MasukRoxellena POVI understood the look he gave me across the field. It was brief, almost hidden, yet clear enough that my feet stopped moving the moment my friends started walking away.I did not follow them. Instead I turned and took the narrower path I had watched him disappear down only moments earlier. I told myself I was not going after him for another kiss. I was going to tell him the truth about the competition. The guilt had been sitting in my chest since the announcement, small but constant, refusing to fade no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.The path was tight, pressed between two high walls that blocked most of the afternoon light. Adrian had his back to me. The second he turned and our eyes locked, something snapped. We both moved at once, closing the distance in a sudden, reckless rush.“Adrian, I…”His hand rose and covered my mouth before the rest of the sentence could leave me. Then his mouth replaced his hand.The kiss was deep and hungry. There was nothing
Alpha Adrain's POV“Restored that damned camera,” Jack snapped.“You know you can’t leave until the game is finished,” Paulo said. I returned to my seat without answering.Camera 68 was still dead.I checked my watch. Five minutes left.Trainees began emerging from the woods in scattered groups, most of them bare-necked or wearing only a single tag. My eyes moved over every face, every stride, searching for one person.Roxellena was not among them.Nearly all of them were out. Still no sign of her.I stood.Then I saw her,far back, moving steadily toward the field.The tension in my shoulders eased. I sat down again, slower this time, forcing my expression blank.Mike stepped forward and began the usual address while workers collected tags and recorded scores. When the results were finally announced, one name rose above the rest.Roxellena.Pride hit me harder than I expected. I wanted to walk straight to her, pull her against me, and let the entire field see it. Instead I stayed sea
Alpha Adrian POVI watched Mike address the trainees.They sat on the bare grass in neat rows, silent and tense, while pack workers moved between them handing out metal tags. The moment the last tag was distributed, Mike gave a sharp nod. The trainees scattered into the woods like startled deer.Liam leaned forward, already adjusting the brightness on his mini monitor. “I’m placing my bet on Bowens.”Paulo snorted without looking up. “Predictable. I’m on Myra.”Archie stretched his arms “We all laughed. Even Paulo cracked a smile. Jack hadn’t said a word.I hated when he did that. The silence always felt deliberate, like he was waiting for the rest of us to perform before he decided whether we were worth his attention.Liam finally broke. “What about you, Jack? Who are you trusting?”Jack’s eyes stayed locked on his screen for a long moment. Then, flatly: “No one.”Archie groaned. “Come on, man. Pick someone. It’s more fun that way.”Jack exhaled through his nose, the closest thing
Roxellena POV What have I done? I broke the only rule that mattered. I stare down at myself…completely naked, the thin metal tags still looped around my neck like a guilty necklace. Sixty-nine of them. The weight of them feels heavier than it should. My heart is slamming so hard I can hear it in my ears. I can’t let anyone see me like this. I force the shift. Bones crack and reform. Fur explodes across my skin. The moment my paws hit the dirt I take off through the trees, choosing a longer, quieter route toward the female dormitory. The dorm is empty. The silence is almost too perfect. I shift back, skin still prickling, and dig through the nearest laundry basket until I find clothes close enough to the formal uniform we wore for the game. I rub dirt into the fabric, smear a little mud across one sleeve, then force myself to walk,not run,toward the training field. Most of the trainees are already there, sitting in loose rows on the packed earth. The late afterno
Roxellena’s POVThe news of me breaking Jason’s wrist spread like wildfire.All eyes went to me the moment my friend and I walked into the training arena. The Alphas were not present. I guessed they were tallying our points for the end of May.Silence stretched for a moment, then broke into low whispers. Rosa stepped forward, frowning.“Get over it,” she said.I ignored her and joined a group of trainees preparing for the hide-and-seek game.Mike walked onto the field, followed by pack workers carrying tags. “Buckle up,” he called. “How many of you remember the game we talked about doing this week?”“The hide-and-seek game,” I answered. My voice carried farther than I expected.“Great. Our champion,” Mike said. Murmurs rippled through the trainees.The five Alphas walked in The murmuring died an instant death Mike’s expression hardened when he noticed a few trainees still talking. One sharp look silenced them. “Here’s how it works. Our center is the Dark Wood. Forty-five minutes.
Roxellena’s POVMy vision blurred at the edges. Breath came short and sharp. Eliana’s full weight pinned me to the ground. The crowd screamed,not cheers. Something uglier.I tried to shove her off. She held me down like iron. I closed my eyes and stopped fighting.Heat flooded my face. My bones rattled. Fur burst across my skin. I shifted, twisted, and threw her off me in one violent motion. The arena went silent.I looked down. Four golden legs. A howl ripped from my throat as I ran the length of the arena. ***I stayed in the empty arena long after the last footsteps faded, then walked out.Jess, James, and John were waiting.Jess grinned the moment she saw me. “You were incredible. Seriously. You keep raising the bar.”John crossed his arms, still looking satisfied. “Finally someone put that arrogant bitch in her place.”James adjusted his dark shades and nodded toward the street. “Come on. Bold Ice. We’re celebrating whether you like it or not.”***“Bold Ice isn’t j







