The Lycan Prince's Puppy Preview

The Lycan Prince's Puppy Preview

Chapter 1

Violet My heart pounded with excitement and nerves as I walked across the campus of Starlight Academy with my suitcases in my hands. This had been my dream for as long as I could remember—to be among the best shifters. The academy was very hard to get into but somehow I had managed to do it. Today would be the start of a new chapter in my life, and absolutely nothing could ruin it. "Move it, four eyes!" Almost nothing. I released a yelp as someone shove me down to the ground, and I fell down with my suitcases. My glasses slipped from my face and I panicked. “No, no!” I whispered, closing my eyes as I desperately looked for them. They needed to remain on my eyes at all times. I’d had them since I was eight years old, and all I knew was that it would be a cold and lonely night if I didn’t have them on at all times. The nightmares, the visions… “Yes!” I breathed, my fingers brushing against the familiar frame. Relieved, I quickly put them back on. I caught a glimpse of the back of the guy who had pushed me over as he walked with his group of friends. “Asshole!” my wolf, Lumia and I muttered at the same time. One of the guys, wearing a blue hoodie, looked back with what seemed like a look of sympathy. Our eyes met, and then he made a turn, sprinting to my direction. Flustered, I watched as he grabbed my suitcases from the ground before sticking out his hand to help me. “Are you okay?” “Yes, thanks,” I accepted as I got up, now standing face to face with him. My lips instantly curled at the handsome blonde in front of me, his eyes as brown as honey and his hair slightly lighter than mine. "I'm sorry for the prince," he said. "He didn’t mean it, he’s a bit cranky today." I frowned. "The prince?" The guy eyed me strangely. "The Ly…never mind. First day?” “Yes.” “Do you need help with your suitcases?" "Yes, sure.” He grabbed my two suitcases and we began to walk, my short legs struggling to keep up as I was almost half his size. "Were you on your way to pick up your keys?" “Yes.” “Can you only say, yes?” “Ye…I mean—no,” I shook my head, a bit embarrassed. He chuckled. "I’m Nate, member of the student council.” "Violet," I responded. Nate glanced at me, and then his eyes studied me. His look was so intense I couldn’t help but blush. "So let me guess,” he spoke. “Seventeen, small and humble pack, Alpha’s daughter, healer’s acquaintance?" I looked at him, shocked, and let out a surprised laugh. "You were almost right—eighteen." And then there was this other thing. The Alpha was my uncle who had raised me, but it wasn’t something I ever felt like discussing. When I was eight, my parents had passed away in an attack, and my uncle had been taking care of me ever since. He was the Alpha of the Bloodrose pack, a small pack from the east. "Studying to be the healer’s acquaintance? Your parents must be proud of you," Nate said. "Yes, and they..." I replied, the words trailing off. Alpha Fergus had tried to treat me like a daughter, but the man was just too awkward to raise one. He had never been around much, and our Luna, Sonya had tried her best, but we just didn’t have that mother-daughter click. Adding salt to the wound was Dylan, my cousin, who I grew up with. I called him my brother, everyone did. He had hated me all my life, never giving me a reason, and we had never gotten along. He was a sophomore at Starlight Academy and had made it very clear that we were not family within these walls and to stay away from him. His exact words had been, ‘Do not embarrass me, freak.’ “They’re proud,” I sighed. As I followed Nate, I noticed a lot of girls fighting for his attention. Once in a while he would acknowledge one of them, and was met with squeals. With a face like that, it wasn’t hard to guess that he was popular. Above all, he seemed to have a good heart as well. He caught me staring, and I lowered my gaze to the ground with a giggle. "Here you are," Nate said. I looked up and realized we had already arrived at the grand hall. “Come on,” he guided me inside, and it was just as incredible as I remembered from the orientation—a large, open space with high ceilings and luxe appearance. It was quite busy, the area filled with students and suitcases. “Wow,” I gasped, looking around in awe. Nate pointed. "That’s the front desk. You can go there for information and get your keys,” then he stuck out his hand. "It was nice to meet you. Welcome, and I hope you’ll have a good year—Violet." I looked at his hand for a moment before accepting it. "Thank you.” He winked at me, and I felt a flutter in my chest. I kept holding his hand for a second longer than necessary and when he stared at our intertwined hands with a soft smile, I released a cough and stepped back. "Thank you," I repeated, not knowing what else to say. “And thank you for coming back to help me.” “No problem,” Nate spoke. “Just doing my job.” Right, cause he was a member of the student council. “Nate—let’s go!” A loud voice called out.I looked over Nate’s shoulder to see where the voice was coming from. It was a guy leaning against one of the pillars, surrounded by friends, his back turned to us. It was the same guy who had called me four-eyes. I recognized his voice immediately. Nate had referred to him as a prince, and I wondered if it was because he was actual royalty or because of his entitled behavior. Yet, Nate didn’t hesitate for a second and immediately walked off to his friend. "Next!" the woman behind the information desk shouted, snapping me back to reality. An unimpressed look was plastered on her face. “Oh, yes—that would be me!” I said, sounding awkward even to myself as I struggled to push my suitcases to the desk. “Name, class, and major,” she demanded, her tone flat. "Violet Hastings, freshman from the healer department?”The woman hummed and looked through a stack of papers or files. Meanwhile my thoughts went to my three new roommates, hoping they’d at least be more bearable than that dude who called me four-eyes. "I-I have to say, I’m very honored to be one of the chosen 200 to learn from the best healers and my Mom was actually an alumna so I’m really excited to—" The woman cut me off, throwing a set of keys at me, and I caught them just in time. "Lunar hall, second building on your left, second floor, room 102—Next!" “Okay?” I blinked, shocked by her rudeness. Before I could react, someone shoved me aside, and I almost stumbled but could luckily regain my balance just in time. Following the rude woman’s directions to the dorm building was thankfully not too much of a hassle. I managed to get to the second floor with a lot of struggle, completely out of breath and probably sweaty—but I was there and that was all that mattered.The hallway was filled with students, chatting, moving in their belongings and so on. Overwhelmed by the noise and the people, I looked around, not knowing where to start. "What room are you in?" a voice asked from behind. As I turned my head, a woman gasped loudly in my face. “Adelaide?” she widened her striking green eyes. I looked at the woman, trying to figure out whether I knew her, but I couldn’t recognize her. “W-Who?” I stuttered. The woman had light grey hair pulled back into a bun, glasses on her nose, and striking green eyes. She stared at me with an intense, almost hopeful expression while I eyed her back strangely, thinking she must have mistaken me for someone else. "I'm so sorry," she apologized, "you just look like someone I once knew." I smiled warmly. "It's okay.""My name is Esther, and I’m the RD of this department. And you are..." she began, her eyes moving to the name on my key tag. "Violet Hastings from room 102—the room just down the hall," she said. "Thank you," I sighed, grateful for the help. Shooting her one last smile, I walked further with my suitcases to go to my room. With each step I took, I grew more anxious about meeting my roommates. What would they be like? Would I like them? Would they like me? Even with the Bloodrose pack, I realized I’d never really had friends. Sure, there were people I was closer to than others, but friends? I reached the door to room 102, and my heart pounded in my chest. Taking a deep breath, I turned the key in the lock and then I pushed the door open.In the center of the room stood two girls who immediately stopped talking and looked at me. One of the girls had dyed light pink hair, the other dark curls. Their clothes were stylish and expensive-looking, making me feel insecure and out of place. They probably came from high-status families, bigger packs, unlike me. "Am I interrupting?" I asked, my voice hesitant. The pink-haired girl rushed toward me. "No," she spoke in a hurry. "I’m Amy, that’s Trinity—and are you her? Kylan’s ex?" I frowned in confusion. "Who?" And who was Kylan? "Our roommate, Chrystal? The Lycan Prince’s ex?" Amy explained. “I heard she has to redo her freshman year and is our roommate—are you her?”

Chapter 2

Violet I blinked, processing the information. Am I her? No, and I was certainly no ex of a Lycan Prince. I would rather take a swim in my own vomit than get myself involved with such a person. “Stop bothering her, Amy,” the other girl with the braids, Trinity, spoke up. She gave me a welcoming smile, her eyes much softer and kinder than Amy’s sharp, piercing gaze. “Chrystal has red hair, remember?” I touched my blonde locks self-consciously, noticing the pink-haired girl's face soften. Then I closed the door behind me. “I’m Violet, nice to meet you.” “Hi, Violet,” Trinity stepped forward, helping me with my suitcases. “Chrystal is a Lycan of noble blood, her Dad is the beta of the Lycan King of the kingdom of Lupyria, and she’s our roommate. I’m in here, Chrystal there, Amy in there—and this is your room," she said, pointing and leading the way. So our other roommate was of noble blood, living in the biggest of the three Lycan kingdoms, no big deal. Another blow to my confidence, just what I needed. I scanned the room with my eyes as Trinity placed my stuff by the bed. “Here you go, and you’re welcome,” she said. “Thanks.” The room was mid-sized, and still empty besides a double bed, an empty window and a small walk-in closet. "We have to share a public bathroom. It’s on the first floor,” Trinity explained. Amy joined us, leaning against the door frame. "Don’t you think that’s disgusting though? I mean, I don’t want someone to give me, like… green toes?" Trinity chuckled. "Oh, you mean athlete’s foot?" I jumped in. Trinity and Amy exchanged a look, then turned back to me. "Tinea pedis? Fungal infection?" I elaborated, only to get even more confused looks in return. "Never mind—anyway, it’s nice to meet you, and I hope we’ll get along," I switched up quickly, making a mental note to avoid saying anything too nerdy around anyone. My brother, Dylan, would occasionally tell me to stop being such a smart ass and that it made me ten times more unlikeable. He was the biggest nerd in existence so coming from him, it must’ve meant something. “Quick question, are we all going to the Starlight Festival tonight?” Trinity beamed, wiggling her brows playfully. Nope. I turned to unpack my stuff, pretending not to hear. The Starlight Festival was held in the woods just outside the school gates. It always took place on a full moon to welcome new students, and was especially a hot event among unmated werewolves who were desperate to find their mate.The thought of being connected to someone, only to lose them, terrified me. The feeling I felt after losing my parents was one I never wanted to feel ever again. "We should go. Everyone is going to be there—and I heard tons of students find their mate there," Amy said. My stomach twisted with anxiety. I really didn’t want to go, but I also didn’t want to be that one person who only came to the academy to study although that was the truth. I wanted to fit in but also wanted to stay true to myself, but I guess the one thing I truly wanted was to be different from the Violet back home. "Have you guys found your mates yet?" Amy asked. "No—Violet?" Trinity answered, and I looked at her, slowly shaking my head. "So, you’ll be coming with us then?" "I’ll sit this one out. Besides, I don’t even have a dress for that," I said, hoping that would end the conversation. "So? I’ll let you borrow something," Trinity offered immediately. I knew she didn’t have any bad intentions as she had been kind to me from the start. She just couldn’t take a hint. I felt trapped, knowing if I would decline, it would set the tone for my relationship with my roommates for the entire four years. Besides, it was just one night. What's the worst that could happen? "That’s nice of you—thanks!" I said, forcing a smile. Trinity clapped her hands, smiling, then bumped Amy’s shoulder. "See? Problem solved." Amy chuckled, folding her arms. It was silent for a moment before Trinity opened another topic. “So what do your parents do?” I blinked, caught off guard by the question. Just as with Nate, this was supposed to be the moment where I would usually say my parents were dead—only I didn’t. Again.Trinity answered her own question, "My dad is an Alpha, Amy’s dad is a Beta—" “Mine is also an Alpha!” I announced before she could say anything else. Now that she got her answer, I desperately hoped she would shift the topic. Amy slightly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, same old—everyone here comes from status. Anyway, where is Chrystal?" From the moment I had met her, she had almost seemed obsessed with Chrystal. All she could talk about was that Lycan girl. "I’m sure we’ll meet her soon. She’s probably with Kylan and Nate,” Trinity said. "Nate? From the student council?" I asked, surprised. Amy’s eyes lit up. "Have you met him? He’s Chrystal’s twin brother and Kylan’s future Beta." I nodded, remembering the handsome guy from earlier. So he was a Lycan, a future Beta of noble blood—and my roommate’s brother."Can you imagine? The Beta to the future Lycan King? Maybe he is my mate," Amy sang, and the two girls giggled. “I’m not counting on it to be the Lycan Prince, but I’ll take the second best.” My face paled as I slowly put two and two together. The guy who had called me four-eyes was indeed royally. He was that Lycan Prince they were gushing over. That’s why Nate had called him ‘the Prince’. I decided right then and there to stay away from him. If he could bully me after bumping into me, I didn’t even want to know what kind of damage he could do without facing any consequences. He was a Lycan, after all—ten times stronger, ten times faster. "We should go—the RD is expecting us in ten minutes," Trinity spoke, glancing on her phone. "What for?" "She’s giving us a tour," Amy replied. “Then we should probably head out.”~ As we reached the main hall in the healer’s building, a large group of freshmen were already waiting and talking among themselves. Esther, the woman who had introduced herself earlier, stood on a platform. The second I entered the room, her gaze landed on mine and she gave me a friendly nod, which I returned. I was waiting for her to turn away, but she never did. For some reason, Esther kept staring at me. I squinted my eyes, cracking my brains over the reason. "Look, that’s Chrystal!" Amy nudged my shoulder, and I turned away, following her eyes. They landed on a gorgeous tan girl with long, straight red hair, standing with a group of girls. Chrystal was dressed in a short pink tennis skirt and a pink top, by the looks of it expensive. Just by one look, it was clear she hadn’t been in the dorm to welcome us because she had her own crowd and standards. She had probably already decided her roommates were not good enough for her without getting the chance to get to know any of us. Her energy was completely different from her brother, Nate, who looked so kind and approachable. "I’ll go and say hi. I’ll see you guys later!" Amy said before walking off toward Chrystal. Trinity chuckled as we watched her tap Chrystal’s back, attempting start a conversation. "And then there were two.” "Don’t you want to meet her?" I asked, genuinely curious. Trinity pulled a disgusted face, shaking her head. "She might be of noble blood, but that doesn’t mean she can treat us like trash. If she really wanted to meet us, she would’ve been at the dorms." I smiled, agreeing with Trinity. "Yeah, you’re right. It’s nice to meet someone who sees things the same way." "Attention!" Esther called out. The voices in the hall slowly faded as everyone turned to look at her. "Welcome, everyone, to Starlight Academy. I’m Esther, your Resident Director, and one of the Grand Masters in healing. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to what I hope will be the best four years in your life." Everyone around me clapped, so I awkwardly joined in. "Starlight Academy is a place where you will learn, grow, and build life-long friendships—and I know many of you are nervous," Esther continued, making eye contact with me. I looked away. "But I want you to know my office is always open, no matter what." Trinity whispered, "They always say that but never keep their word." I giggled, once again agreeing with her. It was always like that. They had everyone’s backs until someone’s family couldn’t pay the fee anymore. "Now if you’ll all follow me," Esther instructed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Amy walking with Chrystal. It looked like Chrystal had taken her under her wing, which made sense given Amy’s excitement about meeting her. Esther led us on a full campus tour, explaining that this week would be about exploring and learning the basic rules. We weren’t allowed to spend the night in the male dorms, there was a strong curfew meaning no leaving the dorms after ten, no unauthorized shifting or any other kind of use of power, and especially no fighting unless it was on the training grounds with a teacher present. Three strikes, and you’re out. "I might as well have applied for prison," Trinity muttered, making me laugh as we walked with a few more freshman we had made along the way. The tour ended in the academic hall. "Look around some more, enjoy your week—and I will leave you girls to it," Esther said. Everyone thanked her in unison, but once again her eyes were on me. I still wondered what her deal was, why she seemed to be paying me so much attention.After she was out of sight, I tried to join the conversation with the girls, but they were already in it too deep. "He literally just walked past us. Apparently, he’s a sophomore CSL major," one of the girls said excitedly. "CS-what?" I asked, feeling lost. "Combat Strategy and Leadership? They’re talking about the Lycan Prince again," Trinity explained. "Ah…” The topic wasn’t all that interesting to me. All everyone seemed to be talking about was that damn Lycan Prince. The conversation continued without me, and it bored me so much, I felt a sudden urge to pee. "Does anyone know where the restroom is?" I asked. Trinity pointed in a direction. "I think it’s that way—do you want me to go with you?" "No, I’ll manage. Thanks!” Following Trinity’s instructions, I eventually stood in front of two closed doors with unclear symbols. “Sure, why not?” I mumbled, trying to make a decision. One looked vaguely like a dress, so I guessed that one was for women. As I entered the restroom, I saw it was empty and headed for one of the stalls. After finishing my business, I went to sink, rubbing the soap between my palms before washing it off. But as I turned off the tap, I heard a sound from around the corner. My heart skipped a beat. How had I missed a whole part of the restroom? Curious, but more so fearful because I knew I had screwed up—I peeked around the corner, seeing exactly what I had been expecting to see. To my horror, I saw urinals, and a guy with his back turned against me, zipping up his jeans. I swallowed my breath, panicking, and I knew I had to leave quietly before he noticed me. Carefully, I took a step back, only for my foot to hit the bin, followed by the sound of a loud clatter. Shit. The guy turned around swiftly, his expression tense and his jaw clenched. My stomach dropped. Even though this was the first time I had seen his face, I recognized his build immediately. It was the Lycan Prince, Kylan, and he was walking toward me with a gaze so cold, it could kill. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he stepped closer, and closer—until he stood in front of me, leaving no more than a few inches between us. Nervously, I bit my bottom lip, dreading whatever would come out of this. I was so embarrassed, the sound of my own heartbeat echoed in my eardrums. The prince’s eyes bore into mine, and he looked pissed. I was frozen, my mind blank, unsure of what to do or say next.