My Mate. My Mission

Chapter 4

VAE

“I’m serious, Vae. This place is rough on Omegas. Really rough,” Nyx said, her voice sharp but kept strictly low as we navigated the crowded corridor.

“Back home, my pack at least pretended we mattered. Here? The Alphas act like we’re dirt. Training classes, meal times, even the dorms.., Omegas always get the worst of it. Last year, some girl got shoved around just for sitting in the wrong seat. And if you look at the wrong Alpha the wrong way? Forget it.”

I nodded like I was listening, keeping my eyes fixed ahead. I had asked her a simple question about the school's hierarchy, and she had taken it to heart, analyzing the power structure with an intensity that surprised me.

Prince Ryker–three days in and still no sign of him. Time was running out.

“Vae.” Nyx tapped my arm, pulling me from my calculations. “Are you listening?”

“Yeah, I heard. Omegas get treated like garbage here,” I replied, keeping my tone mild and blending in. “We’ve got each other’s backs, right?”

She sighed, the tension in her shoulders dropping slightly, then nodded. “Yeah. We have to. This academy will eat you alive if you're alone.”

I forced a small, reassuring smile. In the Guild, relying on someone else got you killed. But here, keeping Nyx close was a perfect shield for my cover.

We reached the academy’s auditorium for the new-student orientation. It was wide and open, rows of tiered chairs facing a raised stone platform.

Tall banners bearing the crimson Ironfang wolf symbol hung from the walls, casting long shadows. Students were already filling the seats. The Alphas claimed the front rows like they already owned the building. A specially designed section in the corner caught my eye, cordoned off and heavily guarded. It had to be for the Crown Prince.

Nyx pulled me toward a cluster of chairs in the middle section. “Not too close to the front, not too close to the back. We don’t need trouble on the first day.”

She sat, and I took the seat beside her, immediately scanning the exits. The hall was luxurious, of course. What else would you expect from a school full of werewolf nobles?

Suddenly, the chatter in the room died down. A girl walked in like she owned the place. She was tall, with long, golden-blonde hair and a tailored uniform that looked like it cost more than a scout's annual salary. Whispers spread through the ranks of students like wildfire. The sheer authority she carried made it obvious she was the queen bee of the student body.

“That’s Seraphine,” Nyx leaned in, her whisper barely audible over the sudden murmurs. “Heir of the Bloodpine pack. Crown Prince Ryker’s sweetheart. There’s a rumor going around that they’re already engaged and the King approved it. Everyone says the prince only has eyes for Seraphine. She’s basically the future Luna Queen.”

Seraphine smiled at a group of Alphas, who dipped their heads slightly, not full bows, but enough to show submission to her rank. Even a senior instructor stepped aside to let her pass.

She took a seat dead center in the front row, and the students around her shifted instantly to give her space. Girls watched her with envy; guys watched her with open admiration. She waved carelessly at someone, and they lit up like she’d handed them gold.

I studied her from the shadows. Beautiful, sure. Poised. The kind of wolf who’d never had to fight for scraps or bleed for survival. If she was Ryker’s chosen mate, it changed the parameters of my mission. Getting close to him might mean going through her. Or around her. Or using her status against him. I noted the way she held her chin high, her blind confidence. That was her weakness. People who think they are invincible never see the blade coming.

The Principal, an older werewolf with gray strikes in his dark hair, stepped onto the platform.

“Welcome back to Ironfang Academy,” he boomed, his voice amplified by the microphone.

“This year brings new students and new challenges. Remember your places. Strength above all.”

Nyx shifted restlessly beside me. “See? Places. That’s code for stay down, if you’re an Omega.”

I barely heard her. Something was stirring deep inside me. A sudden, unexpected warmth flared in my chest. A flicker of something I hadn't felt in a very long time.

My wolf? No. It was impossible. The Guild had locked her away with their alchemical serum.

I hadn’t felt a single trace of her since last year, right after my first shift. The Black Lotus Guild systematically suppresses the wolves of their lethal agents by injecting a specialized serum into new recruits. The reaction causes agony so intense it makes you want to die. After that, you are entirely dependent on the Guild for survival, taking daily silver pills just to keep the poison from killing you while your wolf remains locked in a cage.

But right now… there was a tiny shift. Like paws padding softly in the dark recesses of my mind.

Lora? I thought, testing the bond, dialing into a frequency I thought was dead. I hadn't spoken her name in a year.

Nothing at first. Then, a small sound echoed back. Not words, but a soft, trembling whine, followed by a low purr. Warmth spread through my veins.

Lora… I called again inside my head, my heart tightening. Is that you?

Another noise vibrated in my mind. Quieter this time, but it felt like absolute reassurance. Like she was saying, I’m here. I’m still here. It was faint, as if she were trapped behind a massive iron door, but the door had just cracked open.

A rush of adrenaline hit me so fast I almost lost control of my facial expression. After all this time, my wolf was waking up. The suppression was fading here at the academy. I didn't know if it was the air, the sheer density of other wolves, or something else entirely, but a fierce urge to run, to shift, and to feel the wind in my fur surged through me.

I breathed slowly, forcing my heart rate down. I had to keep my face completely blank. No one could know. If the Guild found out my wolf was stirring, they would pull me out of the field immediately. Or worse, eliminate me.

“You okay?” Nyx asked, glancing sideways at me.

“Yeah,” I lied smoothly, forcing my features into a soft, harmless expression. “Just… excited for the year.”

The Principal kept talking about school rules, kingdom politics, and the combat training schedule.

I half-listened, entirely focused on the faint warmth of my wolf, praying silently for the assembly to end so I could get out into the open air. Lora was there, but not fully awake. Still, it was the first real piece of hope I’d had in years. If the academy grounds were neutralizing the serum, I just had to survive long enough to find out why.

I was still processing the revelation when the Principal’s voice took on a deeper, formal tone.

“…And now, let us welcome our Crown Prince, Ryker of Ironfang.”

Cheers and thunderous howls rose all at once, shaking the auditorium. The students stood up instantly. Nyx stood. I rose with them, keeping my head bowed to blend into the crowd, preparing to catch my first glimpse of the target.

Then, the scent hit me before the owner arrived.

It came on the breeze first. Deep and clean, rain-soaked cedarwood touched by something unexpectedly sweet, like wild honey warmed by dark amber. My nose pulled in a full breath before I could stop myself.

Violent tingles raced down my spine, shooting out to my fingertips. My skin suddenly felt too tight for my body. Heat rushed to my face, blinding and sudden. The scent grew stronger with every passing second, wrapping its invisible hands around my senses and dragging me under.

Lora surged forward in my mind. She made a low, restless sound that echoed in my head. My heart started beating faster. The pull was sudden and strong. It tugged at my chest, at my legs, at everything. I wanted to move toward the platform. I wanted to find the source of that scent and stay near it. My hands shook a little. I locked my knees so I wouldn’t step forward.

Everyone around me bowed their heads as the prince entered. I saw movement near the platform, but the scent filled my whole head. It drove me half crazy. Every breath made the feeling worse. Stronger. Hotter. My wolf pushed against the inside of my skull, excited and urging me toward him. I had never felt anything like this in my life. Not from training. Not from any job. This was pure and wild and it made thinking hard.

I forced myself to look.

There he was. Crown Prince Ryker stood on the platform now. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. The kind of presence that made the air feel heavier. His aura rolled out over the hall. Strong. Commanding. Alphas and nobles straightened. Omegas lowered their eyes even more. But the pull toward him did not stop. It only grew. My feet wanted to close the distance. Lora kept making those soft, urgent sounds. The scent of him was everywhere now, and it made my pulse race so hard I could hear it in my ears.

And then, just as if he felt it too, he turned and his eyes found mine across the rows of bowed students. Storm grey eyes. Steady. They locked onto me like he had been searching for something and finally found it.