~CODY~"The Crown Prince has arrived!" These words have been echoing in my ears since I turned ten years old. I've grown accustomed to hearing them, and as I was about to turn eighteen that night, they clung to me even tighter. Being the Crown Prince came with its perks, or so they said. Everyone expected me to be flawless, including my parents.Tonight held special significance for me. It marked my eighteenth birthday, celebrated with Caden and Cara. As Lycans, it was expected that we would discover our mates that night. With the moon shining brightly in the sky, I walked to the front of the royal garden to join my siblings. On my right, I saw my best friend, Rain, waving at me. We had been friends since we were nine.Our friendship was said to be fated by my parents. They believed that the Moon Goddess had destined us to be best friends forever, and they weren't wrong. But what if I wanted more? What if I'd been harboring a crush on my best friend since we turned thirteen? At first

~Cody ~ The party ended after the kiss with Rain, and everyone started leaving, including Cara. I had thought she would still be crying from rejection by Jackson, but instead, she returned to her room after saying goodbye. Now, left alone with Rain, it was hell. We were both drunk, but he was much worse than I was. He started singing while I pulled him from the ground to lead him into my room. "if all the raindrops…." he hiccuped and pointed towards me. "Sing along with me!" he shouted at me. I rolled my eyes at his foolishness, heaved a deep sigh, and started dragging him towards my room. "no," he shouted and fell to the ground. "I don't want to go home. I want to stay with you," he suddenly grabbed my legs and pulled me down. I landed on the ground, and then he lay atop me. What was this temptation? I thought as his face leaned towards mine. The memory of the kiss returned to my head, and Rain was making it worse. "what are you doing, Rain?" I tried to push him away, but he

~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 n

Cody POVI stood at the door's entrance, waiting for him to finish picking up our books. The bathroom incident lingered, and I couldn't shake the memory. It had happened suddenly, catching me by surprise as we both stumbled, lips meeting. The mental replay of it left me wanting more. "Now you're thinking about it again when you promised to stop," Ezra reminded me.I sighed, recalling that I'd made that promise ten minutes ago, yet the memory still consumed my mind. This mate bond was becoming aggravating, making me feel like a relentless, uncontrollable desire to be with Rain, which was frustrating."Your Highness," Rain announced his presence as he stood before me, waving his hand.Frowning, I wondered what he was doing and walked away toward the elevator. Once inside, the enclosed space heightened my inner turmoil. One voice urged me to kiss Rain, while another told me to reject him. I groaned audibly, unable to bear it any longer. I leaned against the elevator frame, took a deep b

~Cody~Describing the intensity of my anger as a mere understatement would be an injustice. I yearned to unleash a primal scream and let my lycan form run wild. I had never felt such overwhelming fury before, and it wasn't just me; my inner lycan seethed with anger over the unfolding events. If he had the opportunity, he would have seized control of my body and claimed Rain as his own."Rain, you foolish mate," I muttered as I strode into the cafeteria. The room, previously abuzz with conversation, fell eerily silent upon my entrance. Hushed whispers and sidelong glances filled the void like a harbinger of doom had just crossed the threshold. "They must fear us," Ezra observed.I, however, doubted that fear was the sole reason. After all, I was the crown prince; there was no logical cause for them to be afraid."Your Highness," a server bowed from behind their counter. "Welcome. Please let us know your preferences, and we will promptly fulfill them." Maybe Ezra was right, for as soon