Chapter Three : The Prince Who Wouldn't Stop Smiling
1313 Words
The royal carriage arrived just before sunset.
Elara stood on the front steps of Mooncrest Manor, watching the black-and-silver carriage roll through the gates.
She already knew who it belonged to.
The royal crest was impossible to miss.
Her father stood beside her, his expression calm.
Her mother was on his other side.
Adrian leaned against one of the pillars, looking considerably more entertained than everyone else.
Elara glanced at him.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I'm not.”
“You are.”
“Maybe I'm enjoying watching you suffer.”
“I hate you.”
“You say that every day.”
The carriage stopped.
A royal guard climbed down first and opened the door.
A young man stepped out.
He was tall, dressed in an immaculate black uniform decorated with silver embroidery. His dark hair was slightly messy despite the formal clothing, giving him an appearance that was somehow both elegant and careless.
His eyes immediately found Elara.
And he smiled.
Not a polite royal smile.
A genuine one.
Elara immediately became suspicious.
The prince walked toward them.
“Alpha Mooncrest.”
Her father bowed his head.
“Prince Kaien.”
Kaien's gaze shifted to Elara.
“And you must be Elara.”
Elara gave him a polite nod.
“Your Highness.”
He smiled wider.
“That's rather formal.”
“You are a prince.”
“And you're the first person I've met today who hasn't immediately tried to flatter me.”
“I didn't realize that was required.”
A few guards struggled not to laugh.
Kaien's expression brightened.
“I think I'm going to like you.”
Elara blinked.
“We've known each other for approximately ten seconds.”
“Exactly.”
Adrian coughed.
Elara shot him a warning look.
Kaien laughed.
“I see you've got an entertaining family.”
Her father gestured toward the entrance.
“Please, come inside. We can discuss the royal matter in the study.”
Kaien nodded.
But before following him, he looked at Elara once more.
Something inside his chest tightened.
His wolf had been restless since the previous evening.
He had barely slept.
He had spent the entire morning trying to convince himself that it was nothing.
Now he knew.
The moment he saw her, the strange feeling returned.
Stronger.
His wolf whispered one word.
*Mate.*
Kaien nearly lost his smile.
He had expected many things when he came to Mooncrest.
He had not expected this.
---
The discussion lasted nearly an hour.
Elara wasn't invited into the study.
She didn't mind.
Instead, she wandered toward the garden.
She needed fresh air.
Too many strange things had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
First, the black wolf.
Then Ronan.
And now the prince.
She sat beneath an old oak tree.
“Something is definitely wrong.”
Lira stirred.
*Several things are wrong.*
“Helpful.”
*I am always helpful.*
“You told me to chase a wolf who rejected us.”
*I was emotional.*
Elara laughed quietly.
For a few minutes, everything felt normal.
Then footsteps approached.
She looked up.
Kaien stood several feet away.
He had removed his formal jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
“May I?”
Elara gestured toward the grass.
“It's your kingdom.”
“Technically, it's my mother's kingdom.”
“You're a prince.”
“Unfortunately.”
She laughed.
Kaien sat beside her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he glanced at her.
“So.”
“So?”
“Are you always this difficult?”
Elara raised an eyebrow.
“Are you always this annoying?”
“Yes.”
“At least you're honest.”
“I'm very honest.”
“I doubt that.”
Kaien placed a hand dramatically over his heart.
“You wound me.”
Elara shook her head.
“You came here for something. What is it?”
His smile faded slightly.
“I'm not entirely sure.”
“That doesn't sound reassuring.”
“My wolf has been acting strangely.”
Elara's body went still.
Kaien noticed.
“You've felt it too?”
She hesitated.
“Maybe.”
He looked at her carefully.
“What happened last night?”
Elara looked away.
“Nothing.”
“That's a lie.”
“You've known me for less than an hour.”
“And yet I know you're lying.”
She stared at him.
Kaien smiled.
“I've always been good at reading people.”
Elara sighed.
She didn't want to tell him.
But something about him made lying feel strangely difficult.
“I met someone.”
Kaien's expression changed.
“A man?”
“Yes.”
“Your mate?”
Elara nodded.
“And?”
“He rejected me.”
Kaien's smile disappeared completely.
Something dark flashed through his eyes.
His wolf growled inside him.
*Who?*
Kaien forced himself to remain calm.
“That was foolish of him.”
Elara looked at him.
“You don't even know me.”
“I know enough.”
“Such as?”
“You're sitting here calmly after being rejected by your mate.”
He paused.
“That tells me he wasn't worthy of you.”
Elara stared at him.
Then she laughed.
“That's a bold conclusion.”
“I make bold conclusions.”
“Apparently.”
Kaien smiled again.
But inside, his wolf was still restless.
*Mate.*
Kaien looked at her.
He didn't understand how.
He didn't understand why.
But the same pull he'd felt since last night was getting stronger.
And he was beginning to suspect Elara was the reason.
---
The garden doors suddenly opened.
Adrian stepped outside.
“Elara.”
She looked over.
“Father wants you.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
She stood.
Kaien rose as well.
As they walked toward the house, Elara suddenly stopped.
Kaien nearly walked into her.
“What happened?”
She looked toward the forest.
A familiar scent had reached her.
Her heart began beating faster.
Black wolf.
He was nearby.
Kaien noticed her expression.
“Do you know someone?”
Elara didn't answer.
Across the garden wall, hidden among the trees, two golden eyes watched them.
Damon's claws dug into the bark.
His wolf was furious.
Another male.
Damon's jaw tightened.
He had no right to feel jealous.
He had rejected her.
He had walked away.
Yet seeing another man standing beside her made something inside him burn.
Go to her.
“No.”
She is ours.
“She deserves someone who doesn't run.”
His wolf snarled.
Then stop running.
Damon closed his eyes.
He hated that his wolf was right.
But he hated something else even more.
The realization that he might already be too late.
---
Inside the manor, Elara found her parents waiting in the study.
Her father gestured toward the chair.
“Sit.”
Elara did.
Her mother placed a sealed letter on the table.
“It came from the Royal Council.”
Elara looked at the seal.
“Why?”
Her father exchanged a glance with her mother.
“The council has requested your presence at the Moon Palace.”
Elara frowned.
“For what?”
“We don't know.”
“That's reassuring.”
Her father smiled faintly.
“You don't have to go.”
Elara looked at the letter.
Then at Kaien, who had quietly entered the room behind her.
The prince's expression was unusually serious.
“I think,” Kaien said, “you should.”
Elara looked at him.
“Why?”
His eyes met hers.
“Because something unusual is happening.”
He didn't explain.
He couldn't.
Because he was beginning to understand that whatever was happening wasn't happening to the kingdom.
It was happening around her.
And somewhere in the distance, five wolves had begun to stir.
Only three of their owners knew it yet.
The others would soon.
Very soon.
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