Chapter 4: The Meeting
1485 Words
Patricia”s POV
I acted all sweet and naïve on purpose. I wanted to experience what it felt like to have genuine friends—not sycophants or servants, but people who didn’t know I was royalty. Even though my appearance screamed wealth and status, I longed—just for a while—to shed the royal title and just be me.
My parents had rented out a penthouse for me in the city. I had maids, guards, and even personal bodyguards who had been enrolled in the same university under aliases. But I warned them: don’t hover, don’t expose me, and definitely don’t call me “princess.” They agreed to keep their distance, but they were always close enough to respond if needed.
As a werelioness, I could scent people clearly. I knew who was like me and who wasn’t. I arrived early for the math lecture and sat alone, discreetly scanning the room. Most of the students were human. Their scents were pungent—unbearable at times. I shuddered at the thought of breathing the same air for too long.
Then she walked in.
A girl. Human. She looked decent—stylish even. Her eyes swept the room until they landed on me. I quickly looked away and stared down at my books, pretending to be shy. I prayed she wouldn’t sit next to me. There was a vacant seat beside mine, and I internally cursed fate.
But she did.
She walked right over and sat next to me.
I braced myself for the unpleasant scent—but to my surprise, she carried a faint trace of lion. Odd. Could she be connected to my kind? Maybe she associated with werelions? That could be useful.
She introduced herself politely. Her name was Lucy. I introduced myself as Patricia and forced a warm smile. After the lecture, I asked if I could hang out with her. She agreed immediately. She might just be the key to finding my prince.
We headed to the student mall. I bought some food, and just as I was settling down, a loud, annoying voice pierced my ears.
“Oh my God! Girl, you're ditching me already?” came the squeaky shout from another human girl.
She strutted over and plopped herself beside Lucy like she owned her. The stench hit me before her words did. Ugh. I hated everything about her—the voice, the arrogance, the way she looked at me, like I was invading her territory.
Lucy quickly introduced us. “Nelly, this is Patricia—she’s new, from the Valley. Pat, this is Nelly, my BFF and roommate.”
I shook her hand and nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
Internally, I groaned. Great. One more human in my equation. Hopefully, this won’t come back to bite me.
I glanced sideways, checking how far my bodyguards had stationed themselves. They were close, watching. Their eyes locked on mine, disapproving. I opened my mind-link and spoke silently.
“Tim, Troy—relax. These humans are harmless. I’m playing a role. I think this one—Lucy— could lead me to others like us. Maybe even... him.”
“Be careful, Princess,” Tim replied. “Don’t let your guard down. If the King finds out we allowed you to mingle like this—”
“I know, I know. He’ll have your heads,” I cut him off, rolling my eyes internally. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
After introductions, we chatted for a while and attended another lecture together. Lucy and I happened to share the same class schedule. Lucky me.
The next day, after our only two lectures, Lucy invited me to hang out in her dorm. I agreed. The moment I stepped into her building, I gagged. The whole place reeked of human scent. But I played it cool. The things we do for love...
And then—it happened.
Just as if the goddess heard my prayers, two werelions entered the dorm.
My senses perked up. But neither of their scents matched the one I had faintly detected from Lucy. Still, the fact that she interacted with them meant I was one step closer to the truth.
They stopped and exchanged glances with me. I stared them down. They dropped their eyes immediately—recognizing my dominant aura. Good. At least they know how to respect royalty.
One of them—Thomas, I think—turned to Lucy.
“Your man’s waiting for you in his office.”
My ears twitched. Her man?
Before I could ask, Lucy spoke again.
“Oh, wait, guys—this is Patricia Bratton. She transferred from Northern University. She’s from the Valley. Pat, these are Thomas and Malcom—my boyfriend’s best friends.”
My blood ran cold. So her boyfriend was a lion?
Their eyes widened ever so slightly. I could tell they recognized me—my aura, my name, my roots. Though they remained composed, they gave respectful nods rather than handshakes. I returned the gesture.
“Nice to meet you both,” I said smoothly.
They left soon after.
Lucy turned to me, smiling. “I’ve got to run. Ken is waiting for me.”
Ken.
KEN.
That name alone made my lioness stir. What if… what if it's him?
My stomach dropped. My heart pounded. Could the prince I had switched schools and traveled all this way for… be her boyfriend? My betrothed?
I froze. Panic. Rage. Despair. It all hit me at once. Maybe it's just a coincidence.
What if she had already stolen him? What if she was standing in the way of destiny? My thoughts spiralled.
I clenched my fists under the table. My lioness, Jacy, growled from within.
“She will regret this if that's the case,” Jacy hissed. “No human stands in our way.”
Lucy waved a hand in front of me, bringing me back to the present. “Hey, Pat—you okay?”
I blinked and forced a smile. “Yeah, yeah. Just feeling a little dizzy. I think I’ll head home.”
“Oh no, are you sick?”
“No, nothing serious,” I lied. “Just need some rest. You go ahead.”
She nodded and waved goodbye. I couldn’t bear to be left alone with the squeaky-voiced Nelly anyway.
I left the dorm, walked straight to my guards, and growled under my breath.
“We need to find out who Kenneth Paige really is. If it’s the same Ken… she’s going to pay.”
My heart was pounding, not with excitement anymore—but with burning jealousy.
Tomorrow… I’d see him for myself.
And if it was him?
I’d make sure no human girl ever got in my way.
---
Exactly one week later… I finally got to meet the so-called boyfriend of Lucy.
Oh, goddess.
The moment my eyes landed on him, my entire body betrayed me. A very tall, dark-skinned, devastatingly handsome epitome of a god stood before me—and my knees nearly buckled. My breath caught painfully in my throat. I could not peel my eyes away from him, even as Lucy’s voice buzzed excitedly beside me.
He was everything.
Too perfect.
Too powerful.
Too… royal.
My stare must have lingered far too long, because his expression shifted. A slight frown creased his forehead as his sharp hazel eyes flicked toward me. The instant our gazes met, embarrassment scorched through me. I tore my eyes away, my cheeks burning deeply.
How humiliating.
But even as I looked away, I felt it.
The aura.
That overwhelming, crushing wave of dominance and authority that only one bloodline possessed.
Royal blood.
My heart dropped straight into my stomach.
Lucky b***h, I whispered bitterly in my mind as jealousy stabbed through me. How does a mere human girl get a whole royal werelion to fall in love with her?
Before I could steady my breathing, Lucy turned toward me—smiling far too brightly.
“Pat, meet my boyfriend, Kenneth Paige. He’s from the Western region of the country.”
Boyfriend.
Kenneth.
Paige.
Each word hit like a brutal strike.
“Babe,” Lucy added cheerfully, turning to him, “this is Patricia Bratton from The Valley in the north.”
I didn’t hear the rest.
My ears burned.
The world spun.
Kenneth Paige.
Prince Kenneth Paige.
The man a Royal treaty had promised to me…
Was standing in front of me as her boyfriend.
My chest tightened violently. My lioness, Jacy, let out a broken, furious growl inside me.
No.
No, this couldn’t be happening.
This had to be a lie.
A cruel mistake.
But the truth was standing right there between us—alive, breathing, belonging to someone else.
Lucy’s boyfriend.
My betrothed.
My entire world shattered in silence.
I didn't delay by standing by. I excused myself, turning towards the bathrooms.
- Writer
