Moonveil Academy: Trapped With The Five Kings

Reign:

The anger burning inside me was unlike anything I’d experienced in years. It clawed beneath my skin with such savage intensity that every muscle in my body remained painfully tense, while my wolf paced furiously inside my head.

The corridor blurred as I walked, and the few students still lingering outside instinctively stepped aside the moment they caught sight of my face. None of them dared greet me. Smart. They knew better than to provoke me when I looked like this. Yet none of them understood the true reason behind my fury.

A groundling.

A human-raised princess.

Someone who had spent twenty years outside our world.

She had looked me straight in the eye... and rejected me. And not just me, but also my friendship, my offer, and my name. She hadn’t even bothered pretending to care.,The image replayed itself over and over inside my head.

”I’d rather fail.”

My jaw clenched so hard it hurt.

Then there had been that look. That dismissive, almost disapproving look she’d given me before simply... walking away. As though I wasn’t worth another second of her attention. As though Reign Valemont was just another stranger she’d never meet again.

My wolf snarled, probably as mad at her as I was, or even more.

Break her pride.

The thought settled disturbingly well inside my mind.

Before I realized it, I’d reached my dormitory. The heavy double doors exploded inward. I didn’t bother touching them. My Earth magic surged beneath my feet and shoved the doors open with enough force that they slammed against the walls.

I stormed inside.

The spacious suite, normally a place of quiet discussions and late-night strategy meetings between the five of us, suddenly felt too small to contain the rage rolling through my veins.

Footsteps followed behind me as Esmeray, Kairo, and Alaric stepped inside right before the doors shut on their own as one of them used magic to close them.

I ignored all three. Instead, I walked straight toward the enormous glass windows overlooking the academy grounds. Beyond them stretched the endless forests surrounding Moonveil Academy - dark, silent, and waiting.

My fists slowly tightened.

”So.” Kairo’s calm voice broke the silence. ”I have handled the others. They won’t speak. No one outside our group will hear about... tonight.”

I didn’t turn around.

Of course they wouldn’t. They knew exactly what was at stake. My reputation. My standing. The natural leader of the Uncrowned Royals... publicly dismissed by the princess he’d just met. If word spread through the academy by morning, the gossip alone would become unbearable.

I stared into the darkness outside.

”...She made a mistake.” The words came out dangerously quietly. ”A grave one.”

Behind me, nobody answered.

I slowly unclenched my fists before tightening them again. ”I’ll make sure she realizes exactly what she did tonight.”

Silence.

Then Alaric sighed. ”...Reign.”

I finally turned.,The three of them stood several feet away. Kairo remained as unreadable as always. Esmeray had his arms folded, his expression perfectly blank. Alaric looked somewhere between amused and concerned.

”She’s still the Princess.” He shrugged lightly. ”And she’s one of us. Don’t do anything stupid.”

A small smile slowly spread across my face, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.

”I know exactly who she is.” I said, walking away from the window. ”I would never physically harm the Crown Princess.”

The very thought was ridiculous. She was the last Argentis. The future ruler standing beside us. One of the five pillars our generation would eventually become. Hurting her... wasn’t even an option.

I chuckled quietly as I added, ”No. I have something much more useful in mind.”

Alaric frowned.

”What?”

I looked at each of my friends in turn. ”Did you notice her? The way she carries herself. The way she talks. The way she dresses. The way she looks at people.” I shook my head slowly. ”She’s been shaped by the human world. She has no understanding of hierarchy. No understanding of responsibility or even who she is... or who we are.”

My smile widened slightly.

”If she’s truly going to stand beside us one day, then someone has to teach her.”

”Teach her what?” Alaric asked.

”Reality.” I answered simply. ”The realm isn’t the human world. She doesn’t get to reject those who’ll one day stand beside her. She doesn’t get to ignore the people she’ll depend upon.” I crossed my arms. ”And the sooner she learns that, the easier her future becomes.”

Kairo raised one eyebrow. ”So, you want revenge.”

I didn’t deny it.

”She embarrassed me. She challenged me. And she clearly believes she can survive here on her own.” I laughed once, quietly. ”She’ll learn. Not through violence, but through reality. She’ll eventually realize something very simple.” I looked toward the moonlit forest beyond the glass. ”No matter how stubborn she is... she needs us. She need me. And when she finally understands that, she’ll remember tonight.”

Alaric rubbed the back of his neck.

”I almost feel sorry for her.”

”You shouldn’t.” I answered. ”I’m doing her a favor.”

Esmeray finally spoke. His deep voice remained as emotionless as ever. ”As long as the three of you remember one thing - she’s still the Princess.”

Our eyes shifted toward him.

He looked directly at me as he continued, ”You can humble her. You can challenge her. You can teach her. But don’t forget who she is... and how important.”

I nodded.

”I won’t.”

He studied me for another moment before sighing. ”I expected that answer.”

Of course he had. Esmeray knew me better than anyone. He also knew... once I’d made a decision, changing it was nearly impossible.

The room fell quiet again.

I suddenly felt suffocated.

”I need a run.”

Without waiting for anyone to reply, I turned and strode toward the doors. They burst open before I reached them, pushed apart by another surge of earth magic. A few seconds later, I was sprinting through Moonveil’s silent corridors. Down one staircase. Then another. The back gardens flashed past and cold night air hit my face. Then came the forest.

The instant my feet crossed beneath the trees, I let go.

My bones shifted, muscles expanded, my clothes tore apart as dark fur burst across my skin. Within seconds, the world sharpened - smells, sounds, heartbeats, everything became clearer.

I ran.

Faster and faster.

The earth trembled beneath my paws as my massive black wolf tore through the forest. Branches snapped. Leaves scattered. Wind roared past my ears.

Normally, running cleared my head. But tonight, it only made things worse. Because every time I blinked... I saw her.

Silver eyes. Black hair streaked with moonlight. That stubborn expression as she looked directly at me without the slightest fear.

Then... another memory surfaced. Her arm... my hand closing around it... and that warmth.

I slowed as the sensation returned. Not the memory, but the warmth itself. It spread beneath my fur, through my chest, and across every muscle. It started getting hotter and hotter until even running became difficult.

My wolf suddenly stopped. Completely. And the next second, his voice echoed inside my mind. He didn’t sound angry, furious, or demanding. Just... certain.

Mate.

The single word struck harder than any weapon. Everything stopped. The transformation ripped away almost instantly. One second I was a wolf, and the next, I was kneeling on the cold forest floor in my human form, breathing hard and completely naked.

Moonlight filtered through the trees above as I stared blankly at the ground beneath me.

”No...” The word barely escaped my lips. ”Fuck! Fuck...”

My breathing grew heavier, my fingers dug into the dirt, and my wolf remained utterly silent now. He didn’t need to repeat himself. The truth had already settled.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Then cursed loudly enough for the surrounding forest to echo with it. Because the woman I’d sworn to put in her place... the stubborn, infuriating princess who had rejected me less than half an hour ago...

Was my mate.