LOGINTHALIA’S POVMy hands shook so violently that I could barely open the wooden door of my wardrobe. It was strictly forbidden to possess any outside communication devices within the academy walls, but I had smuggled in a secret phone before leaving home, keeping it hidden away for an absolute emergency.This was it. There was no safety left for me here. My entire world had been built on a foundation of lies, and Caleb's final, brutal words in the garden had eroded the last of it.I pulled out the bag from the very bottom of the trunk, unzipping it to reveal the sleek device. My fingers hovered over the screen. I wasn't even sure if she would answer. I wasn't sure if she even wanted to hear from the disappointment she had sent away in her son's clothes. But when the line finally clicked open and the familiar, cold hum of her presence filled the speaker, a wave of profound relief washed over me.“Mother?” I breathed, my voice cracking, utterly broken under the weight of everything I had
THALIA’S POVThe resounding slam of the heavy wooden door still echoed in my ears long after Ragnar had vanished down the corridor. I stood frozen against the cold stone wall, his parting words clawing at the edges of my mind.Before I could even begin to process the tangled mess of my feelings, the loud, metallic chime of the academy bell rang out through the grounds.The door burst open again, making me flinch. Eileen hurried in, her eyes sweeping over the tense room before locking onto me. She stopped in her tracks, her brow furrowing with immediate concern.“Thalia, are you okay?” Eileen asked, stepping closer and reaching out a hand. “You look completely pale, like you’ve just seen a ghost.”I swallowed the lump of emotion in my throat, forcing myself to stand up straight. I couldn't break down. Not here, and not now. “I’m fine,” I lied softly, adjusting the cuffs of my oversized shirt to hide my unhealed wound. “Let’s go.”She didn't look convinced but she dropped it anyway. Tog
RAGNAR’S POVHearing those words spill from Thalia’s mouth felt like a physical blow to the chest. Shock didn't even begin to cover the cold, hollow sensation that settled deep in my gut. I stared at her, my mind spinning as her accusation hung heavily in the space between us. It felt like the ground beneath my feet was dissolving, pulling me down into a trap I hadn't even seen coming.When I finally recovered from the sheer shock of it, I tried to talk, my voice cracking under the sudden weight of the betrayal. “Thalia, you don't understand, let me…”“Don't fucking lie to me anymore.” Thalia yelled, her voice raw as she cut me off completely. The sheer pain and fury in her tone sliced right through me. Before I could even protest, she lunged forward, shoving against my chest with all the strength she had left in her small body. “You have been lying to me all this time, Ragnar, and I am so sick of believing you. Every single time I let my guard down, every single time I think we ar
THALIA’S POVThe tension in the corridor finally broke as the crowd began to scatter. Eileen moved forward then, breaking through the remaining guards and extending a hand to help me up.“Thank you,” I muttered, my voice still forced into Lucien’s low, gravelly register until the last of the judges walked out of earshot. My legs felt like lead, and the dull ache at the back of my skull throbbed with every step as she guided me back toward the dorm.We walked down the quiet hallway, the morning light doing little to warm the cold stone around us. Eileen kept her eyes forward, but her jaw was set tight. “Are you crazy?” Eileen asked, her voice a hushed, furious whisper. “Going after the shapeshifters on your own? You know how strong Ryker is rumored to be, Thalia. You could have been killed out there.”I didn't respond. I didn't have the words or the strength to defend myself. I was completely mentally exhausted, my thoughts tangled up in Ryker’s sinister smile and the burning slice o
THALIA’S POVMy eyes snapped open and I felt a dull ache at the back of my skull. I was flat on my back on the cold stone floor of the main dorm corridor, the broad, shadowy pathway connecting the living quarters.A collective gasp echoed above me. When my vision cleared, I was staring up at a sea of intense, demanding faces. Board members, guards, and a few frantic students were hovering directly over me.Panic seized my chest. I quickly scrambled backward, my trembling hands flying to my face and hair. A wave of raw relief washed over me when my fingers brushed against the short, coarse strands. My disguise was still intact. “Lucien Ashen,” one of the high-ranking board members barked, stepping forward with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed in deep anger. “Why were you not present at the full moon transformation? And more importantly, why are you bleeding?”I couldn't speak right away. My brain was moving frantically, desperately trying to piece together the shattered fragmen
CALEB’S POVI saw the exact moment Thalia’s look changed. The hot panic in her eyes went away. It was replaced by a cold, quiet look that made the hair on my arms stand up. She didn't say a single word as we walked back to the dorms, but her silence said everything. I wanted to force her to tell me what she was thinking, but I kept my mouth shut.When night finally came, throwing long shadows across the school grounds, Thalia stood by the door.“Where are you going?” I asked, stepping toward her. My instincts told me to trail right behind her because I knew she was planning something.“I'm going to get dinner and meet Eileen,” Thalia said. Her voice was flat, devoid of the usual spark she carried when she was angry or determined. She didn't even look back at me, her hand resting firmly on the doorknob.I stepped closer, blocking her path slightly. I couldn't just let her walk out alone after what we found in the cemetery. “I'll come with you. The campus isn't safe right now, especial
THALIA’S POVBefore I could even ask Jamie how he knew we were down here, a sharp echo of shouting and running boots bounced down the corridor. The guards were already coming back.“Move, now.” Jamie hissed, shoving Ragnar and Caleb toward the exit. “I’ll stall them. Go.”We didn't waste a second.
THALIA’S POV“Who the hell locked us in here?” Eileen’s voice echoed against the damp stone walls, shaking with fear.I didn't answer right away. I stared at the huge iron doors of the underground cemetery, my mind spinning. “I don't know,” I whispered, rubbing my arms because it was freezing down
RAGNAR’S POVCaleb’s question didn't catch me off guard. Deep down, the exact same terrifying thought had been clawing at the back of my mind ever since that red-haired bastard pinned me to the dirt.“I'm not certain,” I told Caleb, my voice tight. I forced myself to take a slow breath, setting my
CALEB’S POVWhen I told Ragnar that Thalia and Eileen were missing, I watched him closely. I noticed the obvious shift in his posture. It was a flicker of pure alarm but it disappeared almost instantly, masked by his stubborn pride.Instead of showing his worry, Ragnar shoved past me hard, his shou







