never have been dragged into this storm. I couldn’t let him fall for my sake.

So—I sought Damian out.

At the training hall’s back door, light cut Damian’s figure into shards. He turned at my steps, smiling like a predator at ease.

“Come to beg?” he drawled.

I clenched my fists, nails cutting my palms, and forced my voice steady. “Damian, stop targeting Kade. He hasn’t wronged you. It’s me…”

I raised my head. “If you need someone to punish—take me.”

His grin widened. “Bold. But worthless. What do you think you can give me?”

I bit hard, then asked the words anyway. “What do you want?”

He stepped close, fingers gripping my chin, eyes gleaming with hunger. He leaned in—

I jerked aside. “Don’t touch me. You disgust me.”

Ever since I’d felt the mate-bond with Kade, Damian’s scent had curdled in my nose. The thought of his lips on mine sickened me.

My rejection startled him, then enraged him. But I didn’t care.

His hand dropped, wiping at his clothes like I was filth. His smile was cruel. “Fine. No girlfriend, then. Just my shadow again. My little servant.”

Memories lashed through me: the way his commands once chained me in Shadow Pack, the way one word—property—had branded me in the hall.

But for Kade, I had no retreat.

“Fine.” My voice was steel wrapped in blood. “I’ll do it.”

For the next two days, I was once again the shadow at his heels.

In class, I carried Damian and Selena’s books, scribbled their notes. Damian leaned back, smug. “Don’t mess it up.”

My pen flew across the page. I don’t mess up. You always did.

At lunch, I poured tea, wiped trays until they gleamed.

“Too cold, Nora. Do it again,” Selena smirked, legs crossed.

I switched the cup, my words sharp as ice. “I’m not a servant. But you sure like pretending I am.”

Her laughter rang out, but I saw the flicker of unease in her eyes.

In the halls, I hauled bags, coats, whatever they tossed at me.

“Careful,” Selena called sweetly. “If you break it, your life will pay for it.”

My lips curved in a cold smile. “At least my life isn’t wasted on pleasing others.”

A few students glanced, startled, then hurried on. They didn’t step in, but they looked back—watching.

Laughter. Orders. Whispers. They wanted to break me in public.

But I wasn’t that girl from Shadow Pack anymore.

I lowered my head, obeyed, endured. But inside, I told myself: This is temporary. One day, they’ll choke on their own words.

So I clenched my teeth. I didn’t explain. I didn’t beg.

I just walked taller.

I avoided Kade, too. But every time I glimpsed him in the distance, my heart twisted.

I wanted him to find me. I feared he would.

If he saw me like this—would even his respect vanish?