Disguised Before The Alpha Prince

Chp 40

PEARL – POV

The bell rang a sharp, final sound that echoed through the quiet halls.

I exhaled, clutching my books to my chest, ready to bolt out of the classroom. But before I could even take a step, a shadow blocked my path.

Lucien.

He stood in front of me, that ever-present, smug expression dancing on his lips. “Leaving so soon, little scholar?” he asked smoothly, his voice dripping with amusement. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

I tried to sidestep him, but he moved too quickly, pressing one hand against the wooden frame of the doorway, caging me in. My heart raced.

“I’m not in the mood for games,” I whispered, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor. “Move.”

He leaned in just enough for his breath to brush against my ear. “Oh, but I am.”

My body stiffened. I could sense the shift in his energy no longer playful, but calculating. Hungry.

“I know your secret,” he murmured, his voice like ice. “And I know what you're trying to hide. That scent of yours… it's faint, but it's there. And it's not one a boy should have.”

My breath caught. No. No, he couldn’t know. The potion—Cecil said it was working.

“Don’t look so panicked,” he said, chuckling darkly. “I haven’t told anyone. Yet.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked through clenched teeth.

His eyes flickered with something unreadable—anger? Curiosity? Lust?

“Because I like seeing you squirm. And maybe… because I want to see how far you’ll go to keep your secret.” His fingers brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear and I flinched.

I wanted to scream. To shove him away. But the corridor was empty, and I was too stunned—too afraid he was right.

He leaned closer, almost touching my cheek. “See you around, little pearl.”

My heart stopped.

Did he just—?

He smiled as if he knew exactly what he’d done and walked away without another word, leaving me frozen, wide-eyed, and trembling.

He knew.

And he used my real name.

How?

I swallowed hard, my hands shaking around my books.

I needed to find Cecil.

No but first, I needed to find Demyan.

Even if he hated me right now, he was the only one who had ever made me feel safe.

And I was starting to think I wasn’t safe anymore.

I wandered through the corridors like a ghost—my heart thudding violently inside my chest. I needed to find Demyan. Now.

The weight of what Lucien said… the way he whispered "little pearl"… It rattled in my mind like a death sentence.

I finally spotted Demyan down the stone path near the training yard, his broad back turned to me as he walked away.

“Demyan!” I called, my voice thin and shaky.

He didn’t stop.

“Demyan, please—wait!”

He paused for the briefest second, then kept walking.

Panic rose inside me. I ran after him, grabbing his sleeve.

“Please,” I whispered. “I need to talk to you.”

He turned slowly, his expression unreadable. “Why are you talking to me, Perin?” he asked, voice cold. “Didn’t you tell me to stay out of your way? That you didn’t need me interfering in your life?”

His words cut deeper than I expected. I opened my mouth, but no words came.

“Stick to your own advice,” he said softly, almost sadly. “I’m just following your orders.”

He gently pulled his sleeve from my grasp and walked away without looking back.

I stood frozen in place, eyes burning. The wind stung against my cheeks, or maybe it was the tears. I didn’t even know anymore.

Why did I say those things to him?

My legs gave way and I crouched, hugging myself as sobs escaped me—silent, bitter, desperate. I had no one to turn to. Except…

Cecil. I need Cecil.

Wiping my face, I ran across the courtyard and through the back corridors toward the infirmary wing where she often helped out.

But something felt… off.

The hallway was too quiet.

I turned a corner—and froze.

Cecil stood ahead, arms folded over her chest, facing three masked men who circled her like wolves around a cornered doe.

“No one’s going to hear you scream here, sweetheart,” one of them sneered.

“Don’t touch me!” she shouted, her voice defiant.

I was about to scream her name when—

Whoosh!

A blur of movement crashed into the masked men, knocking two of them flat on their backs. The third barely had time to turn before a figure—tall, cloaked, and wearing a smooth grey mask—appeared like a shadow and kicked the weapon from his hand.

In a matter of seconds, they were all unconscious on the floor.

The masked man turned slowly toward Cecil—then to me.

He didn’t speak.

But something about him felt eerily familiar. My heart pounded.

“Who… who are you?” I asked, my voice trembling.

The man stared at me through the grey mask. Then, softly, he whispered:

"You’re not safe here."

And vanished into the shadows before I could utter another word.

____*-----*_____

Demyan POV

I told her I wouldn’t interfere. That I would stay away.

And yet, here I was… watching her.

My back leaned against the stone wall of the corridor, just out of sight. My eyes were fixed on her every move.

Perin, He had no idea that I knew he was a girl but I still needed to make sure.

I noticed it the night she fell on me. The faintest trace of a feminine scent soft and intoxicating. The way her body molded so perfectly against mine. No man had curves like that. No boy had a heartbeat that danced like hers did in that moment.

And now, my suspicions are only growing.

I followed her movements in class, watched her eyes dart around nervously. She was hiding something. Or rather… someone was after what she was hiding.

That bastard Lucien had his eyes on her again.

My jaw clenched as I watched him stop her right before she entered the hallway. He leaned in and whispered something into her ear, his fingers brushing far too close to her face. Her expression twisted tight with fear.

That was it.

I had enough.

I slipped away quickly, pulling the grey mask from my robes one I used when I was sent on covert missions during my time training under the Gamma. I’d told her I wouldn’t help her. I never said I wouldn’t protect her.

Even from the shadows.

When I reached the hallway where I sensed danger, I saw them—three masked men circling a frightened Cecil. And just beyond them, Pearl turned the corner, eyes wide with panic.

They would’ve hurt both of them if I hadn’t stepped in.

I didn’t hesitate.

One by one, I took them down with trained precision. My body moved on instinct. Rage burned under my skin rage that someone dared touch what was mine.

When the dust settled, she looked at me. Her eyes trembled. Her lips parting to ask who I was.

I should’ve walked away.

But my emotions got the better of me.

“You’re not safe here,” I whispered low, masking my voice.

Then I vanished before I did something foolish… like take her in my arms and admit that I had never once stopped thinking about her since the day she fell from the sky and landed straight into my world.

The moon had barely risen when I slipped through the stone halls of the academy and into the eastern courtyard where Karl was waiting leaning casually against a column, arms crossed, expression sharp and unreadable.

“You called?” he asked.

“Lucien,” I said without wasting a second. “I want you to keep an eye on him. Discreetly. He’s up to something, and I don’t trust his interest in Perin.”

Karl raised a brow slowly. “The quiet boy who avoids eye contact and somehow still ends up surrounded by chaos?”

“Yes,” I muttered.

He stepped closer, head tilting. “You’re unusually invested. Do you know something about him?”

My jaw ticked. “Just a hunch. Follow him. Report back. That’s all.”

Karl gave me a long, suspicious look. “You sure this isn’t personal?”

I turned away. “I don’t have time for this.”

But Karl, being Karl, didn’t stop.

“You know, not judging or anything,” he said, “but you’ve been acting... very attached. You’re always watching him. Always stepping in.”

I froze.

Here it comes.

He leaned a little closer, voice mock-casual, “Demyan… are you into guys?”

“What?” I turned with a blank expression, blinking at him.

“Because if you are, that’s fine, I’ll support you,” he added with a grin. “I mean, I always thought you were more of the 'lone-wolf-and-no-one-is-good-enough' type, but hey if you want to braid Perin’s hair and confess under moonlight, who am I to judge?”

I groaned. “Shut up.”

Karl raised both hands in mock surrender. “Just saying. I’ve never seen you stare at anyone’s backside the way you look at his. Those soft hips—”

“Get out,” I muttered.

Karl laughed. “So, not denying it?”

“I’m not into guys,” I snapped, then paused. Technically not a lie, but—

Karl narrowed his eyes. “You hesitated.”

“I didn’t hesitate,” I growled.

“You did. That’s a mate-hesitation, my friend.”

“Just follow Lucien,” I muttered. “Before I tie you to a tree and leave you for the rogues.”

Karl grinned. “See? That’s the Demyan I know. Angry and deflecting. Good luck with your… conflicted feelings.”

He whistled as he walked away.

I sighed, rubbing my face with both hands.

If only he knew the truth, I wasn’t into guys.

I was into her. And that was the real problem.

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

The fire had long burned down to embers, casting soft flickers on the stone walls. I sat on the edge of the bed, hands clasped, eyes fixed on the door as if willing it to open.

But she didn’t come.

He.

I sighed and dropped my head back against the wall. No matter how many times I tried to correct myself, my instincts rebelled. My senses weren't fooled. Not anymore.

Perin wasn’t just some clever, quiet scholar.

She was her.

The curves beneath the robes, the softness in her voice when she forgot to mask it, the warmth of her body when she fell on me… and that scent. Even now, faint traces lingered on the sheets floral, wild, undeniably hers. No potion could hide that forever. The moment the effects began to fade, I knew.

My mate.

My wolf had been pacing for days, clawing under my skin, urging me to claim her, to protect her especially from Lucien. That bastard whispered into her ear like he had every right.

My fists clenched.

And yet…

She had told me to stay away.

Her words echoed in my head, sharper than any blade.

"From the first day, you’ve been interrogating me getting in my way. Stay away from me."

She hadn’t just rejected me. She’d pushed me. Hard.

And it burned.

I had every reason to be angry. But instead, here I was… waiting like a fool. Hoping she would walk in and speak first. Hoping she would look at me again.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I wasn’t some love-sick pup.

I was the crown prince of the Northern Territory. An Alpha. A warrior.

But the moment she was near, none of that mattered.

My thoughts kept circling back to her. Her hands trembled. Her eyes darted with worry. That moment she collapsed in my arms in fear when I found her in the garden. And worse when she tried to bear the weight alone. When she believed she had to fight alone.

A soft knock at the door stirred me.

I shot to my feet, pulse rising. Was it her?

I stared at the door.

Then sat back down.

I wouldn’t chase.

Not tonight.

But if she walked through that door…

Moon Goddess help me, I wouldn’t be able to let her go again.