Disguised Before The Alpha Prince

Chp 22

Pearl

Demyan was fast asleep. This is my chance to leave. I cannot stay here any longer. He was still holding my hand tightly. I smiled as I looked at him. I slowly tugged a few strands of his hair near his ear. He looked so elegant while he slept—I felt like hugging and kissing him, but I needed to hold myself back. I cannot allow myself to cross those lines of feeling.

Earlier, we went to visit the temple. Only mates were allowed to light a candle and make a wish together. I couldn’t believe I had walked through those sacred doors beside him, pretending to be his mate. The temple was beautiful—moonlit walls carved with stories of the Moon Goddess and her chosen pairs. As we stepped in, the priestess handed us a single candle and guided us to the altar. I could barely breathe with how close Demyan stood beside me. His presence made my heart ache, especially when our hands touched lighting that candle. I had closed my eyes and made a silent wish—but not for myself. I wished for him. For his safety. For his happiness. For peace, even if it meant being far from me.

Now, as he lay beside me unaware of everything, I slowly got up from the bedding and moved toward the door. Before leaving, I glanced at him one last time. I hope you never find out that I'm Perin, because you won’t be able to forgive me, Demyan.

I stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind me. Outside, the air was cool and still. I noticed that Maedra was sitting beneath a tree nearby, puffing her cigar. She smiled at me knowingly. I tried to pass by unnoticed, but she called out gently.

“Come here, Perl. I want to talk to you,” she said, gesturing for me to come closer.

I hesitated but then walked over to her. She tapped the wooden bench beside her. “Sit here,” she offered with a warm smile.

I sat down, a little uncomfortable, unsure of what she wanted to say.

“I know that you’re pretending to be his mate,” she said calmly, as she took another drag from her cigar.

My eyes widened. She knew? She knew all along that Demyan wasn’t my mate… then why didn’t she say anything? She’d kept this a secret the entire time. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice her placing a hand gently on my shoulder.

“I know you’re confused, and there are a lot of thoughts running through your mind,” she said. “But you have no idea what fate has planned for you.”

I looked at her, startled. What does she mean by that?

She glanced at the stars and continued in a soft voice, “There are certain connections the Moon Goddess blesses us with. They start small—sometimes even hidden under masks and secrets—but the bond always reveals itself, no matter how deep it’s buried.”

Her words settled over me like a whisper from the stars. A bond? No, it can’t be. Demyan can’t be... my mate. Can he?

But if he’s not, then why do I feel this pull? Why do I feel so safe with him? So complete?

“A mask can hide a face, child,” she said slowly, “but it can’t fool a soul that’s already begun to recognize its match.”

Maedra offered me a knowing look but said nothing more. She just smiled and puffed her cigar, as if she already knew what my heart refused to accept.

I sat there quietly, staring up at the moon.

Moon Goddess, what are you trying to show me?

I sat in silence, letting her words settle over me like early morning mist—soft, but impossible to ignore. A mask can hide a face, but not a soul… What did she mean? Did she think Demyan already suspected something? Or was she saying something even deeper than that?

Maedra leaned back, tapping ash from her cigar onto the dirt beside her. “You know,” she said, eyes twinkling, “there’s a saying in this village: if two people light a flame in the temple and the candle doesn’t flicker, it means the Moon Goddess herself sees them.”

I swallowed. “The flame didn’t flicker.”

“No,” she agreed, “it didn’t.”

The quiet around us deepened. Somewhere in the trees, a nightbird called out. The breeze was gentle, carrying the scent of moss and earth and something faintly floral—like the incense we burned at the temple.

“I’m not his mate,” I whispered, the words almost catching in my throat.

Maedra didn’t argue. “Maybe. Or maybe fate has its own plans. What you are… what he is… sometimes, it doesn’t matter in the way we think. The bond will find its way.”

I looked away. “It’s not that simple.”

“No,” she said softly, “it’s not.”

We sat there for a moment longer. Then Maedra rose, her joints cracking slightly. “Go on now, child. Rest while you can. Morning comes quickly, and you’ll need your strength—for whatever comes next.”

She walked off into the trees, the soft glow of her cigar ember fading into the dark. I stayed seated for a few more minutes, feeling the warmth of the earth below me and the heavy tangle of emotion in my chest.

The cool air rushed against my skin as I moved through the village, every step away from him heavier than the last. The candle in the temple… the way he looked at me when I wore that dress… Maedra’s words—they all echoed in my mind, each one a stone pressing on my heart.

But I had to go.

I wasn’t supposed to stay. Not as Pearl. Not as Perin. Not when every moment near him made me forget who I was pretending to be… and made me want to be his—for real.

As I reached the edge of the village, I looked back once, toward the room where he still slept.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to the shadows. “You’ll never know who I was to you. But I’ll always know who you are to me.”

And then I turned and disappeared into the trees, letting the night swallow my footsteps—one by one.

I darted deeper into the woods, the moonlight filtering through the leaves above like scattered silver dust. My heart raced as the wind tugged at my cloak, and every sound felt louder than it was. I reached the edge of the village, right where we had planned in case something went wrong.

There she was—Cecil.

Dressed in my old clothes, her hair tucked under the hood exactly the way I used to wear it as Perin. Her posture, her calm stillness… She had studied me so well. For a second, it was like looking into a mirror of my own disguise.

“You made it,” I breathed out, rushing forward.

“Of course I did.” Cecil smiled faintly and took my hands. “I placed the totem near the temple, just as planned. It’s safe. No one saw me.”

We stepped further into the shadows behind the trees. I wasted no time unfastening the cloak around my shoulders. “Quick, we need to switch clothes again before someone notices.”

Cecil nodded and began untying the tunic’s belt. We both worked in silence for a moment, the routine of it strangely comforting. When we finished and she slipped back into her own clothes, she looked me up and down.

“No one suspected anything?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Not a soul. I kept my head low, didn’t speak unless I had to. A couple of villagers nodded at me, but no questions. You’re lucky I’m such a convincing boy.”

I smiled, a little breathless with relief. “You’ve saved me more than you know.”

Cecil looked at me for a long moment. “You care for him, don’t you?”

My throat tightened. “I… I don’t know what I feel anymore. But he can never know. Not the truth. It would break everything.”

She reached out and straightened a stray strand of my hair, then tugged my hood back up. “Then let's make sure he doesn’t.”

We exchanged a look—one of unspoken understanding. Two girls caught between duty and danger, both hiding behind names that didn’t belong to them.

I turned toward the path leading deeper into the woods, where I’d hide until I figured out what to do next.

“Thank you, Cecil,” I whispered.

“Always,” she whispered back.

And then we vanished in opposite directions, as silently as we had arrived.

When I began to move towards the hostel where i would meet Killian and Rowan I felt strong arms grab my neck and the next thing I knew was I hit my head to a stone and everything in front of me turned black