LOGINZANA’S POVBy the time I walked back into House Varen’s common hall, I felt like I had lived three different days inside one body.My muscles still ached from the tournament. My mind still burned from the argument in the garden, and my heart felt bruised in ways I didn’t know how to explain.The celebration had only grown louder while I was gone. Music pounded through the room, students shouted over one another, and wolves kept dancing with excitement.The hall was glowing with torchlight and silver banners. Long tables were crowded with food, half-empty cups, and laughing students leaning over each other to talk.Some were dancing badly in the center of the room, some were singing, and some were already too drunk to stand straight.Usually, I would have laughed. But tonight, I wanted silence.Jessie spotted me almost immediately. She let out a dramatic scream and stumbled through the crowd toward me with a goblet in one hand and one shoe missing. Her dark braid was half undone, and t
ZANA’S POVI stood frozen in the moon garden. My heart pounded as I stared at Darren.He looked furious. His jaw was tight. His eyes were dark with anger and hurt.He’d seen Caden kissing me. He’d seen me kiss him back.Heat rushed into my face so fast it almost hurt. Guilt hit me hard without warning.I knew I didn’t owe Darren anything. He never asked for me, never claimed me, never given me certainty. Yet standing there beneath that hard stare, I felt as if I had been caught betraying him.My wolf reacted first. She went still. Then, I felt her whimpering inside me. Then she stirred with something far more dangerous than fear. She wanted him closer. I shut her down immediately.Darren’s eyes moved slowly from me to Caden. It was the kind of look predators gave before blood was spilled.Oh Goddess. What was going to happen now?Darren started walking toward us. Before he could say anything, Caden stepped in front of me protectively.“Am I interrupting something?” Darren asked.His v
ZANA’S POVCaden led me outside and through the academy grounds to the moon garden. It was one of the most beautiful places on campus.It was a circular garden filled with flowers that glowed softly in the darkness. The place was also decorated with moonstones that gave off a gentle silver light. The air smelled sweet too.The sudden quiet felt unreal after the noise inside. The garden glowed softly under the night sky. Somewhere nearby, water trickled from a fountain. The air smelled clean and cool.We walked in silence for a while. I kept glancing at Caden. I noticed the tension in his shoulders. His expression seemed angry.We walked deeper into the garden before stopping beneath an arch covered in glowing ivy.For a moment, neither of us spoke."What's wrong?" I asked.He sighed heavily and stopped walking. "I've been trying to stay calm. I’ve been trying to be patient and give you space. But I can't anymore."I was confused. What was he talking about?"Caden-"He dragged a hand t
ZANA’S POVHouse Varen’s common hall was louder than I had ever heard it. They were celebrating like we'd already won the entire tournament instead of just the first day.Music pounded through the room, cups clinked together, and everywhere was filled with laughter.Students danced all around. The tables were covered with food and drinks, while banners in grey and silver hung proudly from the ceiling.Tonight, everyone was celebrating our tournament victories.And somehow, I was at the center of it all.It felt strange. Just weeks ago, most people in this academy treated me like I was dirt under their boots. Now they were cheering when I entered rooms, calling my name, slapping my back, and pulling me into conversations.People kept coming up to congratulate me, to tell me how amazing I'd been in the arena, to ask me questions about my fighting style. Girls who'd ignored me for weeks were suddenly treating me like a friend. Boys who'd sneered at me were now offering to get me drinks.
ZANA’S POVWe sprinted for center and slammed the first token into the scoring pedestal. Above the arena, bells rang.House Varen: 10 points.The crowd erupted. Everyone kept cheering and screaming our names. Sadly, there was no time to enjoy it. The pressure was still on.Before I could react or turn to my team mates, something happened again. The maze shifted violently, this time.“What the-” I muttered.I tried taking a step forward to run to my team mates but the ground shook so much that my heart started racing. I decided the best option was to stay still.Something came up from the ground. It was a huge wall. It rose up between me and my team mates.“Zana!” Jessie shouted.“I’m here!” I screamed back.Another wall dropped, cutting sound in half. I looked around to see if at least, one person was with me. There wasn’t anyone here.I was alone.My pulse started racing even faster.Fine. I knew how to be alone. It was nothing new to me. It just wasn’t what I was expecting.I calmed
ZANA’S POVWhen I got out of the arena, the crowd kept cheering me on. I could hear them chanting my name.“Zana”“Zana”“Zana”My wolf purred inside me. She stood tall in my chest. She was filled with satisfaction.Jessie grabbed both my shoulders and shook me so hard my teeth clicked together. “You absolute menace,” she yelled over the noise. “Did you hear the Krath section go silent when the lights came back on?”I laughed “I was a little busy.”Cael stepped in next, arms crossed. He was pretending not to be impressed. “Your guard dropped twice in the third phase.”“You’re welcome too,” I said.“You won because you adapted faster,” he replied. “Fix the guard anyway.”Then he gave me a short nod that meant more than praise from anyone else. Cael did not hand out approval lightly.My chest warmed. I had earned something today.It might not have been victory alone. I gained respect too.The officials called for the next event setup, and students began shifting through the stands. Ser







