Disguised Before The Alpha Prince

Chp 11

Pearl

I didn't know if I should be happy or sad—my roommates were back, and they were here to support me. They all had huge smiles on their faces. I never imagined I’d meet him again. Rowan was heading toward me with that familiar grin, reminding me that I’d need him here and that I wouldn’t be able to do it alone. And to my surprise, the ruthless, arrogant noble prick was here as well. He had a smirk on his face. Damn, I didn’t think I’d meet him again!! Why, Moon Goddess, why are you doing this to me??

Then I noticed the other one. I’d seen him somewhere before, but where? I tried to recollect, and that’s when it hit me—oh yes, it’s him! The one I had aided. What is he doing here? He didn’t have any expression on his face—just a cold, unreadable poker face. They headed toward me, and I smiled with relief. Finally, I didn’t need to do this alone.

The arrogant prick had a huge smile on his face. He suddenly leaned down, moving close to my ear.

“Missed me, kitten?” he whispered softly, then blew gently into my ear.

I immediately stepped back, eyes wide. While touching my ears, The audacity!!,What am I? A candle he’s trying to blow out?”, My face turned red, and goosebumps prickled all over my body.

Rowan looked toward him, a smile of curiosity on his face. “Do you know him?”

He grinned. “Yes, I do. We had a great night together,” he said with a laugh.

What the hell was he saying?? A night together? Was he drunk or something? We only shared a room! The way he said it made it sound like we’d crossed all sorts of lines that night.

I pointed towards him. “You!! How can you say that?? We only shared that inn that night!” I said loudly, trying to defend myself, an annoyed look on my face.

There were people around us who heard our conversation and misunderstood as they began to laugh, oh god i need to clear this misunderstanding, “Nothing happened! I slept fully clothed, on the far end of the bed!!”

Rowan teased, “Oh? So there was a bed involved?”

“Let's just stop this conversation right here!!,” I said in loud voice with an annoyed look on my face.

He laughed heartily. “I just missed those expressions, kitten! I love the way you react when I tease you. That’s what friends do, right? Tease each other. And teasing you… well, that’s something else,” he joked, glancing at Rowan.

Rowan began to laugh too, patting his shoulder, while the other guy just stood there silently, saying nothing.

“I didn’t introduce myself before,” the arrogant one said, now with a soft smile. “My name is Demyan. And I heard your name is Prick, right?”

“Yes,” I replied in a soft voice, looking in another direction, arms folded across my chest.

“That’s so weird, Demyan. You both encountered each other more than once and never introduced yourselves?” Rowan said softly, still smiling and looking at me.

“Our encounters were… unique and chaotic. We never got the chance to introduce ourselves,” Demyan said. “I’ll tell you the story later. Right now, we’ve got a competition to win.” With that, he headed to where the rest of the dorm members were waiting. Rowan followed him.

I still stood there, trying to process what had just happened. It was so strange that I was encountering the same people again!

Suddenly, I felt someone grab the collar of my uniform. I looked up and saw that the man I had once aided was holding it with that same poker face. Without saying a word, he started pulling me by my collar.

“Hey! I can walk by myself! Stop dragging me like you’re pulling a dog on a leash!” I protested, trying to remove his hand.

But I was so small in front of them, and they were all so strong. I gave up and just let him do what he wanted.

There were flags placed with dorm numbers, and the four of us stood beneath ours.

As I stood under Dorm 20’s flag, barely keeping my composure after that dramatic reunion. Before I could gather my thoughts, the instructor stepped up on the raised platform. His sharp eyes scanned us like a hawk sizing up prey.

The instructor stepped back onto the raised platform, his eyes scanning the rows of dorm flags fluttering in the wind. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his uniform was as sharp as his gaze. The murmurs in the crowd died down as his voice echoed through the courtyard.

“Welcome to your first official dorm challenge,” he began, voice crisp and authoritative. “This is not just a test of strength. It’s a test of strategy, coordination, and above all—teamwork.”

Pearl swallowed hard. Teamwork. Great. With these lunatics?,The walking ego, the grumpy statue, and the bracelet thief?

“This first challenge,” he began, voice booming, “is called The Totem Trial.”

My ears perked up. That name didn’t sound too terrifying—yet.

“Each dorm will be given a carved wolf totem—small enough to carry but not to hide. Your job is simple: protect your totem until the bell rings at sundown. But there’s a catch—”

Of course there is, I thought.

“You’ll also try to steal the totems of other dorms.”

A few gasps and murmurs rose. I exchanged glances with my teammates. Rowan already looked thrilled.

“You may only use your strength, your senses, and your speed. No powers beyond your natural werewolf instincts. Once a dorm loses their totem, they’re eliminated. But remember—you can’t hide and you must move constantly through the designated field. No camping in corners.”

His eyes narrowed.

“And if you’re caught cheating, not only is your dorm disqualified… you’ll be doing kitchen duty for the next three moons.”

Groans echoed. I had to admit, the stakes were high—but the rules were clear.

“You’ll be released into the marked grounds in ten minutes. Each totem is engraved with your dorm number—keep it close, keep it guarded. The team with the most totems at the end wins.”

He stepped down. That was it. Simple.

Guard a totem, chase others, don’t get caught. Even I could understand that.

I stood there frozen, the words “Protect your totem and steal from others” bouncing around in my head like wild wolves. This wasn’t just about strength—it was about wit, speed, and survival. These guys here are so strong; just look at their muscles—it looks like they’ll crush me into two pieces. I hope after this competition, I’ll be back in one piece. I began to bite my nails—because when I'm nervous, I bite my nails.

I have to think of something that will keep me safe, and there’s a chance my true identity will be revealed. This game is scary as hell, but Pearl, you’re smart, right? Just come up with a good plan.

I then noticed the three of them standing there nonchalantly, as if they weren’t worried at all. Rowan was talking softly with Demyan, and Killian was listening to him. It looked like they were the only team—and I was excluded from that. Am I invisible? Can’t they see me here?

“Hello? I’m included in this, you know. If you’re going to discuss strategy, you need to discuss it with me as well. I’d like to know what our next step is,” I said, walking toward them.

Rowan smiled. “This is so easy! Why are you so worried? Let’s just go with the flow,” he said while hitting me on the back in a playful way. I crouched as he hit me because—damn—his hand was too heavy, and it hurt.

“Please don’t do that again! It hurts,” I said while rubbing my back.

“Come on, Perin, don’t be a weak girly boy. Girls act like this—be tough like us,” he said with a laugh.

I didn’t answer him, because if I did, he’d just come up with something else, and I wasn’t interested in arguing.

“If you have any ideas, why don’t you share them with us, kitten?” Demyan said softly, his arms crossed over his chest.

I didn’t have any ideas, and in times like this, my brain just goes blank. I sighed. I didn’t want to be useless here. Come on, Pearl, think of something. We need to win this—but how?

Suddenly, Killian, who had been silent all this time, spoke—and what he said made my eyes widen.

“We need to protect Perin. Let him take the totem and run into the forest. We’ll stay with him every step of the way and protect him,” he said with a stern voice and serious expression. Demyan and Rowan nodded, agreeing without hesitation.

Protect the totem? Sure. While wolves chase me, trees try to trip me, and my ‘team’ uses me as bait like it’s a fun picnic plan. If I’m the one carrying the totem, then everyone will be after me. They’ll do anything to take it so they can win—which means I could get hurt really badly. He’s actually using me as bait.

“Ahh, excuse me? Why don’t you ask me first if I’m ready to be the bait? You can’t just decide that it should be me,” I said, stepping closer to Killian, trying to challenge him. But he took one step toward me, and I instinctively stepped back. He was too tall—and he just showed me my place in a matter of seconds.

But why is he repaying me like this? He promised to repay me after I aided him—so why is he doing this to me?

Rowan walked over and caught my hand. “You’re too weak, and we need to protect the weak. So you’re going to take the totem—just like Killian said—and you’re going to walk toward the finish line. That’s the Golden Werewolf Temple. We’ll make sure no one hurts you,” Rowan said confidently, smiling.

They call me weak so casually. Maybe I am—but I hate being reminded of it. I need to prove them wrong, not just to them, but to myself. While i was arguing with these two, suddenly my attention shifted towards Killian, His face was hard, unreadable. But just for a second, I thought I saw something—guilt? Regret? Maybe I imagined.

“Rowan’s right, kitten. You’re the perfect person to take the totem. We’ll make sure to be with you. Don’t worry—we won’t let anyone harm you,” Demyan added in a serious tone.

How are they so sure no one’s going to hurt me? Didn’t they hear the instructions? It was clearly stated that there would be obstacles along the way, so we’re definitely going to get lost in that stupid forest. There’s a high chance we’ll get separated. But now I can’t even argue with them, because they’ve already teamed up against me.

Fine. They want me to carry the totem? I will. But I’m also hiding a blade in my boot—just in case their plan turns into a disaster.”

I guess I’ll just have to follow what they say… for now. Until then, I’ll try to come up with a better plan—and make sure they’re not involved.

As we stood at the edge of the forest, tension crackled in the air. The instructors were yelling final instructions from the high platform, but I couldn’t hear a thing over the pounding of my heart.

Rowan stretched his arms like we were about to go sunbathing. “Ah, the perfect weather for a dramatic victory,” he said, grinning.

“I swear, if you die in there, it’ll be from overconfidence, not wolves,” I muttered under my breath.

Demyan leaned down slightly, his smirk as annoying as ever. “Kitten, still scared?”

“No,” I replied. “Just mentally preparing for when one of you trips over your ego.”

Killian handed me the totem—a carved wooden wolf with glowing eyes—and for a moment, our fingers brushed. He didn’t speak, but I noticed his jaw clenched. Nervous? Guilty? Or just annoyed? Hard to say.

Then Rowan turned to me and said, “Don’t worry, Perin. If things go south, we’ll howl for help.”

I blinked. “That’s your backup plan? Howling?”

He nodded seriously. “We’re werewolves. It’s traditional.”

I sighed dramatically. “Moon Goddess, if you're watching, this is your last chance to send me a better team.”

And just like that, the horn blew—and we charged into the forest.