The Lunar Crest Academy: Marked by The Lycans
Chapter 43: Just a Distraction

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Just a Distraction

Kieran’s POV

I woke to silence..... luxurious, undisturbed silence.

Golden light filtered through the thick velvet curtains of my private suite, casting a soft glow over the polished marble floors and obsidian walls. The Lycan dormitory was a fortress of privilege, and my quarters... a kingdom of solitude. Only the finest was assigned to me. As expected.

I swung my legs off the edge of the massive bed, letting the cold marble kiss the soles of my feet before heading into the bathroom.

The water ran hot.

I stood under it longer than I needed to, letting the steam cloud the mirrors and soak into my skin. It did nothing to rinse off the lingering tension. I wasn’t even sure why I was tense. That alone irritated me.

After dressing, I barely finished buttoning my shirt when the scent of food arrived before the servant did. My personal chef pushed a covered tray onto the table, bowing low before silently retreating. The smell was rich, grilled venison, buttered vegetables, wine, but I barely touched it.

I took one bite. Then another.

And then... my mind drifted.

Unnecessarily. Annoyingly.

To her.

Lorraine.

That maddening little wolf with the sharp tongue and stubborn eyes. She’d told me yesterday that the ferals were organizing a burial ceremony today. I’d scoffed then, but now... here I was, brooding over my untouched breakfast, thinking about it again.

A burial for ferals.

That was new. No one had ever bothered with anything of the sort before. They died, and the world moved on. But Lorraine? She wasn’t the type to move on. She was always doing something no one expected. Stirring things up. Making noise

Tch.

And who even said she was allowed to take the day off from being my servant? Just because of some ridiculous ceremony? That wasn’t nearly enough reason to be exempt from her duties.

I leaned back in my chair, frowning at the ornate ceiling. Even if I wanted to summon her, how was I supposed to do it? I couldn’t exactly yell across the campus. And I wasn’t about to go around sniffing her out like some obsessed wolf on heat.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door.

"Enter," I said.

The door creaked open and in stepped Theron, my personal assistant. A fellow Lycan, handpicked by my father, sent here not as a student, but as my shadow, to serve me. He bowed the moment our eyes met.

"My prince."

"Good," I said, motioning him forward. "I need you to get something for me."

"Anything, Your Highness."

"I want two mobile phones," I said, slicing a piece of venison absently.

Theron’s expression twitched. "Phones are prohibited on campus by the—"

I slowly looked up from my plate. Just one look.

He swallowed hard. "I’ll get them immediately."

"Good," I muttered, lifting my glass of wine.

He bowed and left without another word.

A slow smirk curved my lips.

With mobile phones, I could call her anytime. No more wondering where she was. No more waiting. No more being ignored.

I took another sip.

Then paused.

What the hell was I thinking?

Why was I planning around her? A feral. A nothing. A nobody. Someone beneath me in every way that mattered.

I set the wine glass down and stared at my reflection in the darkened glass window.

"Get it together," I muttered to myself. "She’s just a distraction."

But somehow, I knew... even as I said it, I knew

Distractions like her were dangerous.

I stood up from the dining table.

If my mind was going to keep spinning this uselessly, I might as well put the distraction to good use. Maybe digging through ancient books would help. Maybe I’d uncover something about Maeryn, the mysterious name scribbled beside Avelar’s in Astrid’s hidden chamber. The woman in that haunting mural beside the first Lycan king..... my ancestor.

I pulled a loose shirt over my head, ran a hand through my long dark hair, and stepped out of the dormitory.

The Lycans’ wing was separated from the rest of the academy by tall black spires and thick, enchanted stone walls. As I crossed the marble walkway leading to the main grounds, I caught the attention of several students. They all turned to look, pausing whatever meaningless thing they were doing just to gape.

A few bowed.

Others dropped their eyes immediately.

Good.

They remembered their place.

I kept walking, letting the silence of my own thoughts build again, until someone ran directly toward me.

A blur of brown hair. Stumbling steps. Labored breath.

She stopped just a foot from me, panting like she’d sprinted across the entire academy. Her eyes were wide, chest heaving, strands of hair sticking to her sweaty face. She looked vaguely familiar. Vaguely annoying

I raised a brow, gaze narrowing. "Who dares block my path?"

The girl tried to speak but choked on her own breath. She bent over, hands on her knees, trying to steady herself.

Ugh. Pathetic.

Finally, she managed a hoarse, breathless, "Lorraine..."

My body stiffened, subtly, but I kept my face unreadable.

"What about her?" I asked, voice flat.

"Astrid," she wheezed. "She..... she sentenced Lorraine. Five days. In the White Room. No food. No water."

My jaw ticked, but I didn’t move.

The girl finally stood upright, brushing a hand over her forehead. "I’m Elise. Lorraine’s roommate. Please, you have to help her. You’re the only one who can."

I blinked slowly, letting her words hang uselessly in the air before I replied.

"Why should I?"

Her mouth fell open. "W...what?"

"Did you think running here, panting like a broken mutt, would make me suddenly care?" I said coldly. "You’re ferals. Powerless. Bottom-feeders. If one of you dies, it’s just one less burden for the academy."

Her eyes glossed with tears, but I wasn’t done.

"And Lorraine?" I continued, stepping closer, looming over her. "She might’ve done a few tricks to stay alive longer than most, but don’t mistake that for being important. If she can’t handle her own shit, maybe she doesn’t deserve to keep living."

Elise’s lip trembled. "Y-you don’t mean that. You saved her before, during the feral fight. I saw it. Everyone saw it."

I stared her down until the fire in her faded.

"And?" I scoffed. "Don’t flatter her. Or yourself. The only reason I saved her, the only reason she’s still breathing is because she amuses me. That’s all."

She flinched at that.

I walked past her like she was nothing more than a breeze.

I am Kieran Valerius Hunter

The Lycan Prince.

I am not about to start wavering because of some mere, lowly, feral girl.

Let Lorraine rot.

Let her go mad in the dark

It had nothing to do with me.

And I do not care about whatever happens to her.

I do not care.