MasukRonan's Point Of ViewZane’s ears went that bright, furious shade of pink again, his gaze darting down to my bare chest before flickering back up to my eyes, trying to hide how much he was shaking. "You're... you're still completely naked too, you know. And you're getting heavy, Ronan. Like, seriously heavy.""Good," I growled, shifting my hips forward just an inch, pressing the thick, rigid heat of my length right against the soft, sensitive skin of his inner thigh. The tip was already slick with pre-cum, glistening as it dragged against his skin, leaving a wet trail in its wake. He let out a sharp, trembling gasp, his legs automatically opening a little wider for me, his heels dragging against the tangled sheets while his fingers dug into the thick muscles of my shoulders, his nails biting crescents into my flesh."I want you to feel exactly how heavy I am. I want you to feel what you do to me, little mate." My voice was rough, gravelly, the words vibrating against his skin as I le
Ronan's Point Of ViewHolding Zane against my chest, listening to his short, shaky breaths stuttering against my collarbone, I felt a massive wave of heat spread through my ribs. This wasn't the burning, angry fire of my Alpha core attempting to patch its own cracked pathways. This was different… a deep, heavy warmth that made my arms automatically tighten around his waist until he let out a tiny, soft wheeze against my skin. The sound should have made me loosen my grip, but instead it only made me want to hold him closer, to prove to myself he was real and here and mine. I needed the physical confirmation, the solid weight of him in my arms, because part of me still couldn't believe he'd chosen me. I looked down at the back of his messy, sweat-stuck hair, and for a second, I honestly wanted to punch myself in the jaw. To clock myself as hard as I could for every stupid thing I'd done to him. Every cruel word, every dismissive glance, every moment I'd made him feel small. The list w
Zane's Point Of ViewRonan didn't move. He didn't even blink. He went completely, utterly rigid beneath me, his whole body locking up as though I'd struck him across the jaw with a silver tray. For a second, the only thing moving in the entire room was the dust motes floating lazily through that streak of sunlight by the bed. His large fingers, which had been gently tracing my hip, clamped down tight, digging into my skin through the sweatpants with an intensity that bordered on painful. Slowly, he pulled his head back against the pillow, his neck muscles straining as he stared up at me. Those gold eyes were completely blown out, looking utterly bewildered, as if he'd forgotten how to read his own name. I watched his pupils dilate, then contract, struggling to focus on my face. The confusion there was almost comical, if it hadn't been so achingly vulnerable. "What..." He cleared his throat, his deep voice cracking on the syllable, sounding like dry gravel kicked down a well. His Ada
Zane's Point Of ViewThe sheets twisted around our ankles, hot and messy, carrying the mingled scent of our bodies. Mid-day sun cut through the heavy velvet curtains of Ronan's private quarters, throwing long, dusty lines of gold across the floorboards. Two weeks. Exactly fourteen days had passed since the arena floor cracked open, fourteen days since I'd nearly watched the light drain from my mate's eyes. The memory still made my chest tighten with phantom fear, my breath catching whenever I let myself remember that moment of pure terror. Everything at the academy was supposedly returning to normal now. Workers mortared the broken stone pillars in the courtyard back together, their hammers ringing out from dawn until dusk. Regular students walked to the dining hall with their heavy leather books tucked under their arms, gossiping about the battle as if it had been some kind of entertainment. And Kaelen... Kaelen had vanished. He'd disappeared into thin air the second the dust settl
The heavy, iron-scented air inside the private medical ward thickened until it felt almost suffocating as the two boys clung to each other. Zane pressed his forehead hard against Ronan's good shoulder, his entire frame shaking with those deep, messy, unpolished sobs that erupt when adrenaline finally drains from your system and leaves you feeling utterly hollow. He didn't care that his uniform was stiff with dried dirt and someone else's blood. He didn't care that his knuckles were raw from clenching them so hard his skin had split. All that mattered was the solid, rhythmic thumping of Ronan's heart against his chest… a sound that, only ten minutes ago, had stopped completely. The silence of that moment still echoed in Zane's mind, a void more terrifying than any darkness he'd ever known. He could still feel the phantom emptiness of Ronan's chest beneath his palms, the awful stillness that had made his own heart seize with panic. "You're a fool," Zane choked out, his voice cracking
Zane's Point Of ViewI grabbed onto that golden vein on the right side of my spirit and pulled. I pulled with everything I had left in my miserable, aching body, every ounce of strength I could scrape together from the bottom of my soul. There was no room for hesitation now, no space for doubt or fear of what this might cost me. It felt like reaching into a furnace with bare hands and dragging out a fistful of melted glass. A loud, ugly scream tore from my throat, bouncing off the clean white walls of the infirmary room. My whole body went completely stiff, toes curling inside my boots, and my spine arched so hard I heard the bones in my lower back click.The pain was blinding, absolute… the kind that makes you forget your own name, your purpose, everything except the agony itself. For a terrifying moment, I thought I might actually pass out, but the image of Ronan's dying face kept me anchored to consciousness. Then, suddenly, the air went wild. Thick, shimmering silver-amber ligh
Zane's Point Of View “You’ll pay for that embarrassment.” I said nothing. Not a word. I let the silence hang. And it dragged out, heavy and sour, pressing on the air around us like a storm before lightning splits the sky. She waited. Wanted me to react. Wanted me to give her the satisfaction of
Zane's Point Of View A bitter chuckle almost escaped my lips. Half-dead? Maybe. But I was tired of being ridiculed by everyone. This trial is very important to me, and I must not fail, if I want to change their opinion about me.The classroom emptied quicker than I expected. Groups were already fo
Zane's Point Of View The room was quiet after Ronan left, too quiet. The faint scent of herbs from the recovery incense lingered in the air, mixing with the sterile tang of medicine. My gaze lingered on the small wooden box Ronan had left behind, sitting neatly on the bedside table. The silver r
Zane's Point Of ViewThe library doors shut behind us with a muted thump, sealing Ronan’s shadow away like I’d just stepped out of a storm and into calm air. Still, the weight of his stare clung to me, crawling up my spine. I couldn’t help it… my head turned slightly, eyes searching over my shoulde







