Don't Mess Up with a Lycan's Mate

Chapter 5: Heartbeat for her

Kade’s POV

“Hey, which pack are you from? What family do you belong to?”

On my way back to the dorm after class, a pack of girls suddenly jumped out, all dolled up, strutting like they owned the place.

Ever since the opening ceremony—when I stood up for that bullied girl—girls like these had hovered around me. All curious about who I really was. Some bolder ones even asked me straight up to be their boyfriend, promising they’d protect me.

The one in front was chewing gum, her school shirt tied high in a knot that showed her waist, skirt hiked so far up it barely covered her backside. Long, bare legs on full display.

Her followers hung back half a step, giggling, peeking at me from behind her shadow but too scared to step forward.

When she realized my gaze wasn’t on her, the gum popped louder. She moved closer, step by step, until my back hit a tree. She lifted a leg, planting her foot right next to my arm, leaning in.

“I asked you a question. If you’re not looking at me, who else would you look at?”

“Who I am doesn’t really matter.”

Her pose left nothing hidden beneath her skirt. My brows furrowed as I turned my head aside.

In the palace, no one would ever dare treat me like this.

Plenty of girls had tried tricks to seduce me—some wanted to be my wife, others didn’t care about titles at all. A one-night stand, an “accident,” a child by the future king… it would guarantee them riches for life.

It was exactly that I ran from—my name, my title, my cage. That’s why I came here in disguise.

But never, not once in the royal court, had any girl been this… crude. Shameless.

Because the truth is, I’m no Omega or Hybrid like they whisper. I am the son of the werewolf king, the prince, the sole heir to this nation.

And yet, I didn’t recognize her face. My mother, the queen, had shown me pictures of nearly every Alpha daughter in the realm.

Which meant she was probably just a Beta warrior’s daughter.

She grinned boldly. “If your background isn’t important, then let’s skip the dating. Forget the boyfriend stage.

You’ll marry into my family, take my name, and I’ll make sure no one ever lays a finger on you again.”

Her lackeys giggled, which only made her smirk widen. She reached for my cheek, leaning in for a kiss. But before she could blink, I ducked low, leapt up, and landed five steps away.

Rudolph’s voice filled my head, dripping with mockery. “Why run? She’s beautiful, isn’t she? Didn’t you come here to taste life as a commoner? No ordinary male would resist that.”

“Shut it, Rudolph.” My face stayed blank, though the girl’s turned scarlet with rage. I shot back at my wolf, “She doesn’t stir me, and she doesn’t stir you either. We’re one. If I feel nothing, neither do you.”

Rudolph huffed and fell silent.

I gave the girl a small nod. “Maybe work on your combat skills first—then you can protect me.” Without another glance, I walked away.

Instructor Brook’s POV

From the path, once I saw Kade slip free from the girls, I let out a breath. At the corner of the walkway, I turned quickly, vanishing before anyone noticed.

If a student had seen, they’d have recognized me as their combat instructor, Brook.

I forced the tension off my face, exhaled, and slipped back into the mask of a teacher as I headed to my office.

Prince Kade may insist on secrecy—no escorts, no fuss—but of course the king and queen would never truly leave him unguarded. The queen chose me from his personal guard to enter Silvermoon Academy, to protect him in secret.

A steaming cup of tea was handed to me from behind. I accepted it easily, took a sip, and sighed. “He’s fine. Just the usual games girls play. The prince learned every combat technique years ago. Handling students is child’s play.”

Professor Grayson’s voice answered, amused. “I wasn’t worried. You were the one rushing over like a panicked pup.”

Like me, she had been placed here by the queen. Once a high-ranking butler of the court, now posing as faculty.

We both disguised our faces, masked our scents with herbs, and blended carefully into the academy’s life.

“Fine, I admit I got nervous,” I muttered. “You’ve no idea how direct pack girls can be. The things they say—half the time it makes me want to choke, let alone the prince.”

Grayson smirked. “That’s just you. Prince Kade’s never lacked admirers. Unlike you—he doesn’t bolt at the sight of a girl.”

Her jab made me sigh. “Fair enough. He wasn’t shaken. He went straight to the library as usual—”

Our bickering went on.

Meanwhile, in the library, the very subject of our talk—Prince Kade—had just arrived. And his fingers brushed against Nora’s, sparking something that shook his soul.

Kade’s POV

I stared at the girl, stunned.

I knew her—the one who had been mocked at the opening ceremony. She looked delicate, fragile almost, but the fire in her eyes was blinding. Every inch of her drew me in. And damn it, I caught her scent, sweet and intoxicating.

Rudolph’s roar thundered through my skull.

“It’s her! She’s the one! She’s ours! Why let go? Grab her, claim her now!”

“Shut up, Rudolph.” My frown deepened—only to realize I’d said it out loud. In the library. Not in my head.

Shushing rose around us. Nora’s expression shifted. My chest tightened—what if she thought I was insane? Unknowingly, I was already desperate for her opinion.

Before I could explain, she beat me to it. She glanced at the crowd, then tugged me by the hand into a quiet corner. Leaning close, she whispered, “Are you an Omega too?”

The instant her skin touched mine, my heart—barely calmed—exploded in my chest again. I didn’t even hear her question. All I saw were her lips, soft and glistening. My mind spun with the thought of kissing her, tasting her, losing myself in her.

She was clueless. Pure. She didn’t recognize the flush on my face, the hunger in my eyes, the way my throat bobbed when I swallowed. She thought it was just because she startled me.

“Sorry,” Nora said softly, letting go. My chest ached at the loss. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It was just… strange, wasn’t it? When I touched you, it felt tingly. Even the lights flickered. Maybe the library wiring’s faulty or something.”

I nearly laughed. This girl, who’d stood so strong against her bullies, was now saying the silliest things. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling.

She didn’t know. She had no idea that when two werewolves touched and felt that jolt to the soul—it meant they were mates.

I couldn’t help but wonder. How could she not know something so basic? What kind of life had she lived before this?

Her eyes gleamed as she went on, “Actually, I wanted to ask… You were talking to your wolf, weren’t you? You’re amazing. I’m an Omega too, but my wolf hasn’t shown up yet. It’s so frustrating. I thought maybe you could tell me how you did it.”

Rudolph was practically howling with joy. “Tell her! Tell her you’re not an Omega—you’re the prince! Tell her she’ll be your queen!”

But I ignored him. Instead, I said simply, “Yeah, I have a wolf. But I’m not as strong as you think. I’m just… ordinary.”

“No way. You’re brave,” Nora said, her voice bright, her eyes pulling me in like whirlpools. “Maybe you don’t remember, but on the first day, you saved me. You’ve got a kind of courage no one else has. I… I admire you. I’ve always wanted to thank you.”

I don’t remember what I said back. All I know is, in that moment, she had all of me. My heart thundered, drowning out everything—except Rudolph’s ecstatic howls echoing in my head.