《Hekate鈥檚 Bride》


 Happy Birthday, Princess

    Lounging in my throne beside my parents, I peer down at the revelry below, itching to get into the frenzy with my people, but my mother¡¯s stern look holds me in ce.


    As the sole heir to the Alpha King¡¯s throne, I must behave with dignity and whatever nonsense it is that is expected of royalty. I weary of having these discussions with my parents and getting grounded when I snarl back at them for trying to keep tabs on me.


    I clocked twenty-freaking-one today. It¡¯s my birthday party, as well as the celebration of Solstice. I should be dancing with my friends. I should be getting drunk on smuggled human alcohol and nts. I should be having fun, becausee tomorrow, I will be going through the portal that leads to the Werewolf Academy.


    My life begins the moment I go through that portal. My responsibilities as heir will begin to weigh down on me, as I will be expected to excel in every single aspect of my training. Werewolf High had been hard enough. The Academy was simply arduous and too demanding for a woman who just wants to enjoy her life.


    Come tomorrow, it is also expected that I begin the search for my mate. I know what you must be thinking. Why do I not have a mate at this age?


    I must tell you before proceeding further into my story and my life; do discard whatever lore you have heard and learned. My world is more different than anything you havee to know.


    Werewolves age slowly, and for that, our growth is slow as well. The age considered as mature in mynds is twenty-one for females, and twenty-five for males. The Goddess has made it so that our mates will always be older than us, and we do not mate until we have reached the required age.


    So, anytime now, I will sniffing the air for my soul bound mate. I can¡¯t say I am excited.


    I spy Orion Frostw make his way over to the gathering and my heart flutters. His blonde hair is slicked back into a bun and his blue eyes glitter like sapphire jewels. He has a white tux on, and he makes white look sinfully hot. He has an easy smile, and you know what the best part is? He¡¯s looking at me.


    Not the ¡°I¡¯ve found my mate¡± sort of look. Nope. Far from it. It¡¯s the ¡°I can¡¯t wait to take off your clothes¡± type of look.


    He jerks his head towards the storeroom in a silent message, and I nod imperceptibly. Hell yeah.


    But as I begin to rise from my throne, the herald howls, indicating the arrival of the Lycan King and his entourage.


    I always hate this part. Rolling my eyes, I join my father and mother, walking down the dais to wee our most important guests. Private time with Orion will have to wait then.


    The crowd parts, creating a path for us to walk through. In the crowd, I spy my best friends, Aria Moonw and Trinity Silverfang. They are grinning and winking at me. I smile back, making faces at them, but my expression turns sour the moment my gaze falls upon the biggest bastard that exists.


    Rune Wilder, Lycan Prince and sole heir to the Lycan throne.


    I hate him. He hates me. I wish he would just die. He wishes me the same fate. Every time I hold a sword, I think of beheading him. He. . . he once tried to cut off my head when we were kids-with a fucking dagger-but he¡¯d ended up cutting my beautiful hair.


    I had cried for days, and my father had tried to pacify me, buying me every single thing he thought I wanted, except the one thing I did ask for. Punish the Prince for what he did. Shave all of his hair off and make him kneel before me to apologize.


    But even as Alpha King, my father had lines he couldn¡¯t cross with the Lycans. We are all the Moon Goddess¡¯s children, but I guess even she has her favourite. There will always be an unseen tension between our kinds. The Lycans will always think themselves superior-because they are darker, stronger, faster, colder, more calcting, and painstakingly beautiful. I guess that does make them. . . ugh. I will never admit to that-and we will always consider ourselves superior, even if we are basically a watered down and milder version of them. Maybe more feral and more inclined to tear off heads rather than think first before tearing off heads.


    That too, and the fact that we look like pups beside the Lycans when we shift. They be grotesque and nightmarish. Maybe it is why they rarely shift to their truest forms. To keep giving us the illusion that we can be safe around them.


    Even if we all know it¡¯s a lie.


    Essentially, Rune Wilder got away with cutting my hair, and in the next Solstice celebration, I had slipped wolfsbane into his food. Now, wolfsbane isn¡¯t as lethal to Lycans as it is to us, but it makes them sick. Very sick. Sick enough to piss themselves and vomit all over the floors. Rune had fainted in his own vomit.


    No one found out it was me, but Rune knew it had to be me. Oh, and he had retaliated.


    A shiver licks my spine as I recall what it had felt like to wake up in the middle of the night the next day with hundreds of spiders crawling all over me. I still have a phobia for spiders till now. A Rune-Induced Phobia.


    As if sensing my line of thoughts, his lips curl into a sneer, and I bare my teeth at him while our parents exchange pleasantries. His eyes are so dark, there isn¡¯t a shade of green allotted to it yet. I hate them. I hate green. He turns away from me, and his moon-white hair ps the side of my cheek as he stalks off, no doubt to find whatever female is horny enough to have his sock in her by the end of the night. I would know that. I have walked in on him pounding into women in my father¡¯s armoire more than once.


    You have to be either bat-shit crazy or extremely daft to get entangled with someone like him.


    What¡¯s worse? Every female ispletely enamored by the Lycan Prince. They look at him like he¡¯s a fucking god. Even Trinity and Aria are ogling him, undressing him with their eyes.


    I seem to be the only one who feels nothing but disgust when I see him.


    ¡°How long has it been? You have matured beautifully, Astrid,¡± Rune¡¯s mother, the Lycan Queen says, pulling my gaze away from the idiot prince and pinching my chin with a fond smile on her face.


    I smile in return, blushing slightly. Queen Zephyr has to be the only lycan I have met who seems to be remotely nice. She is fond of me, though I have no idea why. ¡°You tter me, Queen Zephyr,¡± I make a dramatic pause as I sight the ne of diamonds hanging from her elegant neck.¡± My, is that a new piece? By the Goddess, it is lovely!¡±


    She smiles and flips her pale hair off her shoulder so I can see more of it. Inclining her head towards her husband who is engaged in a deep conversation with my father and mother, she beams, ¡°He spent a fortune getting it from the humannds. Those mortals have be stingytely.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It is beautiful,¡± I say, eyes wide with pure fascination.


    ¡°Astrid dear?¡± My mother suddenly calls out, causing me to tear my gaze away from the glittering jewelry to meet her ever stark gaze. ¡°Go fetch Rune. We must start the ceremony.¡±


    I hold myment on why it is necessary that we wee our people into the new year with the lycans, but I force a smile to my face before turning to search for the idiot prince.


    ¡°Princess,¡± a deep male voice says and I turn to find Thorne¡¯s eyes taking in my form with a delicious spark of lust in his eyes. He takes my hand and presses a wet kiss to my knuckles. ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    You see, Thorne is the wolf of my dreams. I¡¯ve had a crush on him since I became aware of what it meant to be a woman. I have dreamt of finding him to be my mate and making babies with him. I have dreamt of ruling as Alpha Queen beside him as my King.


    We went to werewolf high together, and though we haven¡¯t dated yet-or had sex for that matter- and have had numerous flings with other people, everyone knows there¡¯s something we share. Something that runs deeper than surface level.


    But I am staring at him right now, on my twenty first birthday, and my wolf doesn¡¯t seem to stir like they say. I do not smell anything awfully sweet either. I do not feel a tug, or a pull towards him other than the basic attraction that has existed between us for years.


    His grey eyes shutter upon the realization too that nothing is sliding into ce, and I squeeze his hand softly. ¡°It is not the same for everyone. Perhaps, ours iste. My parents¡¯ was.¡±


    He smiles, but I can see it in his eyes. The possibility that we are not mates.


    Thing is, Thorne Nightshade is the son of my father¡¯s Beta, the next most powerful werewolf after my father, Beta Ryder Nightshade. Thorne is the only one fit to be my mate in the Realm of Wolvendom.


    So, if Thorne isn¡¯t my mate, who the fuck is my mate then?


    After fetching Rune from the weapons cer-and of course, his pants were half way down and he was only a few seconds away from spilling his seeds into a mated werewolf, Goddess save her soul-we performed the prayer to the Goddess, seeking her blessings and her light into the New Moon Year.


    Soon, I am carted away by Trinity and Aria. We dance the entire night away, drunk and extremely high on happiness and lunar root.


    I slip away from the crowd the moment I get the chance and I find Orion already awaiting my arrival in the storeroom. Our joining is hard, fast and nothing emotional.


    You must think me reckless, and unusual. A spoiled princess who doesn¡¯t understand the weight of her duties. That I am, and more. I have so much weighing down on me that I try my best to ignore it and live for me.


    Perhaps, it is for this exact same reason that the Moon Goddess chose to punish me.

 Wrong School

    Bleary eyed, I squint at the twin huge boulders that hide the portal to the Realms beyond ours. This is it. I am finally going to the Academy. I would be excited if my head weren¡¯t hurting like hell. I should not have gotten so drunkst night. I can¡¯t even see colors properly.


    Around me are my friends and peers who will be getting enrolled in the Academy today as well. I spy Thorne conversing with his father, Aria hugging her mother, Trinity kissing her girlfriend goodbye. . . all very touching moments they seem to be having.


    I already had mine. It came with a book of rules and regtions on how the future Queen of Wolvendom is expected to behave. I was forced to memorize the first page and. . . My days of extravagance and partying are officially over. No males. No alcohol. No getting high. No smooches in between. No fun. One must be courteous and respectable. I must lead my people in the right direction with the Goddess as my guide. Her will must be my will.


    Like hell will any of that happen.


    The moment I get into the Academy, I¡¯m burning the damn book.


    ¡°Gather around, children,¡± Grand Mistress As says. She heads the Academy, and as such, only she can usher us in. Her green official robes billow around her as she ces herself between each boulder, waiting for thest of us to inch closer for the address.


    Aria is instantly by my side, eyes bright with glee and uncontained excitement. ¡°Can you believe it? We¡¯re finally going!¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Get your shit together, Ari,¡± Trinity scoffs, settling on the other side of me. ¡°You do know we¡¯re going to get drilled and pummeled in there.¡±


    ¡°The drilling¡¯s just for the first year, Tri. I¡¯ve heard it gets so much better in the second year. We even get to mingle with the older wolves! I heard they¡¯re hot too. Mouth watering, yum yum-¡±


    ¡°Focus, Ari,¡± I growl, needing to hear the Grand Mistress¡¯s address. I¡¯ve been told to listen to the woman¡¯s every word if I want to get through my first year. They say the first year is the hardest. It is where the strongest are chosen to move on, and the weak either die, quit, or get expelled.


    Werewolf Academy isn¡¯t your regr human university. There, we are taught the necessary skills to survive the iing war. We study like the human do, but learning their science and technology is in no way fundamental to us. We have the Moon Goddess. We have portals. We have her blessed magic. We have pack telepathy. What better way tomunicate than that?


    The Lycans do not share our sentiment. They incorporated science and the Goddess¡¯s magic into their realm, growing even more advanced than the humans. Stuck-up and arrogant pieces of shit. Good thing I wasn¡¯t born there. I have no doubt that I wouldn¡¯t fit in with the lot of them.


    ¡°Young ones, I must anchor you on the journey to the next phase of your lives. You will be addressed properly once you are upon the academy grounds,¡± she pauses, smiling softly at us, but it doesn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    Her eyes cool, sharp des, observing and noting everything. Her gaze suddenly meets mine, and I lower it in a show of subservience. She gives me the creeps.


    Luna knows how long she has been alive for. The sole survivor of Hekate¡¯s ruination of the Goddess¡¯s temple. She doesn¡¯t look a day older than forty. Though, we age slowly, hers is a mystery.


    Some say it is because she is closer to Luna than any of us. Some say she carries the souls of her dead sisters around with her.


    My surest bet is the first option. After all, it was she who brought the Goddess¡¯s will to my ancestor and founded the schools with his help, gaining a seat of power that nearly transcends even the king¡¯s throne.


    Grand Mistress As turns to the boulders and ces a hand atop it, chanting something that makes the air on my skin rise.


    The boulders begin to glow with soft green light, right before the earth beneath my legs shake.


    ¡°Woah,¡± I say, arm iling as I try to gain bnce. Aria is grasping onto my leather sleeve tight enough to shred it. ¡°Let go Aria!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fall!¡± She squeals before careening into me and Trinity.


    I swerve out of the way quickly, gripping her arm as I do, lest she falls into the puddle of muddy water beside us.


    ¡°You¡¯re a life saver,¡± she pants, righting herself as the shaking stops.


    ¡°You are not merely walking through a portal,¡± the Grand Mistress continues, and my gaze darts over the parted space between each boulder that is brightly lit up. ¡°You are moving between realms, and as such, you will need the Goddess¡¯s approval. Should she find you unfit to attend the academy, the portal will reject you immediately.¡±


    Trinity sudden nudges my shoulder and when I arch a brow at her, she merely inclines her head towards Thorne, who is now standing beside her.


    ¡°Hey there, knuckle head,¡± he teases and my toes curl at the deep baritone of his voice.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I smile shyly, praying to the Goddess that I have not turned red yet. ¡°Ready for this?¡± I say, gesturing towards the talking Grand Mistress.


    He shrugs. ¡°You¡¯ll be there. Nothing else matters.¡±


    I blush. It is words like that make me want to curl up by his side and kiss him until we¡¯re both breathless.


    As if he can read my thoughts, his lips drop to mine and my core heats up. Hell.


    ¡°Oh, for the love of the Goddess, get a fucking room already!¡± Trinity chides in a hushed tone, and Thorne chuckles before returning his attention ahead.


    I stare for a moment longer, watching his beautiful side profile, etching the lines and panes to my memory. I have no idea why I feel solemn all of a sudden. A sense of foreboding settles over me, and I can¡¯t seem to shake it off.


    Rolling my shoulders, I force myself to listen to thest of the Mistress¡¯s address. ¡°You must be at ease and trust her to lead you to the right ce. Now,¡± she says, inclining her head toward the portal. ¡°The Academy awaits.¡±


    At the Grand Mistress¡¯s behest, we get in line. I am given a wide berth, as are my circle of friends. No one wishes to get on the princess¡¯s bad side by stepping her boots. Or her friend¡¯s boots.


    Yeah, I can be edgy sometimes.


    All the time.


    The blonde werewolf at the front of the line seems to be having an anxiety feat and keeps toing around the portal like it is some sort of evil she must avoid. People snicker behind me, and some growl with impatience.


    I merely shift from foot to foot, heart thrumming in anticipation.


    ¡°What if it rejects me?¡± The female asks with a high pitched timid voice that is grating to my ears.


    ¡°Well, try again next year! Ba!¡± Someoneughs from the back.


    ¡°Get the fuck off the line, loser!¡± Another yells and barks augh.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The Grand Mistress pats the blonde¡¯s hair lovingly. ¡°Then you can always try again with the next set dear. There is nothing to fear. It is the Goddess¡¯s will. She means no harm at all. ce your hands on the surface and let it guide you where you belong.¡±


    The girl swallows loud enough for the crowd to hear, but holds her hands out before her and ces it on the luminous surface between each boulder.


    In the blink of an eye, she disappears. There are gasps and hoots around me, but I have watched this numerous times. It is nothing surprising.


    Grand Mistress looks up from the portal, ncing through the line in search of something. Someone. I lean back into Thorne¡¯s warmth, hoping to hide from her. Instinctively, his arm bands around my waist, pulling me further into him and his nose ruffles my hair.


    My eyes shutter at the feel of Thorne¡¯s fingers against my bare midriff, and my heart begins to pound, even if it is just a casual touch.


    But the spell is suddenly broken when Grand Mistress As calls out, ¡°Princess Astrid?¡±


    My eyes snap open to find the Mistress¡¯s disapproving nce on me. I mirror her expression and inch out of Thorne¡¯s arms as she beckons me forward.


    As Princess, I should have been the first to go through the portal, but I¡¯m in no hurry to leave my friends yet.


    Trinity ps my arm. ¡°Good luck girl! See you on the other side!¡± she squeals, grinning from ear to ear. Aria looks teary eyed. Drama queens. I¡¯ll see them in a couple of minutes. Why so emotional?


    I give them funny looks and walk ahead of the lines, ignoring the envious looks I get from my peers.


    ¡°You must follow protocol at all times, Princess. I do not take kindly to being disobeyed,¡± The Grand Mistress says when I stop before her, clicking her tongue in displeasure.


    ¡°Take it up with my father then,¡± I purr, walking past her.


    ¡°Hold out your hands,¡± she says sternly, annoyance stark in ber voice, but I don¡¯t care. I despise being told what to do. I despise people who try to control me. I despise being ordered around.


    I hold out my hands and take a step forward, stopping in front of the portal. My breath leaves me as the air around me suddenly cackles with otherworldly energy. The hairs on my skin rises and my heart picks up quickly, racing with excitement and trepidation.


    The iridescent colors swirling through the portal are mesmerizing and I find myself taking another step forward.


    The Grand Mistress is speaking but I can¡¯t h hear her anymore. My world, my thoughts ha have been reduced to the low thrumming sound that seems to vibrate through my very being.


    ¡°Astrid¡­¡± a voice that is both young and ancient, beautiful and astounding, masculine and feminine calls out to me from beyond, and lost in a trance, I take another step forward.


    ¡°Astrid¡­¡±


    Following the ethereal sound, I ce my hand on the surface of the portal.


    I jerk suddenly as unseeing hands grab me and hurl me into the portal.


    Then, I fall.


    The world around me dissolves into a blur and the ground under my feet has been removed. I scream as the wind whips my hair and clothes around me. My heart plummets as I drop into the void like a human rocket dropping from the sky.


    I shut my eyes as they begin to hurt and I brace myself for impact as soon as the sceneries start to shift¨C


    I crash head first into a hard rock. I groan, shifting lightly. Maybe not a rock. It is surprisingly smooth.


    The sound of femaleughter has my eyes snapping open. I squint up at the bright light over head and the people peering down to look at me.


    ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d shee from?¡±


    ¡°Appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    The voices attack me all at once and I clutch my ears, whimpering. Too loud. Everything is too loud.


    A cackling sound suddenly fills the air and a loud voice booms across the space. ¡°Attention students! You are to assemble in the Lycan King¡¯s Hall for the official address in ten minutes. Remember, you will be penalized for tardiness!¡±


    The crowd around me disperses and I drop my hands from my ears, confused as hell. Lycan King? In Werewolf Academy? What in the three realms is happening?


    I push up to my feet, groaning at the ache in my back. People push past me quickly, rushing to wherever this hall is and I squint, trying to make out the faces I see, but I don¡¯t recognize these people.


    Moreso, they look and smell wrong.


    Like¡­ Lycans.


    That can¡¯t be right.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I say, trying to stop the nearest person I see, but I am pushed aside.


    I stare at the male¡¯s retreating back, surprised. Does he not know who I am? How dare he push me?


    Scowling, I try again. And again.


    I sessfully stop a female who looks at me like I am filth. ¡°Where am I Where is this?¡±


    She gives me a once over, nostrils ring with disgust as she yanks her hand from my grip. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, wolf. Who let the rat in? This is Lycan School. What¡¯s a wolf doing here?¡± she mutters, walking away, seemingly annoyed.


    I turn around, feeling and looking lost. What the hell am I doing in Lycan School?

 I鈥檓 No Princess Here

    The crowd pushes past me, rushing out of the hallway in which I¡¯m standing, dazed and freaking out.


    This can¡¯t be happening to me.


    This can¡¯t be real.


    I can¡¯t be in Lycan School.


    Did the Grand Mistress make a mistake? I¡¯ve never heard of such a mistake being made in all of my history lessons on the portal. It takes you where the Goddess wills you to be.


    I¡­ I can¡¯t be here right now. I need to be at the Academy with Aria, Trinity, and Thorne.


    I spin in a circle. The hallways are awfully lit with electronic devices from the human world. There are thin lockers lining the walls and I see a few people pulling out scrolls and books from them.


    I need to find the Grand Master of Lycan School. Surely, he can help me reach my father and mother, and procure a way back to the right school.


    Straightening, I follow the crowd to this assembly they speak of, looking around as I do. The vast white corridors seem to stretch on forever, with doors (too many doors) that possibly lead to ssrooms and offices.


    Soon, a pair of double doors that are tall enough to reach the high ceilingse to view. It is written boldly at the top brick above the door, ¡°The Lycan King¡¯s Hall.¡±


    Someone shoves me forward and I stagger forward into the hall, nearly toppling over. I am suddenly being shoved left and right and the sound of shoes squeaking on marbled floors fills the air. By the end of the ruckus, I find myself standing in a long arranged line.


    ¡°¡­ wonder how many will be expelled this year. They all look like a whole bunch of doofuses,¡± a dark haired female chuckles in front of me.


    ¡°Heard Chancellor Vesper reduced the hours onbat sses for this set. I think it¡¯s unfair. We¡¯ll have a lot of weaklings dwindling around this year,¡± the male is conversing with replies.


    ¡°Who is Chancellor Vesper?¡± I blurt, and the two of them turn to me, staring at me like I have grown another head.


    Forest green eyes observe me from head to toe. ¡°You¡¯re new here?¡±


    I mirror her degrading look. ¡°Yes. I am.¡±


    Her lips part to reply me, but her nostrils suddenly re, and her eyes are suddenly filled with rm. ¡°You reek of wolf.¡±


    I growl. ¡°I am a wolf.¡±


    Her eyes widen, and herpanion is about to speak when a bell suddenly rings, rendering the entire hall silent.


    ¡°Students.¡±


    One word. It is only one word, but somehow, the sheer dominance in it has my knees buckling. Sweat breaks on my forehead and it takes all of my will not to fall to my knees in subservience.


    I struggle to raise my gaze to the stage, and atop it, there stands a man with a ck cane. He is in a white tuxedo and a pair of sses sit upon his arrogant nose as he observes the crowd below the podium. There is an air of authority about him that freaks the hell out of me and I can¡¯t tell if he is frowning or sneering. His stern appearance is made all the more stark with his shaved head.


    There are others on the podium, all dressed in official robes, but the spotlight is his.


    ¡°Greetings to all of our esteemed students of this, old and new. I must wee you all to this new session. I am Chancellor Vesper, and I expect nothing but excellence from each and every one of you,¡± he pauses, walking down the length of the stage, staring at each face with dark intense eyes. ¡°This is not a ce for the weak, the timid, or the foolish. This is a ce for those who are strong, determined, and willing to work hard.


    ¡°Here at the Lycan School, you will learn to control your powers, hone your skills, and be the best versions of yourselves. But make no mistake, this will not be an easy journey. You will face challenges that will test your limits, and push you past them.


    ¡°But fear not, for we will be here to guide you every step of the way. You will have the best instructors and the finest facilities at your disposal.


    ¡°The rules remain the same, and your schedule will bemunicated with you by the guide tutors assigned to you. Look up the board on your way out to find yours. You are not allowed out the school gates for the rest of the session. If you are found in the wilds beyond the gates, you will be expelled.


    ¡°Communication outside the walls of these schools are prohibited, and as such, thework connections have been cut off from the outside. Should you attempt to reach the other realms by any means, you will be expelled.


    ¡°You may tarry on with each other in whatever rtionships you wish, but should you take in with child, you will be expelled. If you are found outside past curfew, you will be expelled. If you are to be found cheating in any of your exercises, you will be expelled. Should your grades be subpar at the end of the session, you will be expelled.¡±


    Every time he says expelled, I flinch. Too many rules. Way too many rules.


    ¡°May the moon goddess guide you on your path to discovery. If you have any questions, pass them across to your guide tutors. This concludes¨C¡±


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± I yell, tumbling out of the line.


    As one, the entire hall turns to me, staring at me with disbelief like I have done something despicable.


    I walk to the front of the line, ignoring the many eyes on me. Their stares feel like being pricked by the edge of daggers. As I reach closer to the podium, I suffer the realization that I¡¯m the one who smells wrong in a room filled with Lycans. Not them.


    There are steps that lead up to the top of the stage, and I take them, stopping only when I am before the Chancellor.


    This close to him, he is way taller than me. Six foot four perhaps. Nearly as tall as the idiot prince, and the aura around his is something formidable. Lycans do not have Alphas, Betas or Omegas in their hierarchical systems.


    They are like a horde of lone Alphas (if that makes any sense), each of them possessing strength and auras that match an Alphas. Or exceed.


    ¡°You have a question?¡± His voice cracks like thunder and I resist the urge once again to bow or kneel before him.


    Instead, I stand my ground, staring into his dark eyes. ¡°No. I have an order. I¡¯m in the wrong school. Send me back to Wolvendom immediately.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    Waves of horrified whispers race through the rows of students below the podium. The Chancellor¡¯s dark gaze flicks over my form briefly before returning to my face. His eyes are an abyss, without depth and filled with nothing but cold darkness. The fine air on my skin rises and I realize I am in front of a lycan. All it takes is one snap of my neck and I am dead.


    Still, I am the princess of a realm. I cannot be treated as less. Or be killed for giving orders. It is within my rights. Plus, I am well acquainted with the Lycan King and Queen. I am just as powerful in this realm.


    ¡°An order?¡± He asks. ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    I square my shoulders with pride and lift my chin in the way I have been taught. ¡°I am Astrid ckwood, daughter of Alpha King Ronan ckwood, and I demand that I be sent back to the right ce. I should not be here. Obviously. I am a wolf.¡±


    He merely blinks and waves his hand in a dismissive gesture.


    Two male Lycans in ck uniforms suddenly appear at either sides of me and grab my arm, pulling me off therge stage.


    What in the actual fuck?


    ¡°Have you lost it?!¡± I scream, struggling and wing at the huge arms that are carting me away. ¡°Do you have any idea who ¡ª get your filthy hands off me! How dare you touch me?! My father will have your heads for this!¡±


    Theyugh.


    It begins as a choked sound, but soon the entire hall begins tough at me and soon there are camera shes here and there.


    Enraged, I cuss out loud, swearing at the males, the Chancellor and the stupid students who have the audacity tough at me!


    I am dumped on my ass at the back of the hall and the Chancellor continues his speech. I can barely hear a word past my shallow rapid gasps for breath and my thundering heartbeats.


    I lunge forward for the stage but the men hold me in ce. The bigger one whispers in my ear. ¡°Hierarchy outside the school has no value within the gates of the school. It is the first rule. Do well to note this if you do not want to get sentenced to the student dungeons for a fortnight, wolf. You are merely Astrid ckwood. You are no princess here.¡±

 No Way Home

    After the assembly, the men drag me across the hallways, stopping in front of an iron door that is at least ten foot tall.


    The door suddenly swings open, even if there is no one behind it.


    I am thrown in by the men, and the door shuts the moment I¡¯m inside the office.


    I whirl around in the space that looks to be an office. I am immediately struck by the sheer size of the room. The high ceilings seem to stretch up into infinity, while the walls are lined with tall bookcases filled with ancient-looking tomes. The scent of old leather and paper fills my nose, and it reminds me of the library in the castle.


    In the center of the room, arge oak desk dominates the space, with a high-backed chair behind it. The desk is cluttered with papers and stacks of books, but everything seems to be in perfect order, as if each item has been ced with utmost care.


    Behind the desk, a tall window offers a view of the sprawling grounds outside. The sunlight streams through the ss, casting a warm glow over the room.


    My attention, however, is drawn back to the desk, and the stern figure seated behind it.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Chancellor Vesper says without looking up from what he is scribbling down. I remain standing.


    He still doesn¡¯t pause his scribbling to look up at me as he says again,¡±Once is considered a mistake. Twice is an offense. The third will be a sin and will be punished ordingly, Astrid ckwood. When I give orders, you follow them. Within these walls, your inheritance or blood line is of no value. So when I tell you to sit, you SIT!¡±


    I suddenly can¡¯t breathe, or control my body. It feels just like an Alpha¡¯smand. My body is submitting, even if my brain is refusing to process and obey his words.


    My legs begin to move, regardless of how much fight I am putting up. I am sweating profusely and it feels like I am a stranger in my own body.


    I can¡¯t believe this is happening to me. This has to be the worst day of my life.


    The moment my ass hits the chair, the hold on me vanishes. I sag against the chair, panting. ¡°My father will¨C¡±


    He finally nces up, and his gaze is so intense, the rest of my sentence is cut off. ¡°Do nothing. If the portal has sent you here, this is where the Goddess wants you to be.¡±


    ¡°I am a werewolf! This is Lycan School!¡±


    He merely shrugs. ¡°Wee. You can pick up your P. E andbats uniform¨C¡±


    ¡°I refuse to stay here!¡± I yell, mming my hands on the free space of the table in front of me.


    ¡°The portal only opens twice in a session. The start of a session, and the end of that session. You¡¯re stuck here, Astrid ckwood. Nothing can be done in your case.¡±


    Baring my teeth, I rise from the chair. ¡°What do you mean nothing can be done about it?! You are the head here. Surely you canmunicate with the Grand Mistress and get me out of here.¡±


    He lets out an exasperated sigh that doesn¡¯t quite match his intense expression. ¡°Nothing can be done about this until the session has ended.¡± He waves his hand in dismissal. ¡°Out. Join the rest of the new students at the board to find your guide tutor, and pick your uniforms on your way out.¡±


    ¡°Expel me then,¡± I rasp. He looks at me from under his sses. ¡°An expulsion would strip you of admission into any of the schools. An expulsion would name you as unfit to be in the schools. An expulsion would tag you a worm to be avoided and discarded. I doubt that¡¯s a good thing for the future queen of Wolvendom. So, I¡¯d advice you think before making rash demands, and while you¡¯re at it, have a good day.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Get out, ckwood.¡±


    Head hung, I leave his office, picking up two different uniform packs on my way out.


    ******* ¡°The schedule for every set is the same. Realm History is always the first period. Warfare is the second period. P. E happens in the third and fourth period. Combat training in the fifth and sixth,¡± Guide Tutor Skye says drily as she leads me and a few others who won¡¯t stop pointing at me down a long corridor.


    Everyone is looking at me. Everyone is talking about me. The werewolf princess in Lycan School. I am used to being the center of attention but not this kind of attention.


    They areughing at me and looking down on me. Never in my life has this happened to me. Never has anyone looked upon me like I am a flea. Or a bug. One word from me and my father would have them thrown in the dungeons for their disrespect.


    It isn¡¯t that my father is a tyrant. He just happens to love me so much. Even my mother gets envious of the attention sometimes.


    I hate this stupid school, and I just want to go back home. I miss Trinity. She would have punched the faces of those that dared tough at me, and Aria would probably be doing something at the Academy now, like stalking a hot wolf senior. Thorne¡­ Thorne would be holding me in his arms and patting my hair down while whispering sweet words to calm me down. I miss my friends.


    I sigh. One session goes on for a year. I don¡¯t think I can stay here for a year. How do I even survive here? This is so unfair. Why me of all people? I¡¯m the princess. I belong with my people, my kind.


    ¡°And this is your room,¡± Skye says, pointing at a door on the top floor. ¡°Your name will be attached to the door tomorrow. Sleepovers are prohibited. No visitors past curfew. Bells will be rung for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You get to the hallte, no food for you, princess.¡±


    I don¡¯t reply. I¡¯m too angry and wound up tight to do so.


    My temper only rises when I open the door to my room.


    My face scrunches up in disgust. Even my toilet in the castle is way bigger than this. ¡°This is unfit for me to stay. I demand a bigger room,¡± I say to my guide.


    She doesn¡¯t even bother to hide her disgust and hate as she says, ¡°Sleep on the roof then, moron.¡±


    Aghast, I stare at her retreating form as she guides the other new , noting her hair, her clothes and her face. I won¡¯t forget that insult. Ever.


    I squeeze myself through the tiny door frame and m the door hard enough to rattle its hinges.


    I stare at the room I have been assigned that isn¡¯t even fit for a servant in my castle. I stare at the unprepared bed without covers and only one pillow. I stare at the ugly looking bathroom that has just one towel hanging from the door. I stare at the empty cloth closet. I stare at the useless uniforms in my grasp.


    Then I scream at the top of my lungs. What the hell is going on?!From N?velDrama.Org.

 Bullied

    The Dining Hall is noisy and filled with people holding trays and speaking into their gadgets. My stomach growls as the smell of chicken teases my nostrils.


    I pass by a group of people and theyugh at me.


    I know. I look like crap.


    I skipped dinnerst night, crying and punching the stupid mattress. Then I¡¯d slept rather roughly.


    I couldn¡¯t find anything tob my red hair with this morning and I have terrible bed hair. I lost my cosmetic bag at some point in the portal so my skin is dry like desert sand. My eyes are dark and haunted and my uniform doesn¡¯t fit.


    Worst first school day ever. Can it get any worse?


    I follow the crowd and get in the line where I see the chicken being served. More funny looks are tossed in my direction, but I¡¯m in a piss poor mood, and I don¡¯t wish to speak to anyone. Not that they even want to speak to me either. Good.


    I soon reach the head of the line and I extend my food tray to the lunchdy. Her face, while undeniably beautiful, is twisted into a perpetual sneer. Her hair is sealed in a white cap and she wears a pristine white uniform, which entuates her curves and gives her an almost ethereal appearance. But her demeanor is anything but angelic.


    ¡°Where is your Star Badge?¡± Her words areced with sarcasm and disdain.


    Star Badge? What¡¯s that?


    I frown. ¡°I¡¯m new here.¡±


    She raises her spat and swats my forehead with it. ¡°Get to the back of the line, wolf. Only star students receive special meals!¡±


    I growl, rubbing my stinging forehead. ¡°What does being a star student have to do with getting good food?¡±


    She nces around, raising her hand in the air. ¡°Sentinels! Get the wolf off my line!¡±


    Someone grabs my arm and once again, I am hurled to the back of a different line by uniformed men and dumped beside a couple of people who look as lost as I do. I¡¯m beginning to hate these sentinels. I think they hate me too.


    At this rate, everyone here must hate me.


    I hold out my tray in front of me, chanting a mantra to keep my angry wolf at bay. With every passing second in this ce, I feel like I¡¯m going to explode, shift and bite off some heads.


    When it¡¯s my turn, a murky grey liquid with clumps is deposited in my te. It doesn¡¯t smell terrible, but it looks like vomit.


    I would throw this in the sink but I¡¯ve not had anything to eat since I got here, and I have no doubt that I¡¯ll need the energy forbat ss.


    Tired of fighting, I take the te and stalk off, looking for a good enough ce to seat. Cameras sh as I walk past and I make it a point of keeping my eyes glued to the ground as I walk. I may be angry, but I know better than to pick a fight I cannot win.


    I keep repeating the mantra in my head, so focused on keeping my wolf at bay that I don¡¯t notice the aura in front of me until I walk into him.


    My tray ms into his chest and my te topples forward, causing the liquid in the tray to pour on his shirt.


    The entire hall falls silent and I have a vague sense of cameras shing again. Don¡¯t they have something else to do?From N?velDrama.Org.


    I look up from his soiled shirt slowly to find the darkest green eyes peering down at me with contempt. His moon-white hair spills down his shoulder, barely escaping the mess I¡¯ve made on his white shirt that barely fit around his bulging muscles.


    ¡°Astrid.¡±


    ¡°Rune,¡± I say.


    He looks at his shirt. ¡°You ruined my shirt.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you watch where you¡¯re going next time?¡± I counter, inching around him to find a table to sit down. I don¡¯t have a watch to tell what the time is, but I know it¡¯ll soon be time for the first period.


    But my path is blocked by another male who is nearly as buff as Rune. ¡°Apologize.¡±


    I scoff, turning to take the space on his right, but I¡¯m blocked off by another buff male who repeats the word to me again. ¡°Apologize.¡±


    Looking Rune in the eye, I snarl, ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    Faster than I can see, the both males move. Hands are in my hair and my feet is kicked out from under me. I fall t on my face, my lipsnding on Rune¡¯s boots and my food hits the ground.


    I try rising but I am kept in ce by the hands in my hair. I think someone¡¯s foot is on my back.


    ¡°Let go!¡± I scream, trashing and jerking back to get the hand out of my hair, but it won¡¯t move.


    ¡°Apologize!¡± The male yells again and the foot on my back presses down hard, squashing my front into the tiled floor. Tears spring to my eyes.


    The Chancellor had said hierarchy levels had no value in here, but somehow, the entire hall is watching me kiss Rune¡¯s boots without a word. No one¡¯s even trying to help me.


    ¡°Go to hell, Rune. You¡¯re a bastard!¡± I cry out.


    Rune crouches low and the grip on my hair loosens. I stare up at him and find him smirking. ¡°Daddy isn¡¯t here to save you anymore, Red.¡±


    I hate it when he calls me that. My lips drawl back from my teeth in a fierce snarl and I feel my fangs elongate.


    I¡¯m losing control on my wolf. She¡¯s just as angry as I am.


    Normally, seeing my appearance shift should be enough to tell anyone off, but Rune only seems amused.


    He pinches my chin, raising my gaze further and the muscles at my back groan from the stretch. I jerk back from his hold, but he catches my chin again, pressing it hard between his fingers. ¡°I quite like seeing you this way. Sprawled at my feet as you should be.¡±


    I bare my teeth at him. ¡°Fucking bastard.¡±


    His sensual cruel mouth curves into a smile as he lets go of my chin. ¡°See you around.¡±


    The pressure on my back is suddenly taken off and it is an effort to rise to my feet. My food is all over the floor and frankly, I¡¯ve lost my appetite.


    I don¡¯t turn around to watch them leave. I run across the dining hall to find the nearest bathroom. I think I¡¯m going to puke.

 Stars

    I stare back at my reflection. Somehow, I have gone from being special to being scum. My icy blue eyes are red rimmed and tired. I clutch the sink and spit into the ceramic bowl before turning off the faucet.


    I¡¯m gonna survive the shit hole and return where I am meant to be.


    Fuck Rune and the rest of the stupid students here. I am Astrid, and no one, absolutely no one can trample on me.


    I¡¯ll fight every one of them if I have to, and it doesn¡¯t matter if they are Lycans are naturally stronger than me. I¡¯ll win.


    Why? Because I am Astrid ckwood, daughter of the Alpha King. I¡¯ll thrive in the godsdamned school.


    *******


    I¡¯mte.


    I know this because I can hear the soundsing from the halls. It was hard locating my ssroom. I have walked through three different halls, trying to figure out where Lycan History is holding.


    My fingers squeeze around the only note in my hands as I try to take in deep calming breaths. I¡¯m nervous and my heart is racing.


    ¡°It is just a damn ss,¡± I repeat to myself over and over again, until I muster enough courage to step into what should be my first ss of the day.


    As I cross the threshold, a wave of silence washes over me. Every eye turns in my direction as I enter, footsteps echoing on the tiled floors. I swallow, giving the ss a quick once over.


    The room isrge and rectangr, with rows of wooden desks arranged in perfect symmetry. At the front of the ssroom stands the a woman, tall and stern with a sharp re that seems to cut right through me. The walls are white and bare, sterile in every way, and the board¡­ it¡¯s a smartboard.


    There is only one empty seat, and it is all the way back. A small mercy, thanks to the Goddess.


    I make my way towards the desk, feeling the weight and heat of judgement from every angle. I¡¯ve never quite felt this way before. It is odd. My back is hunched and my nails are biting deeply into my palms. I can¡¯t deal. It feels like every movement I make in this ce, every breath I take, every thought sets off some sort of rm. I am used to being watched by people, but this is way out of myfort zone.


    The woman clears her throat just as my rump hits the chair, her voice ringing out like a cracked whip. ¡°Stand.¡±


    Fucking hell.


    Clenching my jaw, I rise. A year of this. I have to do this for a year, and then I get to go back home. A year, and I get to make them apologize for treating me this way.


    I can do this¨C


    The female¡¯s brown gaze drills into me and an unfamiliar pang of fear twist my guts as head begins to drop in absolute submission. I tremble as I hold my ground against her aura of sheer dominance.


    This is why the Goddess separated all three races, never to be mingled with ever again. This isn¡¯t even a fair fight.


    ¡°For it is your first ss,¡± she says to the entire ss, even if she¡¯s looking only at me. ¡°Your tardiness will be overlooked. However, starting tomorrow, you will be punished if you show up to your lessonste. A minutete will earn you a day cleaning the floors of the Star Halls during your first period. Two minutes, two days. An hour? Two months.¡±


    I bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from whimpering. With each word that leaves her lips, the pressure in the atmosphere thickens. The students around me look nearly as sick as I do¨Cbut I look much, much worse.


    The harder I fight the urge to kneel before her, the more my vision blurs and soon, something trickles down my nostril.


    ¡°And you know what missing my sses will earn you?¡±


    I find myself shaking my head, fear overwhelming me.


    ¡°Failure, and what happens when you fail here?¡±


    As one, the entire ss, myself included, speaks the word that makes me shudder. ¡°Expulsion.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± To me she says, ¡°Sit.¡±


    I fall back on my chair as the heaviness in the air clears.


    For the entirety of the ss, I stare at nothing but the table as I wipe blood dribbling down from my nose. I try to concentrate on the pictures flickering on the screen and the words Mistress Zara speaks as exins them, but I find that I can¡¯t.


    My head hurts.


    ***********From N?velDrama.Org.


    I look around the hall allocated forbat training, and note the racks of weapons that decorate the walls. Ancient swords, spears, twin daggers, staffs, shotguns, bows and arrows, and clubs. So many weapons.


    There are a few dozen already gathered in the vast hall, and more are still pouring in. They all look dazed, some in awe.


    I¡¯m pretty good withbat, having trained with the royal sentinels all my life.


    However, training with werewolf sentinels and training lycans are very different. I can only hope the nuances aren¡¯t too great.


    I pace to the wall, leaning against it as more peoplee in, crowding the lower half of the hall.


    ¡°Hey,¡±es a voice beside me, and I tilt my head lightly to have a look.


    Hot damn.


    A pair of golden eyes meets my gaze. It belongs to a face that is too beautiful to look at. His beauty is nothing like Rune¡¯s that is a wild, uncultivated thing. His is a delicate, timeless beauty, and his features are soft. Touching him would be like touching a wet, striking painting.


    His uniform is blue, but it isn¡¯t like the kind everyone else is wearing. His has a silver star emblem on the breast of it, just above his front pocket.


    His lips curve into a smile that somehow makes my day seem less bleak and every warning signal in my head goes off at once.


    ¡°Run from this one,¡± my instinct says to me. Even Sloan, my wolf, seems to have an opinion on this one.


    No. He¡¯s not my mate either.


    Lycans don¡¯t have the luxury that we do of having mates given to us by the Goddess. They get to choose who they want and soul bind with them. A mutual agreement, much like the ceremony the humans call ¡®marriage¡¯, but it goes deeper than even the mate bond between werewolves. Erasthai is what they call their chosen mates.


    Unlike mating bonds that can either be rejected, epted or severed, once lycans bond with their Erasthais, nothing short of the Goddess¡¯s intervention can rip the bond.


    I lean back on my heel and peer down at him even if he¡¯s taller than me. ¡°Not interested.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°There¡¯s a¡­ uh¡­ tag on your back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A tag¨C¡± He pauses when he realizes that I do not understand a word he is saying. He suddenly reaches around me, startling me.


    I¡¯m about asking what he thinks he is doing when he pulls something out from behind me.


    It is a big card of some sorts.


    He squeezes it in his hands before I can see what is written on it.


    ¡°Give me that,¡± I say, snatching it from his grip before he can throw it away.


    My jaw clenches when I see what is written on it.


    I¡¯M A WEREWOLF PRINCESS, CUNT. MEET ME IN THE RESTROOM FOR A QUICKIE.


    I crush the paper in my hand and look around. It must have gotten ced on my back when we were pouring into the hall. I peer into as much faces as I can. Who could have done that?


    ¡°Throw it away. It¡¯s nothing important,¡± he says and begins to strut forward to join the rest where they have begun to converge.


    I find myself saying, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°Darian,¡± he says. ¡°See you around, princess.¡±


    I want to say more but the sound of a whistle cuts through the air, along with a barked order; ¡°Twelve lines! Immediately! ording to your colours. Do not waste my time!¡±


    I shove the paper into my pocket and shuffle around, looking for the best line to stand in.


    At the end of the shuffling, I am sandwiched between a man several feet taller than me and a round female.


    I look around the male to the podium and there is a man standing atop it, all dressed in ck from head to toe.


    He makes the lot of us look like candy wrappers beneath him as ourbat uniforms are decorated in different colours.


    Mine is golden and there are a handful of students who also have on gold uniforms¨Cthat¡¯s not the point. The point is, the man looks dark and ready to kick ass and we look absolutely ridiculous.


    ¡°I am Master Kan, your Combat Supervisor. Usually, trained sentinels are hired to be yourbat partners for the session, however, the chancellor has decided to try a new approach this year. Instead, you will be fighting against each other under my supervision.¡±


    His condition causes murmuring and hushed whispers. Even I am curious. Every year, my father hand picks sentinels trained for war to be taken into the Werewolf Academy, to aid our training and expose us to what we will face once the Blood Moon arrives.


    ¡°We will fight each other?¡± Someone asks on a different line, interrupting him and Master Kan¡¯s head snaps in that direction.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°ric Grimshaw,¡± the student says haughtily, like he is someone to be taken note of.


    Master Kan nods. ¡°Good. ric, do you wish to continue where I left off?¡±


    His voice is low and soft. That, right there, could have fooled me if I wasn¡¯t looking at his face.


    ¡°No. I just¨Cwe all want to¨C¡±


    He turns from ric, dismissing him. I¡¯m starting to think the teachers here are just sadists. They just get off of making people look and feel stupid.


    But I guess all lycans are wired that way.


    There is sudden movement behind Master Kan and a couple of people file in. Men and women alike. Just when I think these people can¡¯t get any hotter, I am struck to the chest with their finesse. I spy Darian among them and I wonder what he¡¯s doing over there. Shouldn¡¯t he be down here with us?


    ¡°For each colour, you are assigned a Star Student who will overlook your trainings, teach you and asionally spar with you. If you have on white uniforms, Star Darian will be your instructor for this session. If you have on Blue Uniforms, Star Raven is your¨C¡±


    Darian is a star student? Wow. Though I have no idea what that means but they seem to be very important people.


    I am already sorting through the students lined behind Master Kan impatiently, searching for which has the golden star and who has been assigned to us.


    But I don¡¯t find a golden star. Twelve lines¡­ so there should be twelve students. However, there are only nine.


    I look towards the door from which they hade and the mystery is solved.


    My gut is churning with a very sick feeling. My throat closes and my mouth runs dry as despair takes a hold of me.


    Rune walks in through the door and the two bastards who made me lick his boots trail behind him. One has a green star on his uniform, the other has a red one.


    That leaves¡­


    My eyes drop down on Rune¡¯s shirt and a shiny gold star sits proudly atop it.


    Fuck.

 Trance

    Master Kan has a couple of Star Students demonstrate what we ought to have learned by the end of this session before the hall. Picking weapons begin in the second year. By then, I¡¯ll be gone from here.


    It doesn¡¯t stop me from watching in pure fascination as Darian and Raven go at each other, swiping and shing. They move like the wind and I have never seen anything like it in my entire life.


    Raven dodges Darian¡¯s powerful blow with such ease that it seems like she is dancing. Darian follows up with barrages of kicks and blows that are easily deflected¨C from what I can see, because their movements are too fast fast to follow and it¡¯s like watching a blur of motion.


    They seem to move in perfect synchronization, each move countering the other in a never-ending dance. Their feet barely touch the ground as they glide around each other, exchanging blows that seem toe from nowhere.


    Not even the best sentinels in Wolvendom move like that.


    They don¡¯t even break a sweat! How does one aplish this in a year?!


    There is a sudden weight on my back. A slight pressure. I am being watched. I turn around and find Rune¡¯s eyes on me. He is seated at the back, talking to a blonde lycan who is equally a star student.


    But his eyes are on me and he doesn¡¯t look away.


    I don¡¯t either.


    His lips tug up in a smile that makes my skin crawl and feel hot at the same time.


    I give him the middle finger before turning back to watch the demonstration.


    Several minutester, I am running meaninglessps around the hall, sticking to the walls like we all have been instructed to. ¡®We¡¯ being those with the golden uniforms. Only the lot of us are here with our allocated Star Student, Rune. The rest have been directed to other training halls. For some reason, Rune is given a sort of deference that the rest aren¡¯t. Hierarchical levels don¡¯t matter in here my ass. Why exactly had I not picked white? Or even ck?


    I am in extremely good shape ¡ª as much as a werewolf can be, but I am still thest in the line.


    The rest are far ahead, running with a speed I can¡¯t dream of matching up to.


    ¡°Too slow!¡± Rune barks to the first person running theps. My jaw goes ck and I pant, hard. Too slow?! What then would I be referred to as?


    I find out soon when I finally reach the start line. Rune¡¯s frown only deepens and he regards me with disdain. ¡°You move like a fucking worm, ckwood.¡±


    I stifle the urge to bare my teeth at him and tell him to fuck off. Master Kan is off to the side, watching us. The entire hall is watching us. I must be of good behaviour.


    So I ignore him and join the line again. I feel his eyes on me long after, but I keep my gaze on my boots. He¡¯s probably thinking up new ways to make my life a living hell. I won¡¯t let him.


    Fighting him will only fuel his need to hurt me more. He gets off of it.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    And so, I stay quiet, ignoring him


    We take moreps, all of which Ie inst. My body isn¡¯t built for this. I could easily be as weak as a human in this ce.


    ¡°Again!¡± He barks, and themand rattles me all the way to my bones, propelling me forward.


    An hourter, I am on my ass, panting hard. My vision blurs and my head pounds. I can¡¯t seem to get enough air. I am soaked in sweat and¡­ I don¡¯t think I can continue this. I might just die at this rate.


    ¡°Get up, ckwood!¡± Rune yells, approaching me, and even thepulsion in his voice is nothingpared to the fatigue I feel.


    Myy down on my back, covering my eyes with the back of my palm.


    Rune¡¯s boots hit the ground before me and I have all but two second before he hurls me up on my feet. ¡°Would you like some time to rest? Perhaps some time scrubbing the walls of the Star Halls¨C¡±


    A growl escapes my throat before I realize it. ¡°You¡¯re such an arse,¡± I rasp amidst gasps, but I am already struggling to my feet and taking thestp to the drawn finish line.


    I half stumble into it, knocking a couple of lycans over and they yell and cuss at me, pushing me off them like I am dirt.


    ¡°Gather around,¡± Rune says, but I don¡¯t stand from where I am seated on the ground. It¡¯s not like he can see me from the front.


    ¡°Your trainings only get tougher from here on out, so I¡¯d advice you spent some time here, practicing amongst each other, helping each other grow. The Blood Moon draws nearer with every passing day. We cannot afford to be caught off guard when the Hekate¡¯s army arrives at our doors. I am sorely displeased with what I have witnessed today.¡±


    Fucker, is all I can think as he speaks. It¡¯s so damn easy for him to say so when he isn¡¯t the one standing in our shoes. My shoes. Bloody ass fucker. The princeling who has to do nothing but give orders. How cute.


    ¡°The first year provides mastery over your bodies. Combat isn¡¯t merely about brute strength and force. Your bodies are weapons with edges to be honed into something sharp and lethal. You do not need a de or a spear to decapitate the enemy if you be a de with the sharpest edge¡­¡±


    Even if I hate him, I find myself listening to him. There is something about Rune¡¯s voice draws you in and forces you to listen. My father says the lycans can get you to do the things you do not wish to without you even realising it.


    I wonder if he is doing that now.


    ¡°Today was but a warm up. Tomorrow, we will beginbat fully, and I urge you to do your best. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    I groan, lifting myself off the ground and stand on shaky legs. I¡¯m hungry, but it is not yet time for lunch, and I doubt I will be able to make it to the cafeteria in this state.


    I head to my room instead and for once, everyone is too engrossed in their business to notice me limp past them.


    I stagger into my room and head to the shower after taking great pains to peel off my clothes.


    But there is no water in my bathroom.


    I am so frustrated that I wrap my towel around my dirty sweaty body, get in my bed and cry myself to sleep.


    *******


    Someone called out his name. It had roused him from deep sleep and he slipped out of his room, headed towards the doors that were a prohibited exit.


    He could not stop himself from moving, caught in a blissful trance. The world was a blur of colours and sounds that faded in and out of focus, like a distant dream.


    His thoughts were a jumble of emotions and memories, swirling together in mist of confusion and the more he tried to sort through them, the more they slipped through his fingers, like smoke.


    He could not remember who he was, where he was.


    All he knew was the voice that beckoned to him, calling his outside the walls of the school.


    And so he walked forward, finding the double doors already open for him.


    He felt little of the grass under his barefoot or the dew on his skin. He felt little of the pain that shot through his foot as he trudged upon the broken ss that demarcated the school from the void beyond.


    ¡°ric¡­¡± the voice drawled, and for a moment, he remembered his name. ric. His name was ric.


    And he was a prince.


    He came to slowly, looking around him with fear. The school was far behind now and before him, there was only darkness and in the chasm, twin pools of the deepest, rarest green, peered down at him. The shade of green that was carried only by the royal blood line.


    He had seen those eyes before.


    But before he could speak, he fell.

 Tizzy

    A body was found in school this morning.


    Mangled. Mishapen. Broken beyond recognition.


    But somehow, someone had ced a face to the body.


    ric Grimshaw. A first year student, and Rune¡¯s distant cousin.


    I didn¡¯t see the body when it was brought in, but a couple of students did and it¡¯s all they have been talking about since. They seem pretty shaken up. There is fear in their eyes as well.


    The schools are fortified and happen to be safest ces in all realms, guarded by the Goddess¡¯s magic herself.


    How could this happen?


    Some say ric was seen in the cameras trying to escape the premises and he fell in the void beyond. Some say the darkness took him. Some say there was a man covered in the darkness.


    Regardless of what truth it is, none of them are great.


    The school has been in a tizzy since the body was brought in and unorthodoxmunications have been made to the realms beyond, reaching out to the King and Queen of the Realm of Lycans.


    Everyone¡¯s in a fix and agitated, and Rune¡¯s extra peeved today. He¡¯s been having us repeat a series of grueling tasks in the past hour, and he isn¡¯t even supervising. Master Kan is away with the rest of the teachers in an urgent meeting with the Chancellor and well, Rune¡¯s in charge.


    He is speaking to that blonde star again. I think her name¡¯s Ginevra. It rings a bell but I¡¯m too tired to figure out why.


    I steal a nce toward where he stands and I spy the blonde cupping his face delicately and pressing a kiss against his cheek.


    Oh?


    As if feeling my eyes on him, he looks in my direction.


    My mind races wildly and I look away abruptly. Foolish prince.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Take partners now!¡± Rune suddenly barks, causing my pulse to rise higher. I am shoved and bumped from all sides as we begin the search for who to take as partners. I search through the crowd, peering into faces.


    But no one¡¯s looking at me or giving me a second nce. Their eyes slide over me and move on to the next like I am not even there.


    A cold sensation washes over me the moment I realize that no one deems me worthy or significant enough to partner up with me. In no time, Rune crosses over to the front of the ss and I am the only one stuck without a partner.


    ¡°Three paces away and¨C ckwood, where is your partner?¡±


    My jaw clenches. Great. Just great.


    ¡°I¨C¡± I start to speak, but my voice is little above a squeak. I try again, rubbing my mming palms on my hideous uniform. ¡°I do not have one.¡±


    I hear the heavy, angry, thudding of his boots as he approaches me, and soon, he is peering down at me with his dark eyes filled with too many emotions that could not have stemmed up from admission.


    The entire ss of students watches us in stilled, intense silence, and it feels like even the air has paused to acknowledge this.


    Whatever this is.


    There is a long pause before he speaks in which the tension between us bes palpable. He nces directly in my eyes and I can¡¯t stifle the shiver that wrecks my body. I hate it when he does that; pulling an aura on me.


    He¡¯s only ever done it once, and I refuse to think back to that day three years ago. It is an unspoken secret we share and I keep it tucked away in the farthest cage of my mind.


    He finally takes his piercing stare off me and scans the ss. ¡°I will spar with you then.¡±


    There is that silence again as Rune takes up the spot in front of me. I have no idea what he is getting at, but I know I am about to get my ass handed to me.


    ¡°Take your stance!¡± He yells to the rest of the ss and we call into ce, cing our feet aside, crouching low and raising our arms in either a block poise, or an attack poise.


    I raise my hands, blocking my face as I assume Rune will take full advantage of this and take his revenge on me, but he says to me, ¡°Attack. I¡¯ll defend.¡±


    I blink, surprised.


    When I do not move to obey his order immediately, he adds, ¡°Surely, your ears still function well.¡±


    My cheeks me as I clench my fists and adjust my stance.


    ¡°In the next few minutes you will take take turn in defending and offending your partners, and you have but a few minutes to memorize their movements and point out their weaknesses. Do you understand why this is important?¡± Rune says to the entire ss, even if his eyes never leave mine.


    I let my eyes travel around the room to avoid his stare and it is in that moment I find the blonde star watching me from the back of the hall where Runs left her.


    She grins at me and it is the scariest thing I¡¯ve seen this year. It is all teeth and sharp canines.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the entire hall says in unison.


    ¡°Good. Start.¡±


    I lunge into action, swinging for Rune¡¯s face but he deflects it effortlessly, thwarting my attack like it was anything but one.


    I swing for him again, but pain explodes in my midriff, causing me to stumble backward.


    The bastard punched me.


    ¡°You said you would defend!¡± I yell at him, clutching my stomach as my breakfast rushes to my throat.


    Hees at me again, wildly and swiftly, giving me no space at all to anticipate his movements or raise my arms in time to block. All his blows hit home and my groans and pants fill the air and I stagger away from him.


    His eyes are zed. He is hitting me¡­ but I do not think he realizes he is doing that. Everyone has stopped in their movements to watch me try and avoid a barrage of blows and kicks.


    But all hit home and I am in pain.


    He grunts as I pull back, reaching for me again. I scuttle back quickly before he can grab me. This isn¡¯t sparing anymore. Something¡¯s wrong with Rune. I¡¯ve never seen him this crazed¨C and unfortunately, I have seen A LOT of shades of Rune. Too much for my own sanity.


    ¡°Rune,¡± I rasp as I raise my hands to block another blow to my face.


    Ginevra is instantly behind him. I have no idea how she got there but I¡¯m hoping she can reach him because I can¡¯t take any more of this. My body can¡¯t.


    ¡°Stop it, Rune,¡± she says, grabbing his shoulder. Rune jerks andshes out like a man hurt, and I see his dark ws slide out as he swipes for Ginevra¡¯s neck.


    She dives left, barely missing her neck being ripped open by a fraction and her baby blue eyes go wide with terror when she realizes the same thing I have.


    Rune¡¯s lost it.


    ¡°Get the Chancellor!¡± She yells to no one in particr, but a few dash out of the hall, sensing the direness of the situation.


    He turns to me again and fear grips me when I see his eyes are bleeding into ck and dark veins are etched on his face.


    What the fuck is happening?


    ¡°Rune¨C¡± I start again but his fingers suddenly wrap tightly around my throat, lifting me in the air as cuts of my air supply.


    My feet dangle and I kick out, pping at his hand around my throat.


    I struggle to breathe, gasping for air as my eyes bulge in panic. The world around me begins to fade, the edges of my vision turning ck. My thoughts jumble in my mind as I try to understand what¡¯s happening. I can feel his strength in his grip, his ws digging painfully into my skin.


    I try to speak, to plead for him to stop, but only a weak choking sound escapes my lips. My arms il, desperate to break free from his hold, but his grasp only tightens.


    ¡°Let her go, Rune! Please!¡± Ginevra cries, but she does nothing to stop him; nothing to prevent him from killing me.


    She just stands there, crying like some stupid princess.


    Perhaps she wants him to kill me. Perhaps she is scared of him.


    I¡¯d like to think it is the second option because even I am scared, and very little things scare me in my life.


    Rune¡¯s features are nk, empty, but his eyes¡­ they are depths of the darkest coal.


    A single tear slides down as the fight in me weakens. His dark eyes narrow on my left cheek and Rune goes still.


    His eyes widen a fraction and ever so slowly, his hold around my neck loosens until I drop to the ground, gasping and wheezing.


    People rush into the hall, but I am not with enough presence to notice who it is. Though I faintly hear the Chancellor bark an order to empty out the hall.


    It hurts to breath. It hurts to fucking move. The darkness in my vision recedes a little and warm arms wrap around me.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Breathing hard, I look up to find Darian peering down at me with a hard look in his eyes.


    I blink thrice, trying to clear my vision.


    ¡°It hurts,¡± I croak, tears sliding from my eyes like a faucet¡¯s been turned on.


    His lips tug down in a frown and he lifts me off the ground, murmuring what sounds like, ¡°Infirmary.¡±


    But it¡¯s all hazy, as my eyes search for Rune in the hall, even if he just tried to kill me. It hurts to crane my neck, and when I do, I see them watching me as Darian takes me out of the hall.


    But I don¡¯t see Rune.


    Even if I can feel the tangible weight of his gaze on me.

 Rot

    ¡°Just a couple of bruises. She¡¯s already healing. It might take a while since she¡¯s a wolf but she should be fine by tomorrow,¡± the nurse says to Darian.


    She¡¯s nice, which is plenty weird for her race. She shifts her sses up on the bridge of her nose and squints down at the bruise on my neck.


    ¡°Does this hurt?¡± She asks and I wince when she prods the column of my throat.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I whisper. My throat still feels sore.


    Her warm brown eyes flick swiftly over my form and she pulls a note out of her white coat, turning away from me as she scribbles something on it.


    Darian shoots me an apologetic look, and I avoid his gaze, looking out the window instead. He is leaningzily against the wall, watching my every move. He has been doing that for the past hour, scanning me as the nurse treated me, offering me water and speaking softly like¡­ like I¡¯m something to him.


    I¡¯m not sure how lycans woo their women, but that isn¡¯t how it is done in Wolvendom.


    Admittedly, Darian is the hottest guy I have ever seen. Hotter than Thorne.


    But Thorne and I have a connection, and I¡¯m not going to throw that away for the lycan¡¯s firm and nice looking backside that I try not to look at every time he turns.


    Yes. I¡¯m a sucker for hot men.


    My thoughts drift to Rune. I don¡¯t know what to feel about any of this. Fear? Anger? More hate? Why did he attack me? What happened to him? Why was I the trigger to whatever psychotic issues he has going on with him?


    And therees the thought I absolutely abhor the most.


    Is he alright?


    I shiver and my fingers rise to touch the bruises on my neck.


    He could have killed me.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    A slight knock on the Infirmary door has me momentarily distracted from my thoughts of Rune¡¯s wholly ck eyes as he had strangled me.


    Someone steps in and from the uniform he wears, he is a sentinel. He bows slightly, deferring to nurse who¡¯s going through the tubes arranged in neat lines on her white panel. ¡°I apologize for the interference, Nurse A, but the Chancellor has summoned Astrid ckwood to his office.¡±


    There¡¯s a cold feeling in my chest and my brows furrow in confusion.


    The nurse waves in dismissal without looking up. ¡°I¡¯m done examining her.¡±


    I stand from the bed. The aches are barely noticeable now and I can move without wincing. I straighten my uniform and fix the top button of my shirt. ¡°Why has he summoned me?¡± I ask the sentinel.


    And as always, there is no reply.


    His face is hard as stone. Like every other sentinel.


    ¡°Am I being punished?¡± I ask again, wrapping my hair in a bun.


    You just never know with these people. Nothing surprises me anymore in this ce.


    The sentinel doesn¡¯t answer and instead, Darian says, pulling away from the wall he has been leaning on in that insufferable pose, ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    I nod, swaggering forward for effect.


    Darian chuckles lightly and I meet his gaze. His golden eyes are lit with amusement and my body hums with strange excitement at the taunting curve of his lip.


    An rm goes off in my head and I tear my gaze from him, walking out of the infirmary swiftly to hide the flush on my face from him.


    By the time we reach Chancellor Vesper¡¯s door, my insides are in knots. Anxiety makes my pulse pound abnormally.


    The sentinel presses his hand against the door and it swings open, letting us in.


    I pause in my steps when I catch sight of Rune¡¯s pale hair.


    No shit. Am I really getting punished for Rune¡¯s slight?


    There are two chairs in front of Chancellor Vesper desk. Rune¡¯s seated on one¨C more like lounging in it like he owns the ce, and I suppose the other chair¡¯s mine.


    ¡°You may go, Asher. Sit, ckwood,¡± the chancellor says without looking up.


    I steal a nce at Rune. He seems rxed as usual, like he had not tried to killed me a little over an hour ago.


    Letting out a breath, I pull back the chair beside him, further taking pains to put enough distance between our chairs before I settle beside him.


    ¡°You both must have heard of ric Grimshaw¡¯s death,¡± he starts, hitting a red stamp in top of a file.


    My gaze is drawn to therge smart screen on the wall behind him. I can¡¯t be too sure, but that was not there before.


    ¡°We thought it might have been a mistake on our end. However, another new intake has been found dead in the Werewolf Academy.¡±


    My mind begins to race as a couple of faces cross my mind. The look he gives me only confirms the fear that blooms in my heart and I start to hyperventte.


    ¡°I believe he is the son of your pack¡¯s Gamma¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I whisper. My hands¨Cmy whole body¨CI am shaking uncontrobly. Fine tremors fill me, and a numbing cold settles in my gut. My hands press together painfully and emotions begin to rise, filling me to the point where I think I might just explode, all the while I am whispering, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Orion Frostw.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I say as the pressure behind my eyes rises.


    ¡°Astrid ckwood,¡± Chancellor Vesper says, his stark voice cutting through my heart wrenching wail. His eyes are hard and void of emotion as he says, ¡°If you wish to mourn, do it elsewhere. I have called you for something else.¡±


    I mp down on the cries that are about to escape me. Orion? The strange twinkling of his sapphire eyes are still fresh in my mind and my lips still bear memories of the kisses we shared in the castle¡¯s storeroom.


    He¡¯s dead?


    I want to ask what happened; yell that it isn¡¯t possible, but something starts to beep in the office and the smart screenes on, a green emblem shing on its screen.


    The chancellor looks between me and Rune before tapping softly on a red button by the edge of his desk. ¡°It is prohibited to connect with others outside the premises, but dire situations require dire actions. You have five minutes each to converse with them.¡±


    He stands from his seat as the screenes alive and I am struck by the image of my father and mother, staring strangely at the camera. Rune¡¯s parents are in the picture as well, speaking to my father who seems to be fumbling with what resembles a speaker.


    My mother¡¯s dark brows are furrows. ¡°How do these things work? Suchplicated sets of cords,¡± she mutters, adjusting the ps of her elegant coat that matches the maroon tailored one my father is wearing.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I say, voice breathy and hoarse, but I don¡¯t think they can hear me yet, or see us.


    ¡°Aha!¡± Queen Zephyr jubtes and she straightens when she realizes we can see them. ¡°Astrid, my dear, have you been well? I heard what happened and¨C¡±


    King Fenrir clears his throat, silencing her. She shoots her husband a re before reclining in a ck couch, a perfect figure of elegance.


    ¡°Rune,¡± King Fenrir says and his dark green eyes are so cold, it causes me to shiver.


    I wonder if that is where Rune gets his ruthless side from.


    ¡°Father,¡± Rune says, matching his father¡¯s energy and it urs to me that I¡¯m probably infringing on family time.


    I start to rise but my father cuts in, ¡°Stay, Astrid. This is for the both of you.¡±


    I rx, wiping the under of my eyes quickly before anyone can see the tears rolling down. Keeping my act together is hard, but I must. Before everything else, Orion was my friend.


    Was¡­


    Fuck. I¡¯m speaking of him in past tense now.


    ¡°We had thought the first wave of attacks would be in our realms, hence we fortified our defenses against him and his army, but it would seem we were wrong.¡±


    I sit up in my chair, looking at my parents rather than Rune¡¯s father. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean? The Blood Moon isn¡¯t until another decade.¡±


    My father¡¯s lips tighten. ¡°It would seem he found a way out of the veil earlier than we surmised.¡±


    Terror has my eyes widening. ¡°The Hekate has broken through the Veil?¡±


    Father sighs. ¡°Not the male himself, else, we would not be seated here. We think that he has conjured a way to get his men out. The Grand Mistress deems this possible, since the Void Realm was originally created to contain him. If his men tried getting out hard enough, they would.¡±


    ¡°Why attack the schools first?¡± Rune ask, managing to look both bored and unfazed by the revtions. I wonder if he already knew of this before, and just how much of it he knows. ¡°The schools are hidden and protected. They were created after his containment. There is no way he should even be aware of their existence. I saw the footage. ric walked out of the school himself. No lycan¡¯s aura has a reach strong enough to rip through the magic that defends the schools.¡±


    As much as I hate to admit it, Rune is right. ¡°Perhaps, there is another reason why this has happened.¡±


    My mother¡¯s blue eyes pin me to the chair as she says, ¡°We decided to keep this quiet to avoid panic¨C¡±


    ¡°Keep what quiet?¡±


    ¡°Thend outside the schools have begun to rot.¡±

 Playing With Fire

    Three years ago:


    I clocked eighteen today. Everyone¡¯s dancing. I am too, and Goddess knows I have never been this drunk in my life.


    ¡°Astrid, careful,¡± Thorne says, hands circling my waist when I keel over, nearly falling into my huge birthday cake.


    I giggle, though nothing is particrly funny.


    I lean into him and lick his neck that is slick with sweat from dancing so hard. He groans and I giggle at the sound of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room,¡± Thorne mutters, grip around me tightening.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna¡­¡± My voice trails off into an unintelligible slur and I inch out of his arms when I see another untouched ss of alcohol in the hands of a passing woman. ¡°Give that here,¡± I tell her.


    Thorne swivels, muttering an apology to the woman and he throws me over his shoulder, taking the stairwell that leads to my room.


    It is safe to do so. Father and mother have retired to their chambers and the people left in the hall are too drunk to notice Thorne Nightshade kidnapping their princess.


    Iugh, pping his hard ass as he takes the steps carefully.


    ¡°Stop doing that, princess.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I squeal and squeeze it hard. ¡°It is nice to touch.¡±


    I like to call Thorne conflicted. He wants one thing but asks for the opposite. I know for sure that if my hands wonder below the front of his torso, I will find him hard.


    ¡°I want you, Thorne. Why won¡¯t you share my bed?¡± I ask, suddenly feeling solemn.


    ¡°I love you. I do not merely wish to share your bed.¡±


    He says that everytime and it gets tiring hearing those words over and over again. They are not the words I want to hear right now.


    What I want right now is him. In my bed. On me. In me. I have waited too long and he has taunted me for too long.


    He stops before my room and fumbles with my lock for a bit before pushing it open.


    My breath whooshes out my lungs when he drops me on the bed. I roll over, kicking off my shoes and pulling my hair out of tight bun it has been braided into. ¡°Thorne,¡± I call out, when I hear his footsteps approach the door.


    Ever the decent man. Thorne would rather flee from me than remain in my presence if it means touching me, even if it is so obvious he wants me.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    I begin to pull at thecing of my bodice and he turns away, refusing to look at me. ¡°What if we do not turn out to be mates?¡±


    ¡°You have doubts?¡±


    I pause and push myself off the mattress. My vision blurs slightly and my steps are a tad uncoordinated as I saunter over to where he stands by the door. ¡°Doubts, truths, who cares? You¡¯re already here. Stay with me, Thorne. Don¡¯t run from me again.¡±


    He freezes when my fingers delve into his hair and thread in its wavy softness.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± he whispers, gripping my shoulders. I cannot tell if he wants to push me away or pull me closer.


    I do not wait to find out. I kiss him. Sorta.


    But in the moment that our lips touch, my door opens.


    Not the door to my room. The door to my bathroom opens a little too loudly forfort.


    Startled, I pull back from Thorne and squint at the figure by my bathroom door.


    ¡°Rune? What the hell are you doing in my room?!¡±


    My favourite purple hair towel is in his hand and he wipes his hair with it. ¡°Why, you¡¯rete, Red,¡± he purrs and only then do I realize he isn¡¯t in his matching tux anymore. He is naked, save for my other towel wrapped around his waist.


    What in the three realms¡­


    Thorne shifts ufortably behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ ah¡­ excuse you two.¡±


    I spin swiftly andtch onto his sleeve. ¡°Thorne, wait. I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about. I didn¡¯t ask him to¨C¡±


    Thorne¡¯s grey eyes are raw and vulnerable. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Princess Astrid. You owe me nothing. You do not need to exin yourself to me.¡±


    Shit. He doesn¡¯t believe me. Why doesn¡¯t he believe me? Everyone knows I hate Rune and would rather die than share sexual rtions with him.


    ¡°Thorne, please. He¡¯s doing this on purpose because I sabotaged himst year¨C¡±


    Thorne isn¡¯t listening. He brushes me off and advances out the door, and when I cross the threshold, I can¡¯t find him on either sides of the hallway.


    I turn on the bastard, idiot prince and my now-wet hair towel smacks me in the face with a snidement, ¡°Do all your things smell like jasmine? It is utterly disgusting.¡±


    I snatch the towel from my face and storm over to where Rune stands, picking through my closet. ¡°You!¡±


    Grabbing his arm, I pull him back and shut my closet. ¡°What the fuck was that? Why are you in my room? Why were you in my bathroom! And why in the world are you in my bloody towel!¡±


    He merely reaches around me and pulls my closet door open again. ¡°You told me to meet you here. Like you do the rest of your men.¡±


    I m my hands into his chest, pushing him back. ¡°Don¡¯t you y with me. Why did you do that? Because I ruined your stupid thing with the head cook? You¡¯re so immature! I saved you from getting pummeled by her mate!¡±


    ¡°Saved me? You threw a jar of honey on my pants and set bees loose on me!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get toin! You put a squirrel¡¯s carcass in my dresserst year!¡±


    ¡°You poisoned me!¡±


    ¡°And that too was your fault. You don¡¯t get to ruin my rtionships because I was trying to save you from your poor taste in women and¨C¡±


    Rune rears back like I have stabbed him with a sword. ¡°My poor taste in women?¡±


    He leans in, staring deeply in my eyes as he adds in a low, deadly whisper, ¡°And who would you peg as the right choice for me, Red?¡±


    Red.


    I hate when he calls me that.


    I want to tell him that but his fingers suddenly cup my cheek, pushing my head back so I can look at him. My body jerks from the contact and when I start to move back, I collide with the closet door.


    Shit.


    My heart ms into my ribcage as pure, feline excitement courses through me. Perhaps it is the alcohol, but my wolf is stirring, purring with excitement.


    ¡°You?¡±


    His warm breath that reeks of alcohol tickles my nostrils and somehow, something so little has me trembling with need under his fingertips.


    I shouldn¡¯t have drank so much. I think he¡¯s drunk to. This isn¡¯t right. This should not be happening.


    ¡°Hands off, Rune,¡± I say, but there is little protest in my voice as I get swept by a warm rising ocean.


    His dark eyes drop from my eyes to my lips and a sharp sound escapes him. There, in his eyes, I see a crack. The cold, ruthless demeanor of his cracks and the things I glimpse between those cracks has me melting into his touch.


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t¨C¡±


    Rune¡¯s lips m into mine, knocking the air out of me. My world shatters. I shatter. My knees buckle and I fall.


    I fall into him.


    My back ms into the door of my closet, hard enough to rip the oak door, but I barely feel it. Not as a fervent, urgent need I have never known with any man fills me to the brim.


    His insistent lips part my mouth, filling me with violent tremors as his tongue slides over the roof of my mouth. He presses me harder against the wall and his free hand cups my ass, pulling me against him.


    I hate him. I absolutely hate him.


    But I moan for him, like I never have for anyone else.


    My ws jut in and out at my loss of control, ripping into his back and shoulder as I grip him tightly.


    My fingers find his hair, pulling hard at its silky strands and Rune moans into my mouth, tongue fighting fiercely against mine in a battle I do not wish to lose.


    My free hand slides down his perfectly cut body and I find him hard against me. A gasp escapes me at the sheer size of him.


    I¡¯m ying with fire, I think as I push my towel aside, irritated at the obstruction.


    Rune growls low in his throat when my fingers graze his tip.


    He rips the front of my bodice in half, tearing the corset as well in one clean movement and my breasts pop out.


    He doesn¡¯t stop kissing me to look at them. His hands palm them, feeling them out like he wishes tomit them to memory and it is driving me insane.


    I palm his tip, stroking his tongue softly as I do.


    Rune bucks and growls, ¡°Stop¡­ doing that, Astrid.¡±


    But I don¡¯t listen. Not until he bunches up the skirts of my gown and strokes my heat with his fingers.


    The first stroke has me screaming into his mouth and rocking my hips back and forth, in tandem with his skilled fingers.


    I¡¯m falling apart quicker than I ever have, and I do not wish to fall alone.


    I jerk my fingers around him harder and faster, matching his movements as his fingers begin to pump inside me.


    And when my worldpletely breaks and I am a mess of moans and cum, Rune growls loud enough to rattle the castle, ¡°No.¡±


    Then I feel it, hot against my thighs and down my fingers. He jerks violently before ripping my hand from his member and turning from me quickly, groaning and cussing.


    I stand there with my gown in shred, blinking as I try toprehend what I have done. What we have done.


    I pick the shreds of my gown, covering the upper half of it all the while I tremble with pure terror and panic and it nkets me with weakness.


    Rune turns and his eyes are filled with disdain and unmistakable disgust. At himself or at me, I am not quite sure, but it hurts. It fucking hurts in my chest.


    ¡°What did we¨C¡±


    Rune lunges forward and cups either sides of my cheeks, forcing me to look in his eyes and deeper into his dark pupils that are widening. ¡°You will forget what happened tonight. After I leave, you will go to bed and wake up with no memory of what transpired between us. You tore your gown while trying to take it off because you were drunk.¡±


    I feel him, hismand in my head, my soul. I feel it slipping past the corners of my mind, trying to change and tweak what already is. I fight it, but it is like running into an imprable wall.


    I feel myself sinking and sinking.


    And just like that, it¡¯s gone.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Not the memories. The pressure of Rune¡¯smand.


    I blink and stagger forward in a daze.


    Rune seems to believe hispulsion worked because he leans in and whispers another. ¡°Sleep.¡±


    And I do.

 Barf

    The meeting with both our parents ends up making me feel sick.


    The Hekate has found a way to get his men through the veil, and the rot has begun. Rather than attack the people first like we anticipated, hees for the schools.


    He should not even know the school¡¯s exist. They are hidden deeply, and the only way to get into them is through the portals, two of which exists in my realm and the other in the realm of lycans.


    The gates that lead to these portals are heavily guarded, not even leaving out the fact that the portals can only be opened by the Grand Mistress.


    It¡¯s impossible for the dark army to have gotten past the gates and through the portal.


    And the most aggravating question of them all.


    Why the schools?


    I blow out a breath, threading my fingers in my hair as the harsh smell of nd shampoo fills my nostrils.


    I really miss home.


    I had spoken to my father and mother alone after the meeting and it had gone nowhere. I can still feel my mother¡¯s stern disapproval as I pleaded for them to get me out of here.


    ¡°Father,¡± I had cried, drawing out the word to my father whose heart, though he was male, was softer than my mother¡¯s when it came to me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here. Issue an order and get me back to Wolvendom.¡±


    Father¡¯s eyes had softened and he smiled lightly. ¡°I tried. The moment it was reported, I tried to get you back here, but it is the Goddess¡¯s will. You must follow¨C¡±


    ¡°Will my foot. Everyone hates me. They all want to kill me. I don¡¯t think I¡¯llst another week at this rate!¡± I point to my neck where there are bruises. ¡°This is just from today. Rune tried to kill me!¡±


    My father¡¯s lips twitched and it dawned on me that he thought I had been lying just to get out of Lycan School.


    ¡°Father!¡± I eximed. ¡°This is not a funny matter.¡±


    ¡°Compose yourself, Astrid,¡± my mother says, striking a chord in me that has me straightening immediately and shutting my mouth. ¡°Do you never wonder why the Lycan King Fenrir respects your father so much?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, having heard it so many times. Father smiles, patting my mother¡¯s knee lovingly.


    Barf.


    In a brawl between the Lycan King and my father, father had won, against every odd, fighting solely with his wits, smaller size and fierce determination. Everything that had been deemed a disadvantage, he had used to win against King Fenrir, stunning the realms and making a name for himself.


    ¡°You are your father¡¯s daughter. Do not shame the ckwood pack and name by being a coward. The Goddess would never put you in a ce she didn¡¯t think you could handle. Excel in this one year. Make a good name for yourself or they will never respect you or see past you being a wolf to what you embody. Do you understand?¡±


    I had nodded, unable to meet her stern gaze, while my father hadughed outright at it, earning a frown from mother.


    There are times I wonder how the Moon Goddess mates us. They could not be any more different from each other. Total opposites.


    A knock on my door has me pausing in my shower. I ssh some water on my face to rinse the water out of my eyes before grabbing my towel from the hanger.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    Therees a muffled sound on the other side of my door and I can make out just one word. Darian.


    I cringe and race to the bathroom, throwing on my old clothes¨Cthe only clothes I have here. My camisole and matching leather jacket and pants.


    I pull the door open and crack a grin.


    Darian¡¯s eyesnd on my wet hair first and to the rivulets dropping down to wet my camisole. Then they go all the way down to my bare feet.


    Self conscious, I step on my left foot to hide it. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    His gaze rises to my face again and he blinks, as if remembering himself. He pulls out a tiny yellow pill container. ¡°From the nurse. She says it¡¯ll help the sore throat heal faster.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I say, taking the container from him.


    ¡°Can I¡­e in?¡± Darian says from nowhere, startling me.


    I look back at my room that¡¯s disgraceful and I smile sheepishly. ¡°Nothing to look at here. It¡¯s rather empty.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He asks, looking genuinely curious.


    I shrug, fumbling with the cover of the container. ¡°I didn¡¯t pack heavily. My father assured me that everything I needed would be provided. I¡­ We didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡±


    ¡°You could get the things you need at theplex.¡±


    I blink. ¡°The¡­plex?¡±


    Darian looks at me like I have grown another head. ¡°Complex¨C you haven¡¯t gotten your gadgets yet?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t know where to get them, and no one¡¯s exactly eager to talk to me.¡±


    He leans against the door frame. ¡°Who was your tour guide? I suppose it¡¯s a mistake from her end. Every student¡¯s alloted a certain amount of credits at the beginning of the session to be used at will,¡± he pauses suddenly. ¡°Tell me you have at least seen the Crimson Pool.¡±


    ¡°The what? There¡¯s a pool here?¡± I ask, truly baffled. In the three days I have spent here, my routine¡¯s been simple. Room, cafeteria, ss, cafeteria, ss, room.


    Not necessarily in that order, but I haven¡¯t deviated from it, and thebats have been so grueling that Ie back right before dinner tired out of my mind.


    I¡¯ve never been to the cafeteria for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are a pitiful affair. I either go early enough so no one sees me orte enough that they¡¯re too busy rushing to ss to notice me.


    All I¡¯ve seen are the three floors that houses the ss room area and rooms. I didn¡¯t know there was more. Not that I¡¯ve cared enough to look.


    ¡°You freeter tonight?¡±


    When I don¡¯t reply immediately, he adds swiftly. ¡°To show you around the rest of the school, and get you your gadgets as well as the other stuff you need. Like morefortable pillows.¡±


    He makes a point of inclining his head into my empty room.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    My skin flushes. ¡°Yeah, but the curfew¨C¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t apply to Star students. I¡¯ll get you back by 9. I promise.¡±


    I eye him sceptically, wondering if there¡¯s an ulterior motive to him being nice to me. But his eyes are clear and his smile seems rather friendly. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s up to anything shady, though, I can¡¯t tell yet.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    His smile broadens and I get a glimpse of perfect white teeth with longer, sharp canines. ¡°I¡¯lle get you by dinner.¡±


    I nod shyly. ¡°Later.¡±


    But a few minutes before the bell is rung for dinner, he knocks on my door.


    ¡°Coming!¡± I yell, shoving my feet into my boots. ¡°You said dinner. You¡¯re early.¡±


    However, when I open my door, it isn¡¯t Darian who¡¯s leaning against the door frame.


    It is Rune.


    I m the door in his face.


    Not.


    His foot wedges between the door and its frame and he gives it a push that has me stumbling back and my door mming wide open.


    ¡°Expecting someone else?¡± He coos, stepping into my room with the stupid air of arrogance and ownership he moves around with. He is in an ivory shirt and ck cks with his hands shoved in either of his pockets.


    I whirl, ring at him. ¡°None of your business and¨C get out. I didn¡¯t invite you in.¡±


    He ignores me, sidestepping around me to sit on the edge of my bed. ¡°How¡¯s your throat?¡±


    ¡°Sore, no thanks to you. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Many things, Astrid,¡± he murmurs, looking around my room with disdain. ¡°Have you not been to theplex?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll goter.¡±


    ¡°With the one whose scent is on you, I suppose,¡± he says, nostrils ring.


    I resist the urge to sniff me clothes. Darian¡¯s scent is on me? How? What is it to Rune? Why does he act like this? If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think he had a problem with every guy I choose to hang around.


    ¡°Yes. Darian,¡± I reply, watching his features for anything that might give it away. Whatever he is feeling.


    But his expression is cold and empty as always. Like¡­ a winter painting void ofndscape and people. Just¡­ winter.


    He pulls out something from his pocket and throws it at me. I catch it on impulse and stare at it. It¡¯s some sort of candy. ¡°That¡¯ll work faster than the pill. Consider it an apology. Even if you have done nothing to deserve it¨C¡±


    I hurl it at his head, hoping it hits him hard enough to fracture his stupid pretty skull.


    My hope is dashed when he catches it midair and looks at me with incredulity. ¡°You would decline my favour.¡±


    ¡°Are you just being mean or you¡¯ve always been this stupid? I don¡¯t care about your candy. Get out of my room. I am busy. Take your candy with you. Maybe give it to the blonde. She¡¯ll surely grovel at your feet in appreciation.¡±


    He lets out an exasperated sigh and drops the candy by the bed beside him before standing. ¡°Use it.¡±


    Then he leaves.


    Even I don¡¯t understand what that was for.


    I am about grabbing the candy and throwing it in the trash when I notice something else beside it. A ne.


    The silver ne gleams softly under the light, its surface polished to a mirror-like finish. Its slender chain sparkles with delicate silver links that seem to catch the light and reflect it back in a thousand tiny glimmers. At the center of the chain, a small pendant hangs, a wless silver teardrop that seems to shimmer with a gentle, inner light.


    The pendant is perfectly smooth, with no visible blemishes or imperfections. Its shape is elegant and simple, yet somehow striking in its beauty.


    My throat tightens as I look at it and I hate the constricted feeling in my chest. What is this? A gift? For what? Strangling me?


    I grip both the ne and the candy and throw them out my window.

 Exhausted

    ¡°Come on,¡± Darian says, ushering me to the front of the ¡®special food¡¯ counter. I bite my lip nervously, expecting the lunchdy to haul me off the line again, but her sight is set on Darian who she smiles prettily at.


    ¡°Two tes. The usual,¡± Darian says with a stunning smile that has her fanning herself with the spat.


    Ugh.


    It feels good to have this again. Privilege over others, however temporary it is.


    My stomach growls at the smell of roast chicken and stew. I stare at the tray handed to me and joy has my eyes stinging.


    I never thought I¡¯d taste chicken again.


    The Cafeteria is especially noisy tonight. It¡¯s deafening. The chatter andughter mix together to create a wall of sound that makes it difficult to think. It is packed with students who are gathered around,ughing and chatting with each other. Some of them are taking selfies while others are sharing their food with their friends.


    I feel my face heat up as we walk past. I can feel eyes on me, staring, and some even giggle as we pass by. It¡¯s like I¡¯m a fish out of water in this ce, and everyone knows it.


    Darian leads me further toward a pair of sliding ss doors I never quite noticed before.


    The noise begins to fade away, and I can hear soft whispers and the clinking of silverware against tes. The atmosphere here is different. The students are more refined, and they move with grace and elegance. The area is less crowded, and the tables are arranged in a way that gives more space to each student.


    As mypanion leads me towards a table, I notice that the few students present have paused in their conversations to look at us. Their eyes seem to follow us as we make our way through the room, and I can feel their stares like a weight on my back. They are all dressed impably, some in uniforms, some in designer clothes, but it all screams one thing.


    More star students.


    ¡°What is this ce?¡± I whisper, scared of speaking too loudly. ¡°A cafeteria for star students? This isn¡¯t even fair anymore. You all get the nicest things.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t just get gifted¨C¡±


    Darian is exining but his voice bes a buzz in my head when I sight Rune and his two henchmen by the corner.


    My steps slow, not because of the two lycans by his side.


    No.


    Ginevra is sitting in Rune¡¯sp and they are kissing.


    I¡¯m not sure which is worse. The fact that they are eating each other¡¯s faces so shamelessly or the fact that Rune¡¯s gaze is on me. Those eyes drop to my neck, noting the absence of the gift he had given me, and they darken.


    Heat floods me instantly, following the path in which his eyes trail. Down my neck, down my shirt¡­ I shiver, food tray shaking in my hands.


    ¡°Astrid.¡±


    I blink, looking away from the smooching pair abruptly to find Darian staring between Rune and me.


    His lips tug down into a frown that disappears the next second as his hand on the small of my back pushes me away from Rune¡¯s line of vision.


    ¡°Hey, Dar,¡± a cheerful female voice chirps and I find Star Raven seated with three others who I vaguely recognize frombat sses.


    Her eyes gloss over me but I¡¯m too shaken up to particrly care. I just want to sit down. I fear I¡¯ll fall if I don¡¯t.


    It happens like this every time he pulls an aura on me. I can¡¯t find my bearing. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing or how I¡¯m breathing. It¡¯s like I seize to have control over my body.


    One look from him and my dinner is ruined. My appetite is gone.


    I sit beside Darian on the table but I can hardly concentrate. Not with my eyes wandering back to the table Rune sits at, noting how high up his fingers are on Ginevra¡¯s thigh and the fixed expression of pleasure on her face as he strokes softly.


    I can¡¯t deal.


    But I can¡¯t look away either.


    And I wonder if she notices.


    That the hot look in his eyes are directed somewhere else.


    *****


    Darian and I end up spending one hour on my shopping spree. Theplex has everything. Clothes, shoes, couches, vacuums¨C you name it.


    I picked up my gadgets as well. A cell phone and aptop. Darian exined a little on the whole technology thingie and while I didn¡¯t grasp all of it, I think I understand a little of it.


    The school¡¯s technology is unique, with a limited database and search capabilities. It¡¯s not connected to the outside world, meaning that any electronic devices brought in from the outside won¡¯t be able to ess the inte or connect to any externalworks.


    Not that I have anyone to reach.


    Werewolf School wasn¡¯t built to amodate technology and all these strange stuff. Funny how I¡¯d read every book I could in the castle¡¯s library, trying to glean more of how these things worked against the consent of my tutors.


    Here I am now, actually holding one of these.


    ¡°So¡­ How does one be a Star Student?¡± I ask, twisting my door knob.


    ¡°Best grades all round.¡±


    I drop the bags by my bed and copse on the floor beside them, taking the things out one by one. ¡°That¡¯s it? It¡¯s that easy?¡±


    Darian chuckles, sitting on the ground beside me. ¡°That¡¯s only a requirement for the application.¡±


    ¡°Application?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he grunts, tearing off abel from my new boots. ¡°This was a very strange choice to spend a thousand points on.¡±


    They are shiny. I like shiny things.


    I make a face and take them from him. ¡°What else does it entail?¡±


    Turns out they don¡¯t have to pay for anything. Every student is given a total of two hundred thousand points to start off the session. They can be replenished solely by performing well in test exercises and examinations. They can¡¯t be stolen or transferred. Star students don¡¯t have to pay with their points. Everything they need is at their disposal. Like what the humans call fully funded schrships.


    The points are an odd form of currency, but it excites me. Makes me want to actually try.


    ¡°It¡¯d take a duel with one of us to take our spots,¡± he mutters and cusses under his breath when my new pair of tweezers prick his finger.


    I flush and take it from him. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He only shakes his head and pushes the rest of my things my way, giving up on helping me arrange.


    ¡°There can¡¯t be more than twelve star students?¡±


    He grins. ¡°Twelve¡¯s the magic number.¡±


    Never heard that one before but Iugh, minding whirling with ideas. The gears in my head are shifting to amodate this idea. The possibility of being one of them.


    But it seems farfetched. I can¡¯t beat a lycan in a duel. At least not yet.


    ¡°So, do you and Wilder have something going on?¡±


    I choke on my spit.


    It is an unexpected question and it came from nowhere, tearing at me like a knife.


    ¡°What? Hell no. I¡¯d rather have something with the Hekate than with the stupid prince,¡± I blurt, unable to stop the words from tumbling off my lips.


    For some reason, I need to convince Darian that Rune and I have nothing going on. Even if we truly have nothing going on. He¡¯s not even my type. I like my men¡­ I like my men to be everything Rune isn¡¯t. He is a measure of what I¡¯d stay away from. A measure of everything that is bad for me.


    I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not his type either. He hates my red hair so much, he tried to cut it off. He hates my guts. He hates that I do not swoon like the rest when he shows up. He hates that I don¡¯t drool after him, begging him to take me. I¡¯m sure the list of things hated goes on and on, longer than that.


    We aren¡¯t anything to each other. Never will be. Goddess forbid that anythinges of the both of us.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very strong im to make,¡± Darian says and his golden eyes search mine for signs that I may be bluffing.


    But I¡¯m not.


    So long as the Hekate¡¯s hot, I¡¯d take him anyday over Rune. That¡¯s how much I hate him.


    Darian shrugs, taking his intense gaze off me. ¡°Good to hear. I¡¯d hate for you to end up like the others.¡±


    My ears perk at that and I pause. ¡°What others?¡±


    ¡°Rune tends to rebel against his father in whatever ways he deems possible. It doesn¡¯t matter who gets hurt in the process. He has a duty to the throne, and as such his betrothal was fixed the moment he turned twenty five. To the Princess. Gin. To breed more powerful heirs that¡¯ll aid the fighting force against the¨C¡±


    I could not have heard that correctly. That can¡¯t be right. I¡¯ve known him all my life. I would know if he was betrothed. He turned twenty-five three years ago. Surely, mother would have told me. Or father. Or Aria who seems to have all the news before anyone else does.


    But why would they have?


    I¡¯ve never showed interest when ites to him. I made it clear on more asions than one that I didn¡¯t want to hear his name.


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯m tired. Can we talk tomorrow?¡± I ask Darian as I suddenly feel ill.


    I think I just need to rest. It¡¯s been quite a lot. Today. I¡¯m emotionally drained from all the crying over Orion and trying to keep my shit together. Then Runeing to give me the ne and¡­ everything has my thoughts haywire.


    ¡°Is it what I said?¡±


    I shake my head sharply. ¡°No. I just¡­ it¡¯s been a long day and¡­ thank you for today, Darian. I¡¯m exhausted. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He observes me for a bit before rising to his feet. I rise, following him to the door, but at thest moment, he turns faster than I can follow and kisses my cheek. ¡°Good night.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t wait for my reply before slipping out the door and leaving me gaping like fish out of water.


    Perhaps, Darian was right about ims. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said the thing about Hekate out loud.


    I think he might have heard me.


    Why? Flip the page.

 Hekate鈥檚 Visit

    There is something in my room.


    It reeks of rot and death. The usually clear air is thick and murky, like a swamp I¡¯m trying to wade through. Its aura is pressing down on me from all sides and drawing in a single breath is a struggle.


    ¡°Princess. . .¡± It drawls, and I am frozen in ce, trapped in a nightmare that refuses to let me go. My heart sprints as a shadowy figure that is darkness incarnate draws closer to me, sucking in all light and life into its imprable void.


    Evil in its purest and realest form.


    I want to run, to flee from this creature that should not exist, but my limbs won¡¯t obey me. I can¡¯t shift.. My muscles are tense and rigid, as if they have been held captive by an invisible force.


    Fear has me captive in its cold grip, and it suffocates me.


    ¡°You are a long way from home, Princess Astrid. . .¡± It says, and my blood curdles when I feel its cold breath on my neck. A whimper escaped me when sharp canines brush my neck and a tongue darts out to taste me. Cold sweat breaks on my forehead as I desperately try to move.


    But I can¡¯t. My lips part to scream for help, but a cry escapes me instead. Powerless is what I have be before this malevolent being, and I do nothing but stand and tremble as its ws rip into my forearm, drawing blood.


    The pain jerks me out of my daze and I lunge forward, hurtling for the door because I know there is no way I can defeat that thing.


    My fingers circle around the door knob, but before I can open the door, I am flung back by a force I can¡¯tprehend. I crash into a wall and sound of bones breaking fill the air.


    Stars exploded in my vision and pain has me crying out. I fall to the ground, sobbing and coughing, as the taste of metal and cinnamon fills my mouth. Blood. I think my spine¡¯s broken. It¡¯ll heal, but not before that thing kills me.


    Unhurried footsteps approach me and I squint up to find twin pools of darkness peering down at me. Cold. Its eyes are so cold, I shiver.


    ¡°What are you? What do you want?¡± I whisper, voice strained with pain.


    Its chapped lips lift into a smile that will forever haunt my dreams. ¡°The Hekate. I havee for you.¡±


    It grabs my ankle, ws shredding my skin and I scream as I am suddenly tossed into an even worse kind of darkness.


    ***********


    I jerk awake, panting and drenched in sweat. I stumble out of my bed in a daze, fumbling for the light switch. Bright light fills the room and I suck in sharp breaths as I look around, searching for a possible remnant of that darkness that had felt so real, but my room looks just as scattered as I had left it before falling asleep by the heap of clothes.


    The lock is fine, my windows are shut, nothing¡¯s in my room. It was just a dream. I shiver, hugging myself. I¡¯m fine. Nothing is in my room. Nothing is in here¨C Pain suddenlynces up my arm and I wince, pulling up the sleeve of my dark nightwear. I start to tremble when I notice w marks on my forearm. Oh Goddess. No. Please no. I stagger forward, leaning against the wooden frame of my bed as I bring up my ankle to rest atop my kneecap.


    The skin around my ankle is red and angry with welts and sharp tears. I p my hand on my lips to keep from screaming. What is this? I can still feel his breath on my neck, his hands on my skin. I shiver again and start to peel off my newly acquired night dress. I think of a thousand exnations for my dream and the marks of my skin as I do. Ie up with nothing.


    And as I start to walk to the bathroom, I note something in peripheral that causes me to stop. Darian and I picked up a potted ntst night. It was a beautiful thing that had caught my eyes and refused to let go.


    Now, I look at it and there is no life left in it. The cluster of wildflowers and their delicate colorful petals have withered and turned a sickly brown colour. The leaves that were once a vibrant green have lost their luster, drooping and curling in on themselves as if they can no longer bear the weight of the flowers. The petals, once so delicate and colorful, now look as if they have been drained of their life force, clinging to the wilted stems like a desperate cry for help.


    It¡¯s stench has the content of my stomach turning to stone. Rot. It smells like rot. **********


    Another body was found this morning. A female this time. It isn¡¯t a new intake today. It¡¯s a Star Student. For the colour Green. I believe her name is Ashley.


    It¡¯s the same story. She was seen simply walking out the door and into the void beyond.


    What has us in a daze is the fact that her body was found not off the grounds of the the school but by the double exit doors. Like it was a ¡®fuck you¡¯ message from the Hekate.


    A pile of bones and ck rotting skin.


    That could have been me.


    I miss a step in my sprint and m into something¨C someone.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, plucking the weirdlyfortable earbuds from my ears. It is strange, listening to music that is sting directly into my ears when no one else can hear it. I can barely hear anything else and it makes good for sprints.


    ¡°Watch it, wolf.¡±


    I¡¯m really not in the mood for this racist shit today. I turn to find Ginevra sneering down at me. Her eyes are red rimmed. She must have been crying. I hear she and Ashley were best friends.


    That doesn¡¯t give her a reason to be a bitch though.


    ¡°What is your problem?¡± I ask her, stepping closer to her. She is naturally taller than me¨Call lycans are. Her strawberry blonde hair sticks to her sweaty skin and I think it isn¡¯t fair that it makes her look hotter.


    Her beautifully defined curving eyebrows furrow and the air of arrogance about her fuels my irritation as she says, ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re speaking to?¡±


    I don¡¯t back down, even if she¡¯s releasing enough aura to have my legs shaking. The upants of the hall have begun to notice the tension between us and they are watching, even if they are pretending to be focused on their routines. ¡°I already apologized to you. Don¡¯t bitch on me for no reason. You have a problem with me, just say so.¡±


    Her light blue eyes darken and in the blink of an eye, dark veins appear on either side of her cheeks, spreading slightly. ¡°Repeat that again and you¡¯ll lose your pretty teeth. I¡¯m sure you pups have little use for it anyway.¡±


    I am startled by the sudden shift, but I am angrier. Perhaps this is the wrong time, but my mother¡¯s words suddenly ring in my head, overriding the fear in my head. She¡¯ll keep insulting me and treating me like dirt if I do not make a name for myself.


    ¡°Just try,¡± I hiss, eyes darting left and right, in search of exit doors and I can run toward in case she gets it into her head to skewer me.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    She lunges for me, faster than I can follow and I have only enough time to escape getting sliced across my cheek. Stunned, I stumble backward, panting. ¡°What are you? Insane?!¡±


    ¡°Take your stance,¡± she says, shifting into an offensive pose.


    Take my stance? What does that even mean?


    A crowd has started to form around us and rather than speak sense into her, they are taking pictures. Excited shouts begin to rise in the hall and everyone starts to talk at once, crowding me and Ginevra into a circle.


    ¡°Fifty thousand bet points on five minutes!¡±


    ¡°Star Gin!¡± They start to chant.


    ¡°Shit. The stats are rising! Are you seeing this? A hundred thousand!¡±


    The sound of notification chimes fill the air. Ites from my phone too. Curiousity piqued, I pull up my phone and watch as messages flood the screen.


    I tap on one of them and it takes me to a page. It¡¯s a little hard to understand what¡¯s written on the page. There are a lot of numbers andments keep popping up and going under.


    It takes a moment to understand what I¡¯m looking at and when I finally understand it, my jaw ckens. It¡¯s a bet poll with different time slots alloted to me and Ginevra.


    It would seem my little statement, ¡°Just try¡±, has been misinterpreted. I have unwittingly challenged Ginevra to a duel and the entire school¡¯s betting on how long it¡¯ll take to get my as handed to me.


    Great. Just great.

 Lost

    Did I get beat up?


    Hell yeah.


    She moves too fast for me to follow, it is like trying to catch the wind. Or maybe run faster than my shadow. With every hit shends on me, the crowd cheers louder and louder, and the bet points rise higher and higher.


    I barely dodge a punch when anothernds in my belly. I don¡¯t feel pain. I be one with pain.


    She doesn¡¯t stop hitting me, expecting me to yield to her. I can¡¯t have her beat me to a pulp and still beg for mercy. Double jeopardy. Goddess forbid it. All I think of as she hits me is how to pay her back in kind.


    When I am curled up against the wall with my hands shielding my face from her, a voice cuts through the shouts of excitement. ¡°Enough!¡±


    I crack an eye open and see Rune cutting through the crowd. I have never been happier to see him.


    ¡°What is this?¡± He asks and Ginevra turns away from me to face him, giving me enough space to breathe. My ribs ache. Goddess. This really isn¡¯t my week.


    ¡°She challenged me to a duel-¡±


    ¡°You could have refused. She is new here and she doesn¡¯t know the rules.¡±


    I blink. The entire hall is stunned into silence like I am, staring at Rune with utter disbelief. Did I hear wrongly or is Rune taking my side?


    ¡°She disrespected me,¡± Ginevra says angrily but I can hear the falter in her proud tone; the slight quiver to her voice.


    Rune¡¯s eyes remain cold and unyielding. ¡°And you have punished her by lowering yourself to her level. We lead by example. This isn¡¯t you, Gin. Help her up. Now.¡±


    Ginevra¡¯s fists clench by her sides but she says nothing to him. She walks to where I sit on the ground and extends an arm to me. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. Are you hurt?¡±


    Her voice is oddly soft and tender like a luby. A great contradiction to the undercurrent of menace and hatred I can feel rolling off her. Each word drips with syrupy sweetness that conceals the darkness her eyes do not hide. Warning gs are waved in my head and I jerk out of her reach before her hands can touch me.


    Am I hurt?


    Ask your damn fists, bitch.


    But Ginevra catches my sleeve and pulls me up with a gentility that screams, ¡°Danger.¡±


    ¡°Take down the videos or your phones will be confiscated.¡± Rune¡¯s voice is hard; harsh andes out inyers, instilling fear in students. Thumbs fly, hitting against screens and the crowd start to disperse, having had their show cancelled.


    Ginevra suddenly pulls me in and her breath is hot against my ear as she whispers, ¡°I know he was in your roomst night. I can smell him on you. I see the way you look at him. Stay the fuck away from Rune. He is already taken. I will be his Erasthai. A pup like you cannot begin toprehend what that means. Know your ce or you will have me to contend with. Stay away from Rune.¡±


    I pull back and a sweet smile is on her thin lips, going all the way to her eyes and she tucks my hair behind my ear. ¡°Doe by my roomter. I should have a bit of salve somewhere-for the bruises.¡±


    Reeling from her words and the emotions cloistering within me, I yank my arm from her grip, hiding my wince when she touches the wound on my forearm. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in him. If I was, rest assured, I¡¯d already have him.¡±


    A grim expression flickers across her face and I walk away from her, hiding my limp-I have been doing a lot of that recently-and for a split second as I walk past Rune, our eyes meet.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± he starts and I hate the neutrality in his tone.


    ¡°Put a leash on your mate,¡± I snap before walking away.


    ************


    I trace idle lines on the desk as I await the teacher. My eyes are glued to the table and my face is hidden under a fancy hat. I would look great if I didn¡¯t have a ring ck eye from today¡¯s beating.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The ss is noisier than usual and the unendingughter of my ssmates are loud enough to disrupt the music sting through my earbuds.


    I give them a quick nce and I soon realize why when I see a timid female trying and failing to get past the middle aisle. Tall, lean, doe eyes, thin lips that are pressed into a shaky line, hands crossed over her chest as she holds the straps of her bag tightly. I have seen her in ss a couple of times.


    ¡°Let me through,¡± she pleads in a tiny voice that reminds me of squeaking mice and the boysugh.


    ¡°Show us some more of that pie, Maya,¡± burly Ethan barks and his entire group burst intoughter. The girl, Maya, tries to make her way past them but someone sticks out his leg and she lets out a sharp cry as she falls to the ground.


    I force myself to look away. I already have so many people out to get me. I don¡¯t need Ethan and his crooks gunning for me in ss as well.


    It goes on for minutes and increasing the volume of the music does little to nothing to help. I track the time, trying to drown out the cries of the female like the rest of the ss is, but I am not wired that way. Words, I can look away from, but physical abuse, I can¡¯t.


    Fifteen more minutes to the start of the period and Ethan hasn¡¯t stopped teasing her. I lurch out of my seat when he reaches for her behind and pinches it hard.


    ¡°Leave her alone.¡±


    Ethan turns to me and his lips rise into a sneer. ¡°The wolf cunt has something to say?¡±


    I scoff. Wolf bitch? How original, I think as I walk down the aisle, kicking at their boots roughly until the path is clear and they all look like they are going to kill me right now. I don¡¯t stop walking until I am in front of Maya.


    Without taking my eyes of her, I bury the pointed heel of my boot in his toe. ¡°Call me cunt again and I¡¯ll stick it down your throat next.¡±


    He yelps, face red with pain and I all but grab Maya¡¯s hand and pull her down the aisle with me until I reach my seat.


    ¡°Thank you for standing up for me. No one else would have.¡± She gets into the seat beside me, dropping her cell phone, tablet and a couple of old hard cover notes with stickers decorating the surface on the table in front of her.


    I shrug. ¡°It was nothing. No one should touch you that way.¡± I murmur and raise the earbuds to block my ears again, but she stops me with words tumbling off her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s been like this for years now. In tenth grade, I had a boyfriend and I pretty much sent him my nudes with a caption, ¡®want some of this pie¡¯. He distributed it to the whole school and I have had to go through this every day. Being called pie and-¡±


    On and on, she talks, giving me a crash course of what her life has been like so far and somehow shifts through topics like she is shifting screens. Even when Mistress Zaraes into the ss to teach, she still doesn¡¯t stop talking.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking too much, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯m sorry. I have not had a friend to speak to in forever and my lips tend to get loose when I¡¯m nervous and with people I admire. . .¡±


    I lift an eyebrow. ¡°People you admire? I am one of them?¡±


    She nods. ¡°Everyone knows you. The Princess of Wolvendom. I admire your strength and resilience. You don¡¯t stop fighting, not even after you¡¯ve been put down. I wish to have your strength and courage. I wish I could speak as boldly as you do. I wish to be heard.¡±


    I do not tell her that my resilience has stemmed up from my need to be heard as well. I do not tell her that I have no strength in this ce. I do not tell her that I am one more ck eye away from running away from this school and damning my reputation to hell. I do not say that with every second I spend surrounded by these lycans, I lose sense of who I am; who I am meant to be.


    It feels like I am being pushed around by unseeing hands and my life is being navigated by aplete stranger.


    I looked at the mirror this morning and saw nothing of Princess Astrid ckwood.


    All I saw was a lost woman with tired eyes and fading bruises covering them.


    I do not know what the Goddess¡¯s n is for me in this ce, but a year seems like a damn long time to hold out for. I can¡¯t even get through the first week. I have been beaten, bullied, insulted, cussed at and neglected. I have no idea of what strength she speaks of.


    A loud chime cleaves the air and I groan, closing my ears as the speakers in the halls re. I don¡¯t think I will ever get used to those things.


    ¡°After the second period, all students must assemble in the Lycan King¡¯s Hall.¡±


    We all exchange worried looks and Maya whispers as Mistress Zara goes back to drawing family trees on the board. ¡°You think they are finally going to address the deaths?¡±


    My hand drifts to the injury on my forearm and even if it is covered with my ck long sleeve, I wrap my arm softly around the wound. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

 Interschool Games

    The Lycan King¡¯s Hall is super packed today and it has me wondering if only half of the school¡¯s poption attended the first assembly. As I-we arrive, myself and Maya-yes, she won¡¯t leave my side-there is little room to move about so we opt for remaining in the back of the hall, since our attempt to squeeze in closer to the front of the line has everyone shoving us and elbows jutting into our ribs.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Everyone chats nervously and they all think the assembly is to address the matter of the deaths.


    I am itching to hear what will be said, especially since I got a visit from yours truly. Thinking about it causes goosebumps to raid my skin and I shudder, rubbing lightly on the wound.


    ¡°Students.¡±


    A hush falls over the growing crowd and I stand on my toes to try get a view of the podium and the Chancellor. I catch a glimpse of him ascending the tform stairs with a couple of teacher, as well as regally dressed people I do not recognize.


    He takes the center of the stage and his voice carries well over the crowd as he says grimly, ¡°It is with a heavy heart that I address you today. We have lost two of our own. Their tragic and untimely deaths have shaken this school and our realm beyond. I wish to express my deepest sympathies to their families, friends and loved ones. We shall observe a minute of silence to pray for the dead¡¯s safe passage to the Goddess¡¯s embrace.¡±


    My eyes flutter close and an ethereal silence takes over the hall. I murmur the prayers with the crowd, ¡°May the moon guide your souls to rest, and the stars light your path to our mother¡¯s embrace.¡±


    ¡°We have begun thorough investigations,¡± Chancellor Vesper begins after the minute is due. ¡°Appropriate actions will be taken to ensure we do not lose anymore. Curfew will begin by nine, pending the results of the investigations.¡±


    Anxious voices swell in the hall as my peers express their displeasure. I lean back on my heel, wondering how the curfew is going to help against an enemy that doesn¡¯t need keys to get through locks. I am trying my best to push it out of my mind that he was in my roomst night.


    I fear thinking more and more about it will make it as real as the wound it left on my forearm.


    If it truly had been the Hekate, then a curfew isn¡¯t what we need. Perhaps an evacuation.


    But then, if it had been him-if he had truly been in my roomst night, why am I still alive?


    ¡°We will receive more sentinels by the week¡¯s end, all of which will be positioned at every nook and cranny of the school. While these are measures taken to ensure your safety, you must all also be keen on your safety as well. Should you notice or experience something strange and out of the ordinary, report it to the nearest sentinel to you.¡±


    I bite the inside of my cheek. Shall I speak to him of my dream then? No. He won¡¯t believe me or take it seriously. I blow out a breath.


    ¡°On a much lighter note, there is an important announcement to make,¡± Chancellor Vesper says and he inclines his head towards the back of the podium with a slight bow of deference. ¡°As you all know, every four years, The Interschool Games are held. . .¡±


    The noise swells up another notch and even Maya is squealing with excitement like we weren¡¯t just praying for the death a minute ago. ¡°Ipletely forgot all about that. It¡¯s been four years-I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    I look around with confusion as I see the excitement on everyone¡¯s face. ¡°What. . . is this about?¡±


    Maya looks at me funny. ¡°You are princess and you have not heard of the Interschool Games?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°My interest was invested in other things of great importance,¡± I pause. Great importance? Like fine men and drinks and I miss everything. ¡°You gonna tell me or not?¡±


    But before she can speak, my gaze is drawn to the tform and I scowl when I see Rune standing on it. He isn¡¯t dressed in uniforms or casual clothing. He is in court attire and my eyes rise to the crown ced askew on his white hair. Royal attire for royal announcements. Cute.


    Maya sighs wistfully beside me. ¡°He is a dream. Too bad he¡¯s taken.¡±


    I say nothing, instead folding my arms and watch him unroll a golden scroll. I suppose. . . he does look nice in the blue tailored coat. It clings to him like second skin and I stare at the ripples in his arms as he does quick work with the scroll.


    ¡°In a fortnight, the Interschool Games willmence with our sister school, Werewolf Academy, gracing these grounds. By the order of my father, King of this realm, and the blessings of the Moon Goddess, the stadium will be reopened-¡±


    Joyous shouts and screams fill the air and I find the excitement rubbing off on me. Their shouts cover most of what Rune is saying and by the time he is audible again, he is already ending his talk. ¡°The Games aren¡¯t only about winning, but about sportsmanship, honor and unity. Should you wish to participate, do meet any of your tutors to get enrolled. Goddess bless you all.¡±


    As one, the hall bows to Rune as he walks off the stage in that swagger I finding absolutely arrogant and annoying. The soft thud of his elegant suede blue boots are the only sound that can be heard in the hall and I watch him, back straight as ramrod. Not my prince. I do not have to bow.


    You don¡¯t have to keep looking at his ass either, Sloan whispers within me and I look away from Rune¡¯s ass abruptly, feeling all shades of weird for checking it out.


    He really isn¡¯t my type.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting enrolled?¡± I ask Maya as we walk back to ss and I watch lycans run about, swarming any tutor they can see to get enrolled.


    ¡°Oh. No. I¡¯d rather watch. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d qualify to represent anyway. They ept only the best and I do not want to lose my front teeth or my legs. The games get pretty brutal for those who do not yield at the end of it.¡±


    Something suddenly urs to me and I jerk to a stop. ¡°Will the Lycan King and Queen attend?¡±


    Maya nods. ¡°Yes. The Royals host the event.¡±


    My insides get tangled in knots of excitement. ¡°It is Interschool. Will my parents be there as well?¡±


    A contemtive look crosses Maya¡¯s face. ¡°Perhaps. I have never attended before, so I cannot say for sure. Maybe the Chancellor can tell you-¡±


    I grin. Of course. The Chancellor. ¡°I¡¯ll. . . ah. . . see you in ss!¡± I shout as I run back to the hall where Ist saw the Chancellor. If I am right about this, then I can go back home with mother and father. They would need to cross the portals toe here. I can go back home with them, see my friends again-live my life again. See Thorne again.


    I spot Darian talking to a couple of students as I walk into the hall. His eyes shifts in my direction the moment I sight him and there is an instant softness to them that makes my insides turn to jelly¨Cno. I shake my head. Focus.


    My gaze is drawn to Chancellor Vesper¡¯s white coat. He is still on the podium, talking to the men and women dressed in luscious robes. Rune is among them as well. Their faces are tight with intensity and the dark looks they have about them is a far cry from the smiles they had on their faces a while ago.


    Anxiety has me slowing in my steps. Would it be wrong to interrupt their meeting? A week ago, my answer would be no. As princess, I did not need to worry about stopping or interrupting gatherings. My presence would be enough to put a pause on things.


    Here, however, I am just Astrid and I doubt he¡¯ll stop his meeting for me.


    Best to wait it out then.


    ¡°Princess,¡± Darian says in greeting and his smooth, velvety voice is a lover¡¯s whisper against my ears. Hell. I¡¯m trying to not think of what his lips had felt like against my cheek yesterday. Hot. Soft and gentle, yet firm and purposeful. The touch was intimate, yet respectful, leaving me with a lingering feeling that reminded me too much of Thorne. It had sent a shiver down my spine and just as quickly, I had shut the thought out of my head.


    Now, though. . .


    ¡°You¡¯re rocking the one-eyed pirate look,¡± he says, drawing an invisible circle in the space before his eyes.


    ¡°Ha ha. Very funny,¡± I scowl.


    ¡°I do hope you got a few punches in at least.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Heughs, taking up the space beside me. ¡°I heard about it muchter. I would have stopped it if I was present.¡±


    He is watching me-I know with my peripheral vision, even if I am looking straight ahead. His gaze singes me and I nce sideways, meeting his eyes. ¡°I can look after myself, Darian.¡±


    ¡°Not here. It is hard enough for first year lycans. You¡¯re a wolf. It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    ¡°I can look after myself,¡± I say again, holding his stare. ¡°You do not need to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I care about you, Astrid. I do not like seeing you go through these-¡±


    ¡°I am not a princess in distress, Darian. I appreciate your concerns and-¡± Chancellor Vesper is walking off the podium with Rune. ¡°I need to go. Some other time.¡±


    ¡°Astrid-¡±


    ¡°Later, Darian!¡±


    I sprint, crossing the space in record time. The Chancellor¡¯s expression closes off when he sees me. ¡°ckwood.¡±


    ¡°Chancellor Vesper-I need to talk to you. About the Games.¡±


    He waves me off. ¡°There is no need to register. You are already enrolled.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to know if the portal¨Cwait. What?!¡± I look between the Chancellor and Rune. ¡°What do you mean I have been enrolled? I never said I wanted to. I do not wish to particpate.¡±


    Rune¡¯s answering grin is nothing short of evil as he purrs, ¡°Do to our royal status, there are events we cannot shy away from. The Interschool Game is one of them. It is required of all royals enrolled in the schools to participate.

 The Pool

    ¡°To bring them here, the portal would need to be opened, and for them to leave, the portal would also need to be opened. Can I leave with them?¡±


    ¡°You may, if the portal lets you through,¡± Chancellor Vesper says, taking quick strides that I can¡¯t keep up with. ¡°I¡¯d advice you not to count on it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If it brought you here in the first ce, then it will not take you anywhere else.¡±


    Rune left a couple of seconds ago to attend to royal matters, he had said. His shitty grin remains in my head through, and it absolutely annoying.


    ¡°Why host the games now? It is horrible timing,¡± I mutter under my breath but I can tell that Chancellor Vesper hears me when his shoulders tighten slightly.


    I brace myself for a harsh rebuke but instead, he stops in front of his door and cocks his head as he observes me. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Is he being serious?


    I pull at the hem of my blouse nervously as I say, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    His dark eyes skim over me. ¡°Think out the box, ckwood. For a royal, you are rather slow. Once you have figured it out, find Rune and visit my office together.¡±


    ¡°Why-Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°The schools receive the attacks simultaneously, and they are not random. Each student that has been killed has ties to the royal family. Ties to you and the prince.¡±


    My stomach lurches with fear and it spreads through out my body, crippling me. ¡°What do you mean simultaneously? Did-¡± I don¡¯t want to ask the question. I don¡¯t want to know.


    But I have to know. I rip the question from my throat forcefully. ¡°Did someone die again at the Academy?¡±


    His expression is solemn and serious-even more so than usual and I instantly know the answer to my question. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Tara Nightshade.¡±


    Oh Goddess. Thorne¡¯s sister? Two years older than me. We were well acquainted, mostly because of her father¡¯s ce in our pack, but she didn¡¯t like me much. She believed Thorne was too good for me and went as far as warning me severally to stay away from her brother unless I was ready for something serious with him.


    There I had been, picking a fight with Ginevra. It hadn¡¯t even ured to me to ask¡­


    Tears sting my eyes and I clutch at the top button of my shirt, undoing it. I can¡¯t breathe.


    Goddess¡­ Thorne. How is he doing? I need to talk to him. ¡°Why is this happening?¡± I sob, unable to hold back. ¡°Can I-Can I speak to Thorne? Anyone?¡±


    ¡°You know the rules-¡±


    ¡°To hell with them! My friends are dying! My pack is dying. I don¡¯t know who I¡¯m going to lose next. Shall I seat and wait till the year ends and they are all dead?! Had it been Rune who asked you this, would you have turned him away and told him to wait?¡±


    His lips are drawn now and his jaw clenches. ¡°The rules are in ce for a reason. The slightest ripple in the portal due to externalmunications can give away the school¡¯s location to-¡±


    ¡°He already knows where the schools are. Hell, he¡¯s hunting us down-¡±


    ¡°You speak like an infant. Shall I put the rest of the school in danger to fulfil your needs? You ask if I would treat the prince the same way. No. I wouldn¡¯t, because he knows and would never make a request that could jeopardize the safety of his people.¡±


    His voice is hard andmanding, and I flinch, blinking and taking steps away from him as he continues pummelling me with his words. ¡°You are selfish in all of your demands and do not think before you speak. Thus, I will indulge you no longer,¡± he says and turns his back on me, cing his hand against the door of his office.


    ¡°He was in my room,¡± I whisper.


    Chancellor Vesper still and slowly, he turns to me. ¡°He?¡±


    My voice drops into a low whisper and I look left and right before saying, ¡°Hekate. He was in my roomst night.¡±


    His gaze stills on me and for several seconds, he says nothing. He just stares and stares.


    ¡°Ch-¡±


    ¡°That is a very serious im, ckwood, and I will hear no more of it. Return to your lectures.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t believe me. I knew he would not. Thoughts cross my mind like showing him the injury on my forearm but I¡¯m covered in bruises from earlier and he¡¯ll likely say I¡¯m telling another lie. ¡°I¡¯m not-¡±


    The door pushes back from the wall and he disappears behind the huge door.


    Bummer. What do I have to do to get him to hear me out? How do I speak to Thorne? How is he? How do I console him? This is shitty. This entire scenario.


    *********


    ¡°Astrid?¡± Maya calls out, knocking on my door and I pull out my pen from my mouth.


    I close my notepad-I originally got it for studying, but I¡¯ve gone human detective mode, jotting down the names of the dead and attempting to connect the missing dots.


    ric. Orion. Ashley. Tara. The doors. The Hekate¡¯s lore and why he could possibly target us. Perhaps he seeks to obliterate us first before taking out the other realms. After all, we all are descendants of the people who have contributed to his curse.


    *I havee for you*


    Shivers race down my spine and I shake them off violently.


    Maya knocks again and I shuffle into my flip-flops. ¡°Coming.¡±


    I pull the door open and Maya grins, standing by my door with her body wrapped up in a bathing robe. My eyes dart left and right as I stare at her incredulously. ¡°You walked all the way here¡­ in that?¡±


    She shrugs and tugs at the robe¡¯s rope. It reveals a set of swimming clothes underneath. ¡°It¡¯s Wednesday. The water¡¯s amazing on Wednesdays.¡±


    My eyebrow quirks up. ¡°And you know this on your fourth day of school?¡±


    Sheughs, braces gleaming in the light. ¡°My older brother told me all about it.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to swim, Maya. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    She peeks into my room and sights my journal on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re studying?¡±


    ¡°Yes-No. I¡¯m just not in the mood.¡±


    Her thin lips pucker and my heart stops when she makes a doe eye at me. Maya is really pretty. All female lycans are naturally attractive looking. I try not to notice how odd I look walking down the hallways everyday. Maya looks like them and her doe eyes are getting to me. ¡°It¡¯s the first thing on my bucket list, but I don¡¯t want to go alone. I¡¯m scared I¡¯ll get picked on.¡±


    ¡°You think my being there will make a difference?¡±


    She nods, hope filling her eyes. What the heck¡­ I¡¯m actually starting to consider it. I¡¯m the wolf. I¡¯m not sure how I can avoid her getting picked on by lycans but I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. Plus, I do need to unwind. It¡¯s been a long day.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Give me a minute.¡±


    ***********


    Seems like Maya is right about the water being nice on Wednesdays. I can¡¯t tell just yet. I haven¡¯t gotten into the pool yet.


    It¡¯s that¡­ the pool area is packed. Water sshes on my legs and hands as a couple of girls squeal and jump into the water that¡¯s big enough to house everyone.


    Everyone¡¯s in the water or at least have some part of their body in it. A few are doingps and a few are taking advantage of the moment to get in a few smooches and intense groping. Some are just sshing in the water and tossing it in theirpanion¡¯s faces while the sound of theirughter rings out.


    There¡¯s a reserved part of the pool that isn¡¯t so pack and I nudge Maya in that direction, wanting to avoid most of the crowd.


    She suddenly pulls my arm, jerking me to a stop. ¡°No. That area is for the star students! We can¡¯t go there unless they invite us over-which technically never happens-¡±


    ¡°Hey, princess.¡±


    I turn slightly and there¡¯s Darian. Again. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think he was stalking me. His dark hair is let down and-oh. They tumble down his bare chest. I feel my skin flush at the sight of tanned skin and the gorgeous definition of his abs and muscles.


    It doesn¡¯t make it any better that he is wet. I swallow as thoughts assault me. This isn¡¯t good for me. This really isn¡¯t good. My heartbeat has spiked and I¡¯ve grown terribly hot like a mate in heat.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess,¡± Maya exims, brown eyes ogling Darian, and I am so d I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s feeling hotter than normal.


    His golden eyes spark with mischief when he catches me staring at the hair disappearing beneath the pants that hide the rest of him and I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to look away. Focus, Astrid. Focus!


    ¡°This¡­ this is Maya,¡± I say, grabbing her arm before she can slip off the edge of the pool from staring too long at him. ¡°My friend.¡±


    Darian smiles and I swear, I hear sighs behind us. I look back, just to be sure and a lot of girls are staring at us. Him. Can¡¯t me them. He¡¯s a walking catastro-


    Those thoughts die in my head when silver hair breaks the surface of the pool towards the shimmering edge.


    Talk about walking catastrophies. Rune¡¯s hair is stered to his head and as more of himes out of the water, the harder my heart lurches into my ribcage.


    His body is perfect. I mean, I¡¯ve always known that but¡­ bloody hell.


    The slick muscles on his shoulders bunch up as he ces either of his arms on the edge of the pool and pushes up. As he emerges from the water, droplets cling to his pale chest and abs, glistening in the faint light. The way his muscles flex and ripple with each movement sends shivers down my spine. I can¡¯t help but stare at his broad shoulders, toned arms, and strong thighs, mesmerized by the way he moves with such effortless grace.


    I start to imagine what it¡¯d feel like to be held by them and I can almost feel them tightening around me the same way they did three years ago against the door of my closet.


    His hand rises to brush back his hair from his face and like he knows where I am, his gaze drifts to where I stand, shing with mine.


    The world empties out.


    His eyes darken a fraction, dropping to the trunks I wear that hug every inch of my body. They grace the swell of my breasts that look fuller than normal and drop to the intense dip of my waist, before drifting further to the re of my hips.


    A rush of heat courses through me, spreading throughout my body and causing sinful tingles between my thighs.


    Down they go to my long legs, leaving a trail of fire where they touch and up they rise to my face. His nostrils re and he looks away from me sharply, breaking the geass he has ced on me.

 Jealous

    I takeps beside Darian, trying so hard not to look left.


    He is there. Ginevra is there. They sure are doing something because I can hear Ginevra moaning all the way over here.


    The sounds make the fine hair on my skin rise and it doesn¡¯t matter how nice and cool the water is. I keep feeling hot all over, also in ces I cannot describe.


    ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± Darian asks while I seat on the ted edge of the pool, kicking at the water that has taken on a beautiful blue hue.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, suddenly feeling parched.


    Darian asks Maya as well but I can hardly hear anything past Ginevra¡¯s girly giggle and the sharp sigh that leaves her lips when Rune¡¯s fingers caress her inner thigh.


    A sharp sigh leaves my lips and I catch myself biting on my lower lip, nearly wishing I were in her ce.


    What is wrong with me? I grip my fists hard enough to hurt, forcing my gaze elsewhere.


    ¡°This is awkward,¡± Maya whispers, sliding closer to me and usurping Darian¡¯s space. At this rate, I really don¡¯t mind. I just want someone to speak to me and take my mind off the nonsense going on in front of me. Seeing Ginevra¡¯s look of pure ecstasy is doing things to me and I hate it.


    I hate the fact that I know what it feels like to be in that ce. I hate that I know how Rune¡¯s fingers feel against my inner thigh. I hate that he knows what I look like when I moan. I wonder if my eyes rolled back the same way Ginevra¡¯s has. I wonder if he moans for her the way he did me.


    I shouldn¡¯t havee to the pool tonight. I hate it all.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I whisper, rubbing the length of my arm and finger the delicate healed skin on my forearm.


    ¡°So¡­ you like Darian?¡± Maya asks.


    I make a face. ¡°I¡¯ve only known his for a couple of days. He¡¯s charming and really cute, but no.¡±


    Her eyes widen slightly and then narrow. ¡°I find that very hard to believe. It¡¯s obvious he likes you. He¡¯s startedying ims on you.¡±


    I pause in confusion. ¡°Laying ims, how?¡± I have been extra careful with Darian, especially since I know lycan traditions differ from ours. The smallest actions could send a message and tip them off in the wrong direction.


    ¡°He left his spot with Star Raven toe say hello and he¡¯s stuck by your side since then.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything-and how did you even notice that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a super power of mine,¡± she grins, kicking at the water and brushing loose strands of her hair back. ¡°You don¡¯t talk much.¡±


    I grip the cool te, reveling in the contrast it gives against my spiking temperature. ¡°It¡¯s just been an exhausting day and-¡± There¡¯s that rich, deeply masculineughtering from Rune and my ws suddenly jut out.


    The te gives under my hand and snaps in two as easily as twigs would.


    I hiss at the sudden sting in my palm and when I upturn it to take a look, there¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Oh my, are you alright?¡± Maya¡¯s voice rises and carries well, causing a lot of eyes to turn in our direction.


    I hide my palm in myp to hide the evidence of my jealousy. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a small cut. Already healing.¡±


    My eyes meets Rune¡¯s briefly and I can tell that he knows from the slight tilt to his lips. He knows why I¡¯ve cut my palm, even if it¡¯s by mistake. He knows how I feel. He only needs to look at me once and peer into my soul


    It is one of the reason why I hate him, and he hates me in turn.


    Because we know each other way more than we know ourselves and we see things no one else does. Ites with a sort of weakness; a vulnerability that none of us are willing to ept.


    So we fight it. Again and again. Even if we aren¡¯t exactly sure why we are fighting.


    Darian arrives in a few minutes, holding two wine sses in his hands. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything without the spikes. Be careful while drinking that. It packs quite the punch.¡±


    I raise my ss, feeling perky again. Or maybe it¡¯s my need to smile to let Rune see that licking Ginevra¡¯s neck isn¡¯t affecting me. ¡°Oh, I can handle it,¡± I announce proudly, raising the ss to my lips.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ slow down, Astrid. This isn¡¯t regr human alcohol. It¡¯s been mixed for specifically for us since it¡¯s normally hard to get tipsy,¡± Darian is saying but I have nearly emptied the ss. I have never tasted anything this sweet before. It goes down my throat smoothly, untangling the knots of anxiety and frustration in my belly.


    The more I drink from it, the lighter I feel. My eyes flutter close as I savour the taste of it. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it is exquisite.


    I empty the ss and wipe my chin, giggling. I look around in awe. Everything looks so much brighter and the colours are sharper, more alluring. The ceilings, the floors, the water, Darian¡¯s eyes¡­ everything is pretty¡­ and blurry.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Astrid?¡±


    I squint up and I giggle when I find two Darians. Two Mayas.


    That can¡¯t be right. It was just one ss. I can¡¯t be drunk.


    But¡­ I am.

 Dreaming Of The Enemy

    *Rune*


    The water is soothing for most. For me, nothing can ever be soothing.


    I watch her wade in the water and make a fool of herself. I despise her, but it goes farther than cutting her hair and poisoning me when we were children.


    The feeling of hate is mutual, but a lot of other feelings are mutual. Feelings that will nevere to fruition because of what I am and what she is.


    All they fear, all they run from, all they fight against lives within me, breathes within me. An entity of darkness that I cannot control. A being of evil that I have be one with. Not by choice, of course.


    She is our love. Our redemption. Our curse.


    Bound by duty, bound by a curse. Of the Goddess¡¯s making, I am not quite sure. I was born this way. With this evil living within me. I have kept it at bay for as long as I can, but the thinner the veil gets, the lesser hold I have over him.


    For this same reason, I cannot have her. I¡¯ll only kill her. Again.


    Our eyes meet across the pool and my gut squeezes. The beast in me stirs, muttering the words I must never speak to her. *Mine.*


    I turn away from her, even if it is thest thing I wish to do. Ginevra¡¯s blue eyes are clouded with countless emotions, all of which scream pain and betrayal. She knows. It doesn¡¯t matter that I will mate with her and make her my queen. It doesn¡¯t matter that I pride her as my betrothed before the world.


    She knows the truth.


    That she will never have my heart or my affection. That though I warm her bed, I think of another while I do it. Ours is an arrangement of convenience and it is all it will be. I will fight to keep it that way if it means protecting her.


    My Erasthai.


    Astrid.


    **********


    *Astrid*Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    He¡¯s here again.


    There¡¯s an odd feeling when he¡¯s here. That heaviness in the air. That inky darkness that follows. The putrid stink of anger and pain that follows in his wake.


    I feel his ancient eyes on me before I am even fully awake. My head hurts like hell and I can¡¯t tell if I am seeing things or he¡¯s really here. I¡¯d bet on thetter though.


    Perhaps, he hase to kill me like the rest.


    My eyes crack open and I nce around my room, searching for it. Him.


    I find him by my window, staring out of it. He almost looks normal-actually, I can¡¯t say for sure. He is mostly shrouded in darkness. As usual.


    ¡°Princess,¡± he says, and though he is looking elsewhere, I feel his eyes on me, everywhere.


    I feel fear, but it isn¡¯t as numbing as the first time. Perhaps, it is because I am partly drunk.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask, pushing back the covers and wincing when sudden pain shoots through my head, causing stars to explode behind my eyes. I shouldn¡¯t have drank so much.


    But then, it was just one ss.


    I don¡¯t even remember how I got back in my room. Hell. I don¡¯t remember much of what happened after I gulped down that ss of whatever shit that was.


    The Hekate moves and the darkness follows. He stops by the edge of my bed and I wonder if flicking the light switch will cleave through the darkness that surrounds him. ¡°You,¡± he says, voice thundering in numerousyers.


    His aura is monstrous and I am grateful that I am currently on the bed. Even yet, my shoulders hunch immediately and it is a struggle to not fall to his feet and grovel like some lowly servant.


    But I am not a servant. I am a princess, and I bow to no one.


    ¡°Why? How are you even here? Shouldn¡¯t you be beyond the veil?¡±


    I can¡¯t see him, but I know he just cocked his head to observe me. The movement is familiar. Too familiar.


    ¡°I am, yet I am not.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make much sense,¡± I mutter, rubbing at my temples.


    Why am I not afraid, you might ask. Well, I know I¡¯m dreaming.


    How do I know I¡¯m dreaming? I just know I am. You know, that point in your dream where you know it¡¯s a dream but you want to keep going to see where it ends? Yeah. I¡¯m having one of those.


    I can¡¯t be too sure though. I wouldn¡¯t bet on the words of a drunk woman. Ps, I¡¯m the drunk woman.


    ¡°I can be wherever I wish to be, whenever I wish to be. I cannot be bound unless I wish to.¡±


    I snort,ying back down on my bed. ¡°And yet, the Goddess has cursed you to the Void beyond.¡±


    ¡°You should not be here either.¡±


    I close my eyes as my eyelids grow too heavy for me to lift them. ¡°Tell me something I do not know.¡±


    ¡°There is a great deal of things you do not know about. Where shall I begin in telling you?¡±


    I chuckle. His sense of humour is just as old as he is. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to kill me today. Why?¡±


    ¡°Different approaches yield different results, I suppose,¡± he murmurs.


    ¡°And what do you hope to achieve?¡±


    He goes quiet for a moment. I do not hear the sound of him breathing or the the soft padding sound of foot against marble.


    My eyes nt open and I jolt when I find him hovering over me, watching me with eyes that I cannot see. It doesn¡¯t matter how hard I try to see past the shield of darkness. I just cannot make out his features.


    ¡°I wish to see your face,¡± I blurt without thinking.


    He goes still and silent again, and just when I think he will not answer, he says, ¡°But you already have.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Sleep,¡± he says and a gust of wind blows in through my window in that second, causing me to pull up the covers, shivering. My eyelids droop and I could have sworn I felt fingers graze my cheek as my eyes closed.

 The Illusion

    The following days were a blur for me. sses, training, more training and the likes. To think I had referred to regr training as grueling. Training for the Games is much, much worse. The first few hours felt like death and I have been going at it for days now. To represent Lycan School, I¡¯d have to be at least on the level of an average lycan.


    Which of course, I am not.


    By the end of the week, with little to no progress, Chancellor Vesper strikes my name off the register. That¡¯d make me the first royal who is unfit to participate in the Games. The first royal who cannot represent her people.


    Frankly, I don¡¯t care. If it means I¡¯ll get more sleep at night.


    We have not lost any more students in thest week but signs of rot have been noticed around the schools and in the realms. Suffice to say, the rot has begun.


    The Hekate has not visited my dreams since that night, but I find myself thinking about his words and what his motives could be. His name is all over my journals. Mytest obsession, Maya calls it. I find myself drawing his name prettily with exaggerated curves and shading-Maybe Maya¡¯s right and I need to stop thinking about Hekate.


    You already have.


    Those words won¡¯t leave my head. I don¡¯t know what they mean. Do I know him? Of course not. He¡¯s as old as dirt. I mean, I¡¯d know if I had met him, wouldn¡¯t I?


    I sigh, tossing the pen in the middle of my notebook and I shut it. It¡¯ll be lunchtime soon and my belly feels funny. Darian and Maya are supposed to meet up with me here in a couple of minutes. I could use the rest room before then.


    Darian, Maya and I have been hanging out every day. Cafeteria,plex, pool, gardens, etc. We have yet to cover even half of the school¡¯s premise but it feels like I discover new ces with every new day. Darian has his sses in the other building where the fourth years have their sses and he still hangs with his Star friends but even I am starting to see what Maya¡¯s talking about.


    He¡¯s always avable. Always, and while I would normallyin, being Darian¡¯s friendes with benefits. Free food, entry into ces with restricted ess, less cat calls and lunch tes being hurled at my head.


    Like I said before, I do enjoy the privilege.


    I turn on the faucet, washing my hands and when I raise my gaze to the mirror, I scream.


    ck veins are bleeding out from my eyes. The blue in my eyes are disappearing and turning into pools of darkness. My fingers rise to my cheeks, and rather than my newly manicured nails, I see ck ws touching the dark veins. It is nothing like the elegant white ws Sloan has when I shift into her. This is ck, feral and murderous.


    I look at myself and I do not see Astrid. I see a stranger wearing my skin.


    A lycan.


    Fear rising, my lips part and I see fangs instead of canines. Wolves do not have fangs. Lycans do.


    What the fuck. . .Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    All it takes is one blink to dispel the illusion, because when I blink, I am Astrid again. Blue eyes. Perfect skin. Red hair. Full rosy lips. Manicured nails. Canines.


    Because that is what it was. An illusion.


    I drop my hands on either side of the counter, breathing hard. The ceramic bowl gives under my palm, cracking first and I gasp when it shatters, shuffling far away from the mess I have made. I stare at my hands and the red angry marks on them, and my gaze slides to the mirror. What was that?


    The sound of cold feminineughter drifts and I stand there, unsure of what to do next. Pack the broken pieces or abandon them. My hands tremble as my whole being is still shaken up by what just urred, no matter that I was just seeing things.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the little wolf cunt. Destroying school property, I see?¡±


    My eyes shifts to the door and I see Ginevra with her friends who are also in their fourth year. ¡°It was a mistake,¡± I whisper, voice cracking. ¡°I¡¯ll clean it up.¡±


    I crouch and start to pick it up but I am stopped when Ginevra¡¯s foot suddenly ms down on my hand, forcing my palm to grind against the sharp fragments. A jolt of pain shoots through me as blood trickles down my fingers and I struggle to hold back a cry of agony.


    ¡°Move,¡± I say and a growl escapes me when she instead moves her foot, pressing down even harder.


    ¡°Guard the doors,¡± she tells them.


    She grips my hair when they are gone, pulling my head back to see her face twisted with fierce hate. Her eyes bear into mine like daggers as her sharp features contort into something of pure malice. ¡°What did I tell you about staying away from Rune?¡±


    I start to move but her foot on my hand only presses harder and I whimper, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Let go!¡±


    Her lips are curled in a snarl, revealing perfectly white teeth that seem to glint menacingly in the light. ¡°I saw you by the stairwellst night!¡±


    I freeze. The stairwell? Oh no.


    Memories assault me. Pulling Rune back from the school¡¯s exit door and taking him towards the stairwell, away from the sentinels¡¯ watch. Handing him a bottle of water. His unfocused gaze and his thumb caressing my lips.


    I¡¯d been trying not to think about it-and it had been easy to, seeing as I upied myself with thoughts of Hekate instead. She saw all of that? ¡°Nothing happened. I was trying to help him!¡±


    ¡°I bet helping him was the reason you had your tongue in his throat. Don¡¯t y with me, bitch. I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to help him,¡± I repeat again, panting and groaning when I feel the roots of my hair being ripped out.


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. I was trying to help himst night, and even if I absolutely hate myself for it, I wasn¡¯t about to watch him die.


    So, aboutst night. . .

 Not Him

    Last night


    I woke up parched and oddly restless. I realize only a momentter that Sloan¡¯s restless. Not me.


    The thing about being werewolves is being constantly aware of the other ethereal being with which you share your skin with. epting them. Bing one with them. Shifting is usually the final stage in epting this.


    Lycans have it worse, I guess. Theirs is more feral and there is rarely ever a point of ¡®mutual agreement¡¯ between them and their beasts. It is either they dominate them or they get dominated by it.


    Sloan¡¯s is usually calm and barely ever says a word. She interjects sometimes but that¡¯s about it. She sleeps, and watches. On the days I shift and she has control, I have no idea what she does¡­ I¡¯d say I got an easy going wolf on my hands. A great contrast from everything that I am.


    So, it is strange to wake up to her whining, especially when I am exhausted with aches everywhere in my body and I am fucking trying to sleep.


    What? I snap at her.


    Run, she says.


    What? Now? You want to run now? It isn¡¯t the full moon yet, and there¡¯s a curfew. There¡¯s literally nowhere to let you run free.


    She is quiet for a bit and just when I start to doze again, she starts to tap on the mental wall that divides my consciousness from hers.


    Oh for the love of the Goddess, would you just let me sleep, Sloan?


    I¡¯m hungry, she says and I can almost see the foul expression on her furry face.


    Tomorrow.


    Now.


    Where am I gonna get food right now? There is a fucking curfew. The cafeteria is closed till morning.


    She yowls suddenly and I groan, getting out of my bed. Bloody hell. I grab my robe and wrap it around my body. Even I do not get this sort of cravings out of the blue.


    I open the door slightly and peek outside. I frown when I notice theck of sentinels on my floor. Are they switching shifts now? There were about seven of them here after dinner, and it¡¯s been like that every day since they got shipped here in their fancy uniforms.


    I step outside and shut the door quietly behind me. I let Sloan do the sniffing around and she nudges me down the hallway. I walk past as quietly as I can but my slippers keep making squishy sounds that make my cheeks me, even if no one¡¯s around to hear it.


    Further down the hallway, there is the stairwell.


    I¡¯ve only ever been up. I¡¯ve never gone down.


    Down is where the exit doors are.


    But Sloan is directing down the stairs. It¡¯s either my nose is broken or whatever she wants to eat is downstairs. That¡¯s not usible. There¡¯s no food down there.


    Still, she pulls me in that direction, urging my legs to move faster and faster and I am suddenly standing at the base of the stairwell.


    I¡¯d never really seen the doors before. They are massive, like two ck gates reaching the skies. Their width is unending and their height is astounding. It is unreal for the first floor to have this because it looks like something that has been pulled from a different dimension. Alive in its own way. Sentient. Imposing and ominous in its sheer size and jet-ck hue.


    Its surface is slick and smooth, and seems to drink in the light, leaving only a sense of foreboding darkness in its wake.


    I take another step forward, unable to resist the tug in that direction. Something calls to me. Something reaches for me, pulling me toward the door.


    I follow it, nearly lost in a trance. Very nearly.


    But that¡¯s when I see him.


    My breath hitches when I sight Rune walking forward. The sight of him walking to the door snaps me awake and I stumble a step back when I realize I am only a few steps away from it. Him. I hadn¡¯t even realized when I moved.


    The door yawns open and the air around me grows cold as death, filling me with an overwhelming sense of dread, as if the door itself is a gateway to the Great Void.


    I dare a nce inside and I see only an endless void of inky ckness, devoid of any signs of life or light. A shiver runs down my spine as my instincts scream out in warning, telling me that something malevolent lurks beyond the threshold.


    I want to run. I start to back away, but for each step I take, Rune takes one closer to the door.


    ¡°Rune!¡± I scream, but my voice is lost to the void. ¡°Rune! Rune, stop!¡±


    He can¡¯t hear me, I realize, as he reaches out, touching the door.


    I look back. WHERE ARE THE SENTINELS?!


    His hair whips about him, as do his baggy clothes. His foot is bare, like he walked right out of bed.


    I look at him take those steps outside the school and the void beyond and I think of all the things I¡¯ve been through at his hands. I hate him, but¡­ not him.


    Fuck, I think as I race for him.


    Swerving at thest second, I m into him. We fall to the side, away from the door. I groan, lifting myself off Rune and ignoring the way my body melds into his, like a missing piece in a puzzle. I start to feel hot and I immediately feel disgusted at myself.


    My nce shifts to Rune as I straighten and the pit of my stomach churn with dread when I see him eyes. They are wholly ck and zed. He rises to his feet, movements graceful but not quite belonging to him.


    He doesn¡¯t look at me. It¡¯s like I do not even exist. He merely turns to the door and begins his journey to it again.


    I lunge for him, blocking his path and grabbing his arms, shaking them violently. ¡°Rune? Rune, wake up!¡±


    There is no recognition in his dark eyes. His hand rises and with one smooth motion, he tosses me aside. More like flings me across the hall.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I¡¯ve always known he was strong but this is insane. I crash into the nearest wall and I wheeze as pain sears through me. I stand almost immediately, my healing going faster than it usually would, possibly because of the dire situation.


    Rune is almost at the threshold this time and as I run for him, I can almost see the darkness reaching for him and taking form around him.


    Fear has me moving faster than I think possible and rather than try waking him up, I grab his arm and make a turn, pushing all of my strength into my arms as I hurl him across the room.


    I¡¯d like to think of it as petty, but a tiny bit of satisfactiones over me as he ms hard into the wall and the sound of bones breaking fills the air. He¡¯ll heal in a second, of course, knowing I just kicked and saved his sorry ass makes me have a little dance of joy inside.


    I turn to the void and nt my foot to the ground, snarling as fiercely as I can. I feel Sloan under my skin and she fights to get out, to rip the darkness¨Cif possible¨Cto pieces. I imagine Hekate¡¯s dark form behind the darkness and I say to him in a voice that is both mine and Sloan¡¯s, ¡°Fuck off. Keep your hands off him or I swear, I¡¯ll find you and kill you.¡±


    And I mean every single word.


    The darkness pauses. Slightly. And as if it mocks me, it sends a cool wind in my direction, pushing me far from the door. Phantom hands reach for me and fingers graze my cheek, caressing it with a thumb I cannot see but feel.


    I shiver, unable to move. The touch¡­ it is familiar. I hate that it feels familiar. I hate that my body starts to rx, and so does Sloan.


    Slowly, it pulls away, leaving me with a silent message. Mine.


    The door ms shut, darkness disappearing without a single trace.


    I sag, cing my hands on my knees and breathing hard.


    Rune¡¯s sharp groan has me turning around. He is bent on the ground and he stands on all fours, shaking his head and whimpering.


    Something in my chest gives and I walk toward him, crouching on the floor in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± I whisper, not quite sure what the appropriate thing to say would be.


    He growls, panting. ¡°Gone,¡± he says repeatedly, as if trying to get used to words again.


    I nod and cup his cheek, forcing him to meet my gaze. My eyes bear holes into his as I tell you. ¡°He¡¯s gone. You are here. Safe.¡±


    He shakes his head and a single tear slides down his cheek. ¡°Can¡¯t. Control. Him.¡±


    He¡¯s not making much sense but at the sight of the single tear on his cheek, I lean in without thinking and press my lips against his cheek.

 An Impossible Distraction

    My tongue darts out, licking the tear off his cheek and I don¡¯t realize what I have done until his fingers circle my wrist.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± Rune whispers and I pull back with wide eyes.


    ¡°Oh. I-That wasn¡¯t-I wasn¡¯t trying to-¡± I stutter for several seconds, trying to exin why I¡¯d done that, but I can¡¯t seem to find an answer.


    I stop talking when our eyes lock. I glimpse something in them that I never have before. There is a softness there, a vulnerability that is a stark contrast to the strength and cruelty I am used to.


    His walls havee down, if only for a moment, and I can see the fear and loathing in them. The fear, I can understand, but the hate, I do not. Seeing him like this, stripped of all of his defenses startles me. I have known the prince all my life and he¡¯s been a constant pain in my neck and thorn in my flesh.


    His cruel antics, insults, demeaning words, forceful aura, insensitive and utterly uneptable behaviour, I can handle. I have learned to handle all of that.


    But not this Rune. Not this man who looks at me like he is falling apart. Not this man who looks at me like he needs me to help him.


    I don¡¯t know how to. I don¡¯t know what to do.


    His lips part and I find my entire being waiting on the words that will leave his lips, but the tip of his ears suddenly twitch and he looks in the opposite direction, down the hallway from which I came.


    I hear the sound of thudding boots and male conversation a heartbeatter and I cuss under my breath. The sentinels are here. I find it bloody convenient that they show up right after hell has nearly broken loose. Perhaps, it is the Hekate¡¯s doing.


    My gaze drifts to the closed doors. They still look huge and menacing, but the darkness around it is gone. There is no proof what happened in the past few minutes. Rune and I look like two students just hanging out in the hallway past curfew.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I say, grabbing Rune¡¯s wrist. ¡°They can¡¯t see us here.¡±


    He frowns but says nothing, letting me pull him up. Head whipping right and left, I veer us left, taking the stairs that lead to the Lycan King¡¯s Hall. No one ever goes there except there is a briefing or assembly. There are no sentinels stationed there and it¡¯ll probably be thest ce they search. Best to wait them out there till the next shift that¡¯s only three hours away.


    *Great*, I mutter to Sloan. *You¡¯re not hungry anymore?*


    She only chuckles and goes quiet again. I¡¯d throttle her if I could.


    We settle on the stairwell that¡¯s a few paces away from the Hall after I grab a bottle of water for one of those strange machines filled with liquids and an awkward silence passes between us as I hand him the bottle. His fingers graze mine and it takes all of my strength to keep my gaze neutral, even my insides have turned to mush.


    ¡°You could have walked away,¡± he says after a moment, dropping the empty bottle by his side.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yet, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I lie, not interested in sharing my thoughts with him. What I did, what I said, and the fact that if he had been taken, I would have followed to get him back¡­ I am not ready to think about any of that. Why? Because thinking about it will give life to those thoughts and emotions and I don¡¯t want any of that shit right now.


    I am Astrid. He is Rune. We do not like each other and there will never be a blur in that invisible line that has been drawn between us.


    Emotional lines at least, considering¡­


    I swallow, shoving thoughts of that one kiss out of my head.


    He says nothing else. Not even a ¡®thank you¡¯ for my efforts. Not like I¡¯m expecting him to. He¡¯s always been the entitled kind of guy.


    I shuffle closer to the side of the railing and lean against it, closing my eyes. Three hours here with Rune. I don¡¯t think I can ever fall asleep in his presence. There¡¯s this heat around him that makes you aware of him, in every possible way.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Trying to get some sleep,¡± I say, but ites out with a bite. I really am not used to this. Any of this. Why is he trying to converse with me? Why is his voice soft and not cold as usual? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this is one of his plots to get under my skin and hurt me¡­ or my feelings.


    ¡°I can take you back to your room. They won¡¯t disobey if I order them to look away and not tell the Chancellor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking any favours from you.¡±


    He goes quiet and then, ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me anything?¡±


    My eyes nt open and narrow. ¡°What¡¯s there to ask? It was obviously the Hekate and he was trying to take you too. To kill you. I saved you. End of story. If you feel indebted, a simple thank you would do. You do not need to engage me in conversations. I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I will reward you for your efforts when-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a fucking reward from you. I don¡¯t want anything from you. Not everyone¡¯s like you who¡¯ll only do things if it brings you ¡®rewards¡¯.¡±


    Ire shes in his eyes, setting fire to whatever softness I had glimpsed in them. Good. ¡°You know nothing about me, Astrid. Nothing.¡±


    That stings more than I expect it to and I bare my teeth at him, needing to retaliate and cause him the same amount of hurt I feel inside. ¡°Oh yeah? Maybe I don¡¯t, but you do a damn fine job of being a selfish, stuck-up bastard who cares only about himself. Everything else, everyone else is beneath you. Their lives, their struggles, nothing else matters. Just you and your stupid ego.¡±


    One moment, he is sitting there, watching me with growing anger, and the next, he is towering above me. He grabs my arm and yanks me up to my feet, green eyes smoldered with icy rage. The force of his grip is painful and I can feel his dark aura radiating off of him.


    Dread consumes me as I meet his fiery re. ¡°What do you know of struggles? You are but a child who regards everything as a joke. Do not associate me with the likes of you. You call me selfish, stuck-up, when in fact, you describe yourself. A child!¡±


    My eyes sting and I shimmer. ¡°A child? I bet you didn¡¯t think that when you stuck your fingers in me and came on my thighs.¡±


    Rune recoils as if struck and all the colour drains from his face. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    I freeze. *Shit.*


    I have kept it to myself for years, pretending that I had no recollection of what happened between us that night. It was the easy option. For me. For us. Days following that one, I couldn¡¯t look myself in the mirror. Waking up the next day, knowing what we had done, I had vomitted my guts out and cried the entire day, refusing to eat because I hated myself. Felt disgusted.


    I wondered what he felt for a while. I had a whole year to ponder on it. If it meant something to him. If I was just another one of his conquests. I pondered on the disdain and disgust I¡¯d glimpsed in his eyes. I wondered if I disgusted him. I thought about it for a whole year.


    And he had shown up the next year, cold and aloof as always. He hadn¡¯t even looked in my direction and a few moments to the ceremony, he had slunk away with a maid in MY castle.


    I followed and stood by the door, listening as he fucked her against the wall. I left there with an answer. I was nothing to him.


    And it had hurt. Too much.


    I didn¡¯t have her thrown out of the castle, the maid. I made sure to see her everyday, to remind myself that Rune and I will never be anything. I didn¡¯t stop until it stopped hurting.


    ¡°You¡­ remember,¡± Rune breathes, grip tightening on me. ¡°How long¡­¡± His voice trails off and his eyes widen slightly when he finds his answer in my shifty expression. ¡°Thepulsion didn¡¯t work on you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hurting me,¡± I say instead, wrestling to get his hands off me.


    ¡°You pretended. Why?¡± His voice is surprisingly calm, but I know better than to think that he actually is.


    ¡°Why? Would it have changed anything?!¡±


    His eyes harden. ¡°No. It would not have.¡±


    My heart squeezes painfully and I m my fists into his chest. ¡°Fuck you, Rune. I hate you.¡±


    ¡°You are upset,¡± he says casually, like he is talking about the weather, and it only makes me angrier. ¡°Why?¡±


    Iugh bitterly, hating the tears that start to roll down my cheek. I can¡¯t seem to control myself around Rune. Everything hurts, even when it shouldn¡¯t. We share nothing between each other but it hurts so bad. ¡°Take your hands off me, Rune.¡±


    His dark green eyes that almost look ck in the dim lighting shifts, snagging on the tears that roll down my cheeks. He leans in suddenly, stealing my air, and he whispers against my cheek. ¡°Consider this a ¡®thank you¡¯.¡±


    I start to protest but I suddenly feel the warmth of his tongue against my cheek. A small sound escape me and my knees buckle.


    I fist the front of his shirt, whimpering when I feel his tongue on the other cheek to. I start to tremble with need and Sloan purrs, her lust melding with mine.


    Rune pulls back and his nostrils re as the smell of my arousal fills the air. His eyes are guttered and he leans in again, burying his nose in my neck, nuzzling me fondly.


    My eyes close and he groan, breathing me in deeply. He says something, but I am not entirely sure what it is. I can¡¯t hear him. My head is spinning and my heart is expanding.


    He pulls away again, cupping my cheek and staring down at me with emotions I do not understand.


    ¡°Why do you keep doing this to me?¡± I whisper weakly, leaningpletely into him until our chests are touching, until his hands that are as string as I remember them to be curve around my waist. ¡°What am I to you, Rune?¡±


    His thumb drifts from my cheek and brushes lightly against my full bottom lip, causing a shiver to run down my spine. The gentle pressure of his touch is electric, sending a tingle of desire through me as he whispers, ¡°An impossible distraction.¡±


    His mouth ims mine with fervour and my heart pounds so hard, I think it will burst from my chest. Ie undone. Every inch of my being is consumed by the taste, scent, and feel of him.


    I cannot fight him. Or resist him.


    I don¡¯t want to.

 The Rage

    The kiss is fierce and passionate, born from the primal instinct of two creatures drawn to each other in a way that transcends every thought, every duty, every reason.


    There is nothing thing gentle about the way Rune handles me, but then, I have never been the type of woman who loves being treated like ss.


    He is fire and right now, I¡¯m burning.


    And nothing has ever felt so good.


    When I cup the length of him through his cks, he makes a sound deep in his throat that is both raw and sounds very close to the animal that lurks under his skin and it is so sexual, my folds clench hard. I shiver with wanton, unbridled lust.


    He ms me against the wall beside the hall¡¯s door and I shove him hard, twisting us so that his back his against the wall instead. I want control. I want him writhing for me. I want him wanting me so bad, his knees will buckle.


    But Rune will not be subdued.


    He shifts us again and my breath is knocked out of me when my back hits the wall again. He catches my hands and pins it over my head, trapping me.


    Then he devours me.


    His tongue, his lips, his fangs, all on my neck as he grinds his hard length between my thighs in a slow torturous motion that has me nearly falling.


    I don¡¯t know where I am or who I am. All I know his him.


    ¡°Rune,¡± I cry out sharply, legs quivering.


    He makes a pained sound before he speaks. His voice isn¡¯t particrly his when he does. It is inyers and so guttural, the heat between my thighs skyrocket. ¡°Say my name again.¡±


    ¡°Say mine,¡± I manage to get out, ignoring every instinct that makes me want to scream his name until it¡¯s all I can say.


    ¡°Gin,¡± he groans.


    I jerk back, needing to get as far away from him as I possibly can.


    And so it ends. The excitement, the primal heat, the pleasure, the ache, the need¡­ It all dies.


    He called me Gin. He¡¯s thinking about her while he touches me. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think Rune does these things on purpose, to make me realize just how little I¡¯ll ever mean to him.


    And I am the fool for giving this more importance than it should have. I¡¯m the fool who doesn¡¯t know what she feels or understand why my body just reacts when Rune touches me.


    But¡­ this is quite enough.


    My eyes sting with tears but I refuse to cry. Never again. Definitely not for him.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    We stare at each other and I note the tiny cut on his lips that has a bit of blood pooling around it.


    I did that.


    His tongue darts out to lick the blood off and I hate the pang of arousal that shoots through me, and that he can probably smell all of it.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± he starts, taking a careful step forward, but I hold my hand up from where I stand, breathing hard and fast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¨CThere is not need for that,¡± I say, backing away. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me that, and I you. She is your betrothed. I am¡­¡± My voice breaks off and I look away abruptly, hiding my face from him.


    He says nothing. I want him to. I want him to tell me that he has no choice. I want him to tell me he didn¡¯t choose her. I want him to tell me things. I want him to exin what I am, where I stand. I¡¯m hoping he can exin why this thing exists between us. This thing I have no name for.


    I turn away and walk to the far end of the hallway. Against the wall, I sit and bury my face in my hands, sobbing silently.


    ***********


    Ginevra¡¯s grip on me only hardens. ¡°Rune is mine, princess. Mine, and I do not like to share.¡±


    Tears spring to my eyes and I swallow, staring deeply into hers. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault he likes my tongue better than yours.¡±


    I expect it, but it still hurts like hell when her fist connects with my face. There is a sharp crack and bones give way. Pain radiates outward from the centre of impact, spreading like wildfire through the nerves. Warmth spills down from my nostril and¡­ I think my nose is broken.


    My vision swims as I struggle to stay put, my world suddenly hazy and distorted.


    ¡°Stupid bitch,¡± Ginevra says, chest heaving with anger and eyes zing with fury.


    I touch my nose and i can¡¯t feel it. I drop my hand to stare at it and the sight of the blood on my fingertips has me growling fiercely.


    Ignoring the pain, I pull my hand out from underneath her foot, howling as the ss scrapes my skin.


    I lunge for her, canines elongating, and I bury my teeth in her thigh, tearing past her flesh and bone.


    She screams, releasing my hair at once. She kicks at me and rips at the skin on my neck, my back with sharp ws. It hurts but I don¡¯t let go. Itch on tightly and she knows better than to pull away from me. A good chunk of her skin will be gone.


    Her cronies rush into the bathroom and theye for me.


    Painnces through my back as they try to put me down, but the harder they try to get me to leave her thigh, the harder I bite.


    Her screams are music to my ears¡­ and there is so much blood. From my nose, from her thighs, in my mouth.


    But it isn¡¯t nearly enough.


    Beating Ginevra at this level is never going to happen. So I will cause her as much pain as I can, so she knows never to touch me again. I may be a werewolf and that puts me at a natural disadvantage, but that doesn¡¯t make me a pushover. That doesn¡¯t make me weak.


    Should I let go, this will happen again. Over and over again. She will hurt me for no reason and think I cannot fight back because I don¡¯t.


    But I can, and I will.


    How¡¯s that? A pound of flesh in exchange for respect and fear?


    More people pour into the bathroom and I feel hands on me. I hear my name being spoken softly, but I don¡¯t recognize the voice. I don¡¯t want to. All I see is red.


    Slowly, I enter ¡®the rage¡¯, and my anger transcends all pain. Latching on tightly, I rip out a good part of her skin and blood sprays everywhere. I spit it out in the ground beside me and look at her.


    Her eyes are wide with horror and when she looks down at her destroyed thigh, she falls back, scrambling quickly to get away from me, all the while screaming blood and murder. I see her fear, I smell it. It is intoxicating.


    I smile with the blood on my teeth and my face, dripping down to stain my blouse. My grin widens and Iugh, though I¡¯m not sure why.


    When I turn to the mirror, my eyes are wholly ck and I can¡¯t help but think that I look like a demon.


    And with the way everyone stares at me with new eyes, I know they¡¯re thinking the same thing.

 Hekate鈥檚 Bride

    ¡± Oh, for the love of the Goddess, wipe your mouth,¡± Chancellor Vesper says, tossing a handkerchief on the table in front of me.


    I don¡¯t take it. I merely stare at him with a dead-eyed expression that usually makes even my mother squirm.


    ¡°You do realize what you have done is uneptable and deserves an expulsion,¡± he says.


    I say nothing still, feeling the thickness of Ginevra¡¯s blood dry up on my chin. He¡¯s been staring me down for about thirty minutes, demanding that I exin myself.


    But I don¡¯t. I did nothing wrong. I merely defended myself and he¡¯s seen that in his cameras¨Cthough, I think it¡¯s pretty strange that there are cameras in the restroom.


    I wonder if the cameras capturedst night with Rune, and the moment before that as well.


    ¡°Does Ginevra get punished for this?¡± I ask, raising my hand and the shard that¡¯s still sticking out my hand. ¡°If she does, then I¡¯ll ept whatever punishment you give me.¡±


    He pushes his sses back and observes me through the lens. ¡°She will apologize to you.¡±


    I push up from the seat, ignoring the bites of pain I feel everywhere. ¡°Good. I suppose we¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°Sit, ckwood. I¡¯m not done talking to you,¡± he says sternly and I spare him a sidelong nce, letting him see how little I care about how serious he might sound.


    ¡°She attacked me. I did nothing wrong. You can¡¯t punish me for defending myself against her. If all she gets is to deliver an apology, then I¡¯ll start constructing my letter of apology as well.¡±


    His eyes flick over me and his lips tug down in a frown. I see him thinking it through and I also notice when he lets it go, deeming it unnecessary. ¡°Your behaviour, it was absolutely rabid. I will overlook this once,¡± he pauses before adding, ¡°Ginevraes from a powerful family of royals. I¡¯d advice you not to have a repeat today¡¯s event.¡±


    I scoff. ¡°Here¡¯s to saying hierarchical levels do not matter within the school¡¯s walls,¡± I turn slightly, peering down at him from my nose. ¡°If she touches me again, I will do worse. Tell her that. Then tell her parents to take it up with the Alpha King. If they dare.¡±


    I don¡¯t wait for his reply. I limp out of the office, sagging against the door when it closes.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± Maya says, running up to me with books and her tab in her hand. She cups my cheek with her free hand, eyes filled with worry. ¡°Are you alright? You look¡­¡±


    I swat her hand off my face, feeling weird. Yeah, we¡¯re close, but¡­ not that close. She is pretty nice and caring, but as you must already know, it takes a horribly long time before I let people in.


    ¡°Dead,¡± I finish and her hand slips around my torso as she pulls me forward, helping me walk. I let her do it. I¡¯m too tired to put up a fight right now.


    I¡¯m still receiving stares from every direction. It is expected. I¡¯m covered in blood and torn skin. They give myself and Maya a wide berth and their gaze follows us all the way to the staircases.


    ¡°Infirmary? You¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    I shake my head. Ginevra¡¯s in the infirmary. I don¡¯t trust myself enough to be in the same ce with her and Rune. I might just finish the job I started. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The blood is mostly Ginevra¡¯s.¡±


    Maya¡¯s lips purse. ¡°Videos are circting. Dar¡¯s given an order for them to be taken down but¡­ they¡¯re saying things.¡±


    People are always saying things about me, so I normally would not be worried. But the tightness in her features has me asking, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really stupid. I feel ridiculous even mentioning it.¡± She grimaces painfully and bites nervously on her lower lip. The lines around her eyes and the dip in her lips suggest that she truly is worried about me, but I really can¡¯t fathom what can be worse than being called a cunt everyday and waking up to new photos of myself sent to my phone with the most outrageous remarks and edits.


    ¡°Spill it, Maya. You¡¯re making me nervous¡­¡± My voice trails off when I notice the name tag on my door upturned and the door slightly ajar. I¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure I had it locked before I left this morning.


    Cold sweat break on my forehead and I disengage from Maya, pushing at the door.


    The sight I am met with leaves me frozen with horror. I walk past the door way and stepped into what had be my cozy space in the past week.


    It is as though a storm swept through and left only destruction in its wake. Every piece of furniture is either overturned or shattered, and my clothes are ripped and strewn across the floor. Nothing is spared.


    Not even the flower vase I¡¯d kept and the fresh flowers I¡¯d ced in them.


    Shattered. Everything.


    And the walls¡­ They are painted in ck, the dark colour seeming to seep into every nook and cranny.


    But it is the words scrawled across the wall in ck paint that has my blood run cold and my heart plummeting.


    In jagged letters that look like they have been carved into the wall with a knife, two words are written.


    Hekate¡¯s Bride.


    I stumble back as my legs refuse to hold me. I stumble another step back. And another.


    I shut the door.


    ¡°Astrid!¡± Maya calls out but I¡¯m already racing down the hall in a murderous dash. Hekate¡¯s Bride? It has to be Ginevra. It just has to be. No one else would dare do this.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I pass by Darian who looks at me with confusion. I don¡¯t stop to look at him as I storm to the infirmary. Storm. Limp. Same difference.


    But¡­ the lycans¡­ theyugh at me as I walk past them. Phones in hands, fingers pointing at me, cameras shing, theyugh at me¨Cand I¡­ I¡¯ve never felt so small in my entire life. So insignificant. So worthless.


    My steps falter and I want to hide. I want to go somewhere no one¡¯s going to find me. I want to bawl, scream.


    The door of the infirmary is only a few steps away but moving has be a problem. I swallow and pant, chest incredibly heavy.


    As the taunting andughter of the students echo in my ears, my chest tightens and my breath quickens. Panic sets in, consuming my body and mind.


    I can¡¯t breathe. My injured hand rises to my neck, ripping the button of my shirt¡­ and the shirt itself. The shard in my hand tears through my skin as I w at my throat, but the pain barely registers. I need air¡­


    My vision blurs as tears start to cloud my eyes. My legs heavy and uncooperative. I stumble forward, hitting the door with my heart racing and hands shaking uncontrobly.


    The sound of my racing heartbeat fills my ears, drowning out the cruel words of my tormentors, but not before I hear them speak those words again,ughing hysterically. Hekate¡¯s Bride.


    The lights in the hall start to flicker, matching my sharp rapid breaths, and my world spins, spiralling out of control. My fingers grasp the door knob and reaching the infirmary is no longer about finding Ginevra.


    It¡¯s about surviving this¡­


    I fall, gasping for air. Tears slip from my eyes as I hit my chest over and over again. It burns. It fucking burns!


    Darkness creeps in from the corner of my eyes, but I see Darian hovering above me. His hands are on my cheek and my shoulders. He is saying something but I can¡¯t hear him.


    My eyelids droop shut as ckness engulfs me.


    But I am awake for a few seconds after that. For long enough to feel arms lift me and the scent of wind and vetiver¡­ and man envelope me.


    Rune, I think as I drift under.

 In The Void

    I¡¯m somewhere else today. It is cold. It is dark. I don¡¯t like it here. There is a familiar darkness lurking nearby and I do not need to see to know it is Him.


    Hekate.


    I turn around, squinting. I can¡¯t make out anything in the darkness, but I can feel an eerie presence around me.


    ¡°Where is this?¡± I say into the darkness and it flickers. A little. Light shimmers from somewhere casting a shadow onto thend beyond. I can make out the shape of a castle, but that¡¯s about it. I¡¯m curious. Very curious. I want to see more.


    His voice washes over me, bringing a strange warmth to me in this ce that is freezing. I shiver slightly, suffering the sensation of wanting to snuggle something. Someone. ¡°I have visited you. I thought I might show you my¡­ home.¡±


    Home, I ponder. ¡°Why do you keep visiting me? Why bring me here? You wish to kill me like the rest?¡±


    He scoffs and it is the most human sound I have heard him make. ¡°If I wanted to, you¡¯d be long dead and rotten.¡±


    The honesty in his voice has shivers running down my spine and I clench and unclench my fists, rubbing my mmy palms against my clothes¨C


    I peer down. I¡¯m in a ck dress I have never seen before. The first thing I do notice is the neckline that is dangerously low and wide. I resist the urge to pull the sides together to cover my very stunning cleavage. I¡¯ve never tried anything this bold but¡­ staring at it right now, I think I just might.


    Thecing of the floor length dress is aplicated design and I marvel at the cuts and the stones and¡­ there are too many details to exin what it looks like, so we¡¯ll stick with¡­ I look regal. Regal enough to be mistaken for a Queen.


    ¡°You sure love to y dress up, don¡¯t you?¡± I whisper, half turning in the dress.


    ¡°Lorna never got to put it on. She would have loved it as much as you do.¡±


    The words hit me only a momentter and I freeze in ce. Lorna? My ancestor? The woman he killed in a cold blooded rage? ¡°This dress was hers?¡± I choke out.


    He holds out his hand¡­ or at least, that¡¯s what I can make out in the darkness. I stare at it and I stare at him. I don¡¯t take it. Goddess knows what he¡¯ll do to me. Where he¡¯ll take me.


    ¡°I would never hurt you, Astrid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Tell that to the priestesses you killed. Oh. And your father. Maybe your mother. Lorna and her children. Let¡¯s not also forget my friends!¡± Tears prick my eyes at the memory and even if I cannot see his face clearly, I can tell he is staring at me coolly.


    He crosses the space between us and cold fingers wrap around my wrist. It is so cold, it burns. I wince, wrestling with him to get my hand back. ¡°Let go. I don¡¯t want to be here. I want to go back. Send me back!¡±


    It would seem it¡¯ll be my constant fate to be taken to ces I do not wish to be around. He yanks me forward, ignoring my screams and outburst of rage. He doesn¡¯t even have to try. I¡¯m a ragged doll being pulled forward by a mindless beast.


    I am suddenly shunned when I feel the sensation of being watched. It is everywhere. However, when I look around, I don¡¯t see anyone. The light from the moon is all I can rely on to see around me. I can¡¯t make out sounds. Or people.


    ¡°There are people here,¡± I say and it is more of a statement than it is a question.


    ¡°My subjects.¡±


    ¡°Your stupid men, you mean,¡± I say, struggling to keep up steps with him.


    His grip on my wrist tightens, but not enough to hurt me. I do not miss the way he touches me. Like I might shatter. It ispletely different from how he was when he visited the first time. Way, way different. ¡°They are not¡­ stupid, as you call it. You will be queen someday. You must learn to speak the proper way.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off. Don¡¯t tell me what to do or how to behave.¡±


    ¡°I shall adhere to that the moment you stop behaving like an infant.¡±


    I blink. He¡¯s calling me a child? My eyes narrow and¡­ thoughts begin to form in my head¡­ the familiarity¡­ it is stark. Yet¡­


    The thoughts leave me quickly. One moment, I¡¯m considering it, the next moment, I have no idea what I was thinking about.


    He leads me up a set of steps and we reach the tallest doors I have seen. They are ajar, with two stone-faced, pale looking men standing on either sides of it. Light from torches flicker on their faces and I notice that though they are pale in color, they do not look like I would have imagined the people in the void would look.


    They look¡­ just fine.


    They incline their heads in greeting toward the Hekate, but when their eyes turn to me, there is brimming hate. The bigger one on the right bares his teeth at me and the Hekate growls softly, causing the man to look away from me sharply.


    I am so confused. I¡¯m not sure what I expected to be in the void but the stories that have been told to us since we were children pushed the narrative that there was darkness and suffering. A ce of punishment for the Hekate and his men.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    But¡­ this ce looks rtively normal.


    He doesn¡¯t stop walking and pulling me along with him. There are people on the way. A couple of men¡­ and surprisingly women. They stare at me, frowning and I can feel their hate for me. Though, I do not know why. He passes by so many doors, I lose count, and he doesn¡¯t stop until we are alone, in a vast chamber.


    I yank my hand from his grip. ¡°Okay. What is going on?¡±


    He turns and the darkness that shrouds himes off a little.


    I see white hair spilling down broad, bare shoulders and¨Cthe wall is up again. I hide my frustration behind a cool stare. Why exactly is he hiding behind that? Why am I even curious?


    It¡¯s just¡­ he reminds me of Rune. Too much. Sure, his voice is distorted and there¡¯s darkness around him that prevents me from really seeing him¡­ but I know Rune. Even if my eyes were closed and I were unconscious, I¡¯d know when he¡¯s near. It feels like that with the Hekate.


    But I know he isn¡¯t Rune. I¡¯ve know the idiot since before I could talk. I¡¯ve known him since he was just a boy. I saw him grow up. Watched and saw the change every year at solstice.


    He isn¡¯t Rune. Rune isn¡¯t him.


    I feel his stare and I stare right back. For a couple of seconds, we just stand there, staring. It¡¯s kinda freaky. I¡¯m in the same breathing space with the two-thousand year old enemy.


    Super.


    ¡°How do you find my home?¡±


    The question is unexpected, and his tone is almost friendly. It makes me wary and more scared of what he has nned for me here.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about here, and don¡¯t even try. Just¡­ tell me why you have brought me here, and if this is some scheme to kill¨C¡±


    ¡°I meant it when I said I would never hurt you.¡±


    I bare my teeth at him. ¡°But you did. You have. You have hurt me and mine. Orion. Tara. My pack. How do I find your home? What do I think of you? I despise you!¡±


    ¡°It is not I who ims them. It is the darkness and it will continue until there is none left. Until my rage is satisfied. It is my curse and it will carry on until my revenge is finished!¡± He barks at me and my knees wobble with the weight of his rage bearing down on me.


    Years of rage and bitterness and hate. Two thousand years of it.


    I shouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it. I shouldn¡¯t be on my feet at all.


    I snarl viciously. ¡°What curse? Revenge? For what? You were a menace. You killed us and would have continued to do so until there wasn¡¯t anyone left. You deserved your punishment. You were a scourge to be removed and thank the Goddess she removed you!¡±


    The earth shakes as he storms over to where I stand. He stops only when he bearing down on me and his face is inches away from mine. The darkness gives and¡­ I see stormy green eyes that glow and smoulder me like a burning furnace.


    ¡°I was born mad. I was a menace. A scourge. Scum. Poison. Pure evil. But she loved me. She cured me.¡± His voice breaks and I feel the splinter all the way to my soul when he adds, ¡°And they killed her.¡±

 Truth or Lie

    I rear back, breath catching. ¡°What? What¡­ are you saying¨Cwhat does that mean?¡±


    He turns from me sharply and his broad shoulders bunch up with tension as he stares at the wall. ¡°Your ancestors have spun lies for centuries, pushing a narrative that is all but untrue, hiding the truth of what they have done to me and why I am really here, beyond the Void.¡±


    Iugh. I hug myself andugh harder. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    I don¡¯t doubt my father. Or the stories that I listened to every night as a child, woven from my grandmother¡¯s lips. I have heard of what my people went through at the hands of this tyrant. His brutality and cruelty that threatened to wipe out our existence. I don¡¯t doubt it for a second.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    Hismand leaves no room for argument or fights and I hate that my legs are moving of their own volition. Somehow, against my will, I settle by the edge of the bed. I re openly at his figure. ¡°I am not interested in whatever lies you wish to speak.¡±


    He ignores me, walking to the wide windows of to the side and he pushes slightly, opening them.


    Air that is both cool and warm and soothing kisses my skin and I sigh softly at its gentle caress. The mes of the torches flicker at the gentle breeze but they stay on, casting shadows to the room.


    ¡°Lorna loved me just as much as I did her.¡±


    I snort. ¡°You were obsessed. You stole her. She ran from you.¡±


    His head tilts slightly, and I see some of that wispy hair fall to the side. ¡°She was stunning. She was fire. She was the only woman who did not run from me. She challenged me. I did not know what to make of it. So I¡­ borrowed her from her cottage to study her for a few days.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ borrowed her?¡± I ask, eyes wide with mirth. The seriousness with which he speaks just makes it more ridiculous and hrious. I want tough my head off, even if I know I shouldn¡¯t beughing and smiling at the enemy. Borrowed. Right.


    He turns to me. ¡°You mock me.¡±


    My eyebrows wiggle a little¨Cit usually happens that way when I¡¯m trying my utmost best not tough. Like right now. ¡°I¡¯m not. Though, your choice of words are very questionable.¡±


    I can tell he is frowning now without even seeing his face. ¡°I am King. All belongs to me. The cottage she lived in, her life¨C¡±


    ¡°An excellent excuse to lock a woman up and take away her choices¨Cand you ¡®were¡¯ king. Not anymore.¡± My voice is sharper than razor and I can tell from his preternatural stillness that he doesn¡¯t like it one bit.


    Who cares? Definitely not me.


    ¡°She raged, cursing and nearly destroyed my castle,¡± he continues, choosing instead to ignore me. There is a slight shift in his tone with every word he speaks. It is lighter and perhaps I am imagining it, but there is a bit ofughter in it. ¡°I could never have imagined that a fiery little thing like her could force me to feel things I never thought myself capable of.¡±


    My voice is lost as I listen to him. I want to hear more from him, even if I know he is lying. I don¡¯t feel like protesting or fighting him anymore. I feel his gaze on me as he says, ¡°I am not a good man and I suffered no delusion of pretending to be something I am not. But Lorna¡­ she coaxed goodness from me. She made me want to do more; to be good; to deserve her.¡±


    ¡°Why then, did you kill her?¡± I whisper, entertaining the thought for a moment. That maybe he is indeed telling the truth.


    The temperature drops drastically and a shiver licks my spine, ridding of the warmth that had enveloped me only a few moments ago. ¡°I did not kill her. She did not run from me, either. She was taken from my castle.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure that isn¡¯t how the story goes, but for some reason, the pain in his voice as he speaks goes all the way to my core, rocking me hard where I sit. I am being plunged into a world filled with unknowns and it is a great contrast from everything I havee to know in my life.


    I believe the teachings and the lores just as much as I believe my name is Astrid ckwood.


    But something chaffs.


    ¡°Taken?¡± I manage to say, voice faint.


    ¡°She had been acting strange. More temperamental than usual. Cranky. I had felt it was due to the pressure of our approaching wedding. Perhaps it had been too much for her to handle, I had thought. Then she began to make requests for things she had never liked to eat before. She would send me as far into town as possible to get her fruits. I had thought nothing of it. I would have gone to hell and back if that had been the location of her¡­ juicy persimmons, as she called it.¡±


    The story is taking a turn that I absolutely do not like, but I say nothing. Listening intently.


    ¡°That day,¡± his voice breaks off and I hear the sound of him swallowing. Another almost normal reaction that makes him seem less of a menace. It seems to hurt to speak on this subject and slowly, I start to doubt that what he is saying is a lie.


    ¡°She had wanted¡­ peaches, but it was winter. It reached my ears that there was a vige with them in abundant, despite the weather. I rode out, oblivious of the trap I was walking into. I left Lorna and my mother behind with a few guards, having sent the majority to the boundaries to deal with the rogues.


    ¡°I returned a few dayster with them, but my castle was destroyed and in Lorna¡¯s room, thereid my mother¡¯s corpse.¡±


    My heart slows and I constantly have to remind myself, again and again that it is a made up story. It is a lie. He is lying to me.


    Though, I can¡¯t see to think of the reason why he would do that in the first ce.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ibed through my kingdom, searching. I was enraged. They mocked me while I searched, throwing stones at me and my men. It did not matter. It became my life¡¯s mission to find her.


    ¡°I did. In the outskirts of the human preferrednds. It was thest ce they thought I would search. She was lean, covered in severe cuts and bruises that suggested that she had been tortured continuously. She was chained in a tower, held captive by my enemies who wished nothing upon me but revenge for the life I had left behind when I chose her.


    His voice shakes again, but he continues, barrelling me with words that I refuse to familiarise my self with. ¡°With a silver dagger pointed to her heart, they had demanded I abdicate and bend the knee.


    ¡°I did. I gave my crown. It was worth nothing to me. She tried to tell me. She yelled at me, but I would not listen to her. I wanted her safe.


    ¡°But rather than release her when I abdicated, they plunged the dagger into her heart.¡±


    I blink severally, wiping swiftly at the wetness on my cheek. Shit. I¡¯m crying. This is so fucked up. Lie or no, that is so fucked up.


    ¡°I watched her die in my arms, and even herst words to me had been an order. ¡®Find our son. He is in the catbs.¡¯ She had been with child, and I did not know.¡±


    ¡°That is enough now,¡± I say, standing to my feet shakily. ¡°That is as much of your lies that I can take.¡±


    He is quiet for a moment. He walks to where I stand by the bed and fingers reach for me. I jerk back, trying to get away before he can touch me, but he is fast. Very fast.


    His fingers grasp my neck and I scream when he leans in sharply and sinks his teeth into my neck.

 The Offer

    I wake with a scream and my hand flies to my neck, touching it and feeling it for punctures.


    The skin is unmarred.


    I pant, gripping the sheets so hard, I hear the rip in the fabric. My breaths are hard and fast and it doesn¡¯t matter how much air I try to breathe in, I just can¡¯t get enough.


    Hands are suddenly in my hair; on my back. My face is pressed against s broad chest but I do not recognize the scent. Not in this state at least.


    It takes a while before my breathing slows and I be aware of my surroundings.


    I blink, vision clearing and I look around the vast room. Not the infirmary. It is nearly as big as my room back in Wolvedom, but this has less colour and decor.


    I let out a shuddering sigh and the arms around me loosen and pushes me back gently, enough for me to see that it is Darian.


    I feel a pinch of disappointment there. I¡¯d expected¡­ Rune.


    I could¡¯ve sworn he was with me when I passed out.


    Perhaps, I had been hallucinating. Why would he havee to my aid?


    Darian¡¯s warm fingers caress my cheeks and I let him do it. Partly because I¡¯m too weary to make demands right now, and also¡­ his touch is featherlight and it feels so nice, I¡¯m currently leaning in.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± He says and my eyes shutter when those fingers drift to my hair. A small sound escapes me as I stay perfectly still, scared that he¡¯ll stop doing that.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong. I have about four men in my life right now. Thorne thinks I am too good for him and won¡¯t make a move on me until he is sure we are mates, lest he ¡®soils¡¯ me. Rune is a bastard. End of story. The Hekate just loves the taste of my blood and¨Che is not even an option. For all the obvious reasons.


    Darian¡¯s the only male who is rtively normal and not toxic. He does seem like a more viable option, yes? And it¡¯s getting harder and harder to ignore his wiles and pretend that I do not notice the heated nces he gives me.


    Because I do.


    ¡°Sick,¡± I say, letting out a breath. ¡°Where is this?¡± I ask, giving the room a pointed look.


    ¡°Your new room. I brought you here after Chancellor Vesper approved the change. You¡¯ll be safer here. No one in their right frame of mind would try attack the Star Hall residents.¡±


    My eyes widen a little. ¡°Star Hall?¡±


    Darian nods with a light smile. ¡°It was hard getting the old man to agree but after seeing the state of your room, he couldn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    I start to push the covers back but Darian¡¯s handnds on my shoulder, pushing me back until I¡¯mying on the bed again. ¡°Stay. You can exploreter. When you feel better.¡±


    I nod, fingers twitching by my side. ¡°How long have I been out for?¡±


    ¡°Two days,¡± he says, and his hand rises from my shoulder to brush my hair off my cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll find them. Those who hurt you.¡±


    He is looking at me closely and the intensity has warmth spreading through me. He means it, I realize as his golden eyes flick over my form, fury darkening his eyes. I should tell him not to bother, but instead, I say, ¡°It is Ginevra.¡±


    His lips tighten. ¡°No. The royals have people who worship them and harken to every word they give, as well as orders. They are loved by many. Hurting Ginevra in front of the whole school must have ticked them off enough to do that.¡±


    My throat hurts as I try to keep my anger and frustration down by swallowing and taking deep breaths. ¡°And this is hall is somehow supposed to keep me safe?¡±


    Darian¡¯s expression is grave. ¡°They won¡¯te here, but I can¡¯t say for when you¡¯re off these grounds.¡± He pauses and from the way his lips part, I can tell he still has something to say.


    ¡°I could protect you, if you¡¯d let me.¡±


    A silence passes between us, in which he stares at me and for a moment, his gaze singes me. I hadn¡¯t expected that. At all. And I do not know what to think or make of it.


    It doesn¡¯t feel like a mere statement. Protection from a male lycan does note for free. In Wolvendom, being under a male wolf¡¯s protection is equivalent to bing a part of his pack.


    But lycans are solitary creatures and do not move in packs, and being under their protection, would mean joining their chosen family.


    Yeah¡­ no. Maybe I am overthinking this.


    ¡°And by protection, you mean¡­¡±


    He stands, straightening to his full height and his eyes lower to my form on the bed. ¡°They say the schools bring us closer to our destined pairs, as most matches are made within them.¡±


    It is a known myth that has mostly proven right. I¡¯d think it nonsensical if it didn¡¯t happen to my parents. My father found my mother a few hours before his Graduation Ceremony at the Werewolf Academy. Impossiblyte, he had said, almost giving up on finding his mate within the school walls, but there she was, a second year student, yelling at a sentinel for denying her passage into the hall, screaming fire and brimstone in all of her fiery glory.


    Those are my father¡¯s words. Not mine. Obviously.


    I suppose I do take after my mother a lot. I got all of my crazy from her.


    I stay quiet, waiting for Darian¡¯s next words. ¡°You are an amazing woman. Astounding, really, in every way imaginable. I have never met anyone like you before, and I don¡¯t think I ever will. I believe we met for a reason and¡­ I would be honoured to have you as my Erasthai, but I do not wish to put the burden of making that decision on you right now.


    ¡°But to protect you, I would need to im you as mine. Temporarily, until you handle all of it alone.¡±


    Too many words. Too many difficult words. I am stunned into silence by them and I stare at him pour out his feelings to me¡­ and all that I feel at once is an overwhelming sense of ¡®no¡¯.


    His eyes search mine in earnest, awaiting an answer from me and there is a sudden sinking feeling inside.


    My lips part to decline his offer but those eyes¡­ damn. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ ah¡­ think about it.¡±


    He smiles brightly and damn if it isn¡¯t a beautiful sight. I clench my fists hard and my nails jut into my palm as I chide myself mentally. I can scream down a castle, rip out skin from a lycan, handle Rune¡¯s attitude, but I cannot say no to pleading eyes?


    I rub my forehead and shut my eyes. ¡°By iming, you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°It is temporary. I do not need to mark you. Just¡­ ce my scent all over you and maybe touch you when necessary. To convince the general public that you are mine and not to be touched. If, of course, it is fine with you.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    My eyes shoot open when his fingers graze mine and I watch him raise my hand and press a kiss to my knuckles. He turns my hand and presses another to my pulse point.


    Burning hell, he¡¯s trying to seduce me already.


    The door swings open when his lips are on my skin and Maya¡¯s chirpy voice chips in. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte! The sentinels wouldn¡¯t let me through and¨C¡±


    She stops talking when she sees us and a dark expression flits across her face for a moment. It is so fast, I think I imagined it. Nheless, feeling weird, I take my hand from Darian¡¯s and tuck it under the sheets, like it can hide the evidence of something. Anything.


    She smiles then, eyes meeting mine. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± she giggles, holding up flowers. ¡°I¡¯d love to stay but¡­ I have to run to ss.¡±


    I frown, making a point of looking out the window to the night beyond. ¡°Now? Tonight?¡±


    Her smile falters slightly, and spreads as she startsughing. ¡°It¡¯s something private. With Ann. You don¡¯t know her. She¡¯s putting me through¡­ ah¡­ history and calctions. I have to be there now.¡±


    I smile, thinking, we¡¯ve been hanging together for a while now. I should know if she¡¯s been taking extra lessons. Maybe I¡¯m not observant enough.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Astrid!¡± She waves and runs out the door.


    ¡°Weird,¡± I mutter.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Darianughs, walking to the door. ¡°Isn¡¯t she always?¡±


    *Yeah, but that was different,¡±* I don¡¯t say.


    ************


    *Rune*


    I push back from the wall, refusing to hate myself for what I have done; refusing to feel bad for myself and my horrible fate.


    She¡¯ll hate me if she finds out¡­ but then she already does.


    *Two Days Earlier*


    I move, unable to keep myself away. I feel pain and rage and I snarl at the crowd, causing them to pull back from her writhing form.


    I have never seen her like this¡­ and I have seen every shade of Astrid.


    I lift her off the ground and my foot kicks down the infirmary door. I turn around to the teeming crowd that are watching me with surprise and a low vicious growl leaves me throat, sending all but two scampering away from us. Her.


    Protect.


    Safe.


    Protect.


    She is sobbing in my hands and I have no fucking idea what to do.


    ¡°ce her here,¡± I faintly hear Darian say and though, I growl at him, I listen. I ce her on the bed, but¡­ I can¡¯t seem to leave her side.


    It doesn¡¯t help that the beast in me regards everything and everyone else as a threat and I keep snarling and growling in warning.


    ¡°Prince Rune,¡± the nurse starts, and my eyes droop to the needle in her grasp. ¡°I need to¨C¡±


    I bare my teeth in her direction and she shuffles back swiftly. The scent of fear fills the air and it fuels my need to rage.


    Darian grabs my arm and forces my gaze to shift from her. ¡°You¡¯re scaring the nurse away. Do you not want her to get treated? Look at her!¡±


    I do, and her face is crumpled with pain. She is drenched in sweat and tears and her hands keep wing at her chest. I blink, seeing clearly for the first time since I got in here.


    The nurse is pressed up against the wall and her eyes dart between me and Astrid like she is trying to decide if it¡¯ll be safe to touch her.


    A movement by the corner catches my eyes and I see Ginevra. Her blue eyes are filled with brimming hate and anger as she regards me and I know better than to try exin my reaction to Astrid¡¯s condition.


    I turn instead and walk out the door without looking back.


    *********


    Footsteps approach me, but I do not need to turn to know who it is.


    My gaze if fixed several floors down, trained on my peers brawling in the yard.


    ¡°I have only ever seen a man behave that way with a woman who is his Erasthai. She is yours, isn¡¯t she?¡± Darian asks, leaning against the railing beside me.


    ¡°I fail to see how that concerns you,¡± I say, resting my head on my fist, keeping a bored expression on.


    ¡°It does. She is my friend and I need to be sure that you understand what you¡¯re doing to her.¡±


    I say nothing. It is not to him that I owe an exnation or an apology. Only her, and I cannot give her that.


    But he presses on still, eager to rip from me answers I do not wish to give. ¡°You ordered the Chancellor into giving her a ce in our hall.¡± He pauses. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°It is nothing to thank me for. It was only logical,¡± I say dryly and straighten. Turning away from him, I add, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know it yet, so it isn¡¯t sealed. Make her yours, Darian. She deserves better than me.¡±


    I expect a few words of protest and refusal, but he only asks me, ¡°Why?¡±


    I shove my hand in my pocket and walk away, giving him no answer. Hopefully, he¡¯ll adhere to it and make her his Erasthai.


    That way, I know she¡¯s safe from me. From him.

 Hard Truths

    Time flies quickly. Days blend together as one. The nights are better now. I haven¡¯t had nightmares in a while¡­ or walking dreams. I¡¯ve been studying and hanging out more with Maya and Darian and sometimes, just Darian.


    Darian¡¯s been sweet. Getting me things,ing to see me before he goes to bed, bringing me flowers and gifts and small sweet notes that feel very human.


    It makes me feel warm inside but not enough to want to be his anything.


    There have been no further incidents since I moved to the hall. Everyone mostly stays away from me now. They don¡¯t even point andugh at me anymore. They don¡¯t even look my way. It feels like there has been some order or instruction that has been passed across that I know nothing of.


    ¡°TAKE ONE LOOK AT ASTRID AND YOUR EYES WILL BE FORFEIT.¡±


    Yes. It is that bad. I don¡¯t let it bother me much. I have been sticking to my space and my business. Being in the same hall with Rune and Ginevra makes it harder to avoid them. They¡¯re everywhere. The private gym, the small dainty restaurant that most star students go to just for the super Wi-Fi, the private pool area, the balconies¡­ they¡¯re everywhere. Mooning over each other and it doesn¡¯t matter how many times I tell myself that it¡¯ll get easier to watch.


    It doesn¡¯t.


    What has gotten easier is hiding my disgust and sometimes, even smiling.


    Even now, as music sts through my ears and I take my third run around the hall, it isn¡¯t about exercising anymore. It is about drowning out their voices that echo in my head; in my brain.


    I pull myself up, swinging from rail to rail, and my arms protests, as do my muscles. It feels like my arm will get disconnected from it¡¯s socket.


    But it is nothingpared to the burning hate eating me up from inside. A feeling I am not entitled to. A feeling I have no right to. A feeling I must discard as soon as possible.


    I drop from the rail,nding on my foot and I roll my hands and shoulders, blowing out hot breaths.


    A hand taps my shoulder and I smile when I see Darian holding a bottle of water. ¡°You¡¯re going harder than normal today,¡± he says as I uncork the bottle.


    ¡°I¡¯m stressed,¡± I say and throw back my head as I drink from the bottle.


    ¡°Because you¡¯ll see them again today?¡± Darian asks and as he takes back the bottle and his thumb caresses the inside of my palm purposefully.


    His finger leaves heat in its wake and I sigh. I know this is for my well being but it feels really nice. These lycan males and their seductive heat.


    I nod. I forgot to mention, today¡¯s the start of the Interschool Games. The portal will be opened in four hours and we will receive the guests from other realms.


    My parents included.


    Thorne as well. With Tri and Aria.


    I am nervous, anxious. It¡¯s only been a few weeks but it feels like a lot of things have happened in these few days that make me¡­ different.


    For one, my ¡®studying¡¯ does not only entail my history ss. I have been digging, anding up with oddities.


    First, you must know that our history and texts date back to the time when it was only the Moon Goddess and her children in existence. There are records of every Lycan, Wolf and Human born with the blessings of the Goddess. Every family and and it¡¯s predecessors.


    No one is left out. So I find it odd that I can¡¯t find anything on Lorna¡¯s mate whom Hekate killed out of jealousy. Or the male with whom she had gone into hiding with. Or the sons she¡¯d had by the male.


    They have no names in the lores, and knowing my kind, it is strange.


    I¡¯m a curious little being whose itch has been touched.


    I also found that there is indeed a tower in the outskirts of the Lycan Realm, in a town where humans used to reside eons ago. It is in ruins now and no one goes there anymore. Not because it is forgotten, but because they know better. They call it Home of the Dead. Some say it is cursed. Others say it is where the darkness began.


    I have no fucking idea which is true, because I have never been there, but I hate to admit that certain pieces in Hekate¡¯s story seem to be true.


    There is a battle within me. Dig up more, listen to his lies, doubt my parents and everyone who¡¯s taught me everything I know. Or dismiss everything I have heard and report my recurring dreams to my parents.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Darian says, fingers grasping mine.


    I steal a nce in the opposite direction when I feel a weight on my back. But Rune isn¡¯t watching. He is pulling himself up on the railings and I snatch my eyes away the moment I find myself admiring the panes of his chest like every other female is doing right now.


    I grip Darian¡¯s fingers tighter instead andugh loudly, even if he hasn¡¯t said anything funny. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    His eyebrows are raised but he says nothing as I pull him out of the gym.


    ¡°It is absolutely normal. The heightened pitch, the giggles, the fidgeting¡­¡±


    I frown and turn to Darian. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    His face is hard and his usually warm eyes seem colder. ¡°Rune. You¡¯re in love with him.¡±


    I blink. I take a step back, hand leaving his, and I take another. My breath is stuck in my throat and my fingers dig painfully into my palm. ¡°I am not. Goddess forbid it.¡±


    His unflinching gaze regards me with a detached expression I do not recognize. ¡°It¡¯s in your eyes, Astrid. In your bodynguage. You look for him when you don¡¯t see him, and your palms have bruises from every moment you try to ignore his frolicking with his betrothed.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Instinctively, my hand moves behind my back and my nostrils re. ¡°Do not say that to me. Do not presume to understand me or my feelings when you know nothing of both. You think I wouldn¡¯t know if I was in¨C¡± I pant, gritting out the vile, disgusting word. ¡°love?¡±


    ¡°It is¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough. It is enough. You do not tell me what I feel or how I feel. If you cannot respect my words and my feelings, then I see no reason why we should be friends. Or anything at all.¡±


    His jaw clenches. ¡°You seem to have a problem listening to hard truths.¡±


    I take a step forward and stare up at him, seething. ¡°Fuck you and your truth. It isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    His lips part, no doubt to spew more nonsense, but I¡¯m already walking away, fingers feeling for my throat.


    I¡¯ve always been a woman who prides in her heart being hers alone. Love has always been a farfetched term for me. I do not know what it is, or what it should feel like, but I know what I feel for Rune.


    It isn¡¯t love¡­


    I think.

 Orion

    ¡°One at a time!¡± The sentinels yell as they scan our IDs and let us through the doors that lead to the stadium.


    As I approach the check point, my heart races in anticipation. The stadium is massive, its walls towering above me, casting a shadow over the entire courtyard. The air is thick with excitement and the endless chatter, as well as hoots and bet hashtags. Everyone¡¯s wearing green¨Cnot me though. I hate green.


    I step forward and hand over my ID card for scanning, the beep signaling my entry.


    ¡°Have you seen Darian today? I wanted to wish him before it starts but I can¡¯t find him anywhere,¡± Maya says loudly beside me as we walk side by side, making our way inside.


    Darian is participating in the Games. He didn¡¯t tell me when I ask, leaving me hanging with a smirk and ¡°you¡¯ll see. Cheer for me, princess.¡±


    Well. That was before the fight.


    I shrug, keeping my expression impassive. ¡°He was at the gym this morning. I¡¯ve not seen him since then.¡±


    ¡°Astrid,¡± Maya says and my ears perk up at drop in her usually high-pitched tone and I turn to her, noting the serious contemtive look on her face. ¡°Are you and Dar a thing?¡±


    I think of this morning. I think of thest few days, of our charade, of his lips against my cheek every night before he leaves my room.


    And I shake my head. ¡°I already exined this to you. He¡¯s only trying to help. There is nothing else attached to it.¡±


    The truth of his proposal weighs heavy on me, however. I have not told Maya about it. Maybe I should. I just find it hard to let people in or tell them things about myself. Maya has been sweet and there for me these past few weeks. I really should learn how to tell her things. She¡¯s my friend. Perhaps, the only friend I might have in a long, long time.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± I add when an ufortable silence stretches between us.


    I can see she wants to tell me something. Her lips keep parting and she keeps sucking her lip in, biting on it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She looks at me and when she starts to speak, someone bumps hard into us from behind, running ahead of us into the stadium.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± Maya tells ahead of him and the male turns and sneers at us before scampering off, into the stadium.


    I am struck by the sheer size of the stadium. Rows upon rows of seats extend out in front of me, stretching all the way to the other end of the arena. In the center, a vast field is set up and there arerge screen, showing feeds from different parts of the stadium as well as score boards with ¡®WA¡¯ and ¡®LS¡¯ boldly written on them.


    On the far side, I can see a raised tform with a throne-like chairs, nked by other smaller chairs. I know that is where the ruling royal families will sit, presiding over the games; where my family will sit, beside Rune¡¯s.


    Ugh.


    Along the track are more podiums, likely reserved for the coaches and staff.


    One half of the stadium that takes the shape of a sphere has seats painted in a vibrant green colour, and the other half is in deep red, creating a striking visual effect¡­ and contrast. A division. Lycans to green. Wolves to red. Here¡¯s to being a united people, I think as I lift a ss of champagne mentally.


    My eyes drift back to the empty thrones that demarcate this contrast. Beforending in this school, I would have all but skipped to my throne and taken my ce on it beside my parents, but now¡­


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see youter,¡± Maya says, giving me a light squeeze on my arm.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nod, giving her a sidelong nce. ¡°You could¡­ join me.¡±


    Her eyes go wide like saucers as she looks from me to the tform. ¡°Up there? Really?¡±


    I shrug, feeling uneasy. I doubt mother and father will find an issue with me bringing a friend. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She suck on her lower lip and looks in the opposite direction where a few participants are warming up around the field. ¡°Sure, but¡­ you go ahead first. I¡¯ll join you soon.¡±


    I nod and she skips down the short steps, heading to the team. Rubbing my arms, I walk between rows of chairs, eyes darting about, searching for familiar faces.


    It isn¡¯t until I walk past the red chairs that I start to see people I vaguely recall from werewolf high.


    But not Thorne. Or my friends.


    And definitely not Orion.


    Had he been alive, I know he would have participated. Grief engulfs me and I blink back the tears that spring to my eyes. Orion¡­


    Orion and I, like every other of my friends grew up together. Pack ckwood is vast, stretching out to colonies that go beyond my knowledge, but Father makes a point of bringing the ¡®kids¡¯ together.


    I met Thorne first, but he had this terrible habit of freezing whenever I tried to speak to him, and when he came to, he would just run off.


    Tri, Aria and I just clicked.


    I met Orionst, and of all my friends, he understood me most. Though we were young, he already had an air of maturity about him and his eyes had a knowledge that went past his age.


    Much like me.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    He would spend hours with me, listening to me speak of long forgotten dreams, and he would in turn tell me of a world that existed only in the human books he¡¯d stolen from his father¡¯s library.


    Many times I¡¯d run from home, overwhelmed by the weight of my duties; overwhelmed by expectations and rules¨Cmy mother liked to think me a rebel, and I liked to think I was just being caged. He¡¯d always be around the corner, holding out a bottle of mixed roots and alcohol.


    He would take me back to my room,pletely knocked out and delirious. He would tuck me in and wait till I stopped spewing nonsense and leave after I¡¯d fallen asleep.


    It is to Orion I told my darkest secrets¨Csecrets that would have me banished like Hekate was when he was a child¨Cand it is to him that I gave my Maidenhead.


    When I took of my dress in front of him that night, he had watched me. Not my naked body, or my perfect skin and curves.


    His eyes had been on my face the entire time I had undressed, noting the tears in my eyes.


    He hadn¡¯t asked questions. I didn¡¯t tell him why either; too tired to speak; too angry to care.


    And he had been gentle.


    Orion never told me he loved me, but I know he did.


    I loved him too, but not the way he would have wanted. He never made a move. Perhaps he already knew I would say no.


    But he stayed still, making himself avable whenever he thought I needed help. With soothing words. With getting rid of my tension, anger and agitations with his touch.


    Maybe I should have told him once, at least. That I cared for him too. That I would have done the same thing for him.


    Now I can¡¯t. He¡¯s gone beyond my reach.


    I wipe my eyes, looking ahead as I walk past the fast filling rows. I feel eyes on me and I know my people are watching me.


    I do not look up to acknowledge it. I feel odd and out of ce. Seeing people like me again should provide some sort offort, but it doesn¡¯t.


    I hasten my stride, itching to get away from them, but when I reach the podium, I see Rune sitting off to the edge, on a smaller throne.


    My eyes drift to the throne beside his that should be mine.


    But Ginevra is on it.


    I slip my hands out of my pocket and lean back on my heel, peering down at them with so much anger in my heart, I think it is going to explode.


    ¡°You¡¯re in my chair, Ginevra.¡±


    She smiles sweetly at me, looking all pretty and dazzling in a green gown that is to die for. Yes. It is green and it is absolutely stunning. ¡°Chill out, pup¨C¡±


    I bare my teeth at her. ¡°Call me pup again and I¡¯ll finish what I started. Surely, you do not need more holes in your creamy, tasty skin,¡± I say, tongue darting out to lick my canines.


    All the colour drains from her lovely face and her hand goes to her thigh, as if to protect it.


    She stands from the chair swiftly and does not even give her stupid ass betrothed a kiss before stalking off, muttering cusses as she passes by, all of which I I turn a deaf ear to.


    Mother would really disapproves if she finds me with my teeth in Ginevra¡¯s throat. Though, I think Father would cheer me on.


    A small sound catches my attention and I look at Rune.


    He¡¯sughing.

 Erasthai

    ¡°What?¡± I ask, taking great pains to wedge between our thrones a little distance as I push mine from his.


    I should know better. I end up looking stupid. I always do stupid things around Rune. That¡¯s the only exnation for trying to move a throne that is fixed to the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re a clown,¡± he mutters, angling toward me and propping his head against his wrist.


    The glint in his green eyes is mischievous and a crafty smile teases his lips. ¡°I quite like your aggressive side, Red.¡±


    I blink. Heat creeps up my neck, spreading further until I¡¯m pretty sure I have a full body flush going on. Does he call me Red to turn me Red?


    ¡°Piss off,¡± I say, settling in beside him awkwardly.


    Now I¡¯m all self conscious. Touching my hair, twirling it around my fingers, rubbing my arms, peeling off the coat of my nail polish, all in a bid to ignore the fact that Rune¡¯s eyes are trained on me.


    Why in the three realms is he looking at me?


    Why is he even talking to me?


    ¡°Why are you in ck?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that concerns you,¡± I snap, looking down at the field below. I catch sight of Maya and she¡¯s talking to one of the Lycan¡¯s in the green game¡¯s uniform.


    I force my gaze from her and turn left. Shouldn¡¯t have done that. Now, I¡¯m staring at him and the way the sun catches in his eyes. The way the gentle breeze lifts his white hair against his cheek.


    The sun makes his usually pale skin look olive-like today and I find that I like the bit of colour to his face. It makes him appear more¡­ lycan.


    My eyes fall to his smirking lips and I hold my breath, hoping somehow that it slows my racing heart before he can hear it.


    ¡°I hear Darian made you his Erasthai,¡± he finally says, pulling away from me, and I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    ¡°What is it to you?¡± I snap.


    He chuckles, adjusting his silly crown that¡¯s askew to sit properly on his head. ¡°It is everything to me, Astrid.¡±


    I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s joking, or if he truly means it, and I know better than to keep his words in my head.


    Listen to Rune at your own detriment. Nothing good everes of it.


    ¡°And if I do be his Erasthai?¡±


    Rune¡¯s smile falters and he head snaps left immediately. There is a sh of darkness in his eyes but it¡¯s gone in a split second and I start to wonder if I imagined it. He leans in and my heart ms into my ribcage when his fingers graze my neck.


    The spot he touches is sensitive and heat jolts through me, racing down my core.


    He prods the tender skin between my neck and shoulder, and his thumb caresses it slowly. A shiver runs down my spine, leaving in its wake goosebumps. I try to keep myposure. I try to numb myself to it. I try to remind myself that there are thousands around us, watching. I try to surpress the desire that is threatening to consume me, to burn me.


    I can¡¯t let him know what his touch is doing to me, but my body is betraying me by leaning into it.


    I am conflicted, confused, and undeniably attracted to him in a way that makes no sense.


    ¡°Here,¡± he says, drawing a line on a pulse point. His voice drops low and throaty, and his eyes are trained on mine as he speaks. ¡°He¡¯ll mark you here. im you for eternity, binding your soul to his, never to be separated again.¡±


    His thumb leaves my neck, recing it with his index finger and he draws a line down from it to the swell of my breast where my heart is.


    Goddess, what the fuck is this?


    I have no doubt he feels it. My heartbeat. It is wild and erratic. Fucking hell.


    ¡°You will feel him here. His thoughts, his emotions. They will be yours, and yours his. You will cease to be Astrid,¡± he whispers and I don¡¯t think I am breathing when he adds, ¡°You will be Darian¡¯s other half. You will be called his Erasthai. Not the other way around. Your will will cease to be. His will bes yours. His wants, his needs. They will be that which you live for, thrive for. For him, you live. For him, you die. That is what bing his Erasthai means for you.¡±


    His gaze is piercing as he analyses me behind his careful, meditating eyes. ¡°But then, that could never be you, could it?¡±


    My hands are shaking and sweat rolls down my neck, down my spine. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to scare me¨C¡±


    Heughs harshly and pulls away from me. ¡°Now give me one reason why I¡¯d do that.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an asshole.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    His grin is near blinding as he sketches a mock bow. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    My lips part to give him a befitting reply but the aura in the arena changes. There is a heaviness in the air that wasn¡¯t there a second ago.


    I recognize it and stand to my feet, bowing my head low beside Rune who¡¯s also in the same pose. Our parents have arrived.


    I peek at the screens not too far from me and the entire stadium is bowing too. The feed switches to an up-close video of Rune¡¯s mother and father taking graceful steps toward us.


    Queen Zephyr is smiling and waving erratically at the crowd and cheers and screams fills the air as they sight her.


    King Fenrir on the other hand looks like he wishes to be somewhere else. He overlooks the crowd without a hint of warmth, but that doesn¡¯t stop them from screaming their heads off.


    Not far behind, my mother and father follow, smiling warmly, and the other half of the stadium cheers loudly, as if the screams are some sort of battle to see which race loves their rulers better.


    Lovely, isn¡¯t it?


    The nearer their approach, the heavier the aura. This is a necessity. A show of power. When I be queen one day, I¡¯ll need to do this too. I must show strength in the presence of my people. And love. And joy.


    But more importantly, strength.


    No one loves or respects a leader who they think is too weak to guide them.


    Soon they reach the top and my voicees out as a squeak when it joins Rune¡¯s in greeting, ¡°Wee, Your Majesties.¡±


    I raise my head then, watching Rune¡¯s parents settle to the right of him. Queen Zephyr smiles at me, nodding in approval and I smile back, letting her see my gratitude.


    King Fenrir doesn¡¯t spare me a nce. You know, there are days I think he doesn¡¯t like me, but I can¡¯t be too sure. He always looks mean, and stern.


    My heart expands with joy when my parents stop in front of me. My eyes sting with tears as I peer up at them.


    ¡°Daughter,¡± my father teases and Iugh.


    ¡°Father,¡± I answer and look at my mother. She isn¡¯t smiling, and I don¡¯t smile back either as I say, ¡°Luna.¡±


    Mother rolls her eyes at my chosen address for her and strides over to her throne. She seems grumpier than usual, and her hair, dare I say, has a few locks out of ce. Bad hair day, I guess.


    ¡°You look well,¡± my father says, settling on his taller throne to my right. I have no idea who made this silly arrangement, but why do I have to be in the middle with Rune?


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡°Vesper tells me you are not in shape to participate,¡± he says with a frown and I know what¡¯sing next. It¡¯s the side of my father that I absolutely did not miss. ¡°As much as I understand how difficult it must be, you should know you are breaking family tradition and¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Father.¡±


    His face softened and his frown dissolves into concern. ¡°I know, Astrid. I should ask how you are. How it¡¯s been so far. I know it¡¯s been difficult for you. I can¡¯t begin to imagine to what extent. But I look at you now, and I know you¡¯re alright and you will be fine.¡±


    My throat closes. I want to tell him everything that¡¯s happened. I want to tell him I am not alright. I want to tell him what I have heard and the things I don¡¯t understand. I want to tell him that I don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m doing here and I¡¯ve been lost since I got here.


    But I nod instead, swallowing the painful lump in my throat. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sorry. I did try.¡±


    Mother snorts and I resist the urge to re at her. I train my gaze down at the field instead and the crowd of reds and greens taking formations. There are two g bearers running to the center of the field and in their hands are two white rifles.


    The movements around have reduced and everyone¡¯s settled in, brimming with excitement.


    It¡¯s starting.

 Will You Cheer Me On?

    Chancellor Vesper makes his way to the middle of the field, nked by sentinels on either sides of him. Behind him is a figure in those dreadful robes that I can never forget. The Grand Mistress. Her hair is styled in aplicated updo that must have taken hours of careful structuring, and her hands are folded in the overflowing sleeves of her robes.


    Her nk gaze is fixed ahead, but I have a feeling she can see everything.


    The silence in the stadium as they approach its center is unsettling. Chancellor Vesper waves dismissively at the teams formed below and they immediately clear the area, heading toward their designated seats.


    I spy Darian behind, moving at his own pace, like he has all the time in the world. My heart squeezes a little as I recall earlier this morning. I don¡¯t let myself dwell on it. Thinking on his words will make them real.


    And they are not.


    The ground under my feet moves a little and my eye is drawn to the centre where the the earth cleaves and from its depths, a stand emerges. It rises higher and higher, light glinting off the surface of it.


    The surface that holds a sculpture like nothing I have seen before. It is one of the Moon Goddess and her wolves. In her hand, she holds the moon, which is shaped like a bowl, glowing with soft ethereal light. The wolves around her seem to hold the moon with her¡­ or bear the weight of it with her.


    Chancellor Vesper stops a couple of feet away from her, but the Grand Mistress stops right in front of it. Her hand rises to hover atop the bowl and her voice cuts across the stadium, raspy and ancient as she chants in anguage I don¡¯t understand.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    The fine hair on my skin rises with each word that leaves her lips and I think pretty much everyone is affected because our breaths are held throughout her chanting.


    And at the end of it, she stops suddenly and deres, ¡°We have the Goddess¡¯s blessings.¡±


    Creep.


    Hoots, shouts and ps arise all around us, and Chancellor Vesper walks to the bowl, taking her ce in front of it as she walks away.


    ¡°Wee to the much-awaited Annual Interschool Games. Today, our young and talented Lycans and Werewolves willpete against each other in various events. This is not just apetition, but also an opportunity to showcase their skills, determination, and sportsmanship.


    ¡°As we witness this friendly rivalry, I must remind you all that we are onemunity¡­¡±


    I zone out in the middle of Vesper¡¯s wee speech, bored to death. I look over the crowd, trying to ce where Maya¡¯s at, but I can¡¯t find her. There are too many faces to look past.


    ¡°Will you watch me y today? Will you cheer me on?¡±


    I turn my gaze to Rune and I get caught in a sea of emerald, dark and mysterious. The depth of Rune¡¯s eyes are unfathomable, almost like a bottomless pit, drawing me in with its alluring pool. Enchanting, I¡¯d call them, if I was intoplimenting men. ¡°And where, pray tell, did you hit your head today, Rune? Shall I hit it again to reset it since you¡¯ve obviously lost it?¡±


    His eyes twinkle with amusement. ¡°You wound me with your generosity.¡±


    Just as Chancellor Vesper announcing the first event of the day, Rune stands from his throne, shrugging off his green jacket with stunning embroidery and golden threads. He dumps it in myp and cooes, ¡°When you begin to miss me, sniff it.¡±


    I grab it and proceed to hurl it at his head, but my mother clears her throat sharply in silent warning.


    I re at Rune and my nostrils re. He winks at me before walking off, hands dipped in his pockets. My eyes follow him until he descends the the steps and disappears into the crowd.


    The Games kick off a few minutester with the first event being ¡°The Running of The Pack.¡±


    It¡¯s a ry race. Essentially. Two Reds and two Greens are set to run fourps around the stadium track, where four participants wait at eachp to take green or red staffs from them and continue on the race. The team with the fastestbined time earns twenty points. The scoreboard is currently on zero to zero.


    At the shot of a rifle, they dash forward and my breath catches at the insane amount of speed with which the Greens run. The wolves are doing well themselves, but the lycans are better, leaving them behind to eat dust.


    The screams and cheers are deafening and the screens zoom in on the figures as the cross the firstp in no time.


    ¡°DARIAN!!!¡± The crowd goes wild as he collects the green staff from the green before him and explodes down the track. I chuckle when the screen catches his face and the smug grin on it as he reaches the end of the secondp in no time and hands over to the third.


    He is immediately swarmed by his team and they p his shoulders, grinning from ear to ear, congratting him. I p, smiling, and for some reason, my face is immediately ced on the screen.


    I freeze, hoping no one else saw that. Especially not my people.


    ¡°Friend of yours?¡± My father asks with a weird look on his face.


    I am saved from answering when the screen switches again and noise swells from the other part of the stadium where the wolves are.


    ¡°THORNE!!!¡± They shout and my heart stops. Every thought eddies out of my head and I am on my feet before I know it, watching both the screens and the field below.


    Thorne is here. I knew he woulde, but I had doubts. Especially after what happened to Tara.


    My eyes search for him. And then I find him, running, covering the distance in record time and speed that is on par with the lycans. Even better.


    His hair is tousled by the wind and my heart leaps in my chest as I take in the sight of him. He is as handsome as I remember, his strong muscles rippling with each movement. His intense eyes are focused ahead, reminding me of a time when I was his main object of focus.


    He moves so fluidly and gracefully, and my heart aches just from watching him. I need to talk to him, but it¡¯d need to wait until the race is over.


    I sit back in my chair and nce at my father, who seems pretty invested in the performance below. ¡°Why bring Thorne?¡±


    He shrugs, but grief flickers in his eyes. ¡°He volunteered for this.¡±


    ¡°After his sister died? That doesn¡¯t seem like Thorne.¡±


    My father looks at me, and there is a grim, exhausted expression on his face. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about the Games, Astrid. We needed to observe the patterns and figure out why the deaths are urring. The students selected from the Academy to participate each have ties to us royals and our predecessors. Thorne¡¯s involvement is to help resolve this problem and ensure no one has to die again.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to tell me, why?¡±


    My father¡¯s lips part, and closes. It is my mother who answers for him instead. ¡°You are not mature enough to handle these things, Astrid, and you have shown that on so many asions.¡±


    The words reverberate in my mind and I struggle toprehend it. Tension builds up within me and my fists clench and unclench by my side. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not mature enough?¡±


    ¡°Astrid, you have a lot going on¨C¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t know the first thing about it. Any of it. What I have been through¨Cfuck,¡± I say and shoot to my feet, staggering out of his reach when he tries to touch me. ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Astrid,¡± my father calls out and as I run down the steps, I hear my mother say, ¡°Let her be. You need to stop cuddling her so she learns to ept truths. If she is to be queen someday, she should learn now.¡±


    epting truths. There¡¯s that statement I hate so much.


    *********


    Anxiety grips me and my breakfast has turned to lead in my stomach as I approach Thorne.


    The race was a tie. Thorne¡¯s performance gave WA a winning shot and the female who took the staff from him did just as good.


    He is speaking to a couple of wolves, his team, and when they see me, they bow slightly, cutting Thorne off in his speech.


    I nod imperceptibly and look at his strong, broad back. ¡°Thorne.¡±


    His shoulders tighten and my heart drops and rises again, continuing like that until I feel sick in my stomach.


    He turns slowly and gazes at me squarely. Looking at him up close, I notice the fatigue lines under his eyes and how he looks leaner. Tired.


    I run into his arms, embracing him tightly and sniffing his manly scent that¡¯s mixed something sweet deeply. ¡°I missed you, Thorne. I heard about Tara. I am so sorry.¡±


    His hands grip my forearms weirdly and I ignore theck of feel in his hug and bury my face in his chest. There is a scent on him. Feminine. I don¡¯t think much of it since he¡¯s been on the field all day, but it is strong enough that I can¡¯t help but notice.


    I pull back and peer into his face with a soft smile. His expression is unreadable, but his eyes are silver-lined, filled with raw emotion. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± My hand rises to cup his cheek. ¡°I wished to speak to you everyday, but I couldn¡¯t and¨C¡±


    ¡°Tee? I got your bottle¡­¡±


    Thorne nces up and his hand rises to remove my hand from his cheek. I frown, pulling away and turning to see who and why he did that and it¡¯s the woman who took thestp on the race.


    Her big brown eyes dart between me and Thorne and her eyes widen a little. What follows is a bright smile and a bow. ¡°You¡¯re Princess Astrid. Tee talks about you a lot.¡±


    She shifts the blue bottle to her left hand and extends her right for a shake. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Sapphire.¡±


    I stare at her hand and look back at Thorne whose gaze is hooded and pained. ¡°Who¡­¡± My voice trials off as a deeply rooted feares alive within me.


    Thorne shifts ufortably beside me and walks over to where the woman stands, cing a hand over her shoulder. ¡°Sapphire is my mate.¡±

 Rune鈥檚 Paintings

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ ah¡­ happy for you,¡± I say, trying to force a smile to my face, but I fail, because I¡¯m not.


    Even Sapphire sees past it because she gives me a wary look and says, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to talk.¡± To Thorne she says, ¡°I¡¯ll be with the rest.¡± And she kisses the corner of his mouth while her eyes are trained on me.


    It¡¯s a very clear message that I understand all too well. *Back off.*


    I look away, feeling stupid and angry for reasons that have nothing to do with jealousy. Or maybe it is. I don¡¯t know.


    I¡¯m not angry that he¡¯s found his mate. I¡¯m not angry that he has obviously moved on. It¡¯s just¡­ it isn¡¯t me. I¡¯m not the one. And it stings.


    There is a long pause in which Thorne stares at me with vulnerable eyes and I stare back at him, heart further sinking. ¡°It happened on the first week.¡±


    I fold my arms and look down at my boots. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me, Thorne. I understand.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a matter of choice, Astrid.¡±


    My throat closes and swallowing is painful as hell. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I loved you, Astrid.¡±


    I find a little bit of the man I used to know when I nce up. A tiny bit. It isn¡¯t just about the mate bond with Sapphire. He¡¯s changed. His eyes are hollow and there¡¯s despair lurking behind them; a numbing cold that even the heat of the sun cannot get rid of. Losing a loved one would do that to anyone.


    I understand. I really do, but it is hard to look at him and know that I can¡¯t reach him anymore. That whatever we had, that thing we cherished, is gone¨Cand I don¡¯t know why.


    My tongue is dry and heavy as I say, ¡°Loved?¡±


    His eyes meet mine, stark and clear. ¡°I still do¨Cmaybe I always will, but this is for the best. It never would have been me. This, this is the least painful way out of it for me.¡±


    My heart slows and my hands fall from my side, furling and unfurling. ¡°What¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t do that, Astrid. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what I am talking about, because you do. Perhaps, you shoulde to terms with it, and yourself. Yes, you were attracted to me, and I was drawn to you, moth to a me¨Cbecause that is what you are, Astrid. A fire that burns, leaving behind the feeling of ecstasy, and in the end, there¡¯s not much left¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Thorne,¡± I plead, whimpering.


    But he goes on like I never interrupted him, speaking the words that I know will haunt me for the rest of my life. Words that are sinking in deep, all the way into my heart, my soul, fracturing something essential.


    ¡°I knew, and I still fell¨Cbecause it is impossible not to¨C¡± He stops, like going on would cause him pain and his gaze is filled with pain¡­ and hate. ¡°I saw you leave your room that night.¡±


    The world under my feet shakes and I nt my foot on the ground to keep from falling back. It is a trial in itself to keep my expression frozen when his words take me back to that night with Rune. And Orion.


    ¡°I followed you to make sure you were alright, but there you were, giving yourself away to another because of another.¡± Thorne releases a sharp sigh and looks away from me, like he cannot stand the sight of me before him. ¡°It broke me, Astrid. Seeing you cry because of him had been hard enough, but watching what lengths you would take, to rid yourself of your feelings; hide them from the world and yourself; it broke me.¡±


    His words ng through me, dragging me, pulling me back to a time I do not wish to think of, or remember. It is dredging up memories I have buried deep within myself.


    My breaths are harsh and fast and I try to find words to say. Ie up with nothing. I can¡¯t even look at him. He¡¯s known for three years. He¡¯s known, and he spoke nothing of it, remaining by my side, loving me.


    I don¡¯t deserve him. I¡¯m the worst kind of fool there is. He deserves better, and somehow, I never thought about it, never felt guilty or considered what he might have felt if he found out. I never really considered it. I¡¯d been too busy, wrapped up in my own world; my life; Rune.


    I can find no words to speak except, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Thorne smiles and meets my gaze again. His grey eyes are ¡°I know.¡±


    He walks away from me and I stand there, watching him leave, and I don¡¯t dare stop him or call his name. I have lost that right. I have lost him.


    And as I return to my seat, I don¡¯t let myself cry. I shove my thoughts and the steady ache in my heart down, until I stifle it. Until it can no longer haunt me.


    It is a terrible habit of mine. Rather than fix the problems, rather than fix me, i prefer to put them out of sight. Until I forget them.


    *********


    The rifle goes off again, jolting me in my chair. On the field, Rune and Thorne dash forward, heading for the maze.


    The second event is the ¡®Alpha Challenge¡¯. The leaders or best yers of each teampete against each other in a series of obstacle courses.


    They have been blindfolded and the first one to make it out of the maze wins.


    My fingers tighten on Rune¡¯s jacket as I watch the two men navigate their way around, sniffing and listening to the yells of the crowd that either says, ¡°GO LEFT!¡± or ¡°YOUR RIGHT!¡±


    I should cheer for Thorne, but I can¡¯t find it in me to, and I¡¯m pretty sure Mother would disapprove if I stand from my sit and join the crowd in yelling too, no matter that Father is doing it too.


    I feel a headache forming and I close my eyes that suddenly feel heavy, holding on tightly to the pretty jacket, because I feel if I don¡¯t hold still, or hold on to something, I¡¯ll fall apart.


    I have no idea what¡¯s going on with me anymore. No idea what¡¯s happening in my life. No idea where I¡¯m headed. No idea what I want. Everything is bleak andckluster.


    I look to my right, at my parents, at my mother who is giggling at something Father is saying. Could I ever hope to achieve that form of contentment? Happiness? Peace?


    Here I am, in the midst of my people, my family, and I have never felt so lost in my life. I¡¯ve never had things figured out for me, but there have always been constants in my life. Like, being princess and inevitable inheritance and responsibilities that await me; my parents; Thorne being my Beta when I be Alpha Queen; Orion and I in the catbs of the castle,zing and getting drunk together; Aria and Tri being annoying as hell; and Rune.


    Pulling pieces the vital pieces out of it that have made up most of my life has me thrown into the unknown.


    My fingers graze a hard surface in Rune¡¯s jacket and I pause. It feels like a book. A small book. A journal, perhaps? That seems very unlike him.


    I dump the jacket on his chair before my curiousity gets the better of me, and the thump earns me a look from his father that has me shrinking in my seat as those green eyes¨Ca lighter shade of Rune¡¯s¨Cpin me in ce. Cold and unyielding.


    Yeah. He definitely doesn¡¯t like me.


    His eyes dip to the jacket before returning to my face and his lips curl in distaste before he looks away.


    *Okay, what is his problem?* Far as I can tell, we¡¯ve never had any problems¡­ well except that one time where I almost killed Rune with wolfsbane. *That was ages ago, though, and I¡¯m pretty sure he knew it was me.*


    Throwing caution to the wind, I grab the jacket again, just to see what his reaction will be but he doesn¡¯t look my way again, leaning towards Queen Zephyr instead. *Good.*


    I steal a nce at my parents and they seem very engrossed in the game. I begin to pull out the small book slowly. *It¡¯s not like Rune¡¯s going to know if I take a peek at his book.*


    *Oof. Alright. If it is indeed a diary, I¡¯ll put it back.*


    Holding that thought, I take out the book. I peer at the small green thing that is an inch longer than my palm. It is encased in old leather and there is a pencil attached to the side.


    The cover is nk, providing no insights to what might be inside, and my curiousity reaches new lengths again. After making sure I am not being watched, I flip the cover.


    Whates to view is¡­ ck. The entire page is covered in ck, rough painting. There are lines here and there and¡­ I flip the next page and the darkness continues. It is harder to breathe with each page I flip, because the darkness starts to look familiar, resembling something I have seen before. Somewhere I have been before.


    The next page gives way to the moon and the light it casts on a set of doors that Rune should know nothing about. The hair on my skin rises and I flip the next page. There are red drops on this one, long dried for Goddess knows how long.


    I don¡¯t need to sniff to know it is blood. Beside the drops of it, the ck gives way to a figure and fear crawls into the crevices of my mind, leaving me cold and sweaty as I realize what Rune has drawn.


    Who.


    Hekate.


    Something prompts me to flip the page and I do. The paintings are different on this one. This page is covered with faces and expressions of a young girl. Laughing, happy, angry, sad¡­ it captures everything. Her eyes, her hair, her lips and the flush in her cheeks. There are dates at the top of each page. It¡¯s always the same day, but a different year. My birthday. Solstice.


    I flip the next, fingers trembling, feet cold and frozen and it is more drawings of this girl. Slightly older. Perhaps, by a year.


    I know what to expect when I flip the next and the one after.


    I m the book shut on thest drawing, panting. Thankfully, the sound of screams and cheers from the crowd is loud enough to cover the sound of my harsh breathing.


    I sit in my throne, looking down at the field with wide eyes and quivering lips. Why does Rune have drawings of me in his book? For every solstice since I can remember, he has drawings of me. Why does he have these?Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    More importantly, how can he have a drawing of me in Hekate¡¯s home?

 He鈥檚 A Liar

    I stay in my seat for the rest of the game, numb and nearly dead to the world around me.


    Chaos is my world inside and watching him has my hackles rising higher and higher. I¡¯m so mad, I¡¯ve been sitting still for hours. I¡¯m not even in the right frame of mind to watch the games anymore.


    All I hear is a roaring in my head. If it is from me or Sloan, I cannot tell. I want to scream, I want to cry, I want to vent. My skin feels too tight for me right now. Too hot. I consider peeling off my jacket, but I know it won¡¯t get rid of the crawling under my skin.


    I¡¯ve been here before. It doesn¡¯t ever go away.


    I clutch the book so tight, I no longer feel it. I channel most of my strength into keeping my breathing steady and halfheartedly answering questions from my parents without revealing how lost I am.


    As if sensing my agitation¡­ like he knows something is wrong, he suddenly looks up at the podium from where he stands on the field, and all the way from here, I see his eyes narrow. His hands move to the pocket of his pants, feeling for something¨Cno doubt the book in my grasp.


    His face pales and he is suddenly dashing toward the podium. Towards us. Towards me.


    Fuck. I can¡¯t handle this.


    Not now. Not today.


    I stand from my throne, sucking in a deep breath. ¡°Father¡­¡± I start, but my voice is breaking and my ragged breaths sound like sobs.


    Father¡¯s gaze is instantly on me¡­ and the walls are closing in on me again. The walls in my mind, my head. My guts are rising to my throat and if I don¡¯t leave here now, I¡¯m going to puke.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± Father says carefully, rising from his seat of power. ¡°Why¨C¡±


    I smile but I¡¯m sure it resembles a grimace. ¡°I just need a minute. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    I don¡¯t wait for his approval, neither do I let my gaze meet mother¡¯s. I start down the steps, taking the journal with me¨Cbecause no one else can see this. No one else can know this.


    The truth.


    Even I don¡¯t understand what it is, but I guess I¡¯m about to find out, because he is following me.


    His steps are too light, too quick behind me, but he doesn¡¯t say a word until I am in the empty hallway that leads to the Star Hall. ¡°Astrid¨C¡±


    I whirl and hurl the book at him, too fast for him to perceive or catch. It ms into his forehead, leaving a cut as it falls. He catches it before it gets past his midpoint and he wipes the red rivulets forming on his forehead.


    ¡°What is¡­ Oh Goddess,¡± I whimper, shaking so hard, my bones feel brittle and near breaking point. Despair weighs heavily on my like an immovable boulder and I can¡¯t get it off. I can¡¯t breathe. ¡°What is that?!¡±


    My voice echos off the walls, returning to me in a cry of outrage.


    Rune assesses me, gaze hard and unreadable. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    I grip either sides of my head tight and Goddess help me, I need to trash something. Anything. I need to¨Cmy fist hits the wall and I feel it all the way to my shoulder.


    His hands grab my forearm and he forces me to look at him. His eyes are wide and exposed. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt yourself.¡±


    I blink. Slowly. Then my hands move and my body follows, moving without my brain¡¯s coordination. I p him, hit his chest, over and over again, sobbing. ¡°Nothing?! Screw you, Rune! Since when do you care?!¡±


    But he doesn¡¯t let go. No matter that my ws have slid out and I¡¯m leaving marks on him, even if they are rapidly healing.


    He pulls back from me when I wear myself out and takes steps away from me, putting enough distance between us. I slide down the wall, crouching with my knees hugged to my chest. I rock myself back and forth, muttering words that don¡¯t make sense to me.


    ¡°You never should have seen that. It¡¯d be best if you pretend it never happened¨C¡±


    ¡°Why notpel me to forget it instead?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯tpel you. It doesn¡¯t work on you,¡± he mutters, rubbing the spot between his brows.


    ¡°Why do you have those drawings? How? How can you see into my dreams if you¡¯re not¡­ him?¡±


    Rune paces over to the wall and leans his back against it, looking at the wall in front of us with a forlorn expression. ¡°I always thought you looked beautiful. From the first day we met. You smelled divine. You were a child, and you didn¡¯t even know your letters yet, but when you looked at me the first time and smiled, I knew it was you. I didn¡¯t understand it, I didn¡¯t want to. Not when I¡¯d begun dreaming.¡±


    I¡¯m not entirely sure I am breathing. His words¡­ what he is insinuating, I don¡¯t want to consider it; don¡¯t want to believe it. He¡¯s a liar. I tell him so.


    But he looks down at me, exhaustion lining his features and his lips are drawn in a bitter line. ¡°You may pretend, if it makes it easier, but you know this bond we have goes deeper than¨C¡±


    I am on my feet before I know it, baring my teeth at him and snarling in a voice that isn¡¯t particrly mine. ¡°There is nothing between us and there never will be. Nothing binds us together.¡±


    To that, he says nothing, instead choosing to continue in his storytelling. ¡°Every year I saw you, you¡¯d grown a little more. Beautiful. Stunning. I hated that I could hardly look away from you. I hated that I couldn¡¯t control myself.¡± He pauses and snorts. ¡°I thought you¡¯d look less inviting if I cut your hair, but simply cutting your hair could not undo what had been done.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking. Stop lying to me¨C¡±


    He grips my shoulders hard, staring deeply in my eyes as he deres, ¡°It is you, Astrid. You¡¯re my Erasthai.¡±


    The word clicks through me, leaving my mind in shambles.


    Erasthai.


    Not a passing affair. Not ¡®nothing¡¯. Not mate. A bond deeper that that, irrevocable. Unbreakable. He chose me, and he¡¯s hurt me at every step, knowing and understanding why I feel the things I feel. He¡¯s always known why staying away from him was hard. He¡¯s always known why the pain that came from him leaving me in my room, in my ruined dress was too hard to bear that I¡¯d run to Orion to take it away.


    He has known all along, and he let me hate myself for feeling these things I had no control over. He had let me suffer, every solstice, watching him bang other women, until I had be numb to it. He¡¯d chosen me as his Erasthai without even asking me the proper way, despite the fact that he knew that once the choice was made, there was no rejecting or going back on it.


    ¡°Get your filthy hands off me!¡± I cry, mming my fists into his chest, knocking back from me. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than be that to you. You¡¯re a bastard and I want nothing to do with you. How could you do this to me?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my choice!¡± His voice booms in my ears, causing me to flinch. ¡°Had I known this would happen, I never would have looked your way¨Cand I have tried to rectify that, every day! Asking Darian to¨C¡± He stops and cusses under his breath when my eyes widen with disbelief.


    ¡°Darian asking me to be his Erasthai, that was you?¡±


    His next words are careful and more of a growl. ¡°You deserve better.¡±


    ¡°Oh my Goddess,¡± I whimper, sobbing uncontrobly now. ¡°You are the worst.¡±


    The height of his lies and deceit, hiding it from me, getting betrothed to Ginevra, even if he already knew what I was to him, offering me to Darian like I was something to be given away, like I am nothing¡­ I can¡¯t take any of it.


    ¡°Were you ever going to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Astrid.¡±


    ¡°WERE YOU EVER GOING TO TELL ME?!¡±


    Panic flickers in his green orbs and he is unable to meet my gaze as he says, ¡°No.¡±


    There is a sharp pain in my chest and I clutch it hard, breathing fast as I will it to go away, but it won¡¯t. My chest is caving in on itself.


    The edges of my vision starts to blur and I know it is happening again. Panic attack. ¡°I deserved to know,¡± I rasp, stumbling forward, shaking my head right and left to diffuse the darkness as I try to navigate my way somece else. I just need to get away from him.


    ¡°Deserved, perhaps. But knowing doesn¡¯t alwayse with entitlements. Sometimes ites with consequences¨C¡± He stops mid-sentence as if sensing where his words lead.


    I whirl, mind racing. ¡°The ck painting, it is the Void,¡± I say, more of a confirmation than a question.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do not ask questions to which you already know the answers, Astrid.¡±


    I storm toward the Hall beyond, leaving him standing in the hallway. I feel his gaze on me the entire time. It feels like a brand on my skin, very much like the invisible brand Hekate left in my neck when he bit me.


    Or shall I call him¡­ Rune?

 The Hunt

    My ws jut out, biting into my closed fists, tearing into the skin of my palms. The skin heals only a secondter, but the wound in my heart is deeper.


    The skies have a tinge of orange in it as the sun disappears behind pinkish clouds. Dusk approaches and there are three more games to name a winner.


    Already, the scoreboards have figures that have wide contrasts against the other. LS has sixty points and WA has twenty. Not surprising, since we all knew it was never really going to be a fair game.


    I sit, watching the yers for the ¡®Pack Hunt¡¯ form lines, each team facing off. My brows furrow when I see Maya at the end of the line, head bowed low and a ferocious grin on her face as she faces off a figure that seems oddly familiar¡­


    I start in my seat. Trinity?


    Not good. Not good at all. I am happy to see Tri, but seeing her stand against Maya, looking every bit as menacing as I know she is, I can¡¯t help but feel a sense of dread.


    For Maya, of course. She is gentle and has never been an advocate for violence, and the Pack Hunt, from the little I have heard about it is the mostwless game yed. Even the adults y it too¨Cwhen they wish to evict a quisling from the pack.


    They hunt the prey and asionally, very little is left of them when the Hunt is done.


    The maze is gone, and it¡¯s ce is a clear, vast field that has me wondering what the obstacle course might be for this game in particr. As well as who the chosen targeted prey might be. Maya, possibly. Or the wide eyed she-wolf who looks like she was forced to be there.


    ¡°In my time, I was prey,¡± Father says, trying to engage me in conversation, but I give a nonmittal reply, hiding my red hands in myp.


    Father sighs. ¡°You¡¯re still mad at me and your mother for keeping it from you?¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything, d to let him believe what he wishes to. At least, in his world of thoughts, Rune is Rune and I am his harmless daughter who isn¡¯t the Erasthai to the evil beyond the Void¡­ and the one on the field.


    ¡°No,¡± I say loud enough for Rune¡¯s father to hear me as I lean back in my seat. ¡°I¡¯m just curious as to what else you¡¯re not telling me.¡±


    I feel father¡¯s keen gaze on me, as well as the Lycan King¡¯s, but I don¡¯t let it overwhelm me. I keep my gaze trained ahead, staring at nothing in particr. I wonder if the Lycan King knows what Rune is, or if he somehow managed to hide this from his parents as well.


    Slowly it sinks in, and so does my despair.


    Rune is the Hekate.


    He killed my friends. He killed those people. And when I had found him by the school¡¯s entrance that day, had he been off to do more of that? Kill more people?


    The panic that had been in his eyes, the vulnerability I had seen, the crack on the surface and that fear¡­ had it even been real?


    ¡°There are things that¨C¡±


    The earth moves under my feet and there is a ripple in the air that causes the buzzing chatter of the excited crowd fall silent in an instant.


    I look at my father, wide eyed as the air around us suddenly felt heavy as a shroud of darkness descends upon the stadium.


    Goosebumps erupts on my skin, and my heart begins to race with unease. My father¡¯s words trails off as we both turned to the sky, eyes scanning the inky ckness for the cause of this sudden and foreboding change.


    Gasps and whispers ripple through the audience as they too realized that something is not right. The darkness spreads, covering the stadium and the thickness to it is almost suffocating.


    The tension in the air is electrifying and for a moment, everything seems to stop. I feel it then. The familiar embrace of the Hekate¡¯s aura.


    And the screams begin.


    Loud, guttural roars and cries. Gut wrenching. Soul ripping. It nearly cripples me.


    I feel my father¡¯s fingers circle my wrist, yanking me from my throne and I squint through the darkness to find him pulling mother out of her sit as well.


    I vaguely register Rune¡¯s father roaring and calling for him.


    ¡°Get inside the school. Now! Both of you!¡± He barks, and I tumble forward in the darkness, feeling around me for him or mom.


    I feel another hand on mine, yanking me from my father. ¡°No! No! Father!¡± I scream, fighting it.


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Astrid!¡± My mother yells and it takes a moment before it registers. Her grip on my arm is tight and urgent as she shoves me forward. I bump into seats and people, none that I can see in the dark fog.


    ¡°And father? We can¡¯t leave him behind!¡± I cry.


    ¡°We are not,¡± Mother chides and she pushes me forward, causing me to stumble into people who in turn grasp my arms. ¡°Get the princess inside,¡± she orders.


    ¡°Mom? Mom!¡± I scream, pushing back, snarling and crying. I can¡¯t see anything or smell anything. ¡°Mother!¡±


    My screams are covered with the frantic cries for help and screams from the crowd around us.


    My mind is a blur as I am pulled through the panicked throngs of people, their terror palpable in the air. The farther they take me, the deeper into the darkness we go. How they can tell where we are headed of where the exits are, I don¡¯t know, because I can¡¯t.


    Animalistic growls and high pitched roars echo in the air, sending shivers down my spine and the men who carry me move faster. Taking me farther away from the sounds.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    A single roar pierces the night and my entire world stops. My heart stops. My blood runs cold, and Sloan¡­ she roars in outrage as blinding pain rips through us, tearing down my mental shields.


    The pain isn¡¯t mine.


    Rune.


    I do not think of the fact that he is the reason why all of this is happening. In fact, I do not think of anything as I move. My head is a vessel that has been emptied out and left with only one thing.


    Rune.


    One moment, I am being hurled toward the entrance, and the next, I am twisting and breaking free of the hold on me, running down, down, where I know in my heart that he is.


    I cannot see a single thing. Or smell anything, but I know where Rune is. I don¡¯t know how, but I just do.


    My senses sharpen to a height it has never been to before and my legs move like the wind as I break free of the barrier around the field and I start to run across.


    My vision is dark, but I am able to make out a few faces as I run past, scanning them with primal focus, seeking. Searching.


    Something careens into me and I yelp as I fall, ws ripping into my chest. The face that hovers above mine is pale, smooth and deadly, much like the people I saw at Hekate¡¯s home in my dream.


    The male¡¯s eyes are wholly ck and the anger and hate in his eyes as he lunges nearly has me out of my haze.


    Very nearly.


    But Sloan is instantly there where I falter and my hand moves up, fast and precise, inconceivably strong, and it rips through the male¡¯s chest and yanks out the bloody beating organ.


    He is dead before we both realize it and I am up on my feet again, discarding his heart and his body and running through the fighting crowd like I haven¡¯t just killed a man.


    Anytime now¡­


    He is close. I can feel him. Deeper and deeper, I move, striking down whoever gets in my path.


    And when I do find him, he is alone, in the center of the field; the center of that darkness that surrounds him and remains like a shield, standing with his eyes closed.


    His hair whips about him and his colour is more pale than usual. He is so still, I can¡¯t tell if he is breathing. Not from this distance at least.


    I start for him but stop in my tracks when his lips part and he releases a sharp breath.


    His eyes flutter open and the green in them is gone. In its ce, obsidian sits, peering at everything and nothing in particr. He cranes his neck in my direction with a grace that is nothing like Rune¡¯s. Those ck cold eyesnd on me and his lips tilt upwards in a deadly smile that has the fine hair of my skin rising and my body trembling.


    ¡°Why, hello princess,¡± the Hekate says.

 Untouched

    ¡°Rune?¡± I whisper faintly, even if I know there is nothing of him in the man I am staring at. Nothing of this situation makes sense and I can¡¯t put into words how this entity, this being, can be in the body of a man I have known since I was a child.


    He takes a step toward me and even if everything in me says to flee, I ignore it and take one forward.


    My hair whips around me at the forceing from and around him. I edge one step closer, eyes trained on him as he watches me with mock amusement on his hard beautiful face.


    ¡°Why?¡± I ask, knowing how well he understands my question. The weight of it.


    His lips tip into a smile that belongs to Rune and it makes me wonder just how much of Rune he is. He extends an arm for me, pale elegant fingers reaching out. ¡°Come home with me, princess. There is much else you don¡¯t know.¡±


    My fists curl by my side as I suffer the desire of cing my hand in his. ¡°Where is home? The Void?¡±


    ¡°No. I will take back my castle in Lycanthia, and I will rule again, as King and with you as my Queen.¡±


    ¡°You wish to rule over the people you so heartlessly try to murder?!¡± I grab his waiting hand, emotions overwhelming my thoughts, and I yank him forward, pointing in the direction of the screams and snarls and the smell of blood. ¡°Those are children!¡±


    He wrenches his hand from mine and a bitterugh slips from him. ¡°They did not consider that before killing my child, and my mate. Why should I care for theirs?¡±


    I still don¡¯t know the full story¨Chis story, but it doesn¡¯t mean shit. I bet half the people running about this field, getting attacked by faces they don¡¯t know and can¡¯t see are just as much in the dark as I am.


    They don¡¯t deserve any of this.


    Baring my teeth, I snarl. ¡°Stop this, right now, or I¡¯ll put myself out there and I won¡¯t try to stop them when their ws rip out my throat.¡±


    He cocks his head, observing me with those dark eyes. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, and even if I wanted to, I cannot end it. The curse is a sentient thing. I have long lost control over it.¡± He pauses, gaze turning contemtive. ¡°You, however, seem to have found a way to make it listen to you.¡±


    My brows furrow in confusion and I yelp when Hekate¡¯s cold hand suddenly bands around my forearm. I hadn¡¯t even seen him move. He whispers into my ear, cool breath tickling my skin, ¡°What do they say about speaking to the darkness, Astrid?¡±


    Though his voicees off inyers, like rolling thunder, my name on his lips causes delicious shivers to wreck my being. It takes a moment for his words to sink and when they do, I recall that night with Rune, when I had spoken to the Void outside the school¡¯s exit door, having assumed that it had been Hekate.


    It had listened.


    I bite the inside of my cheek, staring at it and yet nothing in particr. This is stupid, I know, but I say to Hekate, whose head is propped on my shoulder now as he sniffs me in weirdly, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to tell it to go away and it will?¡±


    His perfectly pointed nose nuzzles my neck and my eyelids flutter in time for Sloan¡¯s deep purr as we enjoy the sensation thates from this small touch. ¡°It is a part of me. If you told me to leave, I would listen.¡±


    That makes absolutely no sense but with his lips so close to my ear, nothing else makes much sense either. ¡°Why are you helping? You did this,¡± I whisper, voice breathy.


    I swallow when I feel his tongue on my neck, and then his sharp canines nip on the soft skin. I should step away from him or listen to my brain that says flee from him, but I can¡¯t move. I am almost certain that he is pulling an aura on me. My mind pushes together like something is fighting to gain control of it and my limbs rx, growing heavier.


    His deep timbre vibrates against my flesh as he whispers, ¡°You call it help, I call it an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°I am not going anywhere with you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± he drawls thumb grazing the hem of my top, pushing it higher until I feel his fingertips on my belly. My body jerks tautly and I m my thighs together, hoping to hide the betraying scent of arousal. ¡°There is not a ce under the heavens that you can hide from me. I will have you, Astrid, and you will want me to; beg me to.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    My breathing growsbored when lips of the finest silk move over my neck. I hiss sharply when his ws dig into my waist as he tugs me closer, into him. My back hits his chest and my ass feels him hard against me. He growls hungrily and the sound is my undoing.


    ¡°Leave,¡± I say, shuddering against him as lust tears through me so violently, I almost explode.


    The warmth and ache I feel is suddenly snatched from me as he is suddenly taken from me, a deep guttural roar recing his sexy baritone instead. I whirl, and he is on the ground, gripping hard at his head, whimpering and howling.


    I blink at the clear atmosphere and the darkness that seems to dissipate. He-he¡¯s gone.


    I would listen. . .


    It scares me. Knowing that I have this sort of control over something so powerful. What scares me more is that I do not know what it means for me.


    I take a step toward Rune, reaching for him, but I am suddenly shoved aside as lycan sentinels breeze past, calling for each other, making it known that the prince has been found.


    His mother rushes past me, her gown and hair disheveled and covered in blood. Ginevra follows closely and I turn away when she kneels beside him and throws her arms around him, sobbing. She doesn¡¯t look any better. Her hair is a bright shade of red and her pretty green gown is in shreds.


    I turn around to find dark green eyes narrowed at me. King Fenrir¡¯s eyes trail from me to Rune and back again, and I realize something in the way he watches us both.


    He knows.


    About Rune. About Hekate. About me. He knows all of it. He closes the distance between us in quick strides and my stomach drops as he looms over me, reminding me of how small and insignificant I am before him. His piercing eyes bear into mine and I struggle to keep my fear hidden as his aura pulls my feet from under me.


    ¡°Stay away from him.¡± His expression is merciless and I hear the unspoken words behind them.


    Or else. . .


    I keep my expression calm and void of emotions, but I suspect he sees right through my facade. His lips pull down in a frown of disapproval and he says nothing else as he walks away from me.


    ¡°Astrid!¡± I hear my mother call out faintly and I look ahead, seeing her and my father walking side by side, face coated in the blood of the lycans that are scattered about the stadium. A knot loosens in my chest and I release a sharp sigh of relief. They¡¯re okay.


    I look around as I walk toward them. The stadium is in shambles, the ground cracked and stands overturned. Wounded studentsy scattered about, some groaning in pain, some unconscious, some leaping toward the teachers and medical personnel. The air is thick with the scent of blood and rot.


    The field has lost its once vibrant green color. The grass has withered to a sickly brown and further fades into varying shades of grey and ck.


    I steal a nce backward at Rune and my eyes pull down to the ground on which he sits, staring back at me as I walk away. It is untouched.

 Rejected

    My parents left for Wolvendom yesterday. The goodbyes had been awkward and somewhat detached. With my parents, with Thorne, and with Trinity, everyone itching to get back to their lives and me. . . back to my misery. Frankly, the problem had been me. I couldn¡¯t stand being around any of them. My lying parents. Thorne and his mate. Trinity who¡¯s be Thorne¡¯s best friend. Aria didn¡¯t attend, choosing instead to remain in the Academy with her fourth year boyfriend who isn¡¯t much for sports.


    I have been holed up in my room since then, brooding and thinking. sses start again in a week, ensuring that all of the injured have recovered. Not nearly time to get over everything that happened, but we¡¯re all trying to set it aside.


    Having had two days to myself to think, I have decided to meet up with Rune and talk it out. After which I will check in on Darian. He was among the injured. Maya told me. Rather than go see him myself, I have had Maya take flowers to him on my behalf.


    I¡¯m a fucking coward, I know. I just. . . i couldn¡¯t face him after everything I¡¯d found out.


    I adjust my lipstick, smiling at the mirror like an idiot. It¡¯s the first time in a while that I¡¯m paying attention to my appearance. I straightened my frizz and my skin doesn¡¯t need anything. It looks better than usual, glowing ethereally. The cherry lipstick is the icing on the grand cake.


    I look great and I feel great. Giddy in fact.


    After nearly emptying my scented oils on my skin, I rush out of my room. I take the flight of stairs on left, ignoring the hot looks I get from male and females alike as I walk past.


    Knots unravel in my stomach as I go further up, toward the biggest room in the Star Hall.


    Rune¡¯s room.


    He hadn¡¯t refused meeting up with me¨Chad replied almost immediately to my message like he had been expecting it. I wipe my palms on my dress and straighten my back as I draw nearer.


    I sight Raven, walking alongside Cass, one of Rune¡¯sckeys who had made me kiss his feet on my first day. Raven¡¯s eyes take me in from head to toe and she gives me a forced smile as she notes where I¡¯m headed.


    I smile back, nodding curtly and she continues her discussion with Cass, who has a smug smile on his face. If I could just wipe it off¡­


    Soon, I am standing in front of Rune¡¯s and my hand rises to knock on the door.


    ¡°Enter,¡± I hear him say from inside and I suck in a deep breath, calming my nerves.


    I twist the door knob and slip inside the room quietly, shutting the door behind me. The first thing I notice is the scent. It all smells like him. It does something to me, making me feel hot and queasy at the same time.


    I take a few steps forward, feet silent against the plush carpet that has the softest fabric ever.


    At the center of the room sits an extremelyrge bed that would definitely be suitable for¡­ orgies. Wooden framed, sheets of white silk cover the mattress as well as tasteful grey throws. Pillows sit atop it, varying in sizes, shapes and colours.


    The walls are painted in varying shades of grey and beige and a little green.


    Masculine.


    Much like the man who¡¯s seated off to the side on a wooden chair, staring out the window with a cup in his grasp. The wind whips at his hair and my hands itch to tuck those lovely pale strands behind his ears.


    He suddenly turns to me and his dark green eyes hold my gaze for a moment, dropping only to take in my form. His eyes rest on the re of my hips in the fitting ivory dress and I can swear his eyes darken. A little.


    His gaze lifts to meet mine and he inclined his head toward the chair before him. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Ever the authoritative one, but I don¡¯t object.


    He sets his cup down on the ss centre table and stares at me squarely. There is something unsettling about the way he looks at me today. Stark, unflinching, unyielding, tired.


    His jewel-toned eyes lift to my hair. ¡°The frizz was beautiful.¡±


    I resist the urge to touch my hair on impulse, but I am unable to stop the full body flush that assaults me. ¡°I like it this way.¡±


    Are we seriously talking about the way my hair looks?


    We stare at each other and I let myself really look at him, the same way he is taking me in.


    His ck shirt drapes loosely over his broad chest, hinting at the chiseled muscles beneath and is moon-white hair falls in disarray around his wild, handsome face, drawing attention to his striking green eyes that are resting on my face again.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he says, leaning forward to pick the white cup again.


    I lean forward, straightening and folding my hands in myp. ¡°I am your Erasthai, and you are betrothed¨C¡±


    ¡°It means nothing if it is not consummated,¡± he cuts in sharply and it goes all the way to my heart, breaking it.


    *It means nothing¡­*


    I swallow the painful lump that¡¯s growing in my throat and I let out a nervous, breathyugh. ¡°And if I do not wish for it to stay as nothing? If I want to explore this?¡±


    This is as far as I can go with confessing my feelings. My hands are trembling so hard, I hide them between my thighs. My heart is racing as I wait for his answer.


    ¡°You should know better.¡±


    A knife to my heart. Then another. And another. It hurts. Too much. A sharp breath escapes me as I meet his gaze that is colder than ice. ¡°Rune¨C¡±


    He pushes back from his chair, standing and peering down at me with eyes that have no warmth in them. ¡°We cannot be together.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± I yell, shooting up from the chair. ¡°Why choose me if you¡¯re only going to reject me and make me suffer through this for the rest of my life?! This bond is not one that can be broken. What would you have me do? Pine after you for as long as I live?¡±


    His eyes remain cold and empty. ¡°Mate with someone else. It¡¯ll get easier to ignore. I cannot give you what you seek. I am given, and I will mate with Ginevra and make her Queen. She is my choice. The thing with you was a fluke.¡±


    My lips quiver as not hot¨Cbut icy glittering rage fills me. ¡°Fuck you. I hate you.¡±


    I shove past him and walk out the door, mming it so hard, ites offpletely. My breathing is hard and ragged as I run down the staircase. Tears blur my vision but I don¡¯t let them fall.


    *Not his choice?*


    I don¡¯t return to my room. I walk past, unseeing, and I don¡¯t stop until I am standing before Darian¡¯s door, knocking.


    A muffled soundes from inside and I vaguely register him asking who¡¯s at the door and me answering. I wipe my eyes and will my breaths to calm as I wait for him to open the door.


    The door knob twists and Darian¡¯s dark head peeks out. He frowns upon seeing me and widens the door. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I say awkwardly, adding a bit of cheer to my shaky voice. ¡°Can Ie in?¡±


    His golden eyes takes me in from head to toe and he opens the door wider, letting me in. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I pause, watching him close the door, and when he turns to me, I say, ¡°I wasn¡¯t either.¡±


    Right before I close the distance between us and kiss him.

 The Fall Out

    Darian pulls back, eyes wide and face flustered. He takes a step back, and another with his hand in front of me. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± He groans, hands dropping to his midsection to hide the bulge in his pants that I have already noted. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking do that.¡±


    I feel hot and ashamed, but I¡¯d be damned if I let him see that. I smirk instead. It is my go-to. ¡°Why? Scared?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t smile back. He nces at me warily. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    My hand is suddenly in my hair and I am twirling a strand around my finger shyly. Or at least, I try to look shy. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said.¡±


    ¡°Which part?¡± He says, walking to the drawn blinds and pulling tightly on them, unleashing rays of sunlight and a cool, pleasant breeze into the room that discards the faint scent of arousal oozing off of him.


    I watch him work, familiarizing my sight with his broad back and tight ass. He isn¡¯t Rune, but he wants me. I¡¯m not going to pine after a man who won¡¯t decide that I am worth the chase, and though it feels wrong to use Darian like this, I can¡¯t think of any other way to get over Rune.


    I can¡¯t do this. I know I can.


    ¡°Everything, and I¡¯vee to a conclusion,¡± I say, plopping down on his mattress.


    He turns to me, eyes taking me in as I make myselffortable on his bed. His eyes re and I know he likes it. Seeing me here, in his room.


    Males. Territorial. Possessive. Wolves and lycans alike. The tiniest things like¡­ wearing their clothes, sniffing them, wearing their scent, having any of their belongings, it just appeals to the beasts within us. Makes it happy enough toe out to y.


    I look at him beneath lowered eyshes and I let my tongue dart out of my mouth to lick my full bottom lip. His eyes catch every movement, and though my eyes don¡¯t drop down, I can hear the tightening in his pants, as well as his erratic heartbeats.


    It only makes me feel worse, but I¡¯m already here. I¡¯ve never been a woman to back out of a game already begun.


    Not that this is a game to me. It means far more to me. It¡¯s my life here. If I don¡¯t pull this off, if I don¡¯t start now, I¡¯ll never be able to live with it. His rejection.


    ¡°Court me, Dar. For real, no charades.¡±


    He observes me for a moment. ¡°He told you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    I straighten, surprised. How he pieced that together in mere seconds has me wondering just how much Darian knows about my rtionship with Rune. How much he knows of us that I remain unaware of.


    He scoffs, turning away from me. ¡°I will not be a rebound for you, princess.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a rebound,¡± I say quickly, standing. ¡°And this has nothing to do with Rune¨C¡±


    ¡°Liar,¡± Darian mutters softly, sitting and resting his head against his pillows. He takes out his tablet and starts tapping the surface, frowning at things I cannot see from where I stand. ¡°I have genuine feelings for you, Astrid, and you know exactly where I stand; what I want, but I won¡¯t have that with you while you think of another. Don¡¯t ask me to.¡±


    How do I convince him, I think to myself. I have never had to ask a man to be with me before. How do I ask him without seeming¡­ desperate?


    I¡¯m not much for words. I act.


    So, I do, and it¡¯s the silliest thing ever. I walk to the side of Darian¡¯s bed and pull out the tab from his grasp. Slowly, I put it away on the bed stand, and in a smooth maneuver that could onlye from expertise, I straddle him.


    Darian starts to move but I clutch his shoulders tightly, pinning his back to the headboard.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course, he can get me off him if he wants to, but I suspect he likes where I am. If his hands rising to brace my hips gently are any indication.


    ¡°Help me then, Dar,¡± I whisper, studying his face as intently as he studies mine. ¡°I wish to forget.¡±


    I lean in, kissing the corner of his lips. He jerks, gripping my hips harder. I feel ws dig into my skin as my lips find his. The kiss is tentative¨Csoft. An offer to which I know he won¡¯t decline.


    I slide my arms around his shoulders, opening my mouth to him and his tongue slips in as he deepens the kiss, growling into my mouth.


    He hardens against me and his arms band around my waist gently. He shifts us so fast, the next moment, I¡¯m under him and his body is pressed against mine in all the right ces. ¡°I will mark you, princess.¡±


    He says, as if in warning as he nuzzles my neck, and though heat begins to pool between my legs, Sloan ispletely silent. There is no excitement on her part. Reaching for her is like running into a wall.


    She hates this, I can tell. She was like this when I was with Orion the first time.


    *I¡¯m sorry, Sloan. I tried.*


    There is no reply, but I know she understands. She always does.


    My legs hook around Darian¡¯s calves, pulling him closer, and my breaths are harsh as I feel his teeth graze my neck. My chest heaves and I start to panic when his sharp canines settle on that spot. The one that already tingles with surreal sensation.


    The spot Hekate bit me. I know it was a dream but it tingles a lot. Every now and then, reminding me of him every damned time.


    My chest tightens and my fists curl in his shirt as I try to breathe, get in more air, but I can¡¯t. My body won¡¯t let me do this, or have this. It¡¯s be a sentient thing that knows I am not in the hands of the man who¡¯s alreadyid a im to me.


    Tears spring to my eyes and I start to push Darian off me when the door opens and Darian peels away from me instantly, breathing hard.


    I push up from the bed and my gaze meets Maya¡¯s. Her eyes have anger in them, and betrayal. Her thin lips quiver and her brown eyes begin to darken. Veins begin to spread from them and it takes me a moment to understand that she¡¯s shifting.


    She realizes it too because she flees from the room, bouquet of lilies dropping to the floor.


    My gaze meets Darian¡¯s confused ones for a heartbeat before I dash after her, straightening my dress.


    She is a blur of colours as she runs down the hallway and I can faintly make out the sound of her sobs. Goddess, I am so confused. What just happened? Why is she mad? I get that she¡¯s mad that I didn¡¯t tell her about this but¡­


    ¡°Maya! Wait!¡± I yell, turning down the hallways that lead out to theplex. There are not many people around, only a couple of sentinels doing their rounds. Theplex and fields are off limits until Chancellor Vesper says so, but Maya seems to have forgotten.


    Widening my pace, I catch up with her after running hard enough to burst my lungs. I grab her arm, panting. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Maya?¡±


    She yanks my hand off her arm and squeezes so hard, I yelp. ¡°YOU SAID THERE WAS NOTHING GOING ON!¡±


    Her eyes have turned wholly ck now and the hand that holds mine has ws sticking out and in my skin. I struggle against her hold and though I seed, I hurts. ¡°Well, I changed my mind! What the hell is wrong with you?!¡±


    Her face squeezes with rage and she bares her teeth fiercely at me. ¡°What is wrong with me? You don¡¯t even see it! All you see is yourself, all you care about is yourself! You don¡¯t give a shit about me or Dar! You¡¯re using him, and hurting his feelings, and you know this and it doesn¡¯t stop you!¡±


    Her eyes are zing with fury, and though it takes a while for me to piece it together, I do, eventually and a light bulbes on in my head. My eyes widen and I stare at her, aghast. ¡°You¡­ have a thing for Darian?¡±


    Her answering snarl is all the answer I need. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± I whisper, reaching for her. ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t know¨C¡±


    She brushes me off. ¡°Because you are blind to everything that doesn¡¯t concern you and the stupid prince you¡¯re in love with!¡±


    ¡°I am not in love with Rune,¡± I say, but there is a resignation in my voice that even I despise. ¡°And you have it all wrong. Had I known, I would have backed the fuck up, believe me¨C¡±


    Sheughs bitterly, cutting me off. ¡°Liar. My feelings don¡¯t matter to you, and I am sure as hell that the only reason you¡¯re making out with Darian is to make Rune jealous!¡±


    My lips part and close. ¡°That is not true, Maya,¡± I say, hating the way her words ring true in my head.


    She has that incredulous look on her face and the pitch ck peels back from her eyes as she observes me. ¡°If it makes you feel better to think so.¡± She pauses, brown eyes brimming with tears. ¡°You will hurt him, Astrid, and I won¡¯t forgive you for it. You don¡¯t love him. You never will. Leave him be.¡±


    Her eyes are earnest and wistful, and I swallow. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I already agreed. I can¡¯t just¡­ take it back.¡±


    She sniffs, dropping her graze to the ground, and then sheughs. ¡°Of course.¡±


    She turns, whipping my face with her hair and walks off tightly, hands twitching by her side.

 Thoughts

    *Rune*


    It had begun with dreams.


    Once, I had been a child, trailing after my mother for sweets and running after my knights with a wooden sword with a battle cry that I would deem rather pathetic, looking back on it.


    I had been oblivious then.


    I had been normal.


    Until we met.


    Rather, until I saw her. It had been the first time I felt him within me.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    I have always thought the wolves to have the greater privileges of being granted beasts they can tame just as easily as they breathe. Lycans have it worse. I have it way worse.


    Her wolf to her is what Hekate is to me.


    A cruel joke. One would think I may have offended the Goddess in my past life¨Cperhaps, I did. To be leashed for all eternity to him, constantly struggling for control, constantly struggling to survive.


    I don¡¯t ever win.


    When he takes over, I stop being. I lose time. I lose everything I am in those moments, and I do not return until he wishes to leave.


    Others pride in their true forms, but I, Rune Wilder, Heir of the Lycan throne, dare not shift to my true form. I dare not yield to him willingly. Or that will be the end of me.


    I remember it like it was yesterday. Her birthday. Solstice. The first time we met. The day I got damned. Our parents had introduced us, but she had been too busy stuffing the frostings of her cake to actually look at me.


    But I had seen her, and something in me snapped.


    I had been too young to truly grasp it but not too young to understand the pain I had felt in that moment. The grief. The rage. The hate. None of which had been mine.


    And for the first time, I had heard him speak. One word.


    *Mine.*


    The princess had turned sharply then, walking to where I stood, unmoving. She smiled, blue eyes glittering like stars in the night and though she looked absolutely ridiculous with two of her front teeth missing as that wide grin, I had never seen anything so beautiful. The hurt, the ache, it vanished suddenly, leaving me in a daze I could notprehend.


    ¡°You called me,¡± she cooed, words scrambled together. Her hands rose and I went still as her small fingers grazed the curve of my hand and wrap around my tiny finger. ¡°R-yune.¡±


    I had shuddered and fled from the ballroom immediately, unused to the feelings that overwhelmed me.


    That night, I dreamt. I dreamt of ces I had never been to, a woman I have never met, a darkness that was both deadly andforting. So it began. I would wake up with the taste of blood and ash in my mouth. I would wake up in ces I did not remember going to, feet bare, clothes either in shreds or gone.


    Every solstice brought upon the same suffering. Every time we came in close contact, he would stir, I would dream, and I would wake up in ces I didn¡¯t know, with absolutely no recollection of what had happened the night before.


    It had not taken much for my father to figure it out. Having had thest priestess ¡®examine¡¯ me, she hade up with the same conclusion that no doubt damned King Hekate eons ago.


    I was evil. I should be killed before the thing within mepletely took a hold of me. I should be put down. The Hekate resided in me, not as a being possessed, no. But as my other half. The flip side of the coin. My lycan.


    It hadn¡¯t made much sense to me then. My father shared the same sentiment, discarding her thoughts immediately with facts known to all. Hekate was beyond the Void, building an army to destroy us all, and there I was, sick out of my mind and suffering from the madness being inflicted upon me.


    One day, however, it became clear.


    The first time she touched me. The first time I let myself touch her, kiss her.


    Pulling an aura on her had been bad. Trying to make her forget what had happened between us, bypulsion, it was the worst thing I¡¯d done to anyone¨Cat least, the things I can remember vividly.


    I had been restless in my room, angry. It took me one hour to wander back to her room, where I had left her asleep, and though I knew it was silly, I decided to watch her sleep, like I had done every solstice without her knowledge.


    But her bed had been empty. Panic gripped me and I followed her scent through the hallways.


    I didn¡¯t stop until I found her. In bed with Orion. Vaguely, I had registered the presence of another behind me. The wolf she favoured.


    It didn¡¯t matter. My vision had turned red¨Cthe haze that came from blood lust. I knew if I stayed, someone was going to die. It took all of my will to fight it, to turn away and run.


    I don¡¯t remember much after that.


    I awoke in the outskirts of my kingdom, naked and covered in blood. The blood wasn¡¯t mine. It was in my mouth, guts and flesh were in my hair.


    I had hurled my guts up when I returned home, falling so terribly ill, I could barely make out my surroundings.


    When I came to, there had been more guards stationed by my doors than usual, all of whom seemed frightened of me. No one would speak to me or look at me. Not even mother.


    I foundter that in the first few hours of the fever, no one could get into my room. It was shrouded in a darkness and when father eventually pried the door open, I was cocooned in it.


    The Grand Mistress had been called upon to get me out of that state, and all the while she had consulted with the Moon Goddess on my behalf, I had cried her name in my unconscious state. Astrid.


    Father had asked me then, when I¡¯d woken. What the wolf princess was to me, and I admitted it to him and myself for the first time. Erasthai.


    He got me engaged the next day.


    I¡¯d raged, rebelled against the idea for months, but I¡¯de to understand why he¡¯d made that decision. I¡¯d never be strong enough to give myself a reason to stay away from her. He gave me one. A way out, to save her from me. To save me from her.


    We can¡¯t be together. Not until I find a way to not lose myself around her.


    At this rate, I doubt that¡¯ll ever be possible. I am a man cursed, and the best thing I can do for her is stay away. Reject her. Hopefully, she¡¯ll move on someday. Hopefully, I¡¯ll learn to live with my decisions too.

 Dinner Date

    The days pass in a blur that turn to week and weeks that be that are mostly uneventful. sses resume in full swing and our teachers are harder on us than usual. I suppose I¡¯m the only one who thinks that since the rest of the ss is faring well.


    Master Kan doubled our routines and has the star students give us arduous tasks that left me with pain and human noodles for limbs.


    It isn¡¯t just Master Kan. It is Rune as well, unforgiving, hard and brutal in his trainings. All of which he ignores me for. He never looks at me or speaks to me.


    Not that he has a reason to. I¡¯ve been doing my best not to ck off during training. Over the weeks, I got better. My form is near perfect and Dar thinks I might be very well hold in a fight against his kind now.


    I¡¯ll never have their strength, but I¡¯m faster than most and more than lycans, werewolves have always been more aware than lycans in our true forms. It gives a great advantage to be in control in times like that.


    Darian and I are officially a thing now and though I am unused to the concept of rtionships¨Cmostly because I do not like to restrict myself to one male. Giving one person that much importance and cing them on a pedestal in my life has always seemed like an irritating idea. Now though, it seems kinda nice.


    Hees to my room after sses everyday. Or I go to his. We¡¯ve not had sex yet and he hasn¡¯t marked me either. We chat, study, train, kiss a little and I rest in his arms while he watches me sleep.


    He makes me feel fuzzy inside. An attentive man he is. Patient too, if I¡¯m to note how many times he has to refrain from sinking his teeth in my neck when our kisses deepen.


    My thoughts are interrupted when I sight a familiar figure rounding the corner. My heart plummets when warm brown eyes skim over my figure and turn cold. Maya clutches her book to her chest, taking pains to walk on the other end of the corridor to avoid me.


    She looks leaner than thest I¡¯d seen her. Not in the bad way. Her figure is more prominent in her short dress and her calves have taken on more muscles, much like mine, resulting from months of constant drilling.


    She¡¯s been ignoring me like this for months and though I know what her reaction will be, I pause in my steps and say, ¡°Hey, Maya.¡±


    She walks past.


    I sigh and continue on my way, lips pursed and shoulders slumped. Should I have left Darian after that confrontation? Were her words true? Am I using Darian to make Rune jealous?


    Maybe. No. No.


    I told myself she woulde around one day and understand my choices¡­ or maybe even ask me why, but she never did.


    There was no way I could have know that the reason why she kept asking if Dar and I were a thing was because she wanted him. I am not a priestess or the Goddess. I can¡¯t read minds. She should¡¯ve said something.


    Now it¡¯s my fault that we¡¯ve fallen out.


    I let out a sigh, locking out the thoughts and scrolling through my device as the sound of notifications fill the air. There¡¯s a mid-term balling up next month. From what I hear, it almost sounds like werewolf prom. A ball, fancy dresses, music, crowned king and queen.


    It¡¯s a fresh start since huge gatherings have been banned for months. Even I am excited about it. I haven¡¯t got a dress idea yet but I¡¯m sure it¡¯lle to me.


    ¡°Dar?¡± I call out, knocking softly and a muffled responsees from inside. ¡°Coming!¡±


    I lean against the door frame, staring at the pictures thate up on LSgram, some weird media where everyone in school posts photos and videos and people makements anonymously.


    There¡¯s been a hashtag going aroundtely; one I have been trying my best to ignore, but it seems like the universe is conspiring against me.


    My heart ms to a stop for a split second when I see a picture of Rune and Ginevra in royal robes, posing for a painting¡­ or a picture¨CI don¡¯t care. This picture has the title underneath: The Royal Wedding.


    I get the sudden urge to m my phone into the wall, but I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t care. They can get married and have white haired kids with Gin¡¯s eyes. I don¡¯t care. I lock the screen and toss it in my back pocket as I hear Darian unlock the door.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he says, eyes smiling as they take me in. ¡°You look great.¡±


    He says that every day, even if I¡¯m in loose sweatpants and a fitting tank top. I adjust the bun on my head, feeling a tad shy. ¡°Thank you.¡± My eyes skim over his figure. ¡°You¡¯re going to dinner like that?¡±


    There are drops of sweat all over his chest, and his hair is matted down with more of it. He only has his pants on and I doubt the school allows males to walk around half naked.


    Heughs nervously, itching the back of his head as his free hand widens the door. ¡°I was¡­ I just¡­ ah¡­ I was trying to arrange dinner. Here.¡±


    I blink rapidly, heat creeping up my neck as the widened door gives way to¡­ I swallow. Candles flicker in the soft glow of the moonlight streaming in through the window, casting a warm, intimate light over the space. The scent of roses fills the air, the petals scattering across the floor and bed. The setting is simple. Stunning. My heart flutters intensely, the room imbued with a sense of romance and intimacy that leaves me almost breathless.


    My breathlessness has nothing to do with anticipation, if you¡¯re wondering.


    Dread.


    My gut is in knots and chills snake down my spine. Though, dinner is off to the side¨Ctters of spaghetti, meat balls, roasted chicken, garlic bread and bottle of wine¨Cit is easy to see what happens from here. Tonight.


    I feel like I have been set up.


    Holy Goddess, save me now. What was I expecting? We¡¯ve been dating for months. It is absolutely normal for this to happen. For sex to happen. Why the fuck am I panicking?


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    My gaze meets Darian and I smile broadly, hiding my trembling hands in my pockets. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I say. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    His grin is near blinding and he sters a kiss on my forehead. He pulls back, excitement brimming in his golden depths. ¡°Come.¡±


    I follow, rubbing my mmy palms on the insides of my pockets. I did enjoy our kisses and his touch, and I was surprisingly fine with that.


    But then¡­ I surely hadn¡¯t expected that we would kiss forever, had I?


    Damn. Bloody¡­ hell¡­ damn.


    I follow slowly beside him, overlooking the food and though they all smell good, my appetite is in the mud.


    Soft music suddenly flows into the room, startling me as I settle on the rug. I haven¡¯t heard this before. It is slow and entuating the atmosphere Darian is trying to build.


    Bile rises to my throat and I swallow it. I keep my gaze focused on the food as Darian sits beside me, the heat emanating from him making me hotter and ufortable.


    ¡°One day, I¡¯ll take you on a real dinner date, in Lycanthia,¡± he says, cing some food in a smaller te for me. ¡°If you woulde visit some time.¡±


    I bite the inside of my cheek as I take the extended tter from him. ¡°I doubt my duties will let me go over there.¡±


    An excuse. I have absolutely no interest in seeing what the realm of lycans might look like, or the ¡®fantasies¡¯ they might hold. When I be queen, I will be allowed ess to the portals, to travel with them, but I really doubt I¡¯d be going there for a ¡®date¡¯.


    His handnds on my thigh and I turn to him in time to hear him say, ¡°We¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    We¡¯re so close, our noses are nearly touching. The candle lights flicker again, giving his eyes a surreal glow that is feral, yet soft. Those eyes drop to my lips and he doesn¡¯t give me any time to think or protest as he leans in swiftly and presses his lips against mine with gentle sensuality, speaking with his body as his hand rises to cup my cheek, stroking softly in a silent message.


    *Rx.*


    My pulse is racing wildly and a warmth mixed with weakness fills me, making the te drop from my now loose fingers.


    He pulls back and my eyes flutter open to find him watching me. I am panting and I want to tell him, not today, even if I have begun to feel that warmth spreading, making my breasts heavy for touch and my core ache, but he kisses me again.


    This time, more urgently. My back arches as he lifts me unto hisp, settling me on the hardness that his pants so tantly reveal.


    I sigh sharply, nails digging into his shoulders as I move against him, humping despite myself.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Deep and lustful, his groan purrs across my lips and he pulls away from me roughly, only to drag his tongue along my neck.


    I cock my head to give him more ess and his hands grip my ribcage tightly. They explore further, popping my breast out of my bra and my top.


    My inner muscles clench tightly as his fingers pinch one hard bus and a moan escapes me, dread forgotten in an instant.


    He shifts us so quickly, I barely register it. The wine bottles crash into the silverware, Darian is on me, something prods into my back and¡­*ooh.*


    His erection presses against the v of my thighs as his teeth grazes my neck, longpping, lips sucking hard, fingers rubbing my nipples and pulling them up.


    He whispers something as he moves against me, but I don¡¯t hear it.


    Not until it¡¯s toote and he bites me.

 Marked

    What had been meant to be a light shove results in Darian being thrown across the room and he crashes into the wall.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    An image shes through my mind, haunting me momentarily at the sight of Darian and the dent in the wall, and I shove it down, deep down, where the rest of my fearsy in deep slumber.


    Breath hitching and eyes widening with horror, I shoot to my feet, hands covering my lips. ¡°Oh my, are you alright, Dar?!¡±


    He groans, peeling himself off the wall. More grunts and sharp breaths has me rushing over to where he tries to pull himself up but he raises a hand, stopping me. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    His eyes flick to mine for a heartbeat, but is long enough to see the disappointment therein. But it is soon reced with something that causes the hairs on my skin to rise. ¡°Your eyes,¡± he notes, standing. ¡°They¡¯re ck.¡±


    I¡¯ve been having a lot of those in the past month. shes of darkness, hazy visions that are filled with red, moments of unwarranted rage. It¡¯s been terrible and for the most part of it, Darian¡¯s on the receiving end of it.


    I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s wrong with me and why I¡¯m having these episodes. Darian has suggested often times than not that I go see the nurse, but I am not sick. I don¡¯t need her running tests on me and alerting my parents toe take me home like I¡¯ve got the flu or something.


    ¡°It¡¯ll pass,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I got excited and¡­ sorry.¡±


    ¡°This cannot keep happening, Astrid.¡± His voice is soft and his gaze hard on the ground as he refuses to look my way. ¡°You should see the¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go tomorrow,¡± I lie.


    His eyes snap to mine and he smiles. ¡°Dinner?¡±


    I nod, feeling like shit.


    The rest of dinner is quiet, solemn. Darian doesn¡¯t speak. I don¡¯t either. I eat, even if I do not have an appetite. It¡¯s the least I can do. I steal furtive nces at him, but his gaze is distant, no doubt hating me and wishing he was with someone who wouldn¡¯t throw him across the room for nipping on her neck lightly.


    I¡¯m a terrible, horrible girlfriend.


    I leave his room when it is a few minutes to curfew. He doesn¡¯t kiss my cheek or my forehead like he usually would. He says bye and closes the door before I can reply, leaving me to stare at the oakwood.


    I sigh and start down my room, but I find myself circling back to the section of the hall reserved for the school staff. I walk lightly down the hallway, scanning the badges for each door, in search of the nurse¡¯s office.


    Might as well get it over with. If something¡¯s wrong with me, I might as well start trying to fix it now, before it ruins my rtionship. *Ships*.


    Before I kill someone. Again.


    I shake my head, dispelling the thought. It rarely everes up. There are times I find it scary that I have forced myself to forget it and live without the weight of it on my shoulders. It happened many years ago, and even as a child, I locked the memory in my mind, tossing the key away, never to be found again.


    Seeing Darian in that state, pushing him off like that, it has triggered the dreadful memory.


    Her door is just down, at the end of the hallway, and I knock twice upon locating it. There are soundsing from within. Crashing sounds and muffled grunts, and I start to wonder if I should be worried when she opens the door, eyes wide and lips swollen.


    Not beaten swollen.


    Kissing swollen.


    Her dress is ruffled and she is missing a few buttons.


    She is panting lightly and the unmistakable heady scent of arousal is strong enough to cause my throat to close up. Think I might have interrupted something?


    Her brows narrow upon seeing me and she all but snaps at me, ¡°Isn¡¯t it past your curfew?¡±


    I give her a wolfish grin. ¡°Twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± she says again, brown eyes flicking into the room behind her. ¡°I will examine you tomorrow, princess.¡±


    Not particrly feeling generous enough to leave her with her ¡®affair¡¯, and because I¡¯m also curious, I push. ¡°This cannot wait till tomorrow. Shall we go to the infirmary, or shall I invite myself in?¡±


    ¡°Infirmary!¡± She says sharply, shutting the door behind her when I start to peek inside, but not before I sight a glistening shaved head.


    Vesper?


    Hell, I couldugh my head and ass off right now. My shoulders are shaking and I am clenching my teeth tightly to keep theughter from slipping from me.


    She notices and turns a bright shade of red. ¡°Need to get my keys. This better be worth it,¡± she mutters before disappearing inside.


    A few minutester, I¡¯m sitting on the bed, telling her what¡¯s been happening to me. Her arms are crossed and she¡¯s seated across me, observing me sternly. It looks kinda funny, her stern gaze and her kiss-me-some-more-Vesper lips, but I don¡¯t say that. She¡¯ll probably throw me out.


    ¡°Stand,¡± she says when I¡¯m done.


    My brows furrow in confusion, but I do it anyway.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± she says, walking over to where I stand. ¡°You haven¡¯t happened to notice any changes in your body in the past few months?¡±


    My eyebrows rise a bit and my lips tighten. There have been a few. The re of my hips have be wider and my ass fits snuggly in all of my loose pants. I have had to go shopping more times than usual, spending my points on bigger pants and cks. My bra feels tighter than normal too, and my breasts are now¡­ well, perfect.


    I tell her all of this and add quickly, ¡°I am not pregnant.¡±


    Because I¡¯m not. Thest time I had sex was with Orion¨CGoddess bless his soul¨Cand I have bleed every month since then. Hell, I bledst week.


    ¡°No. You are not,¡± she says, pinching the under of my eyes, searching for something. Her gaze drifts to my neck and she pulls down my cor. ¡°But your body is changing. Have you been bitten? Marked?¡±


    I shake my head on impulse. Hekate biting me in my dream doesn¡¯t count, right? Right?


    ¡°How long has this been happening? The dark shes, and then the changes in your body.¡±


    The darkness shing in eyes happened once when I was a child, but I don¡¯t tell her that. Instead, I say, ¡°A few months ago in the rest room. It started during the fight with Ginevra. The changes match the same timeline.¡±


    Her thumb frees my cor and she jerks her head to the bed. ¡°You can sit.¡±


    ¡°So, what is the problem? I¡¯m not sick, am I?¡±


    ¡°No. These are not symptoms either. Lycan and wolves are not physicallypatible with each other, being that we are bigger, in everypartment, and you are¡­ smaller.¡±


    I have a lot of ideas running through my head on what she might mean by, ¡®in everypartment¡¯, and what does this have to do with me getting bigger?


    ¡°When the connection between a lycan and a werewolf deepens, namely, through the marking, the body of the werewolf begins to undergo a gradual metamorphosis to achieve perfect synchronicity. Their forms mold and meld, bones shift and muscles realign to amodate the unique union. Their very essence intertwine, adapting and joining together like two halves of a greater whole. Childbirth bes easier and less life threatening, sex bes possible and enjoyable, the body bes stronger, adapting to the brute strength of the lycans¨C¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this? I have not been marked, and I do not n to be mated to a lycan.¡±


    The nurse snorts, and in a split second, she is standing in front of me, ripping down my cor again. ¡°Here,¡± she says, prodding the skin on my neck that hasn¡¯t stopped tingling since Hekate bit me. ¡°You¡¯ve been marked by my kind.¡±

 Suspended

    I¡¯m angry.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I don¡¯t think I have ever been this mad in my entire life. I have held it in, fuming for the entirety of the night. It only increased when I tried to sleep to somehow find a way to talk to Hekate.


    I had spent hours with my eyes shut, screaming into the darkness that was my mind, but he hadn¡¯te.


    I¡¯d thought of it as a dream, but he had really marked me, and now, my body is shifting.


    The shes, the rage, the red haze, my hormones being haywire, my body getting softer, bigger, my colour bing surreal, and my skin having the stupid glow that they do¨CI¡¯m turning into a fucking Lycan!


    Sitting through sses, being unable to concentrate is a pain in my ass and as soon as the bell is rung, I am heading back to the Star Hall, where I know His Stupid Highness is going to be.


    Well, he isn¡¯t there for once with his betrothed.


    It just makes me madder and I know if I checked, there is smokeing out of my ears.


    I find him a momentter. In the cafeteria. I stand by the door watching him smile charmingly at the lunchdy as she piles his te with food.


    I watch him snake his arm around Ginevra¡¯s shoulder, pulling her closer to him. I watch her ce a kiss on his cheek lovingly and her eyes go dreamy like¨C


    My vision turns red, and before I know it, I am making a beeline for them, shoving whoever is in my way out of the way.


    I am causing a ruckus as I move but I don¡¯t care. He doesn¡¯t get to be happy when he¡¯s ruined my life. How can I rule after my father when I¡¯m turning into a lycan? How can I find ever find a mate when I¡¯ve been marked and my life is changing to fit around that of a man who¡¯s rejected me after putting his stupid mark on me?!


    Ginevra turns upon hearing the gasps as I storm in their direction and she inserts herself between me and Rune, opening her cherry stained lips to speak to me.


    I shove her aside with half a thought. I would be startled by the strength in my arms but I¡¯m too angry to care.


    Rune¡¯s full eyebrows pull together in a frown that shows his disdain and absolute disapproval and if I even had any previous thoughts of speaking to him like a civilized princess would, it goes up in smoke.


    I swing my fist and it connects with his nose. The sharp crack of breaking bones renders the cafeteria quiet; renders my worldpletely still, leaving just me and him in it.


    His slender fingers rise to his nose and his green eyes drop to his blood stained finger. His dark green gaze snaps to mine and his lips draw back from his teeth in a feral snarl. ¡°You do NOT¨C¡±


    My hands are moving again and my fistnds on his cheek this time, snapping his head back. ¡°Stupid rotten cunt!¡±


    I say a lot more horrible words mother would never be proud off and I scream bloody murder as I try and try to hurt him. Over and over again. He isn¡¯t fighting back. He doesn¡¯t need to. I am being held back by arms that drag me farther away from him.


    It doesn¡¯t stop me from screaming out my frustration.


    I end up in Vesper¡¯s office and I don¡¯t think I can talk my way out of punishment this time.


    He¡¯s been getting on and off calls, most of which I suspect is Rune¡¯s father, judging from the way his shoulders slump and he takes on a pose of submission. His face only grows tighter and tighter with fury and even my wolf hearing that¡¯s bing sharper can¡¯t pick up on what it is being said.


    My fingers massage my bloody knuckles as I await him and I release deep breaths, shutting my eyes.


    What was I thinking?


    Well, I know what I was thinking but no one else does. They don¡¯t understand. Won¡¯t understand a single thing I¡¯m going through.


    Chancellor Vesper drops the phone with a thud, startling even me, and I start, raising my gaze to meet his.


    He isn¡¯t looking at me. Instead, his hand moves tightly and his fingers circle around a ck stamp that he raises and hits on a scroll.


    ¡°Sign that,¡± he says, extending it to me and my heart slows when I see what¡¯s written on it.


    SUSPENDED.


    ¡°Suspension?! Why¨C¡±


    He ms his hand on the table and I flinch. ¡°Do not ask me questions, ckwood. You brought this upon yourself. I am beyond happy to have you taken off my hands. Put your thumb on that and get out of my office. Now.¡±


    I suck in my lower lip, feeling guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, alright? You don¡¯t understand¨C¡±


    ¡°I do not care what your reasons are. More than half the students here have it worse than you do. Nothing of which you would know anything about since you are more interested in pummelling them than rting with them. It goes without saying that harming even a hair on the head of a royal has consequences not even you can escape from. The prince. Heir to the throne. The King wants you out of the premises for a fortnight. He has deemed you harmful and wishes you to reflect upon your actions away from the rest of the students.¡±


    ¡°Two weeks and¨Cwhere am I supposed to reflect upon my actions? Are there dungeons here or what?¡± I ask, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. See? I knew Rune¡¯s father didn¡¯t like me.


    I grip the pin by the edge of the scroll and my thumb, wincing a little at the sharp sting. I press the blood welling on my finger against the scroll before it heals over.


    ¡°You will be called upon when the portal is ready for use, by dusk.¡±


    My eyebrows narrow. ¡°I¡¯m going home?¡±


    Who knew all I had to do to leave this hellhole was beat up their golden prince? It would seem like an enticing idea if getting expelled didn¡¯t also mean losing ess to school. sses, tests, exercises and the merits for attendance. Two weeks without them?


    Perhaps, that is the Lycan King¡¯s aim. Getting me out schoolpletely.


    I withdraw my finger and steal a sharp nce at Vesper. He¡¯s mad, I can tell. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I tell him so and he ignores me, waving dismissively. ¡°Turn in your devices before you leave.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I whisper as I rise from my seat.


    He nces up then. ¡°We do not raise rabid animals here, and we do not take kindly to students who cannot keep their emotions in check. The schools were built to raise cultured men and women who will lead the realms to a brighter future without the threat of the Void and the Hekate, not harbor people who act just like him,¡± Vesper says and his eyes soften a little when I shift ufortably. ¡°I do hope when you return, it will be for the better.¡±


    I don¡¯t tell him that his priced prince is Hekate.


    Truth be told, only Goddess knows how that happened.


    So I crack him a grin of mischief instead and say, ¡°Try not to get her pregnant before then.¡±


    He blinks.


    Then his face turns ashen upon realization. Yeah. The nurse. His lips twitch and I speed out the door before he can decide to hurl the Goddess¡¯s figurine on the table at my head.

 The Portal

    It would seem the whole school wishes to witness the moment I get ¡°suspended¡±. Students are loitering about the hallways, rather than heading to the cafeteria for dinner.


    They¡¯re watching. Waiting for ¡®The Door¡¯ to be opened.


    Funny how I didn¡¯t go through any door when I got dumped here. The Goddess sure has a wonderful sense of humour.


    ¡°It¡¯s only two weeks. I¡¯ll be back before you know it,¡± I say, squeezing Dar¡¯s fingers reassuringly, but his frown remains.


    His golden eyes shift to the doors behind me and his features tighten even further. ¡°That¡¯s a damn long time.¡±


    I chuckle, punching his arm yfully. ¡°Don¡¯t go all broody on me. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    His breath escapes in a sigh, a gentle breeze that stirs the air between us. Fingers, tender and warm, find their way to my cheek, cradling it with care. A feather-light kiss grace my skin, igniting a delicate dance of sensations within me and my toes curl in my favoured ck boots. ¡°I need you here soon, Astrid, and though I have no idea why you did that today, I¡¯m here, whenever you wish to talk about it. All of it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t tell him about earlier. Why I¡¯d punched Rune. He didn¡¯t ask either. He had found me packing up a few in my room and hugged me without ming me or scolding me.


    I have the best boyfriend in the realm.


    I¡¯m pretty sure he doesn¡¯t share the sentiment.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whisper, swallowing the painful lump in my throat as I pull back.


    ¡°ckwood.¡±


    The hallway falls silent and Darian squeezes back on my fingers as I start to let go. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    Darian nods and swoops in for a quick kiss that leaves me breathless and smiling like an idiot.


    I pivot away then, striding toward Vesper. ncing toward the door that gives way to the portal brings back memories of that night with Rune. I wonder if when this is opened, there will be darkness behind it too.


    Heat digs into my back and I look back, at the crowd. Only one person¡¯s stare feels like a brand for me.


    But I don¡¯t find him in the throng that stares back at me.


    I start to look away when something moves in the corner of my vision. By the stairwell.


    There¡¯s no one there when I look though. I hate that I feel disappointed. He could at least show up since I¡¯m getting suspended because of him.


    As I approach the towering double door, an electric current of power reverberates through the air, growing in intensity with each step. The dormant portal concealed behind the imposing threshold awakens, its ethereal presence beckoning to me. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu envelops my senses, intertwining fear and curiosity in a delicate dance. Uncertainty lingers, casting shadows upon my path, as I contemte whether to yield to the allure of the unknown.


    It¡¯s the same voice, calling to me, for me.


    And again, I reach for the door with my hands, unable to stop myself.


    ¡°ckwood, step away from the door. It isn¡¯t time yet,¡± Vesper is saying, but the etchings on the iron door havee alive under my fingertips, and ever so slowly, the doors give.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The air cackles with energy and a palpable pull tugs at my very core. It is all that exists for me, ripping me of my thoughts on who I am, where I am, what I am.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± a feminine voice so beautiful, it might have been the Goddess herself speaking to me calls out.


    And I answer. Again.


    I suddenly feel an intense surge, like an invisible arm grabbing a hold of me and hurling me forward.


    Tingling sensations course through my veins, as if the very essence of my being is being rewoven in the cosmic tapestry of this ce that shouldn¡¯t be.


    Shattered to bits and falling through time and space, I cannot tell where I end and where I begin.


    Within the portal¡¯s embrace, whispers of ancient secrets brush against my senses, teasing me with glimpses of unchartedndscapes and untold wonders.


    I wish to see them, to explore, and like the Goddess knows what I am thinking, I am wrenched into a ce, a time.


    Suddenly, I am standing in what looks like a bedroom. It isn¡¯t mine. Judging from the walls that are adorned with soft hues of gold and royal blue, it isn¡¯t my father¡¯s castle either.


    Mother loves gold, but never on her walls.


    I turn around, noting the grandeur and elegance of the space in which I stand. A sanctuary of opulence and regality that is fit for none but a queen.


    At the heart of the room stands a magnificent four-poster bed, its intricately carved headboard reaching toward the heavens. Draped in sumptuous silk curtains that cascades to the floor in outdated fashion, the bed beckons with an irresistible allure. It reeks of musk and earth, a scent I recognize.


    Gilded mirrors grace the walls, their surfaces reflecting the gentle glow of crystal chandeliers suspended from the ceiling.


    Each mirror seems to hold a story, capturing the passage of time within its delicate frames. Embellished tapestries adorned the remaining wall space, depicting scenes of myth and legend that whispered of a rich and storied history that is long lost to the schrs of all realms.


    Where am I, I think as I wobble to my feet, ncing between the ancient windows and the ashen door that seems just as old. Well, it looks new now but we¡¯ve not used ash to make doors for nearly two millennia.


    The door suddenly ms open and my heart thumbs with an almost painful force, like I have been caught in a ce I shouldn¡¯t be.


    A woman walks in, holding up the folds of her resplendent gown crafted with meticulous detail and luxurious fabric. It drapes gracefully from her shoulders, cascading down in richyers of silk and velvet, creating a mesmerising intery of¡­ frankly, it¡¯s something even my ancestors would consider too much to wear.


    A tight frown is stered on her face and her lips are drawn in a firm line. ¡°And if he will not let me out, I will cast myself out the window and perhaps, he might bring in my broken, dead body and mate with it.¡±


    A lock slips from her rich red hair as she breezes past me, clicking her tongue softly in annoyance.


    I frown. ¡°Hey.¡±


    No reaction. She just storms toward the window and rams her fist into it, shattering it.


    ¡°I do not think that wise, Your Grace,¡± a middle-aged woman walks in after her, skipping as she does. ¡°He will most certainly do that.¡±


    Can they not see me, I wonder, staring down at my form. Hell, where is this? Where am I? And why does this look like some y from eons ago? The furniture, the tapestries, the hairdos that have gone out of style for Goddess knows how long and¡­ who wears corsets and baskets these days?


    ¡°No matter,¡± the female says, raising the voluminous skirt of her gown as she settles a foot over the windowsill. ¡°I would rather have my life taken from me than wed that monster of a man.¡±


    ¡°Jump then.¡±


    I jump. We all do. Myself, the woman and the maid attending her. I hadn¡¯t noticed him there. Neither had they. I crane my neck to have a look at the male and my heart stops for a moment.


    It is in the way he stands; the power, the sickening aura that has my knees wobbling, begging to submit. It is in his wicked, unforgiving eyes, that stupid shade of green that hunts my nights and days. His moonlight hair, cropped shorter than I have ever seen it, to frame his chiseled face, adds an ethereal touch to his striking appearance. Each strand seems to shimmer with its own natural glow, as if kissed by the moon¡¯s soft light, even if sunlight zes throughout the room.


    Behind me, the maid falls into a bow that almost has her forehead touching to the ground. ¡°Your Maj¨C¡±


    ¡°Leave us.¡± His voice is a soft melody that resonates within, but the power in that one word is unmistakable.


    The woman jerks and I have never seen anyone flee so fast, leaving the escaping woman and¡­


    Rune.


    He takes even unhurried steps towards me and I cannot breathe fast enough, shuffling back so fast, I trip on my own feet.


    He walks past, unable to see me as well.


    What sort of sick joke is this? My fingers tremble and I pant, ncing around in a daze. What is this ce? Why is Rune here and more importantly, why am I here?


    How do I leave?


    Fear creeps slowly into my mind as I consider the possibility of being lost in the countless, endless time loop the portal offers.


    Why does it always have to be me?

 Hekate鈥檚 Truth

    ¡°Do note any closer. I will jump from here if you do,¡± the female says as I hurl myself through the doors once more, only to be repelled by an invisible force that will not let me leave this room.


    I have been trying repeatedly for a minute now but I¡¯m stuck here.


    ¡°Go ahead, Lorna,¡± he says, eyes sparkling with wicked delight. ¡°A few broken bones can be fixed in time for the rituale nightfall.¡±


    I rear back, stunned. Lorna? If she is Lorna and this situation is what I think it is, then¡­ my eyes snaps to the male prowling closer to her. That isn¡¯t Rune. It is Hekate.


    Not that I know the difference between them anymore.


    The woman peers down from the window. ¡°I would never survive a fall from this height.¡±


    ¡°You would,¡± he cooes, bracing a hand on her exposed thigh that sits in the windowsill. ¡°The shift is nearlyplete. All that is left is the consummation of our bond tonight. A mere fall cannot break a lycan.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what to expect, but it isn¡¯t the way her eyes darken and her tongue darts out to caress her bottom lip at the word, ¡®consummation¡¯.


    If all my lessons on history serves me correctly, then Lorna shouldn¡¯t be leaning into Hekate¡¯s touch on her thigh. Her eyes should not be shuttering and her breaths should not be reduced to pants.


    She should not be looking at him like she can¡¯t help herself and her next words shouldn¡¯t be without bite.


    ¡°Do what you will. I refuse to be your bride. I hate you.¡±


    Hekate chuckles and he lifts her foot off the window in a swift, smooth maneuver, curving her long elegant leg around his torso instead. ¡°You tell such lies with your beautiful mouth.¡±


    Lorna doesn¡¯t fight him. Her hands go around his neck and she holds on tightly as he backs her into the wall. His hands disappear underneath the regal purple fabric of her gown and her eyes sh ck before they roll back in her head.


    ¡°I hope the Goddess punishes you for your cruelty,¡± she whispers, even as a moan slips her throat.


    Jealousy nips at me and I turn away, swallowing. The feeling doesn¡¯t make sense, just like my being in this ce and time.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never have my heart,¡± I hear Lorna say as I proceed to the door and what follows is a sharp sigh and a plea for more from him.


    ¡°I already do,¡± Hekate pronounces and she argues no more.


    I suppose Hekate wasn¡¯t lying when he said she had grown to love him. That brings several questions to mind about what else he didn¡¯t lie about.


    Why has the truth been twisted for several centuries? Why lie about his rtionship? Why exactly am I being made to see this? What is truly happening? Is Hekate truly the enemy?


    Sure enough, when I try leaving the room, I am let through, taken back into the portal and broken into a million pieces again as I travel back home.


    *************


    ¡°Your actions are utterly disgraceful. Kings have gone to war for less. We must have the Goddess to thank that the King of Lycans does not want you punished for harming his heir.¡±


    I stare at the tiled floor, counting how many steps it might take to walk up that daiz and tell her how I feel about this questioning session.


    Could they not speak to me in private? Why reprimand me in front of the entire court?


    My nails dig into my palm and I force out the words I am expected to say. ¡°I apologize. I let my anger overwhelm me and acted without thinking.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, an apology would do. A public apology,¡± Delta Noah says and the wooden tform groans under an angry stump of my father¡¯s foot, causing all to fall silent.


    Elder Adolf coughs slightly, drawing our attention to the far end of the wall where he sits, draped in the same robe he wears to my father¡¯s court whenever a meeting is called. His weathered face has more lines and creases stered on it as he frowns. ¡°May I speak freely?¡±


    My father waves, giving him a go ahead. I do not like Elder Adolf. Or any of the elders on my father¡¯s council. They have done nothing to hide their contempt at the idea of a woman ruling the Alpha Throne next.


    Getting them to ept me as heir had taken three unsessful Alpha duels¨Cof course, unsessful from their end. Father fought for me. For my ce. One day, I will be challenged for my crown, and I will have to fight to keep my title.


    An honour, it used to be, but now, I¡¯m skeptical of everything. Exhausted too.


    The elder stands shakily, grabbing either sides of him for support. ¡°With regret, I must assert that the princess has consistently demonstrated her inadequacy to assume the responsibilities befitting this realm. My words may appear harsh, but I am bound by amitment to honesty,¡± he says, adding thest sentence when my mother¡¯s warning growl reverberates through the room.


    It doesn¡¯t stop him from continuing and speaking more words that make me want to rip out the skin from his throat. ¡°Her unreliability and impulsive nature pose a grave concern. Moreover, troubling whispers persist of her indiscreet interactions with male lycans, extending invitations thatpromise the sanctity of our lineage. By ridiculing our pack and casting aspersions upon our race, she perpetuates her unsuitability for the throne until such time that her wings of, ¡®youthful exuberance¡¯ are clipped and her judgment is duly tempered.¡±


    My lips draw back from my teeth in a fierce snarl and I let it show. All of my anger. All of my frustration. ¡°Do not forget in whose presence you speak, Adolf.¡±


    He sees something in my eyes that drains all the colour from his face.


    ¡°And what do you suggest will ¡®clip the wings of your future queen¡¯?¡± My mother suddenly says and I know that even if she is mad at me, possibly disappointed, she will not let me get insulted by these people.


    Elder Adolf swallows audibly and it takes a while for him to get the dreadful words out. ¡°The prospects of her finding a suitable mate have significantly diminished. It is my prudent suggestion that she be united in matrimony with a male of noble stature, capable of ruling as her esteemed King Consort. In doing so, she shall remain steadfastly aware of her loyalties and obligations.¡±


    Whispers fill the air and I watch with horror as every single face seems to look contemtive. A bitterugh escapes me. ¡°You¡¯re insane. You all are.¡±


    I storm across the vast space, mming shut the doors of the Grand Hall so hard, it pulls off its hinges.


    ¡°Astrid,¡± I hear mother call after me, but I walk the hallways, needing the safety and silence of my room.


    So I punch Rune, and somehow, that trantes to ¡®I need to a man to mate with.¡¯


    Wonderful. Really.


    ¡°You will not walk away¨C¡±


    I whirl so quickly, time seems pause for me. ¡°Leave me alone!¡±


    Mother halts abruptly, sucking in a sharp breath and in an instant, her face is white as sheet. She lunges forward, grabbing my face with her hands. Her eyes are wide with fear as she tilts my head left and right. ¡°What have you done?!¡±


    I jerk from her grasp. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your eyes are wholly ck¨C¡± Mother stops talking and grabs my neck roughly, pulling me forward as she sniffs my face and my neck.


    While I am still trying toprehend her reactions, she suddenly lets go of me, releasing a cry of outrage.


    My head jerks to the side as her hand connects with my cheek, delivering a resounding p that echoes off the walls of the hallway. ¡°You have ruined everything! Who marked you?!¡±


    Tears spring to my eyes as I hold my cheek. ¡°Rune.¡±


    Mother¡¯s eyes widen with a mix of shock and fury as she processes the news. Without warning, sheshes out and grabs my arm hard enough to break it. She pulls me down the length of the corridor and I try severally as I try to keep up her pace. ¡°Mother, it isn¡¯t what you think¨C¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°I told your father we were spoiling you; letting you do what made you happy. He trusted you. We trusted you, and this is what you do! Shame us!¡± Her grip tightens and I start to whimpers, trying to wrench my arm from her hold.


    Maids and guards alike pretend not to watch us, but I know it will spread like wildfire before morning.


    Mother doesn¡¯t stop until she is before my room, hurling me into it.


    Dread fills me when she ms the door shut and a pair of keys jingle from the other side. I run to therge door, mming my fist into it again and again. ¡°Mother? Let me out.¡±


    There is a harsh click and I know she has locked me in. ¡°Mother!¡±


    But she doesn¡¯t reply. The sound of soft footsteps disappearing down the hallways rece the jiggling sound of keys and I crumple to the ground, sobbing.

 The Bath

    My brows knit together in a perplexed frown as an unexpected torrent of sunlight floods the room, rudely rupturing my dreamless slumber. Grumbling, I instinctively clutch my pillow, seeking reprieve from the sun¡¯s intense re by burying my face beneath its soft embrace.


    But my reprieve is short-lived, as a loud tter and startled gasp pierces the air. Jerking the pillow away from my face, I swiftly rise from the bed and my eyes that are weary from crying struggle to adjust to the sudden intrusion.


    There are maids everywhere, their hands bearing an assortment of attire, shoes, opulent jewelry, and even tiaras, rendering the room an impromptu dressing chamber.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I mutter, rubbing my eyes with the back of my palm. ¡°I didn¡¯t order for a wardrobe change.¡±


    ¡°Prepare the bath,¡± my mother¡¯smand resonates from the threshold and my mindes awake in her presence. Behind her, more maids pour in, bearing vessels brimming with liquids that have an intoxicating scent of milk and turmeric. A symphony of oils and perfumes fills the air, wrapping me in a sensory embrace.


    Stepping away from my bed, I walk towards my mother, wrapping my hands around my chest.


    I peer into my bathroom, catching sight of her regal form as she dips a finger into¡­ a fucking cauldron? Whatever happened to my shower heads?


    She straightens, orchestrating the maids and dictating the precise temperature my bathing water should be at.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I say, stepping around her. ¡°What is happening?¡±


    Mother ps, her doll-like features pulled into a tight frown. ¡°Out. The lot of you,¡± she orders.


    The maids scram out the door and I find my breath held when my mother¡¯s eyes find mine. ¡°Your father and I have decided that it is best we find you a mate. Before the shift takes more from you.¡±


    My entire being goes still and I say, ¡°By that, you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°You will marry and consummate your marriage with a chosen mate. That is the only way to save you¨C¡±


    ¡°I do not need saving¨C¡±


    ¡°From him,¡± my mother finishes, turning away from me to dunk more flowers into the cauldron.


    It takes a moment for her words to sink in, but when they do, my heart strains. ¡°You knew.¡±


    ¡°Take off your robe.¡±


    I back away from her as several emotions run through me. Disbelief. Confusion. Betrayal. ¡°You knew about Rune.¡±


    Her head cranes in my direction and her eyes turn stormy. ¡°You do not understand a thing. The shift cannot bepleted. We will not have you return to the same ce with him, without your marriage finalized. Without his mark on you nullified. Take off your robe, now, or I will do it myself. You reek of Lycan. I must wash it off before the Mate Selection.¡±


    But her words are do not reach me. Not as I take another step back, away from the bathroom door. ¡°What else do you know about? What else have you kept from me?¡±


    Mother moves, and I shriek in fear when she suddenly appears in front of me, gripping both my shoulders and staring into my eyes with crazed blue ones. ¡°Enough to understand that you are in danger!¡±


    I jerk from her grasp. ¡°I am not¨C¡±


    ¡°He is Hekate. He will kill you, like he killed Lorna!¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t kill her! He loved her!¡± I yell in turn without thinking.


    Mother pauses and she masters her shock swiftly as she straightens, masking it with a picture of calm. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    My hand shoots up to cover my mouth and Iugh hysterically. I know my mother, and her tells. There should be disbelief or bewilderment in her gaze by my words. There should be incredulity.


    But there is none. She is not in the least surprised by my im. Bile rushes to my throat and I think I¡¯m gonna be sick. ¡°You knew about that too.¡±


    Silence invades the space between us, an affirmation of my suspicions, and a stifled gasp escapes my lips. Lies. The foundation of it all¡­ everything is a lie.


    Witnessing the truth with my own eyes yesterday, I had alreadye to ept Hekate¡¯s story. I had been confused about it, but I wasn¡¯t so naive as to discard the truth that had been shown to me.


    Yet, to hear these words from the very woman who had meticulously guided my journey into our lineage, every morsel of knowledge now revealed as a web of deceit.


    Her eyes slide to mine, dull and exhausted. ¡°We nned on telling you the moment you were done with the Academy. It is a secret passed down from heir to heir, so we may never forget what the void really is. A curse.¡±


    She jerks her chin at the cauldron in a silent order and I obey, pulling off my pink robe as I walk toward the steaming water.


    My chemisees off next, pooling at my feet and I resist the urge to hide my nakedness from my mother. It has been years since she bathed me. I do not recall thest time very much, but I may have enjoyed it very much.


    A sharp sigh escapes me when my foot touches the water and I let myself fall in, sink in.


    ¡°Hekate was a despicable man,¡± mother says behind me and my body goes rigid when her fingers graze my neck. ¡°But he did change. For his love.¡±


    My lips part to ask questions, but I am silenced when a jar of milk is emptied on my head. I shiver as the thick liquid pours down my hair, neck and back, turning the water beneath me murky.


    ¡°But his change did nothing to pacify or heal the pain he had caused. Many lives had been lost. Many were in mourning, because of his cruelty. His madness.


    ¡°Blinded by rage and anger, we acted, driving both our races to peril. Loving Lorna created a weakness that had never existed before, rendering him vulnerable. A woman who could bring the king to his knees was valuable.¡±


    I hold my breath at the discord of scents that assaults my nostrils as my mother washed my hair and neck. ¡°What was left of the council concocted a n, involving Lorna into it. They nned to overthrow Hekate, make an example of him in the worst way possible. Blood for blood, tear for tear, they would execute him and leave his head on a spike for as long as it pleased the people.¡±


    My blood runs cold and I swallow, gruesome images assaulting me all at once. ¡°And what happened after?¡±


    ¡°Lorna wanted no part of this n, and th council soon understood why when whispers of Hekate¡¯s travels reached their lips. Cravings, they had wondered. It didn¡¯t take much to uncover Lorna¡¯s pregnancy. Her betrayal. Her love for the enemy. And they sought to punish her for it. Punish them both.¡±


    Though, I knew where the story leads, where it would end, I say nothing, letting her fill my head with the horrors the truth brought. That our need to exert revenge has brought the Void upon us. That our sense of justice is as perverse as Hekate¡¯s.


    At least, he had been born ill.


    What excuse did my ancestors have for torturing a woman heavy with child near death, and taking her life before the man who had grovelled for her, given his crown, his throne for her? A man who had pleaded for his life to be taken instead?


    Most of all, what excuse had they for killing the child in the catbs before Hekate could get to him?


    Perhaps they should have listened and killed him instead.


    ¡°Lorna¡¯s death birthed the Void. Hekate¡¯s gift to us all, before he died.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    That has me stirring from where I sit, letting my mother scrub the skin of my neck raw. To hide the evidence from the world. That I am a marked wolf. Scented oils, flowers, perfumed tumeric, milk. All to wash off the scent of Rune from me.


    He really would feel ttered, were he here.


    ¡°Hekate met his end?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. He roamed thends for days, consumed by unyielding rage, but the relentless illness from which he was born drove him to his death. With thest of his sanity, he cursed us. That our offspring will suffer the same fate. Their lives will be taken in the same darkness that his had been taken, and we shall know no peace for as long as we live for. And on the eve of the Blood Moon, there will be naught left of both races. He took the same dagger Lorna had been killed with to his heart.¡±


    A shudder wracks through my body as the weight of her words settle upon my consciousness. Fear coils around my heart, its icy tendrils gripping me with an unrelenting hold. ¡°How then is Rune¡­ Hekate?¡±


    Motherughs and her fingers thread heavily in my hair. ¡°I would not presume to understand the way the Goddess thinks, but the priestess says it is a small mercy. Our way out of the impending doom that awaits us.¡±

 Stillborn

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I whisper, my voice barely audible amidst the weighty silence that hangs in the air.


    Mother speaks, wordsced with severity. ¡°Upon Hekate¡¯s death, the Goddess expressed her wrath, and to the utmost surprise of our predecessors, she did not take our side.¡± Wrapping my hair in a towel, she says behind me in amanding tone, ¡°Rise.¡±


    I stretch to my full length and step out of the cauldron. I grab a towel from the hanger and drape it around myself. ¡°So¡­ she brought him back? Don¡¯t they say the Goddess forbids manipting the states between life and death?¡±


    Inching out the door, my mother throws over her shoulder, ¡°She was angry enough to keep his soul from crossing into the ether, seeing as he¡¯d cursed every generation yet to be born, condemning all but the humans to death. It didn¡¯t make it any better that the curse had taken on a form of its own.¡±


    Observing her as she raises a diaphanous blue gown and a red garment so deep it verges on ebony, I choose the scarlet attire.


    Her eyebrows arch in inquiry, and I respond with a casual shrug. Why wear bright colours when the day is anything but? ¡°The Goddess didn¡¯t create the Void?¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No,¡± Mother says as she urges me into a chair . I have no idea why she¡¯s chosen to dress me up herself today. Any maid could do the job. She swiftly adds, ¡± I hear Theron Frostw will be in attendance. He is an eligible male from a good¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic, mom.¡±


    ¡°Hekate¡¯s pain and grief gave the curse life, and it took on a form. An entity that had only one aim in mind. Destruction. The Goddess thought of it as a fitting punishment for what we had done and it wasn¡¯t until the first generation of children began to die, that we pleaded for a way out.


    ¡°She had Hekate bound to his own curse, keeping his alive for as long as the Void was. However, that was only half of it. The other half contained the solution. The other half of the solution as dictated by the Goddess would be getting Hekate to forgive us and take back his curse.¡±


    I scoff. ¡°I don¡¯t see how. Getting a dead man¡¯s forgiveness¨C¡±


    Mother cuts in with a click of her tongue. She hates being interrupted as much as she hates portals. ¡°Binding Hekate to his own curse was only the first part. The second part came several yearster. Twenty seven years ago, when she gave him life.¡±


    The fabric sighs against my skin as I slip into it and my mother hums in approval, pleased with my choice. She pulls thecing behind me and I watch as it tightens around my chest, enhancing my figure. ¡°Rune was born still, a life left untethered.¡±


    Shock and disbelief melds within me as the words resonates through the air. My gaze locks with my mother¡¯s through the mirror and I look away, folding my hands painfully in myp to hide the surge of emotions that are unraveling within me. I bite the inside of my cheek as I keep a calm, straight face.


    I think of Rune. I think of the child who had made my childhood a living hell. I think of the man who had kissed me on the staircases. I think of the man who had filled up his book with paintings of me.


    I think of a life in which he didn¡¯t exist.


    ws slice into my palm and I wince, unfurling my fingers.


    ¡°Zephyr couldn¡¯t take it. I was present with her, as she was my best friend. Herself and Fenrir had been trying for years. When she conceived, she named him, even before his birth. Rune, her little mystery.


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t live, and Zephyr might have died with him if it came to it.¡± Mother pauses and lets out a breath, chuckling at the memory. ¡°One moment, he had been in her arms, pale and lifeless; one moment, Zephyr had been pleading with the Goddess to do anything to save the child; one moment, I had been wrestling to get the dead child away from her. She had begun to lose her mind and Fenris had been incapable of words.


    ¡°And the next, he wheezed.¡±


    I swallow as my mother pins my hair into intricate locks, watching her through the mirror. Her eyes are distant, caught in a memory that makes the air on my skin rise.


    ¡°But when his eyes opened, they did not belong to a child. They were pitch-ck, an endless abyss that spoke of otherworldly origins. Around him, there was a dark haze that set the midwives running from the chambers.¡±


    Mother pauses again, lips drawing tight. ¡°The Priestess arrived shortly after, even if she hadn¡¯t been summoned, and her message¨Cthe Goddess¡¯s message had been clear. The Goddess had answered Zephyr¡¯s plea, granting the child life. But in the intricate tapestry of divine intervention, another thread had been woven. The soul of Hekate, shared its vessel with that of the child. Within the confines of that singr body, two consciousnesses coexisted-one of rationality and the other, primal instinct. Hekate is to Rune what Sloan is to you.¡±


    ¡°They are not the same then,¡± I whisper.


    ¡°They are, as much as you and Sloan be one when you shift.¡±


    My head feels too full, too heavy. Rather than press for more details, I say, ¡°Why then were the schools built?¡±


    Motherughs heartily. ¡°Why else? Because Hekate will never forgive us. Best to be prepared to fight him off when he strikes.¡±


    She steps around my chair and stops in front of me. She leans in, cing her hands on either sides of the chair and her eyes lock with mine. ¡°It is why this bond must be severed. Eventually, the untamed savagery and ancient power that is Hekate will take control, and there will be no Rune. Eventually, he wille for us, to collect that which he is owed. Eventually, he will have his revenge. Should he mate with you, whether or not he can help himself, you will be the first one he kills.¡±


    Her fingers rise to touch my cheek and they are light and soft, much like her gaze. ¡°You must do this, Astrid. I will not lose you. Do you understand?¡±


    I nod.


    ***************


    ¡°As the stars themselves pale inparison to your radiance, my princess, I beseech you to grant me the honor of your hand and the privilege of sharing a lifetime of love and devotion.¡±


    My gaze remains impassive, devoid of emotion, an icy mask.


    Disappointment creases the male¡¯s features, and he retreats, excusing himself from my presence to join the others whom I have unabashedly disregarded.


    Though my father maypel me to go through this selection, he cannot dictate the choice of a mate for me. It is mine alone to make.


    Blurred and muted, the world around me bes an indistinct haze. My mother¡¯s words from this morning refuse to vacate my mind, their presence a persistent echo.


    *¡±Eventually, he will have his revenge. Should he mate with you, whether or not he can help himself, you will be the first one he kills.¡±*


    I am suddenly taken back to that day in the training hall, and my fingers rise instinctively to my neck. I can still feel those slender fingers around my neck as they had tried to squeeze the life from me.


    I shiver, fingers curling as they drop in myp. What scares me most of all is that I do not believe mother. I do not believe he can kill me. Hekate. Rune. Whichever it is. If he wanted me dead, I already would be.


    Perhaps not, but mother¡¯s words have had me thinking of a lot of things. Like Rune¡¯s rejection.


    I know. I should be worried about my own neck and how I¡¯m supposed to get through all of this, but all I can truly consider is¡­ what if he rejected me to keep me safe?


    What if¡­ what if Rune cares for me?


    My eyes carry over the crowd of men at the foot of the diaz, looking upon me expectantly. I do not wish to be with anyone else.


    Anyone that isn¡¯t Rune.


    And though, I know it is the bond speaking and making me feel these things that I absolutely hate, I cannot help the yearning I feel. The longing.

 To What End?

    Day after day, I go through the gruelling routine of scrubbing my skin until it is nearly raw, bathing in near scalding water and having milk dunked over my head, having thecing of my bodice pulled until I can no longer breath, and my hair nearly pulled from my head in a bid to have it styled outrageously.


    A hiss of exasperation escapes me as a rogue pin pricks my finger, and I pull out the wretched object from my hair, hurling it across the hall.


    The room erupts in an abrupt silence as the pin finds its mark, ttering against the marble floor. A collective hush falls upon the gathering, every eye riveted to the rebellious object, as if it were a harbinger of upheaval.


    Tension hangs heavy in the air and stirred by an unseen force, I rise from my throne and make my way down the daiz.


    No more.


    I¡¯m not doing this anymore.


    Ignoring the male whose words cling to the air, his voice thick with irritation, I skip the steps, eager to get the fuck out of hall that stinks of testosterone.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°We are not done, princess,¡± he asserts, voiceced with frustration as he trails after me in his finery of gold and ck. He might have told me his name at the beginning of our encounter. I do not remember it. I didn¡¯t care to take note of it.


    A mirthless smile curls on my lips and I turn to face him fully. ¡°Go home. I do not wish to mate with you.¡± My gaze drifts to the rest of the men and I cannot hide my sneer as I say, ¡°Or any of you.¡±


    My words slices through the stifling atmosphere and it takes a moment for them to sink in.


    I know whates after. I can already feel the weight of my father¡¯s stare from across the hall. I can feel his rage shimmering through the bond he shares with us all as Alpha.


    But I cannot stop. If I do, the burning feeling in my chest will not stop.


    So I lock him out. It is a small, handy trick I learned as a child. As Alpha, he possesses the power to pry into our thoughts if he so wishes to, as well as speak into our minds and tell us what to do. Trust me, you do not want your father, even as revered as he may be, to have such intimate knowledge of your innermost thoughts and desires.


    Father rarely pries. He respects me and my feelings. But in moments like this, when I am spiralling out of control, I can tell he is considering it.


    I don¡¯t stop walking until I have cleared the hall and the corridor beyond. I am crossing the wide path that leads to my favoured garden when my ear perks up at the soft steps behind me.


    With senses heightened, I pause, bending to inspect the lush shrubbery that adorns my path. Inhaling deeply, I allow the fragrant tendrils to envelop me as I speak, my voice carrying an air of casual appreciation, ¡°Ah, how kind of you to grace me with your presence, Ulric. What would you like? Roses? Lilies?¡±


    He snorts. ¡°Your father has called for you.¡±


    I can¡¯t seem to catch a break. A moment of peace is all I ask. A minute or two. To just breathe. To think. Day after day of these ridiculous gatherings have left me exhausted, too tired to even think at night. The days pass me by and I do not feel them anymore. My home suddenly doesn¡¯t feel like a home anymore. It is empty and filled with guests I do not wish to see, music that have gives joy and food that tastes like ash.


    I straighten. ¡°Well then, tell him you couldn¡¯t find me.¡±


    The captain of my father¡¯s elite guard makes a choked sound and says, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot do that. Not today.¡±


    We used to do that as lot when I was a child. I¡¯d do something despicable and run from the castle to hide for days until my father¡¯s anger had waned. Ulric always knew where I was, bringing me food, clothes and nkets. However, he would return to my father, saying he couldn¡¯t find me.


    I turn to him fully, grabbing the soft cloth on his outstretched hand. ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Ulric.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t smile. It only makes him way older with wrinkles creasing his features. ¡°What you did in there¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you bearing down on me. I¡¯ve had enough of that already,¡± I say, wiping my hands. I hand him the piece of cloth and lift my skirts, walking as gracefully as I can without tripping on the overflowing gown.


    Ulric follows closely, silent as a dormouse. As we draw nearer to my father¡¯s study, my anxiety grows, reaching a new height when I see Beta Nightshade stepping out the door.


    His eyes, much like Thorne¡¯s, gloss over me and his lips tighten with utmost disapproval. He bows slightly in greeting, and though, I feel like I have a lot to say to him, I walk past without speaking.


    Ulric announces my arrival and without warmth, my father says, ¡°Bring her.¡±


    My heart plummets and my palms turn sweaty as I cautiously enter the study. The air is thick with tension and wrath, and it envelopes me, constructing my every breath. Father¡¯s aura is crippling and I am drenched in sweat within mere seconds of my arrival.


    ¡°Sit,¡± he says with deadly softness and I don¡¯t dare take another step forward.


    Father¡¯s dark gaze pierces mine and my knees buckle he strips me bare of my defenses, bending my will to meet his with one word. ¡°Sit.¡±


    My body jerks forward and I all but run to the chair across him, settling on it with my entire being trembling.


    Ulric excuses himself, leaving me to bear the brunt of father¡¯s fury, all by myself.


    Hands sped so hard, I can see his veins nearly pop out, he says, ¡°You have pushed the boundaries of respect and obedience, for thest time.¡±


    My voice trembles with suppressed anger as I shoot back, ¡°And what boundaries are those, Father? The ones that demand I ept a life of subservience and deceit?¡±


    Father¡¯s eyes narrow, his voice a low snarl. ¡°Spoken like the infant you are. These traditions and deceit as you so call it, have been put in ce, holding and keeping our pack, our race strong for generations. United. I will not have you jeopardize everything we have worked for. I will tolerate your insolence no longer.¡±


    My fists clench by my side as I lean forward, teeth bared. ¡°And the honesty you taught me, Father? And trust? Shall we talk about that too? And how all my life, I¡¯ve been kept in the dark, fed lies and half-truths, all to hide the truth of what we really are? Monsters! And none of them know it! What we have done. Why we suffer!¡±


    The Alpha King¡¯s face contorts with fury, his voice booming across the room with a strength that has the earth shaking. ¡°You will not insult the memory of your ancestors who did their best to give us a chance.¡± He leans in, intense gaze bearing into mine. ¡°You will not question my decisions. You will respect my authority as Alpha and do as I tell you to. You brought this upon yourself, letting a lycan mark you. Be grateful that there is not a more severe punishment awaiting you.¡±


    My throat closes as I feel myself losing against him. I cannot afford to. I know what it means to lose this argument. It means apologizing for what I said in the hall. It means agreeing to mate with a male of his choosing, because I very well doubt he will let me choose anymore. It means burying my feelings and my wants and doing as my Alpha tells me to.


    I didn¡¯t even know he had marked me. But they won¡¯t listen. They won¡¯t believe me. Why even bother trying to exin it to them?


    So I don¡¯t back down. I grasp at anything I can find to fight against him with. Anything at all that might hit a nail in his freaking heart. It hurts me to do this, to say these things to my father whom I love more than myself, but I can¡¯t do what he wants me to. I cannot live like that.


    ¡°Respect? Is that what you will call it? It seems more like blind obedience to me¨C¡±


    ¡°Astrid!¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    His eyes ze with dangerous fire. ¡°You do not have a choice in this anymore. Theron Frostw is my choice of a mate for you. The ceremony will hold in three days and you will go through with it as it is expected of you.¡±


    No.


    I rise abruptly, hands mming into the table between us, and my voice is not mine when I yell, ¡°I will not!¡±


    Father stills. His gaze stays on mine for a moment too long before dropping to the table. They rise up again and they are hard, cold. ¡°You have a duty to Wolvendom, and to your crown.¡±


    A bitter smile slips from me and though my next words aren¡¯t exactly thought through, I mean them. ¡°Well, Father, you can have your crown if giving myself away is the price I have to pay to keep it.¡±


    He blinks, the only sign of shock he will let me see, and he grabs my arm swiftly, forcing me to meet the storm brewing behind his dark eyes. ¡°Do not think for a moment that I will not strip you of your title as heir if you defy me.¡±


    My heart aches with a mix of hurt and anger, tears threatening to spill, but I don¡¯t let them fall. I yank my hand from his grip quite easily. ¡°Take it, Father. Take the title. Take the kingdom. Give it to someone else. I am not interested in inheriting a kingdom built on lies and deceit, and I sure as hell will not mate with a man just to please you and the council.¡±


    And as I turn to leave, my eyes snag on father¡¯s desk. It is broken in half. I did that in my outburst.


    I keep my hands fisted as I leave his presence, ignoring the weight of his stare on me.


    Mother was right. I am turning. I can feel it. The shift. It grows with each day, regardless of the fact that Rune isn¡¯t here. It continues still. I should not have been able to break that table with such ease. I barely felt it.


    Goddess help me, what am I going to do? Why did this happen, and to what end does this even lead? My duties, this bond with Hekate, the growing Void. To what end?

 Playing Games

    My brow knits together as a featherlight touch grazes my cheek, trailing down my neck with an intimate caress that startles me awake. cial green eyes lock onto mine, and instinctively, I recoil, scrambling backward until my back collides with the headboard. Still, I don¡¯t halt until I lose my bnce and topple to the ground.


    A soft chuckle resonates in the air, and my heart lurches at its sound. ¡°You summoned me, princess, yet your receptioncks enthusiasm.¡±


    Seizing my pillow from the floor, I hurl it across the room with a surge of preternatural strength. ¡°What the fuck are you doing in here, creep?!¡±


    Hekate catches the pillow effortlessly, allowing it to slip from his grasp. ¡°Again, you called.¡±


    Fuming and cursing, I rise from the ground, massaging my bruised knee. ¡°I did not, and I do not appreciate your intrusion.¡±


    With hands folded behind his back, he strides around my queen-sized bed, pausing only to perch at its edge, propping his head on his fist. Mischief sparkles in his green eyes, and a breathtaking smile graces his lips as he remarks, ¡°Intrusion? What intrusion?¡±


    I am stunned by his beauty, untamed and wild. It possesses a rugged refinement, meticulously honed to perfection. It¡¯s unimaginable that I share a bond with this stunning male.


    ¡°What? You no longer feel the need to hide your face from me?¡± I remark irritably, noting the absence of shadows shrouding him.


    He shrugs, standing from my bed and walking about like he owns my space. ¡°I do not hide. It is he who prefers to remain hidden.¡± He pauses before my closet, tilting his head slightly. ¡°Ah, yes. We shared a kiss in this very spot that night.¡±


    A shiver courses through me, and my cheeks burn at the memory. I don¡¯t know what to do with myself now that he¡¯s here. I know it¡¯s another one of those dreams, but I had thought I would speak to him the next time he came by. Ask him questions that gued my mind.


    Instead, I find myself blushing, consumed by thoughts of his fingers delving into my warmth as he pressed me against the closet door.


    The air in the room changes, igniting into mes as the scent of arousal permeates the space. My own.


    Hell. What is happening to me?


    Thankfully, Hekate says nothing, seemingly more intrigued by my closet. Abruptly, he pries it open, and I gasp when he retrieves something flimsy and white, examining it curiously, tugging at thecy fabric, and¡­


    In a matter of seconds, I am across the room, mming the door shut and wrenching my thong from his grasp. ¡°Do not touch that!¡±


    He gazes from me to the delicate strip of whitece nkly, andughter slips from my lips. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it is?¡±


    ¡°He rarely lets me out,¡± he replies, his expression devoid ofprehension. ¡°You care for thecy ribbon very much?¡± His hand extends, twining my hair around his fingers. ¡°It is a strange design but your hair would look pretty in it.¡±


    I should burst outughing, but I am taken aback by his unfamiliarity with modern undergarments. It sparks a flicker of concern within me. Does Rune never embrace his lycan? Does he keep his wolf perpetually caged, trapped within himself? My own wolf, Sloan, knows me intimately-my preferences, my wanderings through favored ces. In wolf form, she explores those routes, and on asion, she has evenpelled me to indulge in a famous cheeseburger from the human realm, simply to satisfy her cravings.


    Sloan and I are intertwined, inseparable facets of the same existence. Though not necessarily opposites, we possess distinct perspectives and divergent trains of thought at times.


    The consequences of suppressing and caging one¡¯s wolf are severe, and the impact on lycans must be tremendous, I can only imagine.


    Suddenly, Rune¡¯s behavioral patterns start to make sense to me. The hidden turmoil behind his calm demeanor, the loss of control he experienced that day in the hall, the undercurrents of frustration, anxiety, and detachment¡­ it all falls into ce.


    Hate curdles within me, hate for him, and yet¡­ a disconcerting understanding begins to take root. It bes increasingly difficult to harbor animosity towards him. It¡¯s harder to keep my heart iced and full of hate when I think about him.


    And then there¡¯s Hekate¡­


    I can¡¯t fathom the hardship of being trapped in both the Void and Rune¡¯s body now.


    My hand moves instinctively, rising before I can even deliberate, and when my fingertips brush against his, they are tender. My voice, soft and gentle, resonates, ¡°I acknowledge your¡­pliment.¡±


    Stupidest thing one could say in return to a man who literally just said my panties would look nice in my hair, but I¡¯m afraid my brain has lost the battle against my heart for the moment.


    His eyes flicks to my fingers around his and he blinks, as if unused to being touched.


    Flustered and embarrassed by my inability to control myself, I drop my hand and retreat several steps away, hugging my chest and rubbing my cool arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t call for you, but I do have something to say.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hekate¡¯s voice holds a hint of curiosity.


    Biting the inside of my cheek nervously, I gather my resolve and tell him, ¡°I do not want you visiting me anymore.¡±


    The shadows surrounding my room deepen, and a chilling wind gusts in, threatening to extinguish the torches. ¡°No,¡± he responds firmly.


    I start, baffled by his refusal. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°We are bound. It is foolhardy to stay away-¡±


    ¡°Bound?¡± I echo, my voice resonating through the space. Taking a hesitant step forward, I continue, ¡°I never asked for this. I never asked to be bound to you. My eyes, my hair¡­¡± I grasp at the strands that continue to lengthen and grow richer with each passing day. ¡°My body,¡± I say, my voice rising as I loosen the robe that covers my thin nightdress. ¡°I am changing!¡±


    Hekate¡¯s eyes flicker over me, their intensity increasing as they linger on my fuller chest. ¡°It suits you,¡± he murmurs, his voice thick with desire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I yell, my frustration and anger pouring out. ¡°I don¡¯t want this! This transformation. I had a life, and you are ruining it. You had no right to choose me. To mark me! Not without my consent, but you did it anyway. Why did you select me for your twisted game of revenge?!¡±


    The fire in his eyes die out, and he regards me coolly as I vent my grievances. When my words finallye to a halt, he responds, ¡°I do not y games, princess.¡± He pauses, looking forlon. ¡°You need not worry. You are mine. I would never harm you. The curse will not take you.¡±


    ¡°Can you not hear a single word I am saying?!¡± I retort, frustration seeping into my voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be yours!¡±


    His brows arch in amusement. ¡°You lie. Your thoughts are consumed by me, all day long. I am all you think about. Being mine is all you desire.¡±


    A surge of frustration mixes with a strange undercurrent of desire, and I grit my teeth. ¡°If you possessed even an inkling of my desires, you would realize the extent to which I want you gone from my room¨Cand my life.¡±


    Hekateughs and his velvety voice makes heat creep under my skin as he says, ¡°More lies, flowing effortlessly from your enchanting lips, my dear mate.¡±


    ¡°I am not your mate. I never will be. I will do as my father bids and take a mate, if that is what I must do to severe this¨C¡±


    A whimper escapes my lips as his fingers curl tightly around my forearm, forcefully drawing me closer until our breaths mingle. His presence is overwhelming, and his demand hangs in the air, a breath away from my skin. ¡°Repeat those words once more,¡± hemands, his breath caressing my trembling flesh.


    Struggling fruitlessly to free my arm from his firm grip, I whisper, my voice barely audible, ¡°This is all because of you. My mother discovered your mark on me, and now there¡¯s a selection underway. I am to choose a mate.¡±


    A pale brow arches in inquiry once more. ¡°And who was your choice?¡±


    I swallow hard, my throat constricting with the weight of my admission. ¡°No one. I found none of them to my liking.¡±


    He nods, releasing my sore arm. ¡°Good. In that case, there shall be no bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He waves dismissively, like he didn¡¯t just threaten to kill someone and turns away from me, hands once again folded behind his back. ¡°When the time is right, princess, I wille for you. You must wait for me.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Right. Shall I be your second bride after Ginevra?¡± I retort, but he suddenly vanishes into the shadows, leaving me standing alone in the charged atmosphere of my room.


    My chest constricts, and I clutch it tightly, struggling to catch my breath. Why does it fucking ache so much?

 A Knife To The Heart

    A knock has my attention snapping to the door and I turn from the window, pulling it shut. I¡¯ve spent the better part of my morning lost in thought, staring at nothing in particr.


    Way better than getting plunged in hot water.


    I¡¯ve been thinking about everything. Dad, Hekate, the truth, the lies¡­ it all seems like a lot.


    Though, I¡¯m against my father¡¯s idea of forcing a mate on me, I understand his worry.


    Hekate had said the curse wouldn¡¯t take me. That sentence does mean a lot of things. It won¡¯t take me, but it¡¯d take everyone else.


    And then what? We¡¯ll both rule over a kingdom of dead wolves and lycans?


    Goddess forbids it. Though I¡¯m angry at my parents, I love them very much. I cannot imagine my world without them. Or my friends¨Ceven if they¡¯ve all gone on with their lives without me.


    I have considered father¡¯s decision. Theron Frostw, Orion¡¯s younger brother, stands as the next suitable choice for a mate. Strong, loyal, and fierce, as an alpha is expected to be. And the fact that he is a Frostw-the cherry atop the icing.


    But I¡¯m not going to mate with Orion¡¯s brother, and this goes beyond my reluctancy to take a mate. It is simply wrong. I give my womanhood to one brother and give my life to the other.


    I respect Orion¡¯s memory enough not to do that.


    But I will not let Hekate take this from me. My life. My heritage. My throne. My identity. So, yes, I do need a male to prevent being carted off to Goddess knows where if this shift ispleted.


    Yet, I find myself torn.


    I understand what my duty demands of me, but I wonder if what I am to Hekate means that I can reach him when others can¡¯t.


    I wonder if it means I can get him to stop all of this. Forgive and let go.


    Fat chance.


    Crossing the room in swift strides, I pull the door open.


    ¡°Oh. Father,¡± I say, feeling all shades of weird.


    ¡°Can Ie in?¡± He inquires, eyes pleading, as he presents a brown paper bag. ¡°I¡¯ve brought cheeseburger and fries?¡±


    There is a slight pause in which my eyes dart from the bag to my father¡¯s nervous smile. ¡°MacDonald¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Double special,¡± he grins.


    My lips twitch as I battle againstughter. I retrieve the bag from him and widen the door. ¡°Only because I adore fries. And you.¡±


    He appears out of ce-too grand for my room, too regal for my princess-themed sanctuary. He settles at the edge of the bed, and a faint sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu washes over me.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Right. Hekate perched therest night. In my dream.


    Father¡¯s nostrils re, and my grip tightens around the package. Can he discern that I had a visitor? Can he detect the faint scent of a man and earth?


    ¡°Your mother received an invitation to Lycanthia. It is Queen Zephyr¡¯s birthday today,¡± he pauses, his lips twisting into a pout that is almostical for a king. ¡°I thought I would spend the day with you instead, since my mate has forsaken me for cakes and fashionable dresses.¡±


    Oh, good. He didn¡¯t catch Hekate¡¯s scent. Why would he? It was but a dream. There¡¯s no way his fragrance would linger in here. Right? I¡¯m just being paranoid.


    ¡°Ah,¡± I respond, settling beside him. ¡°The lycans do have the finest fabrics.¡±


    ¡°sphemy,¡± Father mutters, and despite myself, I burst intoughter, unwrapping the paper bag. The enticing aroma hits me a momentter, and Sloan stirs, whining and purring, *Food.*


    My mouth waters at the sight of the burger, and I gratefully grin at Father. ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡±


    He returns the smile, but it doesn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°I apologize for my behavior.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I am sorry too,¡± I say, reaching for his adorned fingers-slender and elegant, much like the man himself. ¡°It was never my intention for any of this to transpire. I know you¡¯re worried, but I ask that you to trust me a little more. I am no longer a child.¡±


    Father makes a his face. ¡°I did, and now you are transforming into a lycan.¡±


    ¡°Low blow,¡± I joke, but my expression turns solemn quickly. ¡°Rune did not¡­ bite me. It¡¯s¡­plicated.¡±


    His fingers withdraw from beneath mine to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. ¡°Try me.¡±


    I peer deeply into his eyes, and a sense of calm washes over me. Father and I have always shared this bond. I can confide in him, divulge anything, and be certain that he will listen and be there for me.


    ¡°I have been dreaming.¡±


    He furrows his brow. ¡°Of Rune?¡±


    ¡°No. Hekate. He visits me.¡±


    Father¡¯s hand freezes on my face before lowering slowly. ¡°How long has this been happening¡­¡±


    ¡°A few days after starting school. In one of them, he bit me.¡±


    His expression turns grim and distant, and I wonder if my words sound as stupid as I think they do to him.¡±I will summon the Priestess by nightfall. Perhaps she can shed some light on this. I do not know his intentions, but they cannot be good. I hope the Priestess may offer a solution to him infiltrating your dreams. However, you must understand that you must stay away from Rune henceforth.¡±


    I swallow. Sure thing. I should mention Hekate¡¯sst words to me fromst night, but I¡¯m pretty sure Father won¡¯t let me go back to school without a body of guards watching my every breath if I do.


    Like the guards he stationed outside my room after our argument.


    I nod instead, offering him a promise in not sure I can keep, but I must try. ¡°I will stay away from Rune.¡±


    *************


    *Ronan*


    ¡°You cannot deny how much of an opportunity this is, my King. The girl is the solution we have searched for. For decades. Centuries. Refusing to see past this will be considered as selfish¨C¡±


    ¡°My daughter will not be used as bait. Find another way to end this. Not with Astrid. No.¡±


    The Priestess¡¯ grey eyes res with annoyance and she leans in, gaze fiercely locked with his.


    No one else would dare to. No one else would be so insolent. But As Moonburn could hardly be regarded as no one.


    ¡°Another way, Ronan?¡± As challenged, voice dripping with impatience. ¡°Not in two thousand years have we been granted a chance like this one. To finally rid ourselves of him. For good. And you refuse this? Need I remind you that you are bound by duty to the realm? A bond like this, blessed by the Goddess¨C¡±


    Alpha King Ronan¡¯s fist crashes onto the desk, shattering it, mirroring the damage his daughter had caused the day before. The loud crack fills the air, startling the priestess. ¡°Do not invoke the Goddess¡¯s name so recklessly, spinning your web of lies. I am no fool. I can tell your truth apart from your lies, As.¡±


    Priestess As scoffs, pushing back from the desk. ¡°How lowly you think of me. Will you never let it go?¡±


    King gracefully rises from the chair, regal attire flowing about him. ¡°I do not care for the past. Or you. Only my family, and I will not let you use my daughter as a pawn. If you cannot provide a solution to Hekate¡¯s dreamwalk, then you are of no use to me. Be gone from my castle.¡±


    The priestess chuckles, walking around the table and stopping only when she is toe to toe with the King, ncing up at him with wide eyes. Eyes he had found stunning in a different time.


    A time before he¡¯d met his mate.


    ¡°Be it as it may, Hekate will keep visiting the princess,¡± she cooes. ¡°Every day she will think of him. Every day she will dream of him; feel closer to him. One day she will yearn for him; look for him. There is nothing you can do about it, Ronan. Finding her a mate cannot eviscerate the bond. It will only prolong the inevitable.¡± Her fingers rise, trailing a small line along the Alpha King¡¯s chin. ¡°She will burn for him, Alpha. She will die for him. Like Lorna did.¡±


    Ronan seizes As¡¯s hand, his grip tight and forceful. ¡°Like you burned for him?¡±


    Her grin only widens and she pushes in closer, pressing her chest flush against his. Her eyes glitter with wicked delight. ¡°It was his loss.¡±


    Indeed it was. As Moonburn had made sure of it. That Hekate had lost the one thing he¡¯de to love in his life.


    And the only one who suffered the knowledge of her truth was Ronan, her Alpha King. Her chosen lover once in her very long life.


    ¡°You started this war,¡± Ronan says, crushing the delicate bones of her hand. Her smile falters, contorting into a grimace and then a whimper. ¡°You end it. Never speak of my daughter again. Never take her name. Or my mate¡¯s. Or I will kill you.¡±


    Priestess As gasps, face flushed and sweaty as pain consumes her.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    She nods swiftly, eager to be gone from the King¡¯s presence before he broke whatever bones he hadn¡¯t already shattered. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He let her go, turning from her swiftly, unable to bear the sight of her much longer. Once in his youth, he had been intrigued to indulge her. Stupid enough to warm her bed. Had gotten seduced by the darkness lurking beneath, the mystery.


    Until he had learned a truth so deadly, she¡¯d be burned alive for it.


    And still he hid it, a foolish child who had thought he¡¯d been in love.


    And he¡¯d been reminded of himself today. When he had looked in his child¡¯s heart for the first time, her defenses down, walls broken. He had glimpsed the truth in his daughter¡¯s heart, no matter that she was oblivious to it.


    And it didn¡¯t matter to what extent he¡¯d go. He would protect her from it. From Hekate. Because if Hekate ever did learn the truth, he would kill them all.


    That his Erasthai hadn¡¯t died because the people wanted revenge.


    Lorna had died for As Moonburn¡¯s jealous and yearning for a man who never noticed; and the entire realm, thirsty for blood and revenge, had unwittingly helped her achieve that.


    A knife to the heart.

 Back To School

    Two agonizing weeks had passed, with no one to talk to except my parents. I had initially thought I would lose my damn mind, but turns out I¡¯m made of sterner stuff. This morning, my mother made sure I had the pleasure of going through a fresh set of rules, each one screaming a single message.


    ¡°Stay away from Rune.¡±


    My father, on the other hand, had been a tad less confrontational, probably because he¡¯d been distanttely. The thought that I was the cause of his sleepless nights, his haunted wanderings through the castle, weighed heavily on me. So I made a promise to him-I would follow their rules, after tonight, depending on how well it turns out. I didn¡¯t add thest part though.     Though, it might prove to be a tad difficult, to speak to Rune. Father had guards escorting me back to school. I couldn¡¯t be more embarrassed and self-conscious. I¡¯m not even sure that is allowed, but somehow, telling Vesper that they would keep me in check and join the sentinels was enough to sell the idea.


    But I will find a way around them, because I will talk to Rune tonight. I must.


    ¡°I do hope you have reflected on your mistakes and learned from them,¡± Vesper says and I merely mirror his nk stare. ¡°Be good, ckwood. I would hate to have to send you home again.¡±


    He plucks my phone and tablet from one of his countless drawers and plonks them on the table between us. ¡°I would suggest you try catching up. You¡¯ve missed a lot of sses. The break next week should give you enough time.¡±


    *No thanks to you*, I don¡¯t say as I pick up my tablet and start to head to the door, but I pause when his words sink in.


    I turn slightly, frowning. ¡°Break? We get breaks from school?¡±


    Vesper peers up from his screen. ¡°Not usually, but the Prince¡¯s Mating Ceremony is a grand affair, and while the academic session is still on, we must still pay our respects in attendance.¡±


    Vesper¡¯s words hit me like a thunderp, shattering whatever semnce of control I have managed to garner over my feelings in the past few days. My breath catches in my chest, the air heavy with with disbelief.


    Rune¡¯s Mating Ceremony? How could he? The words echo in my mind, my heart, even when I know I have no right to expect anything from him.


    He¡¯d said he woulde for me.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how much I wanted him to. How much of myself and my feelings I have given away to this¡­ bond.


    Pain ws at me, twisting and turning like a dagger in my heart and a sharp breath escapes me as I clutch my chest hard.


    I can¡¯t fucking breathe. It hurts so. Sloan¡¯s whining and I feel ws ripping my insides apart. My knees buckle and I clutch the edge of the table before I can fall.


    ¡°ckwood, are you alright?¡± I vaguely hear Vesper say, but my world is beginning to blur, the colours fading to grey, mirroring the destion within me.


    The ground under my feet begins to crumble¨Cbut that can¡¯t be right. It¡¯s hard concrete and¡­ I shake my head vigorously, trying to clear my vision, but that hardly helps because the pain ising from my heart. No. Not there. It way deeper than that.


    It goes all the way down to the ce Sloan resides in me and I growl when it starts to burn.


    Shit, I¡¯m going to pass out, I think as my hand slips from the table¡¯s edge and I fall. So much for saying I didn¡¯t care if they had white-haired babies with Gin¡¯s beautiful stupid eyes.


    Now, they¡¯re really going to have children with Gin¡¯s eyes and I¡¯m going to spend the rest of my life with this hurt that¡¯s greater than anything I have ever felt¨Cah fuck.


    I pass out.


    **********


    ¡°An entrance that was.¡±


    Squinting at the brightness in the room, my head tilts right. Golden eyes filled with worry meet mine and I croak, ¡°Hey Dar.¡±


    So. . . I might be the only woman in the history of rtionships who forgot all about her boyfriend on a two week holiday-suspension, although that is scarcely my fault. The past few days have been an absolute whirlwind, and I did miss him. To some extent, at least. Penning him a letter had briefly crossed my mind, but I had discarded the idea, knowing full well that my mother would likely have my head if she knew I was kissing a lycan.


    He settles beside me on the bed, his arms enveloping me, lifting me from the soft pillows and drawing me close to his chest. ¡°With you, it feels like I can¡¯t catch a break. One moment, I¡¯m told you¡¯re back, and the next, you¡¯re in the infirmary.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around his torso, burying my face in his chest to hide the tears that threatened to escape. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    His fingers gently tangle in my hair, and I lean into the soothing rhythm of his strong heartbeat as he whispers, ¡°I missed you, princess. This ce was a ghost-town without you.¡±


    I say nothing in turn, unable to think of what to say. I do not feel physical pain anymore but I feel my chest caving in. I just want to pause and cry until I can¡¯t anymore.


    Fuck Rune. Fuck Hekate. I want to go home and hug my Father. Maybe get drunk and high with my friends. It¡¯s my prescription for broken hearts.


    Just ensure never toe down from that high, or it¡¯ll hit you right back, with an even stronger force.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    A few minutester, the nurse releases me, assuring Darian that I am perfectly fine and that she couldn¡¯t exin my fainting episode. Darian doesn¡¯t pry, and I don¡¯t offer any exnation. It is best for him not to know that his girlfriend copsed because of another male.


    Banners adorned the hallway, proudly announcing the king and queen of the uing ball, with Rune and Ginevra¡¯s portraits disyed prominently. My heart squeezes painfully at the sight, and I quickly avert my gaze, clutching Darian¡¯s arm tightly as he leads me to my room, guards trailing behind us solemnly.


    It¡¯s a weird sight, but I¡¯m too weary to think about it.


    ¡°Want me toe in?¡± Darian offers as I step into my room. The air is infused with the scent of fresh flowers, along with a faint fragrance that I would recognize anywhere. I think I may be hallucinating, because it¡¯s the only reason I¡¯d pick up Rune¡¯s scent in my room.


    Leaning against the door frame, I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯lle see youter, Dar. I feel a little faint. Need to rest my head for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I can stay while you rest¨C¡±


    I lean in and press a kiss to his cheek. ¡°Thank you, Dar, but I just need a moment. I¡¯lle see youter. I promise.¡±


    As I pull away, disappointment flickers in his bright gaze, but he managed a small smile before nodding and leaving.


    Closing the door behind me, I lean against it, letting out a sigh as I clench my fists. Tears well up in my eyes, and I hastily wipe them away.


    But they won¡¯t stop flowing.


    Sliding down the door, I hug my knees, silently sobbing with trembling shoulders.


    I don¡¯t cry often. I look terrible when I do, but I can¡¯t help myself. Confusion gnaws at me, leaving me at a loss for what to do next. The pain is so intense that I can¡¯t even feel Sloan anymore. In the space where she should have been, there is only agony.


    And I know she is hurting too. Perhaps even more than I am, but we share in the pain.


    And I know she¡¯s hurt too. Perhaps more than I am, but we share in it.


    I can¡¯t live like this. I have to see Rune. Plead with him if necessary, to find a way to bring an end to this tangled mess between us.

 49. Midnight Shenanigans

    It is well past midnight and I can vaguely hear the owl hooting out my window.


    Creeping toward the door, I pull on the straps, adjusting them to fit around my boobs. Should¡¯ve gotten a new pair. These are he tight.


    As I twist the doorknob, hoping for a quiet exit, Ie face to face with Boris, the ever-vignt captain of my guard.


    Damn. How do I get rid of them? How the hell am I supposed to sneak out if someone¡¯s always on guard around the clock?


    ¡°Princess, do you need something?¡± Boris inquires, stepping forward.


    I force a nervousugh, holding the door open wider. ¡°I was hoping I¡¯d get some air.¡±


    He nods, but I know he won¡¯t let me go alone. No chance. He motions to the rest of my entourage, and it¡¯s crystal clear they¡¯reing along for the ride.


    ¡°We¡¯ll apany you, Your Highness,¡± Boris deres.


    ¡°Actually, Boris, I¡¯d like to take a stroll on my own. You can stay here and guard the room. I won¡¯t be gone for long,¡± I announce, chin high and back straight. An order that he¡¯d dare not disobey.


    Well, I¡¯m in over my head because Boris says, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness, but I can¡¯t break my oath. I have to follow orders¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you another. I would like to take a walk alone and you will stay here. Do not follow me.¡±


    He lowers his head in subservience, stepping in front of me to block my path. ¡°I am under an oath I will not break, your Highness. I cannot do as you ask.¡±


    My frustration bubbles up and I growl, storming back into the room and I m the door shut in his face. I kick at the rug, knock over some furniture, and finally flop onto the mattress, pounding it with my fists in sheer annoyance.


    Cursing under my breath I pull myself up, fixing my gaze out the window. A crazy idea sparks in my mind, but I shake my head, dismissing it as pure madness. No way I¡¯d survive if I took a dive from that height.


    But I consider it for a moment longer, peering at the windowsill. Something clicks, and without a second thought, I dash over to the window. Peering out, the chilly wind kisses my skin, sending shivers down my spine as I calcte the distance to the ground.


    I chuckle nervously. Even a lycan wouldn¡¯t risk that drop ande out unscathed.


    I nibble on my lower lip, nerves unraveling in my stomach. Rune¡¯s room is a couple of floors above mine. If I can climb across the walls, using the ledges of the neighboring rooms as stepping stones, maybe, just maybe, I can make it. Or, you know, break my neck trying.


    I reach out to Sloan, trying to glean her thoughts on this but she is silent, still. I sigh and mutter to her, *Come on. You can¡¯t sulk forever.*


    A warning growl is all I get from her and I let it be. With my heart pounding in my throat, I swing my leg over the windowsill, feeling the cold metal pressing into my thigh.


    *Okay. I can do this,* I whisper to myself. It¡¯s just like agility training. This is not a big deal.


    I nt one foot on the ledge, the stone beneath my boot providing a precarious foothold. The night wind tousles my hair, whispering warnings.


    My body stretches, leaning outward, defying gravity as I transverse the horizontal expanse. Fingers extends into ws that punch into the wall, helping me keep still on the wall.


    I don¡¯t look down. I keep my eyes on Rune¡¯s window as ledge bes a momentary refuge, a tform for me to catch my breath and steady my nerves, before crawling to the next. The stadium lights twinkle below, an enchanting backdrop to my daring escapade. Heavens help me.


    My muscles begin to protest and I stretch further, reaching for the next ledge.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    A loud groan has me stopping in my tracks and while I know I really shouldn¡¯t pry, i have no choice. I have to climb past this one and to do that, I need to heft myself up.


    As I heave myself up, my eyes inadvertently catch a sight that I desperately wish I could unsee. Cass, one of Rune¡¯s friends, stands by a mirror, clutching his¡­ well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s an image that will haunt me for a lifetime. Goddess, eww.


    I might have let out my disgust a bit too audibly because Cass¡¯s gaze narrows as he shoves his *sock* back in his pants, and I quickly duck my head beneath the ledge, silently praying to the Goddess that he won¡¯t be curious enough to investigate further.


    I strain to hear any indication of Cass¡¯s movement, and the soft padding of his footsteps reaches my ears.


    An exasperated sigh escapes my lips as I swiftly reach for the next ledge, and then the one after that.


    Fortunately, Rune¡¯s window lies wide open. I summon thest ounce of strength and lift myself off the windowsill, stumbling into the room just in the nick of time before Cass catches a glimpse of me.


    My heart is still racing and Iugh, cheering myself inwardly on my sess as I pat down my thin tank top and the short skirt, getting the dust off it and adjusting the straps once more.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    I yelp at the voice behind me, startled, and I turn, ready to give an exnation as to why I have broken into his room, but my breath hitches in my throat, and my eyes widen in awe or disbelief, I can¡¯t be sure.


    Rune stands before me, d in nothing but a towel, and he is breathtakingly beautiful to look at.


    I mean it. I can¡¯t breathe looking at him.


    Water droplets glisten and trail down his chiseled body, entuating every hard ne and sculpted muscle. The towel clings to him, teasingly revealing glimpses of the v of his torso. My pulse quickens, and a rush of heat floods through me, igniting a fire within.


    His moon-white hair, damp and tousled, frames his angr face, adding an air of untamed sensuality. His stormy eyes, brimming with intensity, meet mine, sending an electric jolt coursing through my veins. It¡¯sbination of strength and vulnerability that draws me in, like a moth to a me.


    The room seems to grow smaller, the air thick with an intoxicating blend of desire and tension. Time slows to a crawl as I take in every delicious detail, imprinting the image of his wet, glistening body and tousled locks into the depths of my memory.


    A surge of conflicting emotions washes over me, stirring a tempest within my soul. The mes of attraction flicker with a ferocity that defies reason, even in the face of our mutual animosity.


    I force my gaze away, swallowing hard and fast. My hand rises to my throat¡­ because I don¡¯t know where else to put it and I start to speak. Only, ites out in meaningless stutters.


    ¡°I speak to came you¡­¡±


    That can¡¯t be right. My cheeks me and I start to sweat. ¡°I¡­ you speak¨C¡± Shit. My words are all scrambled. As are my thoughts.


    Rune blinks slowly and his head tilts slightly, noting something I cannot see and he murmurs as he turns away from me, heading to his closet. ¡°Shut the windows. You¡¯re cold.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure I am everything but cold right now, but I do it anyway, sighing softly as the warmth of his room and his scent envelope me.


    ¡°So¡­¡± I start, fidgeting with the hem of my skirt and the strap that holds them up. ¡°You¡¯re getting married.¡±


    Stupid. Who starts a discussion like that? I had a well nned out speech for this and I had practiced for hours. Pity, I don¡¯t remember a single thing.


    ¡°I am,¡± Rune says without hesitation. ¡°Turn around.¡±


    ¡°Why¨Coh!¡± I exim, swirling in record time as his towel drops, but not fast enough to avoid seeing a glimpse of his perfect ass.


    I shake my head severally, trying to get the image out of my head, but it only gets worse as the sigh of fabric against skin fills the air.


    Needing to break the awkward silence as I listen to his dress, I blurt, ¡°Was it your decision?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ginevra is your choice? Not your father¡¯s? Not for convenience?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± I quip, whirling to find him pulling up a ridiculously cute pair of pink pyjamas trousers that look oddly familiar. ¡°Are those mine?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rune answers without looking at me, but the tip of his ears are red. He¡¯s lying.


    They were several sizes bigger when I got them, so I¡¯d dumped them in my dresser after wearing them once. If Rune has them, then¡­


    ¡°You were in my room!¡±


    He spares me a cool gaze that has me wondering if I¡¯m wrong. ¡°Why are you here, Astrid?¡±


    My lips purse and I suck them in. ¡°Hekate¡¯s been visiting me. My dreams to be precise. I¡¯m not sure what to think of it¨C¡±


    The closet door shuts softly, and he wipes his wet hair with a short towel. ¡°Think of it as nothing.¡±


    Ignoring the pain in my chest at his words, I cross the room, stopping a few feet away from him. ¡°I see you, Rune,¡± I whisper, and when he goes still, I push further, closing the distance between us. His gaze finds mine, and I swallow the painful lump growing in my throat as I raise a hand to his cheek.


    I expect him to flinch, tell me to get out, or push me away.


    But the moment my fingertips touch his stubble-free cheek, he shudders, eyelids drooping. I don¡¯t know what to feel about this. My heart pounds painfully in my chest, and I dare a step forward, caressing his skin.


    He jerks almost immediately, as if catching himself doing something absolutely despicable, and he wrenches my hand off his face, growling. ¡°Is this how desperate you¡¯ve be? Climbing through my window in that miserable skirt, touching me, seducing me. Why do you never listen, Astrid?¡± he asks, taking a menacing step forward. ¡°What is it that you truly want from me? I bet you don¡¯t even have an answer to that.¡±


    I stumble three steps backward, but Rune catches my forearm without hassle and tosses me onto his orgy-sized bed. My skirt rides up, and his nostrils re at the sight of my exposed thighs and a peek of my red thong underneath.


    Yeah, maybe the skirt was a bad idea.


    I push backward, trying to get as far away from the edge of the bed as I can, but Rune lunges for me, grabbing my foot. He pulls me back to the edge, and his hands rise up my thigh, lifting my skirt even higher.


    ¡°Rune, stop it,¡± I say, but there¡¯s no protest in my voice.


    Heughs, a cold, brittle sound. ¡°You came here in search of something, Red, and I will give it to you.¡±

 50. Fucker

    ¡°No. No!¡± I yell, kicking at him, struggling with his arms that seem to cage me further.


    My knee strikes out, mming into his torso, but he barely flinches, instead catching it and setting it apart from my other knee, spreading me bare before him.


    I go into full panic mode, yelling my head off, even if I know no one can hear me. Perks of being a lycan princees with a room that¡¯s soundproof.


    His fingers snake between my thighs, and my body reacts involuntarily to his touch, a collision of fear and desire that shes within me.


    Sloan is mewling and purring and her excitement is shing with my wild panic, creating a horrendous mix of feelings I do not understand.


    *Mate,* she whispers, and I know I¡¯m in deep shit.


    His eyes sh ck for a fleeting moment, his entire body going rigid as he shuts them. I back away from him in this moment, or try to, because his eyes snap open again, clear as day and he says coolly, ¡°Stay.¡±


    My mind shuts down. My body shudders and begins to rx, conforming to themand in his tone. I wrestle with myself and try to force a reaction from within. My body won¡¯t listen to me. Instead, it sumbs to him; his touch; his fingers that part my legs as if preparing for a feast.


    This is not how I envisioned my first time with Rune-yes, I¡¯ve imagined it countless times, dreamed of it even.


    I ache for him, with a longing that defies reason. He consumes my thoughts. saturating every waking moment, his scent lingering in my senses, infiltrating my dreams, leaving me yearning for his touch.


    But¡­ not like this. I will not have him like this. Not when my will ispromised. Not when I can¡¯t even give my consent.


    ws dig into my hip and I suck in a sharp breath when his fingertips begin toying with thecy fabric that happens to be the only thing shielding the wetness pooling in my core from him.


    ¡°Did you think of me when you put this on?¡± he demands, tugging at the fabric, his voice thick with tension.


    Silence hangs heavy in the air as my breathse in ragged gasps, unable to form coherent words.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± he orders.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I grit out, my fists clenched tightly.


    ¡°Tell me what your thoughts were,¡± he whispers, his palm pressing firmly against my quivering belly. His words carry an irresistible power,pelling me toply, to bare my soul.


    Tears well in my eyes as I surrender to the truth, betraying myself, confessing the illicit fantasies that gued me in the solitude of my room, the thoughts that infiltrated my mind as I picked my underwear tonight.


    I continue speaking, unfiltered and vulnerable, baring my deepest desires until nothing remains concealed.


    Rune remains motionless, his unreadable gaze fixed upon me, his hands hovering above my belly, poised with unspoken intent.


    A single tear glides down my cheek, pooling on the bed beside me. Rune¡¯s gaze intensifies, hardening with resolve.


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Rune, please. I¡¯ll leave. Right now-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I plead. His eyes are so cold, I can¡¯t stand them.


    ¡°Close your eyes, Astrid.¡±


    His voice takes on an ethereal quality,yered with power and an unspoken demand. I cannot refuse him. My eyelids droop against my will, and I tremble uncontrobly as I feel him pull off my boots, slowly, like I¡¯d imagined earlier.


    ¡°Fuck you. Go to hell,¡± I whisper as thest of my will, my defiance slips from me.


    He chuckles bitterly and my heart pounds painfully in my chest when his lips brush against my ankle. ¡°I live in hell, Red.¡±


    Sobs escape my throat as his scorching kisses ascend my calf, my fingers clutching the sheets that bear his intoxicating scent. A moan escapes me as his sharp canines graze the tender flesh of my inner thigh.


    Desperately, I reach for him, my hands seeking sce in his touch, but he seizes my wrists, pinning them above my head with one hand.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    With his other hand-


    The sound of fabric ripping fills the air and my thong suddenly feels loose around my waist. My breaths be harsh as I realize what he is doing.


    It had been one silly thought about one hour ago, and now, he is making me live through every moment of it.


    His fingers trail along my inner thigh, venturing perilously higher, and a low, guttural groan escapes him as he encounters the wet stain on my trembling flesh. He teases, tracing circles around my heated core, driving me to writhe, to sweat, to plead.


    Eagerly, I arch my hips, yearning for more as he ventures further, his thumb stroking my entrance. I shudder uncontrobly as his fingers glide over my delicate folds, tormenting me, teasing me, setting me aze.


    Laboured breaths escape me, my body instinctively moving against his skilled touch, aching for him to rid me of the throbbing ache between my thighs.


    Gasping, I clutch at the sheets, my body jerking as he fills me, my vision shrouded in darkness, heightening my senses to a fevered pitch. I writhe with an insatiable need, parting my legs willingly, pleading with him to im me.


    As he slowly pumps into me, his lips trace a scorching trail along my neck, descending to the neckline of my top, tugging it down to expose more of my heated skin.


    Another rip, and my top is reduced to tatters, my breasts spilling free from the remnants of my torn bra. My back arches, craving the touch of his tongue against my hardened nipples.


    ¡°Please,¡± I whimper, unsure of what I¡¯m pleading for as his fingers slow within me, moving in a tormenting rhythm that has me growling.


    I feel his breath, hot and heavy, caresses my ear and his lips curl into a dark smirk. ¡°Tell me, do I meet your expectations?¡± he murmurs, kissing the sensitive spot behind my ear and fire erupts in my core when his canines nick my shoulder.


    He does. He exceeds every expectation, but I¡¯d be damned if I told him that.


    ¡°Do I?¡± he asks again, flicking my skin with his tongue.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I purr and my cheeks me at the embarrassing sounds I make.


    ¡°I will take my hand off now,¡± he says, and I vaguely register his words as an additional fingers slides into my heat, stretching me further. I clench hard around them and he releases a sharp sigh. ¡°Should you touch me, I will stop. We do not want that, do we?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I breathe.


    Never have I been this hopeless in the arms of a man. Usually, I like being in control. I love taking the lead, and I have always gotten my way.


    This is new for me. I have no control over my body or my words anymore. Everything is his to take, his to use as he pleases. I want him to. I¡¯d do anything he asks of me, so long he doesn¡¯t stop touching me. As long as he soothes this horrible, horrible ache that has built up everyday since he kissed me three years ago.


    His grip loosens around my hands, but I leave them there, above my head, knowing how much I want to put my hands in his beautiful hair; how much I want to kiss him until I can¡¯t breathe anymore; how much I want to feel his skin with my fingertip, hold him close.


    But I can¡¯t risk him stopping. Not when I am ame.


    I jerk when his mouth closes around a nipple, and a sharp cry escapes me when his fingers within me dance in tempo to his tonguepping on my nipple.


    Waves, and waves of pleasure crash through me with each stroke, each caress. I crave this. Him. I do not think there is a time in my life that I have not.


    My eyes flutter close and I bite on my lower lip to keep from moaning loud as a horse.


    My inner muscles clench so hard, I think I am close to the edge.


    But just then, Rune pulls away from me. His hand slips out and he pushes off me.


    I whimper in protest, beginning to rise on my elbows to look at him, but his tongue suddenly parts my folds and my answering growl is loud enough to rattle the bed frame.


    He sucks on my folds, before his tongueps on my centre, tip circling my entrance and pulling out, working me to heights I have never known with any male.


    I start to scramble back as it overwhelms me. My needs, my feelings, my ache, I can¡¯t take this much at once, or process it.


    But Rune holds me in ce, gripping my thighs hard and buries his face deeper, as well as his tongue.


    I shiver, I moan, I cry, I beg. He ravages me, leaving me no room to catch a breath, or run. Fuck, I could die happy from this.


    My spine arches and I brace the edge of the bed, needing an anchor through every moment as his pumps me harder, tongue stiffening. Sloan¡¯s hunger bes a powerful thing that has me crying out and moving against him, matching his speed.


    I give in to it, the burning, sinful lust. The pleasure. His beautiful mouth that devours me mercilessly.


    ¡°Rune!¡± My knees buck as heat zes through me, destroying my world and tossing whatever is left of it into oblivion. I arch off the bed, very nearly, but Rune¡¯s hold on my thigh keeps me from falling.


    I am a quivering hot mess of spasms and moans. I shudder severely, ripping out the rest of his bedsheets with ws that I hadn¡¯t realized were out.


    I am stilling off the high when Rune straightens, leaving me cold and alone.


    My eyes snap open and I squint around the room that¡¯s a tad too bright, to find him walking to his dresser. He retrieves a blue shirt from it, ripping it off its hanger.


    He¡¯s getting dressed? Why? This is the part where I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ isn¡¯t it like my turn or something?


    I push up on my elbows. ¡°Rune?¡±


    Without looking at me, he tosses the shirt in my direction. ¡°Wear that and leave.¡±


    I catch it before it can hit my face. ¡°But we just¨C¡±


    ¡°You sought me out for release. I have given you that.¡± He tilts his head toward the door, eyes empty of emotion. ¡°Out. Or if you¡¯d prefer the window, you can leave from there also. We are done here.¡±


    My throat closes painfully and I slip off the bed, fisting his shirt. ¡°You think I came here to get off? To find release? A fucking whore, yeah?¡±


    He says nothing, staring at me with those cold eyes that keep breaking my heart. My temper spikes and I hurl the stupid shirt at him. He makes no move to stop it. It hits his chest and drops to the ground between us. ¡°What then was that? A boon? Shall I pay you for it?¡±


    A flicker of something passes through his eyes, but it¡¯s gone before I can decipher its meaning. Something slides down my cheek and I realize again that I am crying. So fucking stupid to think that meant something to him.


    With a mixture of frustration and despair, I turn away and pull the torn bedsheet from the bed. ¡°I came here¡­ Fuck. I was so stupid. I thought we could talk, that I could finally reach you andprehend your pain. I believed that I could ease it a little. I thought we could discuss this bond, I would tell you I wanted it, regardless of who and what you are, and that we would face it together. But I was a fool. You¡¯re a monster, Rune, and it has nothing to do with Hekate¡¯s presence within you. You are the worst kind of scum that exists and this is thest time you humiliate me.¡±


    I wrap the sheet around my trembling form, baring my teeth fiercely at him. ¡°Never again.¡±


    Still, Rune remains silent, an unyielding statue, his eyes fixed on me as if I hold no significance.


    Choking on my sobs, I walk towards the door, every step causing a rip in my heart.


    But just as I¡¯m about to leave, I halt my footsteps, ignoring the ache in my heart. I turn back towards him, fueled by a surge of anger.


    With all my might, I swing my fist, striking his stupid, perfect nose that I have imagined cing a kiss on, and his head snaps to the side. ¡°Fucker,¡± I hiss through gritted teeth, my voiceced with fury, before leaving his room.


    I wipe my cheeks as I walk back to my room. I won¡¯t cry. He doesn¡¯t deserve it. Neither do I.

 The Dark Side

    I could tell you all about how I showed up by my door in Rune¡¯s torn bedsheet and mascara stained tears rolling down my cheeks. I could also describe Boris¡¯s disdain and anger.


    Not at me, of course. It had taken three growls to stop him and the rest of my guards from heading to Rune¡¯s room and doing things that would no doubt put the peace between our races in jeopardy.


    I could tell you about the following days and how much I cried, how much Sloan raged, how much I literally felt like dying and jumping out of my window, feeling like a stupid slut with peas for brains.


    I could tell you all about how much I wanted to w Ginevra¡¯s eyes out, every time she blushed at a congrattoryment, every time she smirked in my direction, as if to say, ¡°In your face, bitch.¡±


    I could also tell how much Rune and I happen to end up in the same ce, at the same time, and then, I freak out and flee from there. Oh, and his nose has healed. It looks perfect again, just like the rest of him.


    But¡­ I won¡¯t, because I stopped.


    I stopped searching for him in the crowd, expecting to see his wispy hair, I stopped thinking about him, or looking in the direction in which I knew he woulde, I stopped caring.


    It was like a switch, and I flipped it. It must sound ridiculous, but I had slept one night, holding a single thought in my head.


    Never again.


    I had woken up the next day without the excruciating ache in my chest or numbness in my bones. I had awoken feeling better than I had in days, and nothing could ruined that for me.


    Every morning, during training, I blissfully ignore him. Sure, I have to take his orders and do the rounds under his instructions, but other than that, he is dead to me.


    I have directed all of my energy into my rtionship with Darian and no, I didn¡¯t tell him about the thing with Rune. He¡¯ll probably break up with me and send me to hell.


    I feel guilty, but I console myself with the fact that I am slowlying to terms with the fact that Rune will be married next week, and our bond will be watered down after he mates with Ginevra.


    It won¡¯t matter much after that.


    I¡¯ll survive.


    There¡¯s been a count down going on my head. A countdown I try my utmost best to drown out, but every day I rouse from sleep, a day is struck out in my mental calender, and Sloan¡¯s voicees to me like a fucking rm, ¡°Five days to the Royal Wedding.¡±


    Well, it¡¯s not Sloan¡¯s fault either. There¡¯s an actual countdown in every hallway that makes it impossible to forget.


    But I try.


    ¡°Blue?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯ll contrast with my hair,¡± I say, scrolling up the smart screen. I¡¯m getting tailored for my outfit to the mid-term ball. I can¡¯t seem to find a design that screams my name.


    ¡°White?¡± the student designer, Darcy, holds up a different tab with a pretty, princess-y dress that might have excited me if I were twelve.


    I shake my head, dismissing it with a sigh. ¡°Too serene. It doesn¡¯t suit me.¡± My fingers scroll through the smart screen, searching for a design that resonates. After sometime, I give up, handing her the tablet I¡¯ve been looking at for half an hour. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just skip this ball. I can¡¯t find anything I like.¡±


    She nods, ck curls bouncing about her pretty head. ¡°If you do have a change of heart¨C¡±


    The door bursts open, and my heart sinks as Ginevra saunters in, apanied by her entourage of friends.


    Suddenly, the designer springs to her feet, brimming with an enthusiasm that certainly seemed absent when I entered the room. ¡°Your Highness-¡±


    ¡°Oh, Darcy, not yet,¡± Ginevra purrs, her smile widening as her gaze fixates on me. Mischievous sparks glimmer in her blue eyes as she approaches, scrutinizing me from head to toe, assessing me. ¡°Did you receive the invitation?¡±


    Oh, hell yeah, I did. And I burned it to ashes, and flushed it down the toilet.


    ¡°Yes. How thoughtful of you to invite me, but I must apologize. I cannot attend,¡± I say,ckluster.


    She fakes a gasp and ces her hands gently on my shoulders. ¡°I would love for you to attend, Your Highness. It would make me¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, quit it, Ginevra,¡± I say irritably, ripping her hands off my shoulders. ¡°You want to say something to me, say it. Don¡¯t be a fucking coward hiding behind words. All I see is fear. Inferiority, and frankly, I can¡¯t me you. It is hard to keep up with me.¡±


    Sheughs at me, as do her friends. ¡°You are one crazy bitch. Delusional, this one.¡±


    I lean forward, letting her see how much I care about any of it. I don¡¯t. My voice is cold, and empty, and I am sure my eyes look the same as I whisper, ¡°Congrattions, Gin. You got him, for what? A day or two? It is only a matter of time before you get off the high of being my recement. He¡¯ll never be yours. Not him, not his affection. Perhaps, his seed, but that is all you will ever be. A breeding mare for the Lycan King. Think you¡¯re different? Special? Because you¡¯re a lycan and I¡¯m a wolf, you think you¡¯ve got what it takes to keep him?¡±


    Gin¡¯s eyes are wide with fear and I breathe in deeply, relishing in its intoxicating scent. She swallows, backing a step away from me, and I follow, step for step, until she hits the wall. Her friend¡¯s say nothing, and the designer pretends to have other things to do, refusing to butt into whatever Gin and I have going on.


    I should stop. I know it, deep down, that I have gone too far. But the ice within me numbs my senses. I despise it, yet revel in the power I hold over her-her pain, her shattered dreams.


    My fingers rise, tucking her rich, silky hair behind her ear. Invading her space, startling her, it makes her go rigid in front of me. I can hear her heart pounding erratically. I can almost feel it. I can see her pulse thrumming on her neck. I trail a finger down the vein. ¡°Here, he will mark you. And it will hurt. There will be no pleasure in it. Only pain. You will question why, though you already know the answer. And the next day, he will be gone from your side, your bed empty. You will think nothing of it, but it will happen again and again. You will me yourself for it, give him excuses for why he leaves you. You will lie to yourself. Deceive yourself into trying to make it work.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°But it won¡¯t. And one day, he¡¯ll leave, and nevere back. And you know where he¡¯ll be.¡± My voice drops to a low, nearly inaudible murmur, reserved for Ivy¡¯s ears alone. ¡°With his Erasthai. Me. Marry him, Gin, and know that he will always be mine. Know that he only consents to be with you because of me. Know that while he fucks you, he thinks only of me.¡±


    I have gotten under her skin. I am breaking her heart. Her walls. Her fucking mind. She is trembling, clutching my sleeve, and I can smell the tears already brimming in my eyes as I shatter her dreams.


    But it isn¡¯t enough. It isn¡¯t nearly enough to warm my heart that¡¯s turned this cold in the past few days. It isn¡¯t enough to flip that switch again. Her tears do nothing to take away the thing eating at me. It isn¡¯t enough to take away Sloan¡¯s pain. It isn¡¯t enough to remove the bitterness and brimming hate and jealousy I feel when I look at her.


    My eyes sting, because each word is for me. Not Gin.


    So I push, breathing lightly on the curve of her ear, telling her the things I can never admit to myself. ¡°He will im you, but he will never be yours. Pray to the Goddess, seek her mercy, have his children, nothing you do will stop him froming back to me.¡±


    I pull back, and Gin falls to the ground, whimpering, scrambling away from me. Her words are incoherent and her hands clutch her ears.


    Hands slipping into my pocket, I walk out, a sardonic smile slipping on my face.


    At the doorway, I find Maya standing there, her gaze shifting between Ginevra and me. Pity shines within her brown eyes, but I pay her no mind as I brush past.


    I don¡¯t know what that means. I don¡¯t want to know. I made Ginevra suffer, but somehow, I¡¯m the one who feels like she¡¯s lost herself.

 I lie

    *Rune*


    The dark voice in my head tells me to cross the room and grab her from where she pulls the weight, rip her clothes and im her. The sight of her leaves me breathless, my heart pounding in my chest.


    They¡¯re all staring at her; her godsdamned beautiful body, her perfect fat ass that jiggles every time she moves, her sweaty cleavage¨Cthey seem fuller than thest time I touched them. My fingers twitch by my side and it takes years of discipline to force my gaze from her.


    She¡¯s fucking beautiful, and I know all the males are thinking the same thing as she runs the obstacle course. Damn, she gets hotter every day. She still smells like a wolf, but she looks like one of us now.


    I shift ufortably, dropping my hands to cover my erection. Keeping my expression in check is way harder today. It¡¯s been terrible this entire week. I can swear that there is a change in her.


    I thought I¡¯d want it. I have prepared myself for her hate, her anger for years, knowing that one day, she would find out the truth, and she would give in to the pull of the bond, and I would have to reject her.


    But this is different, and for some reason, it chaffs.


    I have known Astrid since she was little, but that woman swinging from rail to rail with the deadly precision of a stone cold killer, I do not know her.


    I hate to think that I brought about this change, but I feel no remorse.


    She drops down from the railing and I expect her gaze to snap in my direction, like it normally would, but she grins instead, walking to Darian and kisses him, murmuring words I cannot hear over the raging in my head.


    ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡±


    My gaze slides back to Ginevra, and her eyes are zed with tears and swollen. She¡¯s been crying since yesterday. I have no idea what Astrid told her that¡¯s got her this way, but I¡¯ve never seen her this hysterical.


    Her eyes trail my line of sight, over to the other side of the hall where Astrid is kissing Darian and his fingers are tangled in her wild, beautiful hair, and for a split second, I want to be him.


    ¡°Why do you constantly humiliate me?!¡± Ginevra cries, and her voice carries well through the hall, drawing the attention of many.


    ¡°Gin,¡± I start, stepping forward but her eyes droop to my midsection, noting the slight bulge in my pants. She stares at me with disbelief, lips quivering.


    I know whates next. I have dealt with this before. I must pacify her before she opens her mouth. So I move, fingers cupping her cheek tenderly as I part her lips with mine.


    She tenses, then rxes, responding instinctively. She cannot help it. No woman can. The darkness and mystery makes me intriguing. Eye candy to them. They seek me out, trying to see past the surface, trying to ¡®fix¡¯ that which isn¡¯t broken¨Conly because it makes for great sport.


    But I am not broken, and I do not need fixing. I am different. Something they will nevere to understand because my existence defies everything they know. They will never truly understand. What it feels like to be held captive in my own body, unable to think, breathe, hear or move. What it feels like to fucking die every time he takes over.


    Small death, I call it.


    They will never understand my fight, my struggle against the conflicting emotions that arise within me. Centuries of hate and anger, crawling under my skin, seeking a way out, rebelling against me at the littlest chance.


    I let go for one second and someone I care for is dead.


    They do not know. What it feels like to sleep and wake in my mother¡¯s chambers, fingers closed around her throat, strangling her. They do not know what it feels like to watch from a distance as my own hands move, throwing my father into a walk and cracking his spine. They do not know what it feels like to doze and wake up covered in the blood of the maiden who took care of me as a child. Neither will they know what it feels like waking up in my room to find the bodies of the women I fucked the previous night.


    I am Hekate¡¯s tool for revenge. This is both a constion and condemnation for me. Constion, because I like to lie to myself. Pretend that he and I are two different beings sharing a body. When in essence, we are one. His revenge is mine. His hate is mine. His anger is mine. His bloodlust is mine. So is his lust.


    The dreams have increasedtely. Fragments of the past assault me, pieces from his life, my life. I relive them. I cry, scream and die in those dreams. My fear and the pain mingle, causing me to either throw up, or cut myself to keep from shifting.


    Each experience is more precarious than thest, and I feel myself losing whatever sanity I have left the longer I try to curb this. Him.


    Eventually, I will lose.


    It is whates after that I fear.


    My lips move against Gin¡¯s and my finger thread lightly into her hair. Her scent floods my nostrils, a constant reminder that she is not Astrid. I havee to despise it. I havee to hate Ginevra¡¯s touch, and her warmth. I havee to resent this union that I have agreed to, and will not call off, regardless of what the consequences are.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    That I don¡¯t get to be with my Erasthai, and it doesn¡¯t matter if I mate with Gin, or go through as many women as I can to keep my mind off her. They will never feel like her, smell like her or taste like her.


    Asking her to shut her eyes that night had been to keep her from seeing me battle with my inner beast for control. It is hard to remain in control where Astrid is involved, but I know what the stakes are if I slip up, even a little.


    Perhaps, I should have thrown her out the moment she touched me. Now, I have tasted her, I want more. The feel of her clenching around my fingers keep me up at night, and the recollection of the sounds she made with every touch has me skipping sses to hide boners that don¡¯te down.


    The closer the wedding draws, the worst it bes. I do not see Gin anymore. I see Astrid everywhere. I need to mark and mate Ginevra soon or I might just lose my shit for good.


    I pull back from Gin and cradle her head to my chest, stroking her back softly. ¡°You mean the world to me, Gin,¡± I say, eyes searching across the hall for the familiar redhead, and just like the rest of the hall, she is watching us. There is nothing in her gaze. None of that fire resides there anymore. nk. Cold. Empty.


    But she soon turns to Darian, and she smiles, blue eyes glittering. The bitterness in my gut is near stifling.


    *Perhaps, we should pay him a visit at night, tear out his heart. He takes advantage of our mate, touches her, beds her,* the darkness in my head speaks, taunting me.


    *Shut up,* I say in return, shoving my mental walls up.


    Hekate chuckles darkly, retreating into the depths of my consciousness.


    Ginevra¡¯s grip loosens as she pulls back slightly, her gaze fixed on me. Her voice lowers to a hushed whisper, desperation etched in her wide eyes. ¡°Say it again, Rune. Tell me how much I mean to you. Tell me you love me and that the wolf bitch is speaking lies. Promise me you won¡¯t leave me alone at the altar to be with her.¡±


    I do as she bids me. I lie to her.

 Beef Jerky

    ¡°Astrid.¡±


    I halt, my fingers lingering over the buttons of the vending machine. It¡¯s past curfew, and I had thought I was alone here-well, as alone as a heavily guarded princess can be. Sloan growls softly. I haven¡¯t eaten much today, and although I despise processed food, here I am, wrestling with this stupid machine that¡¯s refusing to scan my points.


    And now, Rune¡¯s here too.


    I choose to ignore him, focusing on cing my phone over the scanner. The screen at the top turns an unwee shade of red, disying the message: ¡°Services closed. Try again tomorrow.¡±


    My stomach growls in protest, and I let out a frustrated groan. I had been busy the entire day, hopping from ss to the designer¡¯s office to theplex, nning the perfect outfit for the ball, and I didn¡¯t have the time to eat.


    I decided that I would attend the ball, if only to shove it in Rune¡¯s face that his wedding means nothing to me. I can be happy. I will be happy.


    ¡°Let me-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I interject sharply.


    Why is he even here? No. I shouldn¡¯t care.


    My entire being tenses as I sense him drawing closer from behind. His breath stirs my hair, causing me to jerk away, creating distance between us. ¡°What is your problem?¡±


    Ignoring me, he pulls out his phone and scans his points over the machine. It dings, granting him ess.


    Right. Princely privileges.


    He pulls out the jerky and extends it to me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay back¨C¡±


    Yanking it from his grip, I scoff at his insinuation. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on it.¡±


    I begin to rush back to my room but warm fingers encircle my arm, stopping me. I shift my gaze from his fingers tightly encircling my arm to his intense green eyes, tinged with a silver glimmer. There¡¯s an undeniable despair etched across his features. ¡°Wait. Please.¡±


    Well, pigs might be flying outside, because Rune just uttered the word ¡®please¡¯.


    My eyes narrow suspiciously. ¡°What? You pay for the jerky and that¡¯s enough to get me to stay? So you can call me a whore again? Hard pass,¡± I say, yanking my hand from his hold. I only end up hurting myself as Rune¡¯s grip only tightens.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¨C¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to cut it, and to be fucking honest, I don¡¯t care. Leave me the fuck alone. Plus, shouldn¡¯t you be with her? Your wedding¡¯s in a few.¡±


    Rune¡¯s hand tightens around the back of my neck, forcefully pulling me into his embrace. His muscles tremble against me, his heart pounding wildly as he clings to me desperately. ¡°I¡­ I just need a moment. With you. Like this. Don¡¯t¡­ leave.¡±


    His words are jumbled up and incoherent, and his fingers caress my scalp in a movement that breathes insanity. He is pulling aura again. I can feel my muscles forcefully rxing and my limbs going weak.


    Enraged, I push him off and hit him across the cheek. ¡°Do not put hands on me again! You don¡¯t get to do that. You do not own me. Do not act like you do. You don¡¯t get to insult me, reject me ande back with a dumbass apology, just to touch me again. I¡¯m not your fucking slut!¡±


    But¡­ Rune isn¡¯t listening.


    One moment, his gaze lingers on me with a burning intensity that I can almost feel. The air between us cackles with a dangerous mix of tension-anger, hate and undeniable need as we growl at each other. Suddenly, Rune releases a sharp sigh and lunges for me faster than I can fathom, lifting me off the ground. The air in my lungs is ripped from me forcefully as my back hits the wall.


    I barely have time to recover as he suddenly nuzzles my neck. His lips brush against my cor bone, his voice a low rasp that sends shivers down my spine. ¡°Don¡¯t fight it,¡± he murmurs, his voice bothmanding and guttural.


    ¡°Get off me!¡± I yell, hoping the guards can hear me from outside, or find me in time. Panic surges through me, my heart racing in my chest, and though Sloan is loving this, I¡¯m too angry to let myself feel lust for even a second. I won¡¯t give in to it again. I won¡¯t let him maul me after everything he¡¯s done to me, put me through.


    I would be a fool if I did.


    My hands move instinctively, pressing against his chest to push him off, but it does nothing, instead causing him to cage me further, grooming me into the wall. His nose is reced with his lips and with a wicked surge of possessiveness, his teeth sinks into neck.


    I cry out as fire courses through me, pain radiating from my neck. I clutch onto him, gripping his shoulders to keep from falling¨Cnot that he will let me. His tongue trails along the punctured skin, and my breath hitches as he sucks on the spot. It is a mix of pleasure and pain, a torment that has my anger growing, as well as my yearning for more.


    My fingers fist his hair and my breaths are ragged as his tongue keeps moving along my skin, torturing me.


    Not again, I tell myself. This can¡¯t happen again.


    I stifle a moan as his hands start to wander. I shut my eyes, clench my teeth hard enough and for once, I disobey my heart, my body, and my soul.


    Summoning every ounce of strength, I jerk my knee upward with a forceful strike, aiming for his groin. He recoils abruptly, a roar escaping his lips as he doubles over in pain, clutching his midsection.


    I run from him then.


    But I don¡¯t make it very far as something heavy ms into me, ripping my feet out from under me. We crash into the ground and Rune is on me. I push against his chest, trying to create some distance between us. But his strength is overpowering, and his weight pins me to the ground.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sobs rack my body as Ish out at him, my fists pounding against his unyielding form.


    Each strike is fueled by fear and despair, a desperate attempt to break free from his hold. I can¡¯t breathe. I can¡¯t think.


    ¡°Stay!¡± He growls, eyes shing ck.


    ¡°No!¡± I scream in terror as hismand settles over me. I bring my head up, mming it into his nose in wild panic. The impact causes his head to snap back, momentarily disorientating him.


    I shove Rune as hard as I can, creating a small space for me to wriggle out from under him. My heart pounds in my chest as I sprint towards the door, gasping for air, my hand pressed against my injured neck.


    He isn¡¯t in his right mind. I should have known it the moment he showed up talking to me. That only ever happens when Hekate is in control. I should have left the moment he pulled out the damn jerky.


    I can¡¯t tell if he wants to sink his teeth in me or kill me. I can¡¯t predict his behaviour because I don¡¯t know him anymore.


    The door is within reach, just a few steps away, when Rune catches up, his fingertips grazing my arm. I whimper and push myself even harder. A few steps more and I can reach the hallway. Knowing that Vesper is probably still in his office, watching the cameras gives me hope.


    If I can get to the hallway, he will see me and send the sentinels my way. If I get out of this unscathed, I am having my guards sent back to Wolvendom. They¡¯re fucking useless.


    I¡¯m almost close enough to touch the towering doors when Rune seizes me, spinning me around to face him. His eyes are clear green jewels, filled with pain. Sweat beads on his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t run. It will make it worse. He enjoys the chase,¡± he rasps, his voice strained and he lets go of me to clutch his head.


    I take a step backward, my back pressed against the smooth surface of the door. My heart pounds so fiercely it threatens to burst from my chest. Rune staggers, whimpering and whispering to himself. His face contorts like he is in pain and my heart slows.


    My fingers twitch by my side but I keep them there. He is no longer my problem. I don¡¯t care if he is pain. I don¡¯t care if Sloan suffers too. I don¡¯t care.


    Yet, against my will, my fingers begin to rise, and I whisper, ¡°Rune, are you al-¡±


    He snarls and his head snaps up, hands dropping to his sides. When his eyes open and I see ck in them, I do not need the Goddess to tell me I have to run.


    I flee through the door to find the hallway empty. When Boris had offered toe in with me to get the jerky from the machine, I had growled at him in warning, ordering h to remain by the door. Where is he? Where are they?


    My eyes drift to the cameras hanging off the walls. Sure, Vesper can see me, but will the sentinels find me in time?


    Turning sharply, I growl as my fingers push against the heavy iron door, and it takes all of my might to m it shut. The barricade drops, securing it.


    Within a heartbeat, Rune crashes into the door from the other side, roaring in fury.


    I race to my room, unseeing as I skip the staircases and race past every hallway with record speed. I m the door shut when I arrive and slide all five bolts in ce. I cry as I do, though I have no idea why I¡¯m tearing up.


    I shut the windows as well, curling myself into a ball by the corner of the room and wondering if I was stupid as hell toe to my room and not go to Darian¡¯s.


    But¡­ knowing Hekate, if Darian got in the way, he¡¯d kill him. I can¡¯t have that on me.


    I hug my knees tightly, pressing my hands against my ears, rocking back and forth and I remain like that the entire night, agitated and anxious, waiting for Rune to storm in and grab me.


    But he neveres.

 Change In Plans

    I know I¡¯ve been pretty vague about the wedding, and the ball. I just didn¡¯t want to think about it all by talking about it.


    But since it¡¯s here, I might as well fill you in.


    Royal weddings are usually an extravagant affair. I¡¯ve never been to one, seeing as Rune and I are the only royal heirs in my generation, but I have heard of them and trust me, it¡¯s a total shut down. The crowd, the ceremonies, the balls that go on until the entire audience is drunk and passed out, the festival of fertility that follows after that¡¯s just a decent name for an orgy party¨CI could keep going, but you¡¯ll find out soon.


    Today is The Wedding, and somehow, because Rune¡¯s father moved up th date, it is shing with the mid session ball. Good for me since I¡¯m probably the only one who doesn¡¯t wish to attend.


    But it¡¯s basically out of the norm and breaking tradition because, usually, all denizens must be in attendance of the wedding. It is why more convenient dates are usually chosen for unions like this one, but King Fenrir seems to be in a rush. Or perhaps, it is Rune who¡¯s in a rush. Who cares? Not me.


    They have worked around the time. The ball holds at dusk, and the wedding at noon. There will be smart screens up in every hallway, shoving live feeds from the event for those who are interested in watching¨Cwhich is probably the whole school¨Cand once the wedding ispleted, the ball kicks off.


    The whole school is in a frenzy this morning. Including me.


    Whilest night might have been a major disaster that I have no interest in revisiting, it reinforced my decision to forget about Rune. Move on with my life. I am not his whore, and his apology means nothing to me if he¡¯s going to take another woman to the Goddess, wed and bed her, uncaring of the pain it will cause Sloan.


    I will get by. I won¡¯t curl up in the corner and cry for a man whose sane moments onlyprises of rejections.


    ¡°And done!¡± Darcy says and I rush over to where she stands, holding my dress. ¡°This might be my best work yet,¡± she murmurs, admiring it.


    I swallow, staring at it. I let my intrusive thoughts win and I chose ck for the ball. I couldn¡¯t find anything else that appealed to me.


    It looks regal, stunning and I grin as I take it from her. ¡°This came out better than I expected. Thank you.¡±


    Darcy smiles, handing me a bag for th dress. ¡°Sure. You coulde around, help me out with drafting out designs. That mind of yours is gold.¡±


    I nod and start to speak but bells begin to ring from every direction, earning a wince from me at the annoying sound. The speakers whine and Vespers voice fills the air. ¡°Attention students. You must all assemble in the Lycan King¡¯s Hall in five minutes. This is not a request but a directive. Failure toply will result in disciplinary action. Move quickly and orderly. That will the all.¡±


    Five minutes? My gaze drifts to the digital clock hanging off the wall. I¡¯ll be at the hall in six if I run. Damn.


    ¡°Ah¡­ gotta go. Bye Darcy! I wille byter!¡± I yell as I rush out the door, pulling up the zipper of the dress bag.


    The hallway is packed with students rushing to the hall, jostling and elbowing their way through. I growl at a few who bump into me. I wonder what¡¯s so important that has Vesper summoning us with such short notice.


    Just as I reach the door, a warm arm snakes around my waist. ¡°Hey, princess,¡± Darian whispers.


    Heat creeps up my cheeks when the students around me nce in our direction. Males and females alike. The envy in their gazes is quite confusing, because not long ago, the entire school was hating on me, but recently, since my body¡¯s been changing, they¡¯ve begun to hit on me.


    In the past week, I¡¯ve received notes and flowers in my locker, hoot calls in the cafeteria, snidements and obscene remarks from the men I share sses with. It would be ufortable but I¡¯ve been used to attention all my life.


    So I give them a smile that¡¯s all sharp canines and dark eyes. They look away abruptly and Darian chuckles, leaning in to murmur against my temple,¡±Ready for today?¡±


    My stomach knots up, and I jerk away slightly, feeling the nerves intensify. ¡°Yeah,¡± I reply with a nervousugh, holding up my dress bag. ¡°I just got the dress. Now I need to do something with my hair.¡±


    Darian frowns, his hand moving to cup my cheek and I fight the urge to swat his fingers away. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asks.


    I force a wide smile and nod. ¡°Yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ shaking.¡±


    I blink, quickly hiding my trembling hand with the dress bag. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just a little¡­ exhausted-and hungry.¡±


    Darian tilts his head, his golden eyes narrowing as he notices the band-aid on my neck. ¡°What happened to your neck?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a rash, nothing serious,¡± I reply, turning away and concealing the rest of my neck from him.


    ¡°Have you seen the nurse about it?¡±


    I bite my cheek and shake my head. I hate lying to him, but there are some things better left unsaid. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, Dar.¡±


    He seems to sense the lie, his nostrils ring slightly, but surrounded by different scents and considering how much perfume the perfume I¡¯ve drenched myself in to mask Rune¡¯s scent, it should be hard for him to detect.


    That he¡¯s marked me. Again.


    And for the same damn reason, the punctures on my neck won¡¯t healpletely. They have formed scars that are aggravating to look at because they are rather pretty¡­. and permanent.


    While I know I can¡¯t hide them forever, I¡¯m hoping they¡¯ll heal or fade after Rune¡¯s marriage and official mating ceremony. Hopefully, Darian won¡¯t notice.


    Well, if the scars won¡¯t go away, maybe I¡¯ll get a tattoo to cover them.


    Before Darian can say anything more, the line moves, and I pull him into the hall. It¡¯s already crowded, with students and sentinels organizing us into lines based on our years.


    Even Boris and the rest of my retinue is helping out. Well, I did technically tell him to get the fuck out of my room when he appeared an hourter with a dumbass apology for why they weren¡¯t there when I needed them.


    I fired them, and since he¡¯s stuck in this realm for now, he might as well join them. I don¡¯t care.


    Darian asks if he¡¯ll pick me upter, and I nod, squeezing his hand before making my way to the back of the line. I rub the band-aid on my neck with my thumb, listening to the excited and nervous chatter about the wedding, the ball, and ns for the break.


    Darian and I have a few. Dinner dates, skinny dipping in his oversized bathtub, movies on his tab, snuggling closer and possibly having sex all day long¨Cif we get around to it.


    I should be excited. I act like I am when we talk about it, but I¡¯m not. All I feel is anxiety and fear. What if I ruin things with Darian again? What if I panic when he touches me again and throw him into a wall? What if I hurt him?


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    I turn at the familiar voice behind me and Ie face to face with Maya. ¡°Hi,¡± I start, noting the warmth in her brown eyes today for a change. Her straight hair is in gorgeous curls and she has fauxshes on. There¡¯s a new piercing on her nose and¡­ she looks great.


    ¡°How¡­¡± Her voice shakes and she releases a sharp breath, running fingers through her hair. I note the red paint on her fingers as well as a variety of rings. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I say, leaning back on my heel. ¡°You look great.¡±


    She gives me a small smile, looking down at her short dress that¡¯s showing enough legs to make the males around us stare. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡­ got a date and I thought I¡¯d look pretty today.¡±


    ¡°You always look pretty, Maya,¡± I blurt and she looks up, holding my gaze. She swallows and I can see the hurt in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t know.¡±


    She waves it off and folds her arms. ¡°I know. It just hurt and¨C¡± She sighs and sucks in her lip. ¡°It was silly of me to put that on you. But I am so over it now and¡­ I really missed you, Astrid.¡±


    My heart swells, and tears well up in my eyes as warmth spreads through me. ¡°I missed you too,¡± I say, smiling.


    Sheughs, about to speak, when the sound of a microphone being turned on fills the air. A hush falls over the teeming crowd and we turn as one to the podium as Vesper takes the stage in his impable white suit.


    ¡°Attention students,¡± he begins, and I mutter under my breath, ¡°Goddess, I hate it when he does that.¡± Maya chuckles softly behind me.


    ¡°As you all know, the mid session ball was tomence after the Royal Wedding is concluded,¡± he says, eyes darting over the crowd with that stern expression that I can bet he does keep when he¡¯s in the nurse¡¯s room at night. ¡°However, there has been a change in ns. The mid session ball has been cancelled.¡±


    Noise swells in the hall as people begin to voice out their disagreement and frustration. I stay quiet, biting my bottom lip. I feel uneasy and weird inside.


    As I listen, a part of me secretly hopes that the wedding will be canceled too. But I have no such luck.


    ¡°His Majesty, King Fenrir, has taken into consideration the pleas of the students and it has been decided that all must be in attendance.¡±


    Hoots, whistles and screams fills the air, as well as a round of apuse.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    My heart sinks down a whirlwind of emotions. *Must be in attendance*?


    ¡°This is great!¡± A guy yells in front of me.


    I can¡¯t breathe. I try to get air into my lungs but all I can see is Gin walking down the Goddess¡¯s isle, in a beautiful dress and a tiara. And then I see Rune waiting for her by the Priestess¡¯ side in formal attire and his crown sitting askew on his head.


    I¡¯ve always thought he looked better with it askew.


    Then I see them kissing and Rune biting her.


    What follows is images of what their mating ceremony together might be.


    My knees buckle as pain sears through my chest and the mark on my neck starts to tingle.


    *No*, I think. I¡¯ll get through this. I¡¯ll talk to Vesper. I am not a lycan. The rules can¡¯t apply to me.


    But Vesper says, ¡°The mid session ball and the wedding reception will be merged, and open to all denizens for attendance¨C¡±


    More excited whistles and screams fill the air, covering a part of what Vesper is saying but I am able to gleam the rest of his address. ¡°The Portal will be opened in half an hour. In a descending order of your sses, you will go through the portal as a group. The star students leave first, and the first yearsst. Take what you must with you for the break, because the school will be shut down after thest set leaves and will be reopened only after the week is over.


    ¡°Aodation will be provided for the reception and festival, after which you will head to your respective homes to spend the rest of the holiday. The other half of the session willmence in a week¡¯s time.


    ¡°Do note that every student *must* be in attendance. As one, Lycan School will pay homage to the Royal family and show our gratitude for their graciousness thus far. No one will be excused. Failure to attend will result in an indefinite suspension.¡±


    Fuck. I¡¯m attending my mate¡¯s wedding.


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