VALEN’S POVRaina laughed bitterly. “I’m getting a second chance.” She swung a calculated gaze at the gang, settling one deadly look at Theo. Her voice dropped to a cold, smooth whisper. “Next time, I’m going to kill you first.”Theo gulped, suddenly frightened, and jumped onto his twin, clinging to Thaines’ neck as his muscular legs instinctively went up into his brother’s arms.Theo nervously asked his twin, “What did I do?”Thaines grimaced.“Listen to me, that’s not what we want.” Releasing her hands, I palmed her face, forcing her eyes to fix on me. “The Timekeepers are lying. The trial is over. Baby, please believe in me. We've already won.”Penn shook her head adamantly. “The timeline will change if you take that offer. It’ll be another fake Valen...not us.”All the while, she fought my grip, wrangling her head against the way I held her.Worry wove into Venus’ expression as she looked at me with wide eyes. “If the trial gets reset, and you lose, you’ll become a permanent part
VALEN’S POV“It did,” I swore promptly, clinging to faith that it worked. My arms fell to my sides like dead weight under her scrutiny. “It had to.”Raina shook her head and stepped back as distrust took over. “There are still eight minutes on the timer.”Despite my assurances, a claw of doubt hooked into my skin. I might not be entirely certain, but I couldn’t let my mate spiral into a pool of endless possibilities.According to my future self, the trial was to kill each other, and if we refused, then there would be no trial anymore. However, it wasn’t that simple. It had to be done as a blood oath made to Selene, and blood oaths gave no take-backsies.“That's not possible,” I told her, feeling a dull fear rising inside of me.“You're pure evil. Keeping me alive to taunt me,” Raina said in short, curt tones with fisted hands and a blade-sharp glare. “You and your ridiculous aspirations.” She tapped a finger against her temple. “Get it in your operating chip. Your ambitions are thwart
VALEN’S POV “Where the hell are we?” Raina retorted as I placed her down on her feet inside the ritual circle, but kept her shoulders in my grasp.Every line and curve on her face was etched by misery and sorrow. Look at me kidnapping my own mate as if this relationship were forbidden. We are meant to be together, yet here we are being forced apart by terrible forces.“Dark Wolverson,” I told her softly, hugging her as if all the love in my heart could burst out of me to console her, just by having our bodies close. “The ritual temple.”Goddess, she looked drained, very tired, worn out, and washed out. Her eyes were wild, and her untidy, burgundy hair was damp from rain. It was knotted far from her scalp, and loose enough for heavy strands to slump against her shoulders, clinging to her neck and temples, the rest draped together down her back, tangled and darkened by water.“You changed the stage.” She looked at me strangely, and the unease etched into her expression had me on edge.
RAINA’S POVOn impulse, I released the post and launched into the air. My body curved in an arch mid-flight. Wind ripped past my ears as I flipped and landed in a crouch, knees bent and one leg sweeping out wide, fingers grazing the dirt for balance.My head snapped up, eyes locking again with Valen’s, heart hammering as adrenaline surged through me.Valen didn’t say a word, but his gaze gripped me tightly. Beneath the surface calm was a storm; his pupils dilated, shoulders rigid, fingers trembling slightly at his sides.Like a switch flipped, Valen growled in outrage, his voice molding with his wolf’s. “Are you trying to kill yourself?!”“Says the toy soldier that ruins everything for me,” I blurted, pressing my palm to the ground and pushing up quickly to stand. “The Timekeepers rewind your memory, activate you and point you at me in every damn trial, including this one.”“Alright, Valen will leave.” Devin’s suggestion got cut off by a growl.“No, I won’t,” Valen said, his tone flat
RAINA’S POVIn that moment, I swear a piece of my soul just packed its luggage and divorced my body as I saw Valen standing in front of me, like a printout of my nightmare into reality, pressing my panic buttons.“Ah, there he is, the man of the hour. Time to handle your Poison Ivy. Good news, she’s out of weapons. Bad news, she’s still got that killer personality. One wrong move and…” Theo’s rough but dry voice trailed off, wheezing slightly."Stealthy as always, huh, V9?" I muttered under my breath with all the venom I could lace into my words.The reprogramming was quick. Too quick.Unnerved, I gulped as crashing footsteps rushed towards me. Pure terror overwhelmed me, and I wished the ground would swallow me whole. I was out of moves. I couldn’t outrun him, and he could overpower me easily.“Don’t.” I shook my head, backing up two steps, and holding my hands up. “Don’t come any closer.”Valen halted, and his dark features softened, eyes narrowing with unnatural concern. Those emera
RAINA’S POVIf I hadn't been wary of the Timekeepers, I probably would have believed every word, but I quietly shook the thought from my head. I refused to buy the garbage his lips were selling.“Whatever,” I remarked snidely, and his face creased, hurt with devastating disappointment.I won't suffer a miscarriage of justice where I'd be the one bleeding. New confidence surged through me.“You can't beat Valen, but you can win together,” Theo enunciated, surprising me with the vehemence in his voice.“I'll die trying,” I snapped, grinding my teeth. My hands laxed, too tired from striving to cut off his air supply.“If you die and face Cronus, he'll wipe your existence. You'll be the Luna who never was. We won't have memories of you, including Valen,” he expressed gravely. That look of pity, of anxious concern, had returned.Don't I know it, I internalized.With a resigned sigh, I shoved his chest and straightened my shoulders.Target neutralized.There was no doubt that this alternate