Chapter 4 The Meeting

• Patricia”s POV
• I acted all sweet and naïve on purpose. I wanted to experience what it felt like to have genuine friends—not sycophants or servants, but people who didn’t know I was royalty. Even though my appearance screamed wealth and status, I longed—just for a while—to shed the royal title and just be me.
• My parents had rented out a penthouse for me in the city. I had maids, guards, and even personal bodyguards who had been enrolled in the same university under aliases. But I warned them: don’t hover, don’t expose me, and definitely don’t call me “princess.” They agreed to keep their distance, but they were always close enough to respond if needed.
• As a werelioness, I could scent people clearly. I knew who was like me and who wasn’t. I arrived early for the math lecture and sat alone, discreetly scanning the room. Most of the students were human. Their scents were pungent—unbearable at times. I shuddered at the thought of breathing the same air for too long.
• Then she walked in.
• A girl. Human. She looked decent—stylish even. Her eyes swept the room until they landed on me. I quickly looked away and stared down at my books, pretending to be shy. I prayed she wouldn’t sit next to me. There was a vacant seat beside mine, and I internally cursed fate.
• But she did.
• She walked right over and sat next to me.
• I braced myself for the unpleasant scent—but to my surprise, she carried a faint trace of lion. Odd. Could she be connected to my kind? Maybe she associated with werelions? That could be useful.
• She introduced herself politely. Her name was Lucy. I introduced myself as Patricia and forced a warm smile. After the lecture, she asked if I wanted to hang out. I agreed immediately. She might just be the key to finding my prince.
• We headed to the student mall. I bought some food, and just as I was settling down, a loud, annoying voice pierced my ears.
• “Oh my God! Girl, you ditching me already?” came the squeaky shout from another human girl.
• She strutted over and plopped herself beside Lucy like she owned her. The stench hit me before her words did. Ugh. I hated everything about her—the voice, the arrogance, the way she looked at me like I was invading her territory.
• Lucy quickly introduced us. “Nelly, this is Patricia—she’s new, from the Valley. Pat, this is Nelly, my BFF and roommate.”
• I shook her hand and nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
• Internally, I groaned. Great. One more human in my equation. Hopefully, this won’t come back to bite me.
• I glanced sideways, checking how far my bodyguards had stationed themselves. They were close, watching. Their eyes locked on mine, disapproving. I opened my mind-link and spoke silently.
• “Tim, Troy—relax. These humans are harmless. I’m playing a role. I think this one—Lucy—can lead me to others like us. Maybe even... him.”
• “Be careful, Princess,” Tim replied. “Don’t let your guard down. If the King finds out we allowed you to mingle like this—”
• “I know, I know. He’ll have your heads,” I cut him off, rolling my eyes internally. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
• After introductions, we chatted for a while and attended another lecture together. Lucy and I happened to share the same class schedule. Lucky me.
• The next day, after our only two lectures, Lucy invited me to hang out in her dorm. I agreed. The moment I stepped into her building, I gagged. The whole place reeked of human scent. But I played it cool. The things we do for love...
• And then—it happened.
• Just as if the goddess heard my prayers, two werelions entered the dorm.
• My senses perked up. But neither of their scents matched the one I had faintly detected from Lucy. Still, the fact that she interacted with them meant I was one step closer to the truth.
• They stopped and exchanged glances with me. I stared them down. They dropped their eyes immediately—recognizing my dominant aura. Good. At least they know how to respect royalty.
• One of them—Thomas, I think—turned to Lucy.
• “Your man’s waiting for you in his office.”
• My ears twitched. Her man?
• Before I could ask, Lucy spoke again.
• “Oh, wait, guys—this is Patricia Bratton. She transferred from Northern University. She’s from the Valley. Pat, these are Thomas and Malcom—my boyfriend’s best friends.”
• My blood ran cold.
• Their eyes widened ever so slightly. I could tell they recognized me—my aura, my name, my roots. Though they remained composed, they gave respectful nods rather than handshakes. I returned the gesture.
• “Nice to meet you both,” I said smoothly.
• They left soon after.
• Lucy turned to me, smiling. “I’ve got to run. Ken is waiting for me.”
• Ken.
• KEN.
• That name alone made my lioness stir. What if… what if it's him?
• My stomach dropped. My heart pounded. Could the prince I had traveled all this way for… be her boyfriend?
• I froze. Panic. Rage. Despair. It all hit me at once.
• What if she had already stolen him? What if she was standing in the way of destiny?
• I clenched my fists under the table. My lioness, Jacy, growled from within.
• “She will regret this,” Jacy hissed. “No human stands in our way.”
• Lucy waved a hand in front of me, bringing me back to the present. “Hey, Pat—you okay?”
• I blinked and forced a smile. “Yeah, yeah. Just feeling a little dizzy. I think I’ll head home.”
• “Oh no, are you sick?”
• “No, nothing serious,” I lied. “Just need some rest. You go ahead.”
• She nodded and waved goodbye. I couldn’t bear to be left alone with the squeaky-voiced Nelly anyway.
• I left the dorm, walked straight to my guards, and growled under my breath.
• “We need to find out who Kenneth Paige really is. If it’s the same prince… she’s going to pay.”
• My heart was pounding, not with excitement anymore—but with burning jealousy.
• Tomorrow… I’d see him for myself.
• And if it was him?
• I’d make sure no human girl ever got in my way.