2

Pearl Gem

It is unreal. No. This isn’t happening. This cannot be reality.

Why should it?

A royal in my bed. Not just any royal… but the Alpha Prince himself, Lying there, eyes closed, unconscious.

Just as his presence feels utterly unreal, so too does this wild thundering in my chest. A forbidden heartbeat. Why should I feel this way? I am from the Valley clan. We are always beneath. And this young man lying in my bed… he is no one but the future king.

I sat on the floor beside the bed, my chin resting against the wooden frame, my gaze fixed on his face. A face carved by the gods from the most precious stone, a visage too perfect, too cruel in its beauty. Designed not just to rule, but to imprison hearts. Like mine.

I had called for help immediately. And help had come.

After His Highness was brought into my room, my father had sprinted toward the Noble’s Wall, breathless, to spread word that his Highness was still alive.

My eyes trailed over the sculpted lines of his face, down to the slow rise and fall of his chest. Proof he lived. Then, my gaze wandered to his hair… dark, curling softly against his brow. A few strands had fallen into his eyes. I felt the strangest urge to reach out and tuck them away.

I swallowed hard and lifted my hand, fingers trembling mid-air. But before I could achieve my aim, He caught my wrist.

I froze, breath locking in my throat, startled by the sheer power of his grip. Slowly, those long lashes lifted, revealing the most exquisite pair of eyes I had ever seen. Golden. Unblinking. Sharp like sun fire and yet infinite like the stars.

Eyes that stole everything I was and left nothing behind.

Kade King Majesty.

For what felt like eternity, all I could think about was the Moon Goddess. How unfair she had been to grant this man not only power and bloodline, but beauty that defied mortal limits.

I was drowning in the elegance of him when his low groan pulled me back. His gaze shifted, lingering on my hair. A crease formed between his brows.

“You are… so beautiful.”

The words slipped from his lips, unbidden, regal voice rich and deep and I swore my heart forgot how to beat.

He said I was beautiful?

Me?

An omega?

Had I truly caught the Prince’s eye?

For a while, the world disappeared. Just us. Just him. Just the golden gaze holding mine.

Until his eyes flicked away, scanning the cracked wall, the tattered curtain. And like a sword being drawn, something changed in him. He stiffened, then frowned. That perfect face hardened.

“You are… an Omega.”

His tone was cold, laced with disdain. It struck me like a whip. Yet still… all I could focus on was how his voice sounded. That voice. A prince’s voice. Sharp and regal like a blade wrapped in silk.

“Yes, Your Highness,” I murmured, barely above a whisper.

He stared at me in silence, then looked down at his boots. Still on. His jaw tightened. He made to sit up.

I rushed forward to help him but he stopped me with a single glance.

That stare. Commanding. Scorching. It pinned me to the floor.

“Do not touch me,” He said, voice choked but firm.

Then he stood, tall, impossibly tall, and walked to the window. Fingers raked through his dark curls as he peered out into the distance.

“Where am I?” He asked, his tone wrapped in a strange awe, though he fought to hide it.

I stood slowly, a few steps behind, unable to tear my eyes from the majesty of his stance. Even just standing there, he exuded dominance. The kind that made knees tremble and heads bow.

“You are in the Omega Ghetto, Your Highness,” I answered quietly.

He tensed at the word Ghetto. Then turned slowly to face me, those golden eyes scanning every inch of the room before resting on mine.

“You saved me from the crash?”

I nodded.

“Why?” His eyes narrowed. “Do you seek coin? Or favor? A seat at court?”

The question pierced me deeper than I expected. I shook my head quickly, a step backward instinctive. My voice wavered.

“No, Your Highness. I… I only saved you because you were dying.”

He stared at me, unmoving. The silence between us stretched. Thick with something unspoken. Then, outside, a low hum. The sound of cars approaching. My stomach knotted. Were they already here… to take him?

As if on cue, the door opened. My father stepped in, followed closely by my mother and brother. They froze upon seeing the Prince awake.

My mother’s eyes darted between me and him before they all dropped to a bow. Heads low.

“Your Highness,” My father said, voice reverent, “your car awaits.”

Kade King didn’t move. Not at first. His eyes swept across my family, assessing, unreadable, until they finally returned to me.

He stared. Longer this time.

Then he took a single step forward. Just one. But it was enough to make my heart leap. Not from fear. But something else entirely. Something unnamed.

He came to stand before me. Silent. Unreadable.

Then he looked at my hair again, eyes flickering with something I didn’t understand. Amusement? Curiosity?

And I lowered my gaze. As I should. An omega does not meet the eyes of a future king. It is the law of grace. A sun rule.

I waited, head bowed. Breath held And when he turned to leave, not a single word left his lips. Not a thank you. Not a smile. Not even a backward glance.

I ran to the porch, heart thundering, and stood there as he got into the sleek black car.

I watched him, watched him without blinking. Watched him vanish. And still he didn’t look back.

He entered, the door closed, and the car drove off. For a long time I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t breathe. It felt as though he had taken something from me.

Something precious. Something vital. What was it?

My… heart?