CHAPTER 5

“Your Highness... my hand.”

Elaine’s soft reminder broke through the sudden stillness between them. Kael glanced down and realized he was still holding her hand far longer than courtesy allowed. “Ah, sorry,” he said, releasing it at once, though his calm came a second too late. Beneath the surface, his wolf remained restless and alert.

He needed to handle this carefully. Instinct urged him forward, but years of discipline held him in place. Rushing toward a stranger because of a bond she did not understand would only alarm her. Kael forced his breathing steady and schooled his expression into ease.

Elena looked between them and instantly felt trapped inside something that had nothing to do with her. The air between Kael and Elaine had changed, charged in a way even she could sense. Whatever was happening, she wanted no part of it. Quietly, she began to step back.

A large hand caught her wrist before she could escape. Elena startled and turned to find Rowan beside her, his grip firm but controlled. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, a faint frown settling across his face. His eyes made it clear he had not forgotten their unfinished conversation.

“Ah... class,” Elena said quickly. “My next class, Senior.”

Before he could answer, she twisted free and hurried off across the field. She did not look back, afraid that if she slowed even once, someone would stop her again. Dust kicked up beneath her shoes as she disappeared toward the academy paths. Rowan watched her go with narrowed eyes.

Elaine rose smoothly to her feet and adjusted her sleeves. “Your Highness, Senior Rowan, please forgive my sister,” she said with a small curtsy, every movement polished and graceful. Her tone was apologetic, but her eyes remained steady. She never looked flustered for long.

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Kael said, offering an easy smile. “Rowan frightened her away.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” Rowan replied dryly, though he did not bother denying it further. His gaze remained fixed in the direction Elena had run. Something about her presence had already become a problem.

Elaine allowed herself a soft laugh before lowering her head again. “Excuse me then, Senior,” she said. With one final glance at Kael, she turned and walked away. Kael watched her leave, while Rowan thought only of the girl who had fled.

Kael and Rowan stood watching the twins disappear across the grounds. For a moment, neither of them spoke, though for very different reasons. Kael’s attention lingered on Elaine’s retreating figure, while Rowan’s remained fixed on the path Elena had taken. “Damn, Rowan,” Kael said at last. “What did she do to you?”

“Drop the cheerful act, Kael,” Rowan replied as he started walking away. His tone was flat, but Kael knew him well enough to hear the impatience underneath it. Rowan only sounded like that when something had caught his interest. Naturally, that made Kael more curious.

“Is she your mate?” Kael asked, changing the subject with shameless speed. Rowan stopped just long enough to shoot him an unimpressed look. “God, no,” he said. “I only wanted to speak with her. She’s weak enough to snap in half, and I wanted to know how she got placed here.”

“Oh.” Kael rolled his eyes dramatically and placed a hand over his chest. “Boring answer.” Then a grin spread across his face, impossible to hide. “Well, unlike you, I just found my mate.”

“Congratulations,” Rowan said in the same dry tone.

Kael stared at him in disbelief. “That’s it?” he demanded. “I just told you I found the future queen, and you give me one miserable word?” He let out a fake gasp and clutched his chest harder. “You truly do not care for me. I am heartbroken.”

Rowan kept walking.

Kael hurried after him, still smiling. Rowan rolled his eyes, deciding he had more pressing matters than entertaining a dramatic prince. He had questions now, and none of them involved romance.

“Do you want me to be your wingman?” Kael asked suddenly.

That made Rowan stop. He turned slowly to face the prince, suspicion replacing annoyance for the first time. “What do you mean?” he asked. Kael’s grin only widened.

Elena let out a breath of relief as she stepped into the classroom. The training grounds already felt far away, though her pulse had not fully settled. She headed for an empty seat at the back, hoping to disappear before anyone noticed her. She should have known better.

A group of girls moved into her path before she reached the desk. Their smiles were bright, but their eyes were not. “You two really look different,” one of them said, tilting her head as if studying something strange. The others laughed softly.

“Yeah,” another girl added. “One looks like the goddess reborn, and one looks like nothing.”

“We’re both sisters. That’s all that matters.”

The voice came from behind Elena before she could answer. She clenched her hands so tightly her nails pressed into her palms, forcing herself to breathe. The girls turned as Elaine approached with calm, measured steps.

“Does it matter?” a third girl asked boldly. “Both of them had the crown prince and his knight speaking to them, and we’re all first years.”

“I understand the pretty one,” another said with a shrug. “But this one? She isn’t special at all.”

“That’s enough,” Elaine said, her voice soft but sharp enough to cut through the room. She stopped beside Elena and looked at the girls one by one. “Move aside and let us pass.”

The crowd parted almost immediately. No one wanted to challenge confidence delivered so cleanly. Elaine walked forward as if she expected obedience and had never once been denied it.

Elena followed in silence.

She was supposed to be used to this by now. She had heard the same comparisons her whole life, dressed in different words but meaning the same thing. Somehow, even after all these years, they still found where it hurt.

Just like back home, she existed best when used to highlight Elaine’s beauty. The old ache settled quietly inside her chest, familiar and unwelcome. She reached the empty seat at the back and sat down without a word. Across the room, whispers had already begun again.

Class started and ended in a blur. Elena wanted nothing more than to bury herself in her pillow and forget the day. She saw the way people crowded around Elaine and felt a sharp pang of jealousy. Somehow, the smallest differences between them had always decided everything.

The only changes were hair, eyes, and confidence. Yet one sister was called beautiful, while the other was barely noticed. Elena had spent years pretending those comparisons no longer mattered. They still did.

She pushed the thought away and headed for the dormitories, her books clutched tightly to her chest. The corridor was thinning as students disappeared into rooms and stairwells. She had just passed an empty classroom when a hand shot out and seized her wrist. Before she could cry out, she was dragged inside and the door slammed shut.