Share

17| LENORA

Author: Purpah
last update Last Updated: 2025-02-15 22:42:23

“And that will be all for today,” I said cheerfully, much to the relief of everyone seated in the lecture hall. “Make sure to read pages eight through twenty-five of your textbooks before our next class. I expect active participation.”

The sighs of relief quickly turned into tormented groans.

“Professor, I lost my textbook…” a student piped up over the grumbles, batting his eyelashes at me in an exaggerated display of innocence. “May I be exempt from the discussion?”

“You can borrow one from the library, or you can borrow mine,” I replied pleasantly, extending my textbook as he passed.

He grumbled and took it, much to the amusement of the rest of the class.

A small smile crept onto my lips but faded just as quickly when a certain golden-eyed student walked past my desk.

Elijah.

The moment of hesitation stretched between us before I called out, “Elijah North, please wait. I want to have a word with you.”

He froze mid-step. His friends—most of them grinning—nudged him as they left, maki
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   18| ELIJAH

    “…and now, on your father’s orders, my responsibility. Of course, I was worried about your absence.” I had to get out of there. I didn’t even remember walking out of the lecture hall—only that my body moved on instinct, carrying me as far from Lenora as possible. Now, standing in the middle of the hallway, I braced myself against the cold wall, pressing my hand over my mouth as my breath came in shaky bursts. Fuck. What the hell was that? My reaction had been completely irrational—volatile. Lenora hadn’t even said anything that should have set me off. It was just a simple statement. But the moment she mentioned my father and called me a “responsibility,” something inside me snapped. It was like a switch flipped, and I’d lost all control. I couldn’t even begin to untangle the mess of emotions swirling inside me. At the time, everything had been in a haze. But now that I was far enough from her, my wolf had retreated, and clarity had hit me like a brick. “Elijah!” Luka’s vo

    Last Updated : 2025-02-17
  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   19| LENORA

    “I’m so sorry… Marcus, please, please,” my voice was small—so small—as I pleaded, but my words fell on deaf ears. Before I could say anything else, a sharp blow struck the side of my face, sending me sprawling onto the marble floors.Around me, the party went silent. The music stopped. The crowd of dancing guests stilled, and all eyes turned to the center of the room—where Marcus and I were.I kept my gaze on the floor as the throbbing pain in my cheek intensified, swelling rapidly.“Didn’t I tell you never to call me by my name? It’s Alpha Marcus to you, filthy bitch,” he sneered. Then, without hesitation, he slammed the sole of his boot into my ribs. I crumpled with a sharp gasp, my arms wrapping around my aching torso.He had struck the same spot as last time. And with the Millow Root in my system, I wasn’t healing as quickly as I should have.Or at all.The pain was enough to jolt my wolf to life—briefly. A small growl of anger escaped her inwardly before she faded again, her pres

    Last Updated : 2025-02-18
  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   20| LENORA

    “For the goddess’s sake! You’d think I was grading the work of kindergarten students, not college seniors!” Morgan exclaimed, leaning back in her chair with an exasperated sigh. I smiled and took a sip of my coffee—extra milk, very little sugar. We were at one of the cafes she had mentioned the first day we met—one of the few that wasn’t overflowing with grouchy older professors. After spending nearly a week here and accidentally walking into Tatianna’s Tarts—the cafe across the street that was the complete opposite—I was beginning to see the importance of that distinction. The sun had barely risen, so the cafe was mostly empty. The few people who were here were professors from other faculties, trying to get their morning coffee while squeezing in some last-minute grading or reviewing material for their upcoming classes. “I still don’t understand why you refuse to get a teaching assistant,” I said, eyeing the large stack of assignments in front of her. “It’d significantly reduce y

    Last Updated : 2025-02-19
  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   21| LENORA

    I replayed my interaction with Elijah more times than was probably decent. It was easy to lose myself in the coziness of the café—the quiet hum of conversation, the rich aroma of coffee, the illusion of a temporary escape. But as more people filtered in—groggy students rushing for their morning caffeine fix, their chatter growing louder—the peaceful atmosphere dissolved. Taking it as my cue to leave, I finished the last sip of my drink and gathered my things. After exchanging polite greetings with a few students who recognized me, I stepped outside and began the short walk to campus. The crisp morning air helped clear my head, but my thoughts remained tangled in the memory of that fleeting moment with Elijah. Just as I reached the manicured campus grounds, my phone buzzed with an email from the Head of my Department, summoning the faculty for an impromptu meeting before classes began. With a sigh, I changed course toward the faculty lounge, already bracing myself for what awaited

    Last Updated : 2025-02-19
  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   22| LENORA

    Morgan tried to cheer me up after that disaster of a meeting, and though I forced a grin, the look on her face made it painfully clear that I wasn’t fooling her.I didn’t want to talk about it, though. What was there to say? That, in some way, they were right about me? That I didn’t belong here, that I had no right to? Morgan would disagree, of course—but only because she didn’t know the truth.She didn’t know I was here because I had asked Victor to give me something to do—something other than being his tool.I hadn’t slept with anyone to get this job, but I’d sold myself all the same.Maybe asking Victor for this was a mistake. I’d come here with some misplaced hope that I could fit in, carve out a new life among people I thought were like me—people who loved knowledge, who loved sharing it.But every day I spent at this school, I realized more and more that I had been wrong.By the time my morning classes ended, I was relieved. Five grueling hours of trying to cram information into

    Last Updated : 2025-02-22
  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   23| ELIJAH

    Football practice was going as well as one could expect. So far, I’d only dropped the ball twice, and Coach Burke had only yelled at me three times—two less than yesterday.Progress, I guess?“North! What are you doing?!” Coach Burke’s voice boomed across the field, the veins in his neck bulging with frustration.Make that four times. At this rate, we might even surpass yesterday’s record. No progress, then.“Sorry, Coach!” I called back for the umpteenth time.Maybe I should’ve skipped practice today, like I had been doing ever since I lost the game two weeks ago. But after a strongly worded text from Coach Burke two days ago—chock full of typos and not-so-idle threats to kick me off the team—I figured I’d run from the consequences of my actions long enough. If I stayed away any longer, he might’ve dragged me here by the hair.I had to face my teammates at some point. Avoiding them was cowardly. We had a game in about a month, and I’d convinced myself I could redeem myself in their e

    Last Updated : 2025-02-22
  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   24| ELIJAH

    Even when she disappeared from sight, even when I knew she was gone, I kept staring after her, my heart hammering, my blood roaring, my wolf restless with the loss. And that’s when something—or someone—slammed into me, knocking me off my feet and sending me sprawling onto the grassy earth. I heard gasps resound from around me and had to squeeze my eyes shut, biting my lip to keep from screaming when pain shot through my injured shoulder. Above me, I heard Luka curse, then yell at someone. “What the fuck was that, Hunter?” Ah, of course, it was him. My eyes flew open, and I looked up to see Luka staring down the vice-captain with tension lining his shoulders. Around us, the rest of the team had drawn closer, including the spectators from the bleachers. “What? It was an accident,” Hunter said, not even bothering to lie. His tone dripped with mockery as he stared down at me. “But he could’ve easily dodged me… y’know, if he’d been paying any attention.” I got up, my movements flui

    Last Updated : 2025-02-23
  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   25| ELIJAH

    “Elijah,” she called, her voice sugary sweet, her smile so wide I almost expected it to stretch too far. Her eyes flickered to Luka for a fraction of a second before they locked back on me, completely dismissing him. It was as if he were invisible. Luka scoffed and walked off, muttering something under his breath that sounded like, “Good luck,” but it was clear he didn’t need to stick around for this. I didn’t blame him. She stopped just a few feet from me, the space between us suddenly feeling too small, too heavy. Before I could even open my mouth, she leaned forward. Her arms slid around my neck, and her body pressed against mine with a familiarity that made my skin crawl. I stiffened instinctively, confusion mixing with an unsettling sense of repulsion I couldn’t shake. It wasn’t disgust, not exactly, but it was the last thing I wanted—her. Not now. Not anymore. When she pulled back to look at me, she tried to close the gap again, her lips parting, but I leaned back, instin

    Last Updated : 2025-02-23

Latest chapter

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   96| ELIJAH

    The garden smelled like lavender and fresh earth.I was small again—maybe seven or eight—kneeling in the flower beds beside Mum. The sun hung low and golden, spilling warmth across the hedges and blooming petals. Bees buzzed lazily in the distance, and windchimes clinked from the porch like tiny bells. I could hear the steady snip of her garden shears, rhythmic and familiar, like a lullaby wrapped in sound.She wore her straw hat, the one with the frayed brim and blue ribbon I used to tug when I wanted her attention. Dirt streaked her forearms, her fingernails packed with soil, but she looked radiant—like the sunlight itself loved her.“There we go,” she said softly, reaching down to pat my back. “Your hands are gentle. That’s why the flowers like you.”I grinned, my heart blooming with pride. “I wanna help every day.”She glanced sideways, her eyes warm. “I’d love that. Maybe you can teach your sister how to do this.”I giggled, still elated at the thought of having a little sibling.

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   95| LENORA

    Elijah hadn’t shown up to class. Again.At first, I tried to tell myself it wasn’t anything new. He skipped sometimes—especially when things got bad at home. I didn’t expect him to come back right after being punished for goddess knew how long. But that realisation did nothing to settle my erratic thoughts, all it did was breed more worry. What if he was actually hurt and weak and unable to come to class because of that, what if he wasn’t even released from Victor’s clutches yet. The worry had bloomed into something tighter—something close to panic.It’s been days. Nearly a week since I saw him last. I dismissed the class and gathered my things slowly, lingering at the front as the students trickled out.Then I saw him—Luka—headed toward the door, his hoodie half-zipped, a satchel slung over one shoulder. He didn’t look at me as he passed by the lectern, and his steps were clipped, his shoulders rigid. He always lingered when Elijah was around. Now he seemed like he couldn’t get ou

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   94| ELIJAH

    I didn’t even remember walking through the door.One minute I was in hell—my father’s brand of it, brutal and endless—and the next, I was here. In the apartment I used to share with Luka. Still technically shared with him, I guessed. His hoodies still hung on the hooks by the door. There was a toothbrush by the sink, an unopened energy drink on the counter. Signs of life. His life. But not mine.I locked the door behind me and didn’t leave again.The curtains stayed drawn. The lights stayed off. Time bled out around me, thick and directionless. The world outside stopped existing. I moved through the apartment like something dead but too stubborn to rot all the way through. I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t even feeling. I just… existed. Barely.My back throbbed with every breath. The skin was raw, tight, like it had been stitched together too quickly. Every time I shifted, it pulled and burned. I hadn’t changed out of the shirt I threw on that first night—it clung to me now, damp with old s

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   93| LENORA

    The cup was cold in my hands. I raised it slowly, and the smell hit me first—rotten fruit and metal and something sharp that made my nose sting. My stomach turned. I closed my eyes, braced myself, and drank. The moment it touched my tongue, I gagged. It burned going down, thick and syrupy, like swallowing hot tar. My throat seized, and I doubled over slightly, coughing as my stomach twisted in revolt. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, breathing hard. My eyes watered. Adora didn’t blink. She just watched me like a scientist observing a test subject. Victor chuckled weakly from the bed. “Such dramatics. You’d think she was being poisoned.” Wasn’t I? My limbs felt heavier now. My thoughts slower, dulled at the edges. But I knew the next part. I’d done this before. Too many times. So I stepped forward, finally, my feet dragging like I was wading through water. My hands were shaking again—but this time, it wasn’t just fear. It was power, building beneath my skin in

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   92| LENORA

    The gala went on as planned the next day—a glittering illusion I drifted through like a ghost in borrowed skin. Laughter filled the air, light bounced off crystal glasses, and the string quartet played a song I couldn’t remember even as I stood there listening. Everyone seemed enchanted by the atmosphere—the silk gowns, the polished shoes, the delicate scent of white lilies clinging to every surface.But I couldn’t breathe.The dress I wore might as well have been made of lead. My smile ached. My chest felt like an empty cage. I moved when someone spoke to me, I nodded, I thanked them for compliments I didn’t hear, but I wasn’t there. Not really. I was somewhere else entirely.I was thinking about Elijah.And myself.Mostly myself.The worry had lodged itself in my throat and hadn’t moved since yesterday. It was the kind of worry that gnawed slowly, not loud or sharp but constant—a dull ache behind every thought. But I didn’t have time to wallow for too long, Victor had summoned me a

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   91| ELIJAH

    I didn’t go to any more classes.Instead, I climbed the stairs to the top of the old building by the botanical gardens and sat on the roof, staring out across the trees. I could see the football field in the distance. Birds circled lazily overhead. A few students walked below, but no one looked up.I stayed there for hours, staring down at everyone and everything, until eventually, I couldn’t linger anymore. When I finally dragged myself to the field, I heard the whispers even louder this time. Like they’d had most of the morning to curate whatever brand of gossip they’d been spreading the whole day and make it into something more explosive. Sure enough, heads turned the second I stepped into the light.“Well, if it isn’t our beloved prince,” Hunter said, loud enough for the entire field to hear. His voice carried across the grass like a whip, sharp and mocking. “Back from royal exile.”I didn’t respond. I kept walking, my boots crunching over the turf, the weight of the stares press

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   90| ELIJAH

    I didn’t want to be here.My head was splitting, my eyes felt like they were vibrating in their sockets, and I hadn’t slept—not unless you counted thirty minutes of my eyes being shut as real sleep. After leaving Lenora’s office last night, I’d wandered for hours before crashing back at the apartment with nothing but silence, leftover regret, and whatever was left of Lenora’s scent from two nights ago to keep me company. I’d reached out to my dealer the second I was alone, hands trembling as I asked him to give me something. Just anything, as long as it would numb the pain. He couldn’t get me more than a couple of pills, and they’d already worn off by morning.But at least I didn’t have to spend the rest of the night drowning in my own emotions. I’d considered skipping school—after all, I really didn’t want to be here. But I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I didn’t need to give anyone any more things to use against me than they already had. Anyway, now I was here, on campu

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   89| LENORA

    “I still can’t believe that just happened,” Morgan muttered beside me as we made our way through the near-empty hallway that led toward the faculty wing.Neither could I, honestly.The building had emptied quickly after the chaos of tonight’s game. Most people had remained in the stadium, stunned into silence or milling about in disbelief. Others had left quietly, unsettled. Now, it was just the sound of our footsteps echoing off the tiled floor, the overhead lights buzzing faintly in the quiet.“I mean—Elijah North?” she said, still stunned. “Beating the crap out of another player? Right there on the field? I always pegged him for the jovial, cheeky type. I never thought he’d do something like that. That… that was scary.”She wasn’t wrong.It had been terrifying. But not in the way she meant.I wasn’t scared of Elijah. I was scared for him.The look on his face during the fight hadn’t just been rage—it had been darker, deeper. Something twisted and broken, something barely tethered.

  • ALPHA PRINCE’S FORBIDDEN DESIRE   88| LENORA

    My converstaion with Evelyn stayed with me for the rest of the day, even until the time Morgan and I made it to the stadium, the sun had begun to dip, leaving streaks of amber and purple smeared across the sky. The air buzzed with noise—students laughing, vendors yelling, the heavy beat of the marching band echoing from the far side of the field.I wasn’t sure how I ended up here. After everything I’d just heard, after the weight of Evelyn’s words, it felt surreal to be walking into a football game like everything was normal. Like my world hadn’t just tilted slightly on its axis.“Come on, I got us the best seats, faculty special,” Morgan said, grabbing my arm and dragging me past the clustered crowd at the entrance, her arms were full of food and other random items she’d stopped to buy on her way into the stadium. “We’ll be able to see every sweat-dripping, testosterone-filled moment.”I rolled my eyes, but let her lead. The smell of popcorn and fried food clung to the air, mingling

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status