The prince's tower loomed ahead like a lighthouse in a collapsing storm—tall, fortified, ringed with royal-level security locks that no prefect could override.
It was the safest place in the entire Academy.
But we weren't safe.
Not yet.
Horace pulled me forward, practically dragging me across the marble courtyard. My legs shook, lungs burning, vision swimming—but I couldn't stop. Not with Aiden behind us. Not with Julieta's cold voice commanding him like a broken machine.
Rowan sprinted ahead, tablet in hand, tapping frantically. "I'm unlocking the outer door! Thirty seconds!"
"We don't have thirty seconds!" Chandler yelled, limping, one arm hanging uselessly.
Cassian stumbled beside us, bruised and scraped, but refusing to fall behind—because he knew what would happen if he did.
Because Aiden was gaining.
Fast.
His footsteps sounded wrong—silent, then suddenly loud, like he flickered between distances. Every time he moved closer, the air tightened, the scent-trigger capsule Julieta had crushed hanging like a chemical noose.
Julieta stood across the courtyard, watching with cold satisfaction.
No emotion.
No fear.
No regret.
Just a girl carrying out an order.
For a moment, her eyes met mine.
She didn't look triumphant.
She looked resigned.
Like she'd known this would happen.
Like she'd been waiting for it.
Like she'd always expected me to run—
And always expected Aiden to catch me.
Horace pulled me tighter against him.
"Elleanore—don't look at her. Look at me."
I forced my eyes away.
"Rowan!" Horace shouted. "How much longer?!"
Rowan slammed the side of his tablet with his palm. "Come on—COME ON—"
Beep.
Beep.
Beepbeepbeep—
"Fifteen seconds!" Rowan called. "I need fifteen—!"
We didn't have fifteen.
Aiden moved.
One second he was twenty meters away.
The next—
ten.
Chandler pushed forward. "GO! GO INSIDE—ROWAN, HURRY!"
Rowan cursed under his breath as sparks jumped from the tablet. "The override code is old—it's fighting me—"
Cassian suddenly froze.
"Wait."
Horace snapped, "CASSIAN, NOT NOW—"
But Cassian wasn't looking at us.
He was looking at Aiden.
His brother.
His blood.
Aiden's movements weren't random.
They were patterned.
Calculated.
Cassian whispered, "He's not hunting her scent. Not anymore."
Chandler glared. "How is that supposed to HELP—?!"
Cassian stepped forward shakily, voice dropping.
"He's hunting her pulse."
I felt mine stutter.
Pain shot through my chest.
"Pulse…?"
Cassian nodded, horrified.
"The scent trigger wasn't just scent-based. It's tied to anxiety spikes. If your heart rate climbs—he'll lock onto you instantly."
Horace swore. "You're telling her to stay CALM?!"
Rowan yelled, "Ten seconds!"
Aiden stepped closer.
Closer.
Closer.
His eyes glowed again—dark, glassy, unblinking.
Julieta stepped forward slightly, voice cold:
"Aiden. Retrieve her."
Aiden spoke only one word.
"Mine."
Chandler charged. "OVER MY DEAD—"
Aiden grabbed him by the throat mid-run and slammed him into the ground so hard the tiles cracked.
"CHANDLER!" I screamed.
Horace pulled me back as Cassian ran to help him, trying to pry Aiden's hand from Chandler's neck.
But Aiden didn't even turn to acknowledge him.
He didn't have to.
He shoved Cassian aside with one hand—like swatting away a fly.
Cassian crashed onto the stone with a strangled cry.
Rowan's voice broke. "FIVE SECONDS! Horace—get her ready!"
Horace grabbed my face with both hands—not rough, not panicked, but steady.
Too steady.
"Elleanore. Listen to me."
I tried to focus.
I tried to breathe.
But Chandler was choking behind him, Cassian struggling to stand, Rowan shouting over alarms, Julieta watching coldly—
And Aiden—
Aiden stepped toward me like he was walking toward the only thing that mattered.
"Elleanore—look at me," Horace repeated, forcing my gaze onto him. "Keep your eyes on me. Right here."
I did.
His golden eyes filled my world.
"Breathe with me," he whispered. "Match my pace."
I tried.
In—
Out—
In—
Out—
My chest shook violently.
Horace squeezed my wrist, grounding me.
"Good. Again."
In—
Out—
Rowan screamed, "TWO SECONDS—!"
Aiden lunged.
Horace yanked me behind him, drawing himself tall, voice suddenly a royal command that cut through the night:
"Aiden Valehart—STAND DOWN!"
Shock rippled through the air.
A royal command couldn't be disobeyed.
Not by a prefect.
Not by staff.
Not by anyone under the Academy's oath.
For a split second—
Aiden's body froze.
Just—
froze.
Like invisible chains had snapped around him.
Julieta's eyes widened.
"No—"
Aiden trembled violently, fighting the command.
His jaw clenched.
His arms shook.
His muscles locked against themselves.
His voice strained out—broken, tortured, wrong:
"Nnn…no…command…override…"
Horace's eyes widened.
"It's not working—"
Cassian whispered in horror, "They altered him. They altered him so he wouldn't respond to royalty."
Rowan screamed—
"HORACE, GET HER INSIDE—NOW!"
The tower door unlocked with a heavy metallic thud.
Horace grabbed me by the waist and sprinted for the door.
Chandler rolled onto his side, coughing, trying to get up.
Cassian crawled toward us, blood on his arm.
Rowan shoved his tablet into the panel to keep the door open.
We were almost there.
Almost—
Aiden broke the command.
A sound like bones cracking rippled through his frame.
His eyes snapped to me again.
And he moved.
So fast the world blurred.
Horace shoved me through the door—
Aiden's hand brushed the back of my shirt—
so close it felt like fire—
Cassian tackled him mid-lunge, screaming, "NO—NO—NO—"
Aiden slammed Cassian backward—
Rowan hit the emergency lock—
BOOM.
The tower door slammed shut.
Silence.
Then—
Aiden roared.
The sound shook the entire tower.
Cassian screamed in pain somewhere outside.
Chandler's voice choked something out—
Julieta shouted orders—
But inside the tower—
Only Horace and I were left.
He collapsed to his knees, pulling me into his arms.
He was shaking.
"Elleanore—Elleanore—are you hurt—?"
I shook my head.
My voice barely came out.
"Elliot fought this," I whispered. "Alone."
Horace's breath caught.
"Elleanore…"
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
"He fought this… for me."
Horace wrapped both arms around me and held me close as everything inside me finally cracked.
"Elleanore," he whispered into my hair, voice trembling, "I swear to you… no one will take you. Not while I'm alive."
Outside—
Aiden's fist slammed against the tower door.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Julieta's voice rang out:
"Aiden—stop! Not the prince's tower—AIDEN—!"
Cassian screamed again.
Chandler cursed violently.
Horace pulled me closer.
I finally understood the price Elliot paid.
And why the next part of this fight…
would destroy everything.
No One Leaves Unchanged
The pounding on the tower door finally stopped.
Not because Aiden gave up.
But because someone dragged him away.
We heard shouting—Julieta's voice, crisp and furious; Cassian's pained groans; Chandler swearing as he forced himself upright; Rowan yelling for someone to get Aiden under control.
Then—
Silence.
And the silence was worse.
Horace still held me close, one arm around my back, the other bracing the nape of my neck like he was anchoring me to the world. His chest rose and fell rapidly. I could feel his heart hammering against my cheek.
He didn't let go.
"Elleanore… can you breathe?" he whispered.
I nodded weakly.
But my throat felt tight.
My lungs felt hollow.
My body still trembled from the leftover fear—visceral, cold, impossible to shake.
Horace gently tilted my chin up so he could see my face.
His eyes softened immediately.
"You're shaking."
"I—know," I whispered.
His jaw clenched. "I shouldn't have brought you down there. I shouldn't have allowed—"
"Horace," I said softly, "you didn't do this."
He looked away for a moment, breath uneven.
"I almost lost you," he whispered. "If I had been one second slower—just one—"
He couldn't finish.
I swallowed hard. "But you weren't slow."
His eyes met mine again. And for a brief second, the terrifying prince—the one who shouted royal commands that made the air tremble—was gone.
In his place was a boy.
A scared one.
A boy who thought he'd almost watched someone die in his arms.
He pulled me in again, holding me like he needed the contact to steady himself.
"Elleanore," he murmured against my hair, "you're safe."
But the quiver in his voice said he didn't fully believe it.
The Outer Door Unlocks
The tower's inner alarm gave a soft, muffled chime.
Horace tensed. "Someone's using my clearance."
Footsteps approached—slow, uneven, dragging.
Horace stood instantly, pulling me behind him.
The door slid open with a strained hiss—
Rowan stumbled inside first.
His hair was messed up, his glasses crooked. He looked like he'd sprinted through a hurricane.
"Don't panic," Rowan said, breathless. "It's us."
Chandler limped in behind him, clutching his ribs.
"Don't panic? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR—"
He winced.
"Ow—ow—everything hurts—"
Cassian came in last.
And the moment I saw him, my stomach dropped.
He was shaking.
Not from pain.
Not from fear.
From something deeper.
His shirt was torn, collar ripped. His cheek was bleeding where Aiden must've shoved him. His knuckles were raw. His breathing was uneven, short, almost panicked.
Cassian closed the door behind him, locked it, then pressed his forehead against the metal like he might collapse.
"Cassian," I breathed, stepping forward before I realized it.
He shook his head sharply, refusing to turn around.
Rowan's voice softened—shockingly gentle. "Cassian."
Cassian's voice came out strangled.
"He tried to kill me."
Everyone fell silent.
"And he didn't even recognize me," Cassian whispered, voice cracking. "His own brother."
Chandler lowered his head.
Rowan closed his eyes.
Horace stepped forward, voice firm but steady. "Cassian. Look at me."
Cassian turned slowly.
His eyes were red. Not from tears—but from holding them back too hard.
Horace's tone softened. "You protected her."
Cassian swallowed hard. "I wasn't fast enough."
"You were," Horace said. "You bought us time."
Cassian laughed bitterly. "And what did that do? Aiden still—"
"You kept him off her," Chandler cut in sharply. "That's what you did."
Cassian's jaw clenched.
His shoulders trembled again.
Then, unexpectedly, he sank to the floor.
Not dramatically—just slowly, like his knees couldn't hold him anymore.
He covered his mouth with a trembling hand.
"I didn't know," he whispered. "I didn't know what they did to him."
Rowan sat beside him without hesitation.
"No one blames you," Rowan said quietly.
Cassian shook his head violently. "Elliot did."
My breath caught.
"He confronted me," Cassian whispered. "He knew something was wrong. He thought I was involved. He told me to stay away from Elleanore."
My heart twisted.
"He wasn't afraid of me hurting her," Cassian continued. "He was afraid I'd lead them to her."
Rowan placed a hand over Cassian's clasped ones. "Then we do what Elliot wanted."
Cassian lifted his eyes sharply.
"We protect her," Rowan said simply.
Chandler's Revelation
Chandler moved to the window, leaning heavily on the sill, breathing slowly through the pain in his ribs.
He didn't speak for a long moment.
Then, quietly—
"Elleanore."
I turned to him.
He didn't look back.
He kept his eyes on the dark campus outside.
"There's something I didn't tell you about Elliot."
My stomach clenched.
"Chandler…"
"He called me," Chandler said. "The night before he disappeared."
Horace looked up sharply.
"You never said anything."
"Yeah." Chandler let out a broken laugh. "Because I didn't think it mattered. I thought he was just… scared."
Cassian whispered, "What did he say?"
Chandler swallowed.
"He asked me to watch you. That's all. He didn't explain. He didn't elaborate. He just said—"
Chandler's voice cracked.
"'If I'm not here… don't let anyone near her. Especially not staff.'"
A chill ran down my spine.
"Chandler…" I whispered.
Chandler finally turned.
His eyes were red.
Fierce.
Guilty.
"I didn't protect you," he said. "I didn't listen to him. Instead I—"
His jaw tightened.
"I pulled you into stupid fights. I let you walk into danger. I let them corner you. I let—"
"You protected me tonight," I said softly.
Chandler looked away again, jaw trembling.
Rowan stood.
"Enough guilt," Rowan said bluntly. "All of you. It's useless. What we need now is a plan."
Chandler sighed. "Yeah, genius, and who's making the plan? You?"
But there was no sarcasm behind it.
For once, they all looked at Rowan.
And Rowan looked back at us with a face that wasn't hiding behind a smirk.
"I found her name," Rowan said.
My heart stopped.
"Whose name?" Horace demanded.
Rowan took a breath.
"Julieta's."
Chandler squared his shoulders. "What about her?"
Rowan's voice dropped.
"Julieta Conde wasn't chosen randomly. She wasn't a scholarship student. She wasn't a pity case."
Cassian stiffened.
Horace inhaled sharply.
Rowan turned his tablet around.
A file glowed on the screen.
Her ID badge.
Her clearance.
Her assignment.
JULIETA CONDE
SPECIAL OPERATIONS: SENTINELLE
Rank: Handler
Target: E-14 (Elliot Fonze) / O-17 (Elleanore Fonze)
My vision went blurry.
"She was his handler," Rowan said softly. "Elliot's. And then yours."
Cassian whispered something broken.
Chandler cursed violently.
Horace stepped beside me, hand brushing my arm.
"Elleanore," he said quietly. "There's something else."
He hesitated.
For the first time tonight—Horace looked unsure.
"You need to tell her," Rowan said, gently this time. "She deserves the truth before someone else uses it against her."
Horace nodded.
Then he faced me fully.
"Elleanore," he said slowly, "your scent isn't just rare."
I felt my pulse spike.
"As a Beta-in-disguise," Horace continued softly, "your scent shouldn't react with Alpha scent triggers at all."
I froze.
Horace swallowed.
"It shouldn't resemble Elliot's so closely."
My chest tightened.
"And it shouldn't…"
He exhaled shakily.
"…it shouldn't trigger royal markers."
"Royal… what?" I whispered.
Rowan answered for him.
"Elleanore… your scent registers as a dormant Omega with royal compatibility markers."
Cassian jerked upright.
Chandler stared.
I went cold.
Horace looked at me with something like awe—
and dread.
"You're compatible with the royal bloodline," Horace whispered.
My stomach dropped.
Rowan continued gently, "A completely unclaimed Omega with royal markers is… unprecedented. Valuable. Dangerous."
Cassian whispered, voice shaking, "That's why they wanted Elliot. That's why they want you."
Chandler pressed a hand to his forehead. "This is insane—"
Horace stepped closer.
Close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him.
"Elleanore," he whispered, "listen carefully."
His voice lowered—soft but unyielding.
"From now on… you stay with me."
My breath caught.
He held my gaze, his eyes burning with something fierce and protective.
"You are under my protection," Horace said.
"Not as a student.
Not as my roommate.
But as someone the Academy does not get to touch."
His fingers brushed mine.
Not by accident.
"You are mine to protect," he murmured.
And for the first time—
The meaning of Elliot's last warning crystallized.
Not about danger.
Not about the Academy.
About me.
What I was.
What I carried.
What others wanted.
Cassian inhaled sharply.
Chandler froze.
Rowan let out a soft, "Ohhh boy…"
But Horace didn't look away.
"Elleanore," he whispered, voice steady and low, "I won't let them take you."
My heart pounded.
Hard.
Because this wasn't just a vow.
This was a claim.
And everything in the room shifted around it.