Chapter 5 ~ “The Devil’s Confession”

{Ava’s POV}

The King’s words hit me so hard I actually choked.

Train the Prince?

For a moment, the world tilted and this was made worse by the fact that the King didn’t look like he was joking. His face was carved from stone, his posture unmoving. Confusion alone kept me from collapsing.

“What?!” Prince Liam exploded before I could react. He stepped toward his father, disbelief flooding his voice. “What do you mean you want her to train me?!”

The King didn’t even blink at him.

“This has to be a joke,” he insisted with a wild, humorless laugh. But the King only turned back to me, calm as moonlight.

“Gregon grows stronger in the east, child” he said, voice steady but edged in tension. “His Corrupters devour our borders and I am no longer the warrior I once was. So soon, my son will take my place, to rule, to defend, and to slay the eclipse-born demon threatening our lands.”

My stomach knotted instantly at the word eclipse-born. I’d heard the fear in his voice… and somehow it made everything worse.

“But preparing him for that is no small task,” the King continued. “And when I see opportunity, I seize it. You defeated him— easily. That means you mastered something he hasn’t. Therefore, you will teach him.”

I froze.

He said it again, clearer:

“You will train Prince Liam. And he will only graduate when he defeats you. You can leave for the Palace tomorrow to begin there.”

My heart skipped several beats.

Tomorrow.

He wanted me at the Palace tomorrow.

“My messenger will inform your Packs,” the King said. “Your families may visit whenever they wish.” He added and this was the moment Prince Liam lost it.

“This is nonsense! You insult me, Father!” he roared. “Of course, I can defeat her— she just got lucky!” He bawled. “And why should a common girl train her Prince?!”

“Because I said so!” the King retorted, his voice a raging roar.

Silence flooded the room.

And he stared Prince Liam down until the Prince finally looked away. Then the King exhaled sharply and moved toward the door.

“I’ll apologize to General Greybone on your behalf, since you clearly won’t.” With that, he left the chamber with his guards.

I nearly collapsed with relief.

“Come,” the Queen urged gently, guiding a fuming Prince toward the exit. Levi followed, equally unsettled.

Once they were gone, the room felt abandoned and hollow. Only Edna and I remained… and my heartbeat was loud enough to echo off the walls.

Edna slowly turned toward me now, eyes wide.

“What just happened?”

**

~ Later… ~

We sat together for minutes, unable to speak.

Everything had shifted so fast that my brain hadn’t kept up. Just yesterday I’d been a DarkClaw stray thrown into Moonspire because my Luna wanted to humble me. Now?

Now the King wanted me at the Palace to train his son.

“So… what do we even do?” I finally whispered.

Edna swallowed hard. “Well, I think it’s obvious. We prepare for us to go to the Palace and you to train the Prince.”

My heart stuttered painfully.

“I’m not a trainer, Edna,” I muttered. “I’m barely even..” I trailed off. “I don’t know how I beat him so easily! What if it was luck? What if—”

“Ava.” Edna gripped my shoulders firmly. “It wasn’t luck. I saw everything. No one moves like you. You’re special, even if no one ever treated you that way.” 

She was stern and serious and her certainty steadied me— just enough.

I exhaled shakily. “Fine. Let’s say I figure out training drills. What about the Prince himself? He hates me, Edna. He probably wants to skin me alive.”

“Well…” She winced. “Yeah. He probably does. But you’ll try to make peace with him.”

I groaned. “You say it like it’ll be easy.”

“It won’t be,” she said honestly. “He’ll probably humiliate you at every chance he gets. But this is about the future of the Reigns too so you can’t back out. Plus I’ll be with you, every step of the way.”

I smiled weakly but genuinely. “Thank you, Edna.”

I leaned forward to hug her… but then a voice cut through the room like a blade.

“Ava.”

Both Edna and I jumped. And then I turned and my heart leapt with joy.

“Dylan!” I gasped, hurrying toward him with words pouring out of my mouth. “You came visiting! I have so much to tell you, you won’t believe what happened— Moonspire.. Prince Liam— oh, Goddess, you’re not going to believe—”

“I’m breaking up with you, Ava.”

My feet stopped and I halted before my breathing began to tremble 

“W-What?” I whispered slowly in confusion.

He didn’t flinch.

“I’m breaking up with you.”

**

~ Later That Evening ~

{Revna’s POV}

A humid evening, silence, and a good book— nothing suited me better.

I sat on the garden bench, ignoring Racheal and Zelda gossiping about boys nearby. Their voices were a buzzing annoyance and it looked like they were having fun but I don’t talk about love. I don’t talk about relationships.

I ruin them.

“Revna.” A voice called as a figure approached, dragging me from my thoughts.

I sighed as I glanced up and I grew back my frown. Dylan stood before me, shoulders sagging.

“I did it,” he said.

I raised a brow. “Did what?”

“I broke up with her.”

“So?” I deadpanned, returning to my book.

He hesitated. “Will you… still let me graduate training and not tell your father to cut me from the warrior ranks?”

I didn’t respond.

“Will you—”

I rolled my eyes and snapped the book shut. “Maybe if you take your useless self out of my sight, I will!”

He tensed and then hurried away like the coward he was.

Pathetic creature.

The moment he disappeared, I reopened my book.

Two days ago, that Wretch left our Pack for Moonspire Academy, abandoning the Alpha House after all we’d done for her. My mother swore she’d suffer soon enough but I’m not settling for that.

I’ve simply decided to hurry the process.

I hadn’t known Ava was in a secret relationship with Dylan until the morning she left. I’d followed her, planning to scar her face before she departed— just a small token of my affection, but instead I discovered her little irritating romance; both of them at a corner.

So I did what I do best.

I ruined it.

Blackmail works wonders on weak and stupid blokes such as Dylan.

I smirked now and just then I heard carriage wheels rumbling from a distance.

This was strange since we didn’t have carriages in this Pack, and so I was forced to look.

A man stepped out of the carriage now wearing the vest of the Royal Messenger and seeing that, I instantly grew curious, knowing he was here to either see my mother or my father, the Alpha and Luna of the Pack. 

I followed him into the Alpha house and then into the meeting chamber, staying out of sight near the doorway. When the Pack wolves cleared out the meeting Chamber, only my parents, the maid, and the Messenger remained.

He spoke at once and clearly:

“A direct message from the Alpha King. One of your Pack members, Ava Varyn has been chosen to assist Prince Liam in his training. She will reside at the Palace from now on; meanwhile, her family may visit at any time.” He announced and every movement within me stopped. Even my breathing. 

My father looked as if someone had pulled the floor out from under him while my mother went pale.

And me?

I stared, stunned— outraged.

What?

No— how?

Why does the universe insist on mocking me? Why does it insist on blessing that freak while leaving me stagnant?

My fists curled now until my nails dug into my palms. With that, I stormed out of the chamber, unable to breathe through my rage. But then—

Swift footsteps rushed behind me.

I halted and turned in time to see Calita— the mute maid, running by.

‘Running.’

I followed quietly, curiosity slicing through my anger since it was an odd behavior from her. And when I reached the garden, I stopped dead.

Calita was speaking.

Talking. Words.

“…you must promise me, Harold,” she begged, speaking to the Messenger. “She is an eclipse-born, but she is still a child and she doesn’t know of it yet. I found her abandoned— terrified, and I took her and raised her. I raised her good so please promise me you’ll help guide her over there and help her control her emotions. You cannot let them discover what she is.” 

The mute maid said, pleading. 

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Ava.

An eclipse born— a Warg.

A monster and a secret my parents didn’t know.

A menace the Reigns didn’t know…

Calita kept pleading and the Messenger soon agreed, dismissing her quickly as he didn’t want anyone seeing them together or him delayed. He walked away now while Calita wiped her tears and slipped through the back door.

I stood alone there, my breath trembling with the weight of what I’d just heard. It was shocking, frightening and overwhelming 

But slowly— very slowly, my lips curled into a smile.

A vile one.

Ava is a Werewarg.

This wasn’t misfortune.

This was an opportunity.

I returned inside, gripping my book titled “The Devil’s Confession.”

How fitting.