His Obsession, Her Doom: Forbidden Flame

Chapter Fifteen

Kayla

It was Prince Leonard and his friends. This was the first time since I had been attending this course that he had ever come to the arena.

Was it because of me?

I’d heard he rarely attended any class at all. He was in school only for appearances, so why was he here now?

The professor cleared his throat nervously, clearly flustered. “Prince Leonard, it’s good to have you in my class,” she said with a shaky smile.

Good? What the hell was good about this?

The moment he stepped fully inside, the atmosphere shifted. The girls nearly lost their mind, giggling, whispering, brushing their hair back as if he might notice them. Some even squealed under their breaths. The boys looked at them with jealousy, their earlier confidence suddenly gone.

Prince Leonard gave a casual nod, moving with effortless authority. He stood tall with his beta and gamma, who instantly started flirting with the boldest of the girls who pushed themselves forward. But the Prince didn’t do much as glance their way. His eyes scanned the room and my stomach dropped. I knew exactly who he was looking for.

I ducked my head and moved behind another, using her slight frame as a shield. My fingers twisted together nervously, nails digging into my palm, but did nothing to ease my worries as I felt his gaze on me. He’d found me.

I kept my eyes glued to the floor, pretending to focus on the professor’s words, though none of them registered.

At last, against my better judgement, I gave in. Slowly, I lifted my eyes and our eyes met.

My breath caught in my throat. My heart skipped a beat, then stumbled into a wild rhythm. His eyes locked on mine, piercing straight into my soul. He flashed me a small smile.

I tore my gaze from him almost instantly, unnerved by the strange shift stirring inside me. He made me feel something I didn’t want to feel.

Looking up again, my eyes met Aiden’s and he was glaring at me with a deadly intensity. I looked away, the event of last night still fresh in my memory.

Soon, it was time for combat practice. The professor instructed us to pick a partner, and one by one, everyone paired off until I was left standing alone.

“You!” The professor called out, his sharp gaze settling on me. “Who are you training with?”

I… I don’t have a partner,” I replied timidly.

The professor scanned the room, frowning. “The only person left is Prince Leonard. But as you know, you can’t be his partner. That means you will have to train alone.”

Before I could respond, a commanding voice cut through the silence.

“I want her as my partner.”

My mouth fell open and so did everyone else’s. The entire class, even the professor, stared in stunned silence.

“Prince Leonard,” the professor finally spoke after regaining his composure, “she’s an omega. She can’t train with you.”

“It’s fine,” he said slowly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “She can be my partner.”

Realizing he wasn’t going to change his mind, the professor sighed and motioned for me to step forward. I walked toward Prince Leonard. My head lowered, heat prickling at the back of my neck as every student’s eyes burned into me.

Prince Leonard flashed me a smile, but I didn’t return it. I wasn’t falling for it.

Nothing made sense.

My eyes darted around the training arena until they landed on Alice. She was fuming, her expression twisted with jealousy. Her eyes burned into me like daggers. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under already.

I tried focusing on the class but it wasn't easy. My body ached, sweat clung to my skin, and with everyone staring at me, I could barely think straight. It felt like hell.

Prince Leonard, on the other hand, stayed calm the whole time. He didn’t push me too hard. Instead, he moved smoothly. I wasn’t surprised when he easily dodged the few punches I managed to throw at him. He was the prince, and of course, he had trained far more than anyone else.

I swung more punch, pulling all my frustration behind it, but he slipped past me effortlessly. My fist cut through the empty air. Again and again, I tried, jab, kick, swing, but he dodged every move like it was nothing. His reflexes were lightning fast.

“Good form,” he praised, after blocking my punches with just one hand. His voice dropped low, meant only for me. “But not good enough.”

Before I could pull away, he twisted my wrist gently and forced my arm behind my back, dragging me closer to him. My back brushed against his broad chest, and I felt the heat of his body. His breath tickled the side of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

“You look cute when you’re angry,” he whispered, his lips so close to my ear that it made my knees weaken. “What do you say to dinner with me tonight… or I kill Aiden myself?”

Confusion flickered across my features before I could mask it. My instinct was to move away from him, but his grip anchored me in place. My heart thudded so loudly I feared he might hear it.

He couldn’t know. There was no way he knew what Aiden had done. My fingers brushed the edge of the scarf at my throat, tugging it higher as if it could erase the truth. It was still there, covering the bruise. So how the hell did he know.

“What are you talking about?”

“I know he attacked you last night.”

My chest constricted. “W—what? That’s not true.” I lied.

“Then how do you explain the mark on your neck?” He loosened his hand, he then turned me firmly until I was facing him, his gaze dropping to the place where my scarf no longer sat so neatly.

Heat rushed to my cheeks and words deserted me.

“Tell me, Kayla,” he pressed, voice rougher now, like he was fighting himself. “You didn’t have that mark when I dropped you off yesterday. So how did you get it?”

The air between us grew tense. My lips parted but no sound came, lost in the pull of his eyes. For one dizzying moment, the noise of the training grounds faded away.

Then someone brushed hard against my shoulder. I stumbled, luckily I was caught by him. He straightened me up and that was when I found my voice.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

His jaw tightened.

“It is… because you are my mate. So your choice, have dinner with me tonight or I kill Aiden.”

I knew he would do exactly what he had promised. And if he did, then I would be the one left to face the pack’s wrath.

Prince Leonard would kill him without a second thought, without anyone daring to question him. The image of blood on Leonard’s hands, of whispers spreading through the Academy, made my stomach twist. I couldn’t let it come to that.

My fingers curled into my palms until my nails bit into my skin. Just one dinner. That wasn’t so bad, was it? One dinner in exchange for Aiden’s life.

I swallowed hard, forcing the words past the lump in my throat.

“Fine,” I whispered, more to myself than to him. Then louder, steadier, “I’ll have dinner with you.”