His False Mate, Her True Rise

CHAPTER 6

Kael Draven sat through class as though the lecture had nothing to do with him. His attention had long since drifted elsewhere, fixed on a certain blonde-haired female and the bond that had unsettled his wolf since morning. His mate. He needed to get close to her, make her fall in love with him, and somehow allow himself to fall for her too.

“Your Highness, your mind seems to be elsewhere,” the teacher said from the front of the room. “Would you care to share what has distracted you so completely?” Several students turned at once, eager for any excuse to watch the crown prince closely.

Kael lifted his gaze slowly. The easy smile he usually wore was nowhere to be seen, and for one brief moment the room seemed to lose its warmth. “Nothing, sir,” he said, his tone calm and respectful, though something beneath it made the teacher straighten instinctively. The silence stretched just long enough to unsettle everyone listening.

Then Kael leaned back in his chair, and the familiar charm returned as if it had never left. “Please continue,” he added lightly, offering a faint smile that softened the tension at once. A few students relaxed, unsure what they had just felt. The teacher cleared his throat and hurried back to the lesson.

Elena’s heart raced as she collided with a solid chest. Before she could stumble back, the classroom door shut behind her. “Finally,” a cool voice said near her ear, warm breath brushing her skin and sending a shiver down her spine. She looked up and found Rowan staring down at her.

“W-what do you want?” she asked, panic plain on her face. Rowan released her arm and took one step back, giving her space without softening his expression. “Answers,” he said calmly. His eyes moved over her as if he were trying to solve something.

“How did you get into this academy?” he asked. “I was admitted,” Elena replied, straightening as she put distance between them. Rowan’s expression did not change as he studied her. “You’re human,” he said, though it sounded more like a challenge than a statement.

Elena lifted her chin slightly. “Yes.” Silence settled between them, heavy and uncomfortable. Rowan folded his arms and kept his gaze fixed on her. “Do you know what happens to humans in a place like this?” he asked.

His voice remained level, but the warning beneath it was clear. “You should leave now, before someone less patient than me notices.” Elena’s hands trembled at her sides, yet she refused to step back. Fear sat in her chest, but pride stood beside it.

“I won’t go,” she said. The answer came faster than she expected, stronger too. “The goddess finally gave me one chance, and I won’t throw it away because you told me to.” Her breathing was uneven, but her eyes never left his.

For the first time, Rowan truly looked at her. Whatever he expected to see seemed to shift. He let out a slow breath, then stepped aside and reached for the door. “Fine,” he said quietly. “Have it your way.”

He opened the door and walked out without another word. Elena remained where she was, listening to the sound of Rowan unlocking the door. Only then did she realize how hard her heart was pounding.

Rowan stopped when he came face to face with Kael standing in the doorway. “So now we’re dragging girls into empty classrooms?” Kael asked lightly. “Should I be concerned?” His gaze slid past Rowan and landed on Elena, who was still leaning against the table, trying to steady herself.

“Oh. It’s you,” Rowan said flatly, showing no surprise. He stepped aside just enough to block part of the doorway without seeming to. Elena noticed it immediately but said nothing. Kael, of course, noticed too.

Kael walked in as though he had been invited. “I was looking for you anyway,” he said, then turned his attention toward Elena with an easy smile. “Though finding company makes this far more interesting.” His tone was playful, but his eyes were studying her closely.

Elena straightened at once, clutching her bag tighter. “Me?” she asked quietly, unsure why the crown prince would be speaking to her at all. Kael’s smile widened slightly. “Yes, you.”

Before she could say more, Rowan’s gaze sharpened. “Why?” he asked, suspicion clear in his voice. Kael glanced at him and smirked without hesitation. “You sound possessive.”

Rowan did not react, though the room somehow felt colder. Kael turned back to Elena as if nothing had happened. “You’re Elaine’s sister, aren’t you?” he asked, his tone casual and warm.

The small lift in Elena’s chest dropped just as quickly. Of course. It was never about her. She tightened her grip on her bag and forced herself to answer. “Yes.”

“Good,” Kael said smoothly. “If Elaine is important to me, then I thought it would be wise for us to get along.” His smile was perfect, practiced, and easy to trust. Rowan could hear the performance in every word.

He stayed quiet, more interested in Elena’s reaction than Kael’s act. Elena held the prince’s gaze for a moment, then lowered hers. “Thank you, Your Highness,” she said politely. “But I do not want the problems that come with your attention. I’m fine by myself.”

Before either of them could stop her, she brushed past Rowan and walked out of the room. Her steps were quick, but her back remained straight. The door shut behind her with a soft click.

Silence settled over the classroom. Kael’s smile faded as he looked toward the doorway she had disappeared through. Rowan crossed his arms and looked at him instead.

Elena sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the moon beyond the window. It was full tonight, bright and unnaturally clear, the kind of moon people in her village used to whisper about. She had always found it beautiful, though now it felt like it was watching her. Silver light spilled across the floor and touched her feet.

Her thoughts returned to Rowan’s warning. He was right. She should never have agreed to come here, yet this academy was the only path left connected to her father. For his sake, she would risk everything.

Memories rose before she could stop them. Her father’s voice, his rough hands, and the way he had looked at her as though she mattered when no one else did. The ache of missing him settled deep inside her chest. She closed her eyes for only a moment.

Then pain struck without warning. Her heartbeat slammed hard against her ribs, loud and violent, as if something inside her wanted out. A sharp ringing filled her ears, drowning every other sound in the room. Elena gasped and grabbed at her throat as panic flooded through her.

The walls seemed to tremble around her. Something metal crashed to the floor near the desk, rattling sharply against the stone. Elena tried to stand, but her legs gave way beneath her before she could take a step. Moonlight flooded the room as she collapsed.

Her vision blurred at the edges, the silver glow stretching into darkness. The ringing in her ears grew louder, then vanished all at once. Elena’s body went still on the floor. Everything went black.