CHAPTER THREE

Nessa stiffened. “No.”

“Come on, Ness.”

“No, Talia.”

“Please?”

Nessa shook her head firmly. “I don’t want trouble.”

Talia rolled her eyes. “Nessa, one night out isn’t going to kill you.”

Nessa gave her a flat look. One night out could easily kill her.

She was the kind of girl who could disappear on a whim and no one in power would bother investigating.

Even the academy enforcers would prefer to sweep her death under the rug to keep the peace.

“You say that like trouble doesn’t actively hunt me down.”

Talia grinned wickedly. “That’s why I’ll be right beside you.”

Nessa hesitated; having Talia around didn't always guarantee safety. “No.”

Talia kept relentless, quiet pressure on her throughout the hour until Nessa finally let out a defeated sigh.

“Fine. But only for a little while.”

Talia beamed in triumph, though a knot of anxiety tightened in Nessa's chest, she had a terrible feeling she was going to regret this.

The final bell echoed across the campus later that afternoon, and students poured into the corridors in noisy streams.

Nessa and Talia were navigating the crowded hallway when someone crashed heavily into Nessa’s shoulder, knocking her satchel straight out of her hand and sending her notebooks scattering across the floor.

She dropped down quickly to gather her papers, but another hand reached for the exact same notebook at the same time.

Nessa looked up, her pulse spiking as she found Zane Blackwood looming over her.

For one strange, suspended second, his silver eyes locked onto hers with a chilling intensity.

His gaze dropped down to the scuffed notebook in his grip reading the name on it before he casually handed it back to her.

“Watch your step,” he said smoothly, but the sheer gravity in his voice sent a shiver straight down her spine.

Nessa snatched the notebook back, her voice barely above a whisper. “Sorry.”

Zane lingered over her for a beat longer, his gaze sharp, as if scanning every line of her face.

Then Adrian stepped up beside him. “Zane,” Adrian said quietly, glancing down at Nessa before offering her a gentle, smile. “You okay?”

Nessa nodded far too fast. “Yes,” she stammered, her heart beating fast.

Adrian held her gaze for a brief second before Zane turned on his heel and strode down the hall, with Adrian following close behind.

Nessa didn't realize she had been holding her breath until Talia grabbed her arm from behind.

“What on earth is his problem?” Talia hissed, glaring down the corridor where the Silver Prince had vanished.

Nessa blinked, looking away quickly while clutching her notebook tight against her chest. “I... I don’t know.”

Talia folded her arms, “Oh, please. Just because he’s the Crown Prince doesn't mean he gets to look at people like they’re dirt under his boots.”

Nessa let out a shaky breath, trying to steady the frantic fluttering in her chest. “He’s royal, Talia. A Silver Lycan,” she murmured softly.

Talia stared at her in disbelief. “And so what?”

Nessa gave a weak, helpless shrug. At Bournemouth Shifter Academy, that rank was more than enough justification for anything.

Silver Lycans could be ruthless and still be idolized. They could be arrogant and still have the whole kingdom at their feet.

They could ruin a person's life in broad daylight, and society would still call it mark of royalty.

Before Talia could launch into another rant, a loud, chime echoed through the overhead speakers, followed by a formal broadcast.

“Attention all students! To mark the opening of the new academic session, the Mouth Riders will host an exhibition run and Rugby showcase at the main stadium in thirty minutes. Attendance is open to all tiers.”

The hallway erupted into instant chaos, excited voices rising over the noise of the crowd.

“The Mouth Riders!”

“No way Zane is on the bike line!”

“I heard Adrian’s starting in the Rugby match!”

“This term is already elite!”

Talia grabbed Nessa’s arm so hard her satchel almost slipped from her fingers. “We have to go watch them! It’s the Mouth Riders!”

Nessa laughed nervously.

Talia, who had just been complaining about Zane two seconds ago, was suddenly practically glowing with excitement.

“Come on, Ness!” Talia squealed, pulling her along. “This is how the new session starts!”

Nessa hesitated for barely a heartbeat before letting Talia drag her toward the grand stadium.

Half the student body was already moving in the exact same direction.

Bournemouth Shifter Academy’s stadium was massive, built like an ancient amphitheater fit for royalty.

It housed both the paved, steep-banked track for bike trials and the sunken pitch where the academy’s elite athletes clashed.

Because in Bournemouth, sports were never just games, they were raw displays of dominance. Strength, agility, and power mattered almost as much as blood status.

And no group embodied those traits quite like the Mouth Riders, the high-octane union of Silver, Gold and Black wolf athletes whose exhibitions were always the most anticipated event on campus.

The crowd poured into the stands, buzzing with energy.

Students waved banners in House colours, girls screamed names, and heavy bass pounded through the stadium speakers.

Nessa and Talia squeezed into seats halfway up the stone terrace.

Talia was practically bouncing in her seat. “This is going to be insane.”

Nessa had never cared much for the academy's grand sporting spectacles, but even she couldn't ignore the pulsing energy in the air.

Then the announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium speakers: “Welcome your undefeated Mouth Riders!”

The roar from the crowd was absolute thunder. Heavy bikes burst onto the track one after another, their custom exhaust engines vibrating right through the stone bleachers.

The riders wove in tight, aggressive formations around the circuit, taking sharp turns at reckless speeds that drew sharp gasps and screams from the audience.

At the very front rode Zane Blackwood and Adrian Mercer.

Even from the upper terrace, Zane was impossible to miss. He rode like the air itself belonged to him, fast, ruthless, completely fearless.

The crowd chanted his name in unison.

“Zane!”

“Zane!”

“Zane!”

He was their Silver Prince, and they made sure he felt the full weight of their adoration.

But Nessa barely registered the roar around him; her eyes immediately tracked Adrian.