The rules

~Rain~

"I don’t want to share a room with him," his words resounded as he repeated it to the dormitory lady. His words sent a dagger to my chest; I had never expected him to say something like that.

I knew I had been wrong for walking out on him after what happened the night after his birthday two years ago, but I couldn't stop thinking that I had broken Amara’s trust. I had always felt something for Cody, but I had no idea if it was my brain speaking or just me speculating things in my head. After that night, I realized that I felt something for Cody, which ruined my relationship with Amara, and we ended up breaking up.

When I turned eighteen, my lycan never came. I couldn't be like everyone else because I was wolfless. When I asked my parents about it, they told me it resulted from tampering with the balance of the underworld, and the following day after my birthday, I suddenly had a massive transformation. My hair changed color, and my eyes turned into two different colors. I had never expected it to turn out that way.

My parents couldn't figure out why, instead repeating that I had messed with the underworld. I couldn't even understand the things that had happened. Aside from my parents, no one found out I didn't have my wolf.

I just wished it would stay like that. Because I didn't get my wolf, I involved myself in tedious training with my father, hoping to serve Cody as his guard. But he suddenly disappeared, and I had lost connection with him for two years. When he showed up again, the feelings returned. There was some connection between us that I couldn't figure out, no matter how hard I tried.

Why was he affecting me so much? Why did my heart beat when I saw him, and why was he in my head for the two years we were apart? So many questions that I needed answers to.

"Are you alright?" I asked the dormitory lady when she suddenly collapsed on the ground. I thought something had happened to her until she pointed towards Cody, who wouldn't stop talking.

"There is no way I am sharing a room with him," he repeated the words. "Find me another room."

"Cody," I called out his name as I approached him. He quickly moved away from me when he realized I was near him.

"It is Your Highness to you, Rain. I didn't permit someone like you to address me by my name. Do you think that because we used to be friends, I will let you do as you wish?" he scoffed. "Call me by my name again, and I shall punish you according to the rules of the wolves," he threatened and faced the dormitory lady.

The tone. Everything about him had changed. His blue eyes, which used to be filled with emotions, were now emotionless, and he looked cold, frowning with every chance he got. What happened to him all those years apart, and why did he change so fast?

"I..." I tried to speak and argue like we usually did, but instead, he turned back to face me with a glare as if he dared me to go against him. "Forgive me, Your Highness," I lowered my head.

That was the first time I had called him Your Highness. "I apologize for my disrespect," I added, still lowering my head.

"Your Highness, there are no rooms for you anymore, and what I am doing is the orders given to me by the alpha king. He wants you to share a room with Rain. He is your new bodyguard, and..."

I palmed my forehead and sighed. There was no need to hide it anymore now that he already knew. "He is going to be my bodyguard!" Cody shouted and then pointed towards me. "Who says that I can't protect myself? I had thought this was supposed to be..." he paused and rubbed his forehead. "I hate this," he groaned and headed towards the elevator.

"Thank you, Miss Lara," I told the dormitory lady and ran after Cody. Once we were alone in the elevator, I stared at his back and sighed. I wished that I could know what he smelled like. Because I was wolfless, I didn't have the striking features that every other lycan and werewolf had. I could only smell like other humans. That was one of the reasons I could not recognize him by his scent when he entered the room.

"Cody, I mean your highness," I tried to engage him in a conversation, but he stopped me with his hands.

"You are not to speak unless spoken to!" His tone sounded harsh, making me wonder if he had turned into a completely different person or if he was acting this way because of what had happened years ago.

"I am sorry about what happened between us," I told him, not caring about his new rules. "I know I misbehaved that day, and nothing I say or do will change it. But please, give me a chance to explain it and..."

"Hello, Father," he said into the phone, and as the elevator dinged open, he walked out, ignoring me as if he hadn't heard a word.

I ruffled my hair and sighed as I walked out of the elevator. I deserved everything happening to me because it was all my fault. If I had acted differently that morning, things may have ended differently, but I couldn't figure out why I was attracted to my friend.

I kept telling myself that he was the crown prince and his mate was waiting for him somewhere while I continued to have this little crush on him. "I am going insane," I muttered as I headed toward the room. Once I got to the door, I noticed it was slightly open, and I stopped when I heard him arguing with his father over the phone.

"Why should I share a room with Rain, Dad?" he shouted, upset. "I don't need a bodyguard. I don't know why you and Mother would do that without informing me. I need you to know that I am not a baby anymore. There are things I can do myself, and I don't think I need someone to tell me what to do!"

I leaned against the door and sighed. He hated me now, and no matter how many times I apologized, it was all my fault. If I hadn't walked out on him that morning, maybe we would still be friends.

"Fine, I will agree to this stupid agreement for a while. Until then, I will keep up with all of this, but if he dares to... Okay, Mum. I have heard you," he ended the call and then groaned. I took that cue and entered the room, closing the door behind me.

I found him on the empty bed with his arms spread wide. I watched him for a few seconds until he suddenly stood up and looked at me. When our eyes met, I quickly averted mine and headed towards my bed.

"If I am going to live with you for a while, then we need to set some rules. You are my bodyguard, so by now, you should know your duties," he said and started walking around. "Your job is basically to act as my slave, which you are," he chuckled.

I clenched my fists at the way he mentioned "slave." He was right about that, but he sounded mean and condescending. "Yes, Your Highness," I replied, even though I was burning with fury. How dare he reduce me to a slave?

"You are to make sure that I am protected all the time. Never leave my side for anything. If you have any relationship, you are not fit to be my bodyguard."

I frowned at his words. "What does my relationship have to do with this?" I asked.

Cody chuckled and walked towards me. When he reached me, he leaned in until I could feel his warm breath on my face, and then he whispered, "As long as you are my bodyguard, you are mine."

"You are mine." Those words echoed in my heart as I still felt his breath on my neck. I shifted on the bed, feeling a heat spreading in my stomach. He was too close and seemed not to know he was affecting me. He was torturing me, and I liked it, even though I should hate it.

"i.......'' My voice failed me as I tried to argue with him but couldn't.

"If you have any problem with that," he brought his face close to mine. "If you have a problem with that, then I should ask you to give up and leave this room all for me!"

"Your Highness, what are you saying? I am your bodyguard, not your property, and I know that you might know what I had done in the past, but..." Before I could finish speaking, he placed his finger on my lips.

"Stop talking and listen to me, Rain," his finger trailed my lips, and he smirked at me, then removed his face from mine. "Since you are mine, here are the does and don'ts. If you are in a relationship, break it off because you should be dedicated to me alone. Being in a relationship would ruin your work as a bodyguard.

"But I don't even have..."

"Allow me to finish."

I sighed and nodded in response. He didn't even allow me to speak and let him know I was not in any relationship. I lowered my head as I watched him continue listing his rules.

"You must take permission from me if you are going out," he stated, and I nodded in response. "As my bodyguard, you should never disrespect me. If I give an order, you will do it without arguing, and also make sure that you always listen to me. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Speak with words, Rain," he demanded.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Very well," he said, and then he continued to give out his rules, including getting him meals, waking him up, and taking him to his classes. "Do you have anything you wish to say?" he asked, but I shook my head in response.

"Great," he yawned, then pointed to my bed. "I shall sleep on your bed tonight since that empty bed is not well laid, and I am too tired to do anything, and..."

He paused when he noticed I was not looking at him. "Are you even listening to me, Rain?"

I raised my head to face him and forced a smile. "Yes, Your Highness," I stood up from the bed. "Take a rest; I’ll sleep on the bed like that."

Cody didn’t say anything and lay on the bed while I walked to the empty bed and sat down on it. This was not going to be easy, I knew. With the way he was acting, our friendship was never going to be restored. "Goodnight, Your Highness," I said to him and stood up, heading towards the switch to turn off the light. But his loud voice stopped me.

"I can’t sleep with the light off."

"And I can’t sleep with the light on," I retorted with gritted teeth. I was already fed up with his irrational attitude. "No one sleeps with the light on, Your Highness, and..."

"I am the crown prince, and you are my bodyguard. I give the rules here, not you."

I groaned and palmed my forehead. "Your Highness, please, I..."

"Sleep beside me tonight," he offered, and I swear my eyes almost popped out of my sockets, and my jaw dropped. "Don’t worry; nothing like the last time will happen. I am only doing this because you can’t sleep with the light on.''

It's great to know that at least he still cared.

"If you have other thoughts, Rain, then you are free to sleep on the empty bed and keep the lights on," he said and closed his eyes, turning to face the other side of the bed.

Having no other option, I switched off the light and walked to my bed, using my hands as a guide. While searching for the space, my hand mistakenly touched his leg, and I felt him murmur. I quickly apologized and got on the bed, facing the other side.

It was hard to close my eyes beside him. Thirty minutes later, I still couldn’t sleep, tossing around on the bed with a pounding heart and trembling body. He was affecting me so much, and I had no idea why.

"Can you stop moving, Rain," Cody's voice came out like a whisper, and then I felt his arms around my waist.

"What are you doing?" I murmured, shocked by his action. What was all the talk about not touching me when he was going to break the rules?

"You are my bodyguard, so I can do this too to ensure I will be safe if anything happens."

That was such a flimsy excuse for hugging me from behind. "Your Highness, I..."

"Let's sleep, Rain. I have had a long day."

I sighed and didn’t say anything else. Just for tonight, I believed. It was going to be only for tonight, and even though my body disagreed with me having him around me, I had to control the temptation of having him around me. So, I closed my eyes, imagining the nasty things I wanted to do to him on the bed.