Novels by MidasPen

Ciara's POVLydia bared her teeth and roared, the sound reverberating through the arena like thunder. Then she lunged with even greater ferocity than before.I barely dodged the first strike—her jaws snapping closed inches from my throat. Her claws raked across my shoulder as I twisted away, sending pain lancing through my body. Blood matted my fur, warm and sticky.But I still had stamina left. I could feel it in my muscles, in the steady rhythm of my breathing. I had been conserving energy throughout the fight while Lydia had been burning through hers with every powerful, wasteful attack.Lydia came at me again, and this time her movements were fractionally slower. Her strikes still carried force, but the lightning-quick reflexes from the beginning of the match had dulled.She was running out of energy.The mood in the crowd shifted, whispers spreading like wildfire."Lydia's getting tired.""Is she actually slowing down?""Could Ciara actually win?"Lydia's ears flattened against h

Ciara's POVThe combat began.I stood at the edge of arena seven, watching the first pair already in the ring. Their movements were cautious, testing—neither willing to commit fully until they had measured their opponent's skill.Around me, the mockery never stopped."She hasn't trained in days," one of Lydia's followers said loudly enough for me to hear. "She's no match for you, Lydia.""And even if she had," another chimed in with a cruel laugh, "when has she ever done better than Lydia in anything?""Lydia's the strongest of us," a third added, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Look at her. I wonder how badly she's going to lose."I kept my eyes forward, my expression neutral. Let them talk. Words could not hurt me more than I had already been hurt.When the first match concluded—a quick victory for the larger male wolf—the referee called out the next pairing."Arena seven! Ciara, daughter of Beta Aldric, versus Lydia of the Thornwood line!"Lydia's supporters erupted into c

Kaden's POVA few minutes prior.The path to the combat grounds wound through the eastern training fields, a route I had walked countless times. The familiar terrain should have brought comfort, but today my thoughts were restless."My lord, wait."I paused as Garrett, my guard captain, jogged ahead to investigate the raised voices drifting from around the bend. He returned moments later, his expression carefully neutral in that way that meant he was suppressing amusement."There appears to be a dispute ahead, my lord." He hesitated. "It seems to involve your former fiancée."I frowned. "Ciara?"That was unexpected. We had almost only met at formal events over the years—balls, pack gatherings, official ceremonies. She would stand silently at the periphery, her posture perfect, her expression serene. Almost invisible, unless one made the effort to notice her."Are you thinking about her, my lord?" Garrett's voice held that familiar teasing lilt only a childhood friend could get away wi

Ciara's POVLydia stood a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest, a smirk playing at her lips. My longtime rival—the girl who had shadowed my every step during training, who had competed with me for every scrap of recognition, who had made it her personal mission to undermine me at every opportunity.Behind her stood her usual collection of followers, lesser she-wolves who fed off Lydia's cruelty like scavengers picking at bones."I had always known you were shameless, Ciara," Lydia continued, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "But showing your face here after what happened at the mating ball?" She shook her head in mock disbelief. "Being rejected is hardly surprising for someone like you."Her lackeys tittered obediently."If I were humiliated like that," one of them said, "I would hide at home and never dare show my face again."I looked at them—really looked at them. At their sneering faces and their eyes bright with malicious glee. They thought themselves so superior, s

Ciara’s POVI brushed my fingers over the bone badge, tracing the intricate carvings that marked Draven's personal seal. The cool surface seemed to hum with authority, with power I had never possessed.My emotions were tangled, unclear. A knot I could not seem to unravel.I was nothing more than a tool in this engagement. A pawn in whatever game Draven was playing with his brother. A convenient scandal to wield against those who looked down on him.Yet his protection far exceeded anything I had expected. The badge. The guards. The authority to command his household, to use his resources as if they were my own.For the first time in years, I did not have to endure the pain alone. Did not have to lick my wounds in silence and pretend everything was fine while the world crumbled around me.I did not know what his actions truly meant. Perhaps he was as dangerous as everyone whispered. Perhaps I was still just a piece on his board, moved according to strategies I could not see.But he was

Draven’s POVThe door crashed open with enough force to rattle the hinges.I strode through the entrance, my guards falling into formation behind me—two perfect lines of silent authority. The Beta's household staff scattered like startled birds, their whispers dying the moment they caught sight of my face.Halfway down the grand staircase, supported by his simpering wife, stood Beta Aldric. His face was already mottled with displeasure, no doubt from his earlier discussion with Ciara.The red mark on Ciara's cheek flashed through my mind, and my hands curled into fists.When Aldric's eyes found mine, he froze mid-step. Genuine fear flickered across his features before years of political training smoothed it away. He descended the remaining stairs with forced dignity, his wife clinging to his arm like a decorative parasite."Lord Draven." He inclined his head. "To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"I let the silence stretch, watching him squirm. Elara's painted smile grew brittle