เข้าสู่ระบบJosh's POVI sat on the edge of my bed and rolled my shoulder slowly. Pain zipped through the joint. I grimaced and lowered my arm. I must have picked up the injury in my last fight.Pain had become a permanent fixture in my life since I came to this campus. Every training, every match came with one injury or the other."It will all be worth it when I join the Sentinel's Accord," I whispered.That was the goal. To rank high among the shifters and earn my place in the Accord.My phone buzzed against the mattress.I looked at the screen. It was Serena: Come outside. Now.I stared at the message a moment.~Here we go again.~I already knew what this was about. It had to be about Mira. We argued bitterly about her about two hours ago, and I was sure Serena wanted us to continue from where we stopped.A sigh escaped my lips. Was I ready to do that all over again?Well, I couldn't leave her hanging outside.I rolled my eyes and got up, pulling a jacket over my shoulders. My shoulder stung w
Serena's POVI sat on the low stone wall next to the garden with knees pulled up to my chin. The sun was slowly setting in the western horizon, and birds were singing happy songs.But I was anything but happy. I couldn't get the image of Josh hugging Mira so tightly out of my head. Even when they saw me, he still held his arm over her shoulder intimately. That was the problem. Hugging wasn't really a problem, but the way Josh did it. . . It looked intimate. ~Maybe it's not that deep.~That's what I told myself after the forehead kiss too. I rationalized it away. He'd just watched Mira nearly die in that ring. Of course he would be emotional. But the hug was different. It wasn't a moment of panic in a crisis. Mira was awake, looking okay and Josh held on to her like she was the most fragile thing in the world. A sigh escaped my lips. It shouldn't have come to this. I tried talking to him about it. Calmly. I didn't want trouble. I just wanted answers. He got defensive immediately a
Vessa's POVI walked out of the dining hall with an extra spring in my step, humming under my breath. It was one of the happiest days of my life.Mira was hospitalized. That monster had done exactly what I planned for it to do.Yes, she managed to beat it, but she didn't go unscathed.I always knew I didn't need to use extreme violence to get her out of the way.~Using the monster was brilliant. I'm a fucking strategist.~I chuckled as I strolled further away from the dining hall, imagining Mira lying on the clinic bed with tubes all over her body.The whole campus would finally acknowledge the truth. Mira never belonged in this competition. She had no business being here with us. An omega who couldn't shift had no right trying to stand toe to toe with real shifters.Now she'd gotten exactly what she deserved.She had a match in three days. With the level of injuries she sustained, she wouldn't be fit to fight. That was if she was even conscious.If she wasn't fit enough, that was aut
Tyrell's POVI stepped into the ward and stopped short at the doorway.Josh had his arm draped over Mira's shoulder, leaning close while Serena stood a few feet away, arms crossed, staring at the two of them with a fierce look on her face.It was a pleasant surprise to see that Mira had woken up. I thought Josh and Serena would be in jubilant moods, but the atmosphere in the ward was negative.It was such an awkward moment. Nobody said anything to each other. The silence was just unnerving.Something was clearly not right. But that wasn't my business. I had a patient to attend to.I cleared my throat. "Serena, did you get the pills?"She nodded, taking her eyes off Josh and Mira. She showed me a plastic bag."Here," she said."Thank you."I took the bag from her and set it down on the stool next to Mira's bed."Okay, I need the two of you to step out for a minute," I told them. "I want to run some checks on her.""Is that necessary? She looks fine already," Josh said."It's necessary.
Josh's POVThe male hostel was empty when I got back from the clinic ward. Everyone was already at the arena. I pulled open my locker and stood there looking at my fighting outfit.~Mira is still unconscious on that bed.~That was the image I couldn't push out of my mind. I wanted to stay back and be there for her, but Serena was right. Mira would want me in the ring.She'd fought to be here when people like her weren't allowed. She would be the first person to tell me to stop standing around feeling sorry and go do what I came here to do.I sighed and reached for the training gear.I changed fast, laced my boots without sitting down. Then I hurried out of the dorm.~She'll be fine. Nothing will happen to her.~I kept telling myself over and over again as if believing it was enough to make it true. There was nothing else I could do at this point.The arena was noisy as I stepped in. My partner was already in the ring. My eyes lit up as soon as I saw him. It was Marcus, the leopard shi
Serena's POVI sat next to Mira's bed, watching her chest rise and fall. The monitor beside her bed beeped steadily.Josh paced the ward with his hands in his pockets. He sighed over and over again. I peered at him and saw him blinking back tears.Mira's condition was indeed heartbreaking. There were bandages all over her body, and according to Tyrell, she hadn't opened her eyes since the fight ended."I wasn't even there to protect her," Josh groaned."Don't blame yourself. She passed out in the ring. It's not like you would have gone in there to fight for her."Josh shook his head over and over again. "I should have been there.""You were training. You didn't know this would happen.""Damn it!" Josh punched the wall hard. "Calm down! You need to control your emotions. Tyrell said her vitals are okay," I said."But she hasn't moved a limb since we got here."I couldn't argue with him. The situation was concerning. I heard the other girl who faced the beast was already awake, just th
Mira's POV We arrived at Ironridge Academy by bus the next day. Josh sat beside me and pointed out buildings to me. He had been here before. The students here were built differently. Not just physically, though that was part of it. It was the way they carried themselves. The confidence. The aura
Chapter SixMira's POVThe medic pressed two fingers against my ribs. I winced."Breath out," she said. "Slowly."I exhaled. Pain gripped my side like an electric shock.She nodded. "Not broken. But close."Thank Goodness.She moved to my shoulder next. She rotated it carefully and I bit my lip, tr
Mira's POV The crowd pulled back to give us space.I rolled my neck and flexed my wrists. My ankle was still throbbing from the leopard fight. My forearm had a long red scrape from where I had hit the ground. I did not look at either injury. Looking at things made them hurt more.Caden stood acros
Mira's POVJosh rushed over to me. He stepped between me and the Ironridge boy and put one hand on my shoulder. His grip was firm."What are you doing?""I'm trying to make him eat his words."An instructor cut through the crowd before Josh could say something. He was a thin man with permed hair an







