The Prince And His Mysterious Mate

Class

Rain POV

My head throbbed as the early morning sun seeped through the curtains. I groaned and rolled in my bed, feeling the discomfort intensify. This hangover was unlike anything I had ever experienced before; those drinks must have been incredibly potent.

Gritting my teeth, I reached for my phone and quickly messaged The Collector with an update. Almost instantly, a reply appeared on the screen, reminding me of the time limit. “Remember, you have one month, but I expect you to finish sooner. Ray’s report indicates that your target is already showing an interest in you,” it read. Sighing, I tossed the phone onto the bed and made my way to the bathroom, hoping a quick shower would alleviate some of the pounding in my head.

As the water cascaded over me, I leaned into its refreshing embrace, lost in thoughts of Caleb’s actions. He had taken me away from the bar when I felt uncomfortable, and later, he had pulled me close to protect me from falling off the building’s edge. It was a strange sensation, someone wanting to shield me, but I knew I couldn’t let myself get emotionally attached. He was just a job.

I finished showering and towel-dried my hair. As I rummaged through the closet for an outfit, I noticed how each item seemed designed to highlight my body. Tight t-shirts and short shorts, clearly chosen to make an impression. Clothing I would never be seen in typically. But this was just a job, and I had to make do with what I had.

Once dressed, I grabbed my phone once more and messaged Caleb to meet me outside the coffee shop, and then I left.

Caleb arrived fast, looking as though he had hurriedly gotten dressed to avoid keeping me waiting. “You didn’t have to rush,” I chuckled, aware that I was early and the first class wasn’t for another hour. “I didn’t want you waiting outside for long,” he replied, his words accompanied by a warm smile.

Caleb scanned me from head to toe, his eyes meeting mine before he smoothly slid off his lightweight jacket. As he handed it to me. “Put this on,” he commanded, his voice firm. Shaking my head, I responded, “I’m not cold.”

“No, but you’re uncomfortable. Don’t deny it, I can tell,” he retorted.

Reluctantly, I muttered my thanks and slipped on the jacket. It engulfed me like a dress, dropping below my shorts and giving the illusion that I had no pants on. Despite this, I felt more comfortable.

“It says I have to go to the administration office to get a copy of the student handbook before the first class, I observe.” I told Caleb as I looked over my to-do list.

Caleb chuckled. “That explains why you didn’t know the rules. Fine, come with me,” he said, surprising me as he reached for my hand. I wanted to pull away, but I knew I had to play along. I couldn’t push him away, as I needed him to follow me into a trap later on.

Entering the administration building, Caleb guided me towards a secretary. He introduced me as Rain, and she greeted me warmly. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she said, her fingers clicking on the keyboard. “I actually need you to fill in a few blanks in your temporary student profile.”

First she asked for my family information. A lump formed in my throat. “I don’t have a family,” I replied honestly, with Caleb standing beside me. The secretary moved on, asking if I had someone to list as an emergency contact. “Sure,” I responded, pulling out my phone. I knew listing Ray would please my boss, so I found her number and handed it to the secretary. Caleb’s posture stiffened at the mention of Ray, but he remained by my side.

“Thank you. Now, the line with your species is also blank. Can you tell me what exactly you are?” the secretary inquired. My heart raced, and a feeling of uncertainty washed over me. “Unknown,” I quickly responded, my voice tight. Caleb’s doubtful tone echoed next to me, “Unknown.”

“I know I’m not human. I’m strong, so my caregivers thought it best we look at this place as a potential place for me. But due to not knowing my family or having one, I’m afraid I don’t know what I am,” I explained to the secretary. She nodded, acknowledging my response, and handed me the student handbook. With a reassuring smile, she said I was free to attend my first class.

Once outside, Caleb pulled me to the side of the building. He looked into my eyes, searching for any sign of deception. “You don’t know what you are,” he asked, his voice filled with curiosity. “No, I don’t. Can we please drop the topic? I don’t like remembering the fact that I’m some sort of nobody.” I mumbled.

Luckily, my words seemed to have worked, and Caleb changed the subject. He explained that our first class would teach us skills on how to fight in human form. Caleb walked me to the gym, and we entered before almost everyone else.

A few seconds later, several more students arrived early. I noticed a group of girls eyeing me over, clearly intrigued by the fact that I was wearing Caleb’s jacket. Ignoring their glances, Caleb grabbed my hand and guided me to a set of chairs that were arranged nearby.

“Running from them?” I asked. Caleb’s grip tightened slightly as he replied, “I just don’t like being crowded by those who only want to be around me for who I am. Sorry, I used you to get away.”

I nodded, understanding his need to get away from them. “I don’t mind,” I reassured him. “I don’t like being crowded either.”

After a few more moments, the instructor entered the room, causing my heart to skip a beat. As my eyes locked onto his, I felt a sudden freeze in my body. “Colson,” I whispered under my breath. Caleb, sitting next to me, leaned in and asked in a hushed tone, “Wait, you know Colson? he is just a substitute for this class.”

“I don’t know him personally, only of him.” I responded.

As the instructor began speaking to the class, my mind drifted away, consumed by thoughts of a girl I had seen in the Undercity. She had once been one of The Collector’s unfortunate pets until he sold her off to a factory in that grim place. I had encountered her a few times since then, and she always carried an old, tattered photo of Colson with her. He was her father.

In her heartbreaking tale, she recounted how vampires had attacked their village. Her father, in an attempt to save his family, tried to smuggle them away. However, the vampires caught him and turned him into one of their own. They locked him in with her and her mother, hoping he would kill them as punishment for their escape attempt. Her mother perished, but she managed to survive, becoming a vampire at a young age.

The Collector took an interest in her unique situation. Most vampires, unless pure-blooded, cease to age upon turning. However, this little girl continued to age, a result of her mother being a witch that was unknown to the girl. She aged until she reached eighteen, a rare hybrid of vampire and witch. She always clung onto the photo of her father, believing that he would one day come to her rescue.

And now, here he stood before me, the instructor of this very class. But I dared not reveal this connection.

Finally, I refocused on the class, my attention drawn back as Colson’s voice filled the room. He spoke about the importance of honing our fighting skills in human form, as most of us excelled in our animal forms. He then requested a volunteer to spar with him without shifting. Silence filled the air as no one stepped forward.

“Fine, since none of you want to volunteer, I’ll pick someone,” Colson declared, a smirk playing on his lips. He approached me, pointing in my direction. “Looks like you’re the lucky winner,” he said.

“I’ll fight you,” Caleb offered. His words were met with laughter from Colson. “You don’t count since you’ve grown up training with me,” Colson chuckled. Caleb snapped back, “Then pick someone else. Rain is observing the class.”

“Now I want to fight her even more,” Colson replied with amusement. I stood up from my seat, ready to take on the challenge. “I’ll fight you,” I responded.

“Rain, you don’t have to,” Caleb interjected, his expression filled with concern.

“I don’t mind. It’s not often I get to show a vampire their place,” I replied confidently.

“I like your spirit,” Colson remarked as he led me to a training mat. “Show me how you fight. In this class, we don’t hold back.”

As we stepped onto the mat, I allowed my shield to drop just slightly, accessing my hidden strength. At that moment, I couldn’t help but notice Caleb looking uncomfortable in his seat.

I faced Colson on the training mat, smiling confidently as we began the exercise. I swiftly dodged every one of his attempts to land a blow on me, surprising him with my quick reflexes. With each kick and punch I delivered, I could see Colson struggling to keep up. However, he didn’t give up and managed to land a few attacks on me, eventually. Though his strikes connected, they didn’t have much impact, as I retaliated with even greater force, overpowering him in our training session.

I dropped my shield even lower, as I wanted to make sure he understood the extent of my skills. With each strike, the impact echoed through the training room, the force behind my punches and kicks evident. The vampire, now defeated, lay on the ground, but his eyes held a flicker of curiosity as he stared up at me.

“It’s been a while since I’ve encountered someone like you,” he said, pulling himself up from the floor. “You remind me of Sage, Caleb’s mother.” Colson chuckled, breaking the tension. “Well, it seems we can all learn a thing or two from Rain,” he called out, calling everyone to gather on the training mat for further practice. Caleb, however, had other plans.

“I’m taking Rain outside for a moment,” he declared, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the group. Confused, I tried to free myself from his grip.

“Why are we leaving?” I asked, my hand slipping from his grasp. But he didn’t respond. Once we were alone outside, Caleb pressed me against the wall, his actions and intensity catching me off guard.

“Why are you hiding your scent and then suddenly revealing it?” he growled, his voice tinged with frustration. He leaned closer, as if trying to decipher something. “Don’t play games with me, Rain. My patience is wearing thin. You’re hiding your true identity.”

I stared at him, shocked. How did he know? Could he really smell the subtle changes in my scent as my shield dropped?

I needed to fix this. I needed to gain his trust, but I could not tell him the truth. “Caleb, I…” I started to speak as he pushed his body against me, his lips crashing onto mine. The sensation sent a tingling feeling down my body that I couldn’t resist.

I did not understand he was angry with me, so why the hell was he kissing me, and why did it feel so good? I wondered. As pulled away, he growled, “I can’t hold back when you drive me mad.” The intensity of his words only fueled the fire within me, pulling me deeper into the passionate exchange as I crashed my lips against his again.

But during the intoxicating moment, I started losing control. This human form was nothing more than a disguise, a mask I had worn since childhood to hide my real self. If I continued down this path, Caleb would discover my secret, and worse, the collector, with eyes all over the city, would finally find me since I could not hold on to my disguise right now.

With a surge of panic, I pulled away abruptly, breaking the kiss. It wasn’t just Caleb I was worried about; it was the threat of exposure. “Rain, stop,” Caleb called after me, but I couldn’t stay. I tapped into my hidden powers and sprinted to my dorm, desperate to reach the safety of my room.

Once inside, I locked the door, tossed off Caleb’s jacket and closed all the blinds, shutting out the outside world. My wings finally materialized as the last of my disguise faded. I needed to calm myself down, to regain control and hide my true form once more. As I focused, I could hear Caleb pounding on my door, his voice filled with concern. “Not now, please. I promise I’ll come out shortly,” I yelled through the door, hoping he would understand.

But Caleb was persistent. “Rain, you need to tell me what’s wrong now and why you ran. I’m sorry I kissed you, but you answered it back, so I know you wanted it just as bad as I did,” he pleaded. I snapped, “Don’t come in,” but he didn’t listen. “I’ll get the maintenance to let me in then,” he said, causing panic to surge through me.

In a rush, I tucked my wings and pulled the comforter over myself, trying to regain my composure. I unlocked the door, letting Caleb in as he stood before me, confused and concerned.