KAIDEN“Just like you asked, I’ve assigned two private security officers to watch over the Luna from a distance,” Bradley reported, standing in front of the dining table where I sat, slowly picking at my food. “They’re highly trained, professional, and personally recommended by Hana.”I didn’t respond right away as I continued to eat. The food tasted like nothing. I was only eating to keep my strength up after my beast had left me completely drained.“Make it five.” I said flatly, still chewing slowly, eyes on my plate. I didn’t bother looking up at him.“Understood, my King. I’ll take care of it.” Bradley replied, bowing slightly.I finally leaned back from the table and gave a small signal. The servants standing by moved quickly to clear the dishes. Bradley’s eyes followed them, then turned back to me with concern.“But… you barely touched your meal, my King.” He said carefully.“I’m full.” I muttered, wiping the corners of my mouth with a napkin.He didn’t leave. Instead, he stood
CALANTHAThe weekend came and it sucked. I was lying on the couch, surrounded by junk food wrappers, eating popcorn straight from the bucket, and staring blankly at the ceiling. I had been bingeing on snacks and doing absolutely nothing for the past few days, stuck in a haze of sadness and confusion. Somewhere in my head, I knew I should probably get up and do something useful, but I just couldn’t.I told myself it was post-breakup depression. Even though Kaiden and I weren’t exactly real mates, the pain still felt real. Maybe that was what made it worse. Falling so hard for someone who never truly claimed me. Pathetic, isn’t it?It still didn’t stop the sudden bursts of tears or those awful waves of emotion every time I thought about him. I couldn’t believe he actually let me go so easily, like I meant nothing.And just as I was spiraling again, my phone buzzed beside me. I grabbed it half-heartedly, expecting a random notification, but it was a message from our friendship group
CALANTHAEloise and Nyx honestly felt like gifts from the gods. With them around, I barely had time to feel sad or think too much about Kaiden. We had a cozy movie night, played silly games, went shopping, and even stopped by the amusement park on our way back. Before I knew it, I was laughing again. And for the first time in a while, I let myself enjoy the moment, pushing all the pain and heartbreak to the back of my mind.Before long, Monday arrived. Since both Eloise and Nyx were still staying over at my place, we decided to go to the academy together. Eloise drove, blasting loud music from her car speakers while Nyx and I sang along at the top of our lungs, laughing like kids.When we reached the academy, the hallway was packed. Students stood in big groups, all crowding around one side of the wall. Everyone seemed excited, trying to catch a glimpse of something.“What do you think it is?” Nyx asked, her eyes scanning the crowd around us. We heard a group of girls squealing in e
KAIDEN“Ivy has been the top student in our pack’s academy since she was a child,” Councilman Leonard said proudly. “She even started her own charity to support the less privileged in our pack. She’s quiet, loves her books, and always keeps to herself.”“Really?” My mother let out a soft laugh at his words. “Then she truly sounds like the perfect match for my son.”As they went on talking about the idea of Ivy being the best concubine candidate for me, I kept eating my food silently, not bothering to join their conversation.We were all seated around the dining table—my mother, Councilman Leonard, Ivy, and me. I noticed Ivy sneaking shy glances at me while she quietly ate her food, but I didn’t look back at her. The only time I had actually looked at her was when she first walked in with her father.She was beautiful, no doubt. Tall, slender, with curly blonde hair. But nothing about her stood out to me. Not the way Calantha had.And that frustrated me.No matter how much I tried to m
LYSANDRA“Welcome back, Miss.” Gia greeted with her usual warm smile as she helped me take off my backpack.“How was school today?”“Boring, like always.” I sighed, letting her take the bag from my shoulder.Gia had been my personal maid since she was eight, and over the years, we had grown close. More like best friends than anything else. But she never dropped the formal tone. Maybe it was because my mother never liked it when she did. Even when we were little, one disapproving look from my mother was enough to keep Gia in line.“You know,” Gia said with a soft laugh as we walked through the entrance of the mansion, “most top students love school. But you? You're a mystery.”I gave her a small smile. “I know, right?”But the truth was, my grades weren’t really for me. They were for my mother. I worked hard, stayed on top, played the perfect daughter just so she would look at me with even a hint of approval. That was the way I had lived my life.As we reached the foyer, I saw my moth
CALANTHAToday marked the official start of the Wolfville Blood Games trials. Because of that, our school schedule was split in two. Mornings were for regular classes, and the afternoons were reserved for tournament activities.As soon as the second half of the day arrived, we were told to change into our sportswear and head straight to the school field. Honestly, I didn’t want to be here. I had no interest in joining the tournament, but I had no choice. It was mandatory for everyone between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four to participate in the trials. I didn’t complain though, because I already knew I wouldn’t make it past the first round.While the P.E. teachers guided us through warm-ups, I stretched my arms and casually looked around. That was when my eyes landed on Kaiden.He was stretching a few feet away, and for a second, I felt everything around me pause.The early afternoon sun lit up his dark coffee-brown hair, making it shine a little. His strong muscles shifted und
CALANTHA Alright… here goes nothing. I stepped onto the track with the rest of the girls, trying not to look like I was already dreading what was about to happen. From the far end, I saw Nyx flash me a thumbs-up with a quick smile. I returned the gesture, even though we both knew it was pointless. There was absolutely no way I was making it through this race. “You’ve got this, besties!” Eloise called from the sidelines, clapping like the proud cheerleader she was. Then the starting gun went off. Before I could even blink twice, most of the girls had dashed ahead while I was still trying to figure out how to move my legs fast enough without tripping over them. Even Nyx was ahead of me athough judging by how others passed her too, I figured we were both pretty hopeless. “Come on, Cal!” she called over her shoulder before focusing back on the track and picking up speed like her life depended on it. Meanwhile, I felt like I was jogging more than running. My lungs were already com
CALANTHAI wiped at my tears as I hurried back inside the school building, quietly sobbing. Thank the gods, the hallways were empty because everyone was still out on the field. At least no one would see me like this, looking broken and miserable.I headed toward the hallway where the lockers were. I needed to grab one of my face wipes and clean my face before the dried-up tears made me look like a mess.I froze as I heard voices echoed from around the corner, and I slowed down, moving closer to the wall. Peeking out carefully, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was Eloise and Cross.They were standing near the lockers, facing each other, and it looked like things were getting tense. Not scary enough for me to jump in just yet, but definitely not the kind of conversation you wanted to interrupt either. Still, I kept my eyes on them, just in case things went south. From what I have learned, Cross wasn’t exactly someone you could trust.“I told you to stop coming around me! Why t
CALANTHA I didn’t know how long I stood frozen, locked in a silent staring match with the group of masked intruders.But I was the first to snap out of it. Without even thinking twice, I turned and ran.“Stop her!” One of them yelled, and the rest immediately started chasing after me.My heart pounded hard in my chest as I pushed myself to run faster, my legs burning with effort. I just needed to get away, and make it back.But of course, I wasn’t fast enough.“Get back here, you little…” I felt someone grab the back of my hoodie and yank it. The hood slipped off, and panic flooded me. I twisted and struggled, trying to break free, but the man flung me aside with ease. I hit the ground hard, scraping my hand. A sharp pain shot through me, and I let out a low grunt.“Who the hell are you?” I demanded, backing away on the ground as the group circled me. They all wore black, their faces hidden behind masks, their eyes cold and cruel.“The Luna,” the one who had shouted earlier said as
CALANTHAThe woman was running, holding a baby tightly in her arms. She was breathing hard, glancing back with fear in her eyes. I could see everything through the eyes of the baby she was holding, even though the woman’s face looked a bit blurred. She ran through the woods, stumbling over branches but quickly getting back on her feet. Her long white dress dragged along the forest floor as she moved, her face wet with tears and panic.Behind her, a group of incredibly tall men dressed in white robes chased after her. They held long staffs, and they looked terrifying.The woman turned her head again, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with fear. But just as she looked forward again, the hem of her dress caught on a broken branch.She fell to the ground with a heavy thud. But even as she hit the earth, she protected the baby in her arms, cradling the child’s head so it wouldn’t get hurt.“Give us the child,” one of the men ordered. They stood over her now, their staffs raised like weapo
KAIDEN“The tournament organizers, led by the High Priestess, have begun preparations,” Bradley reported calmly. “From what I’ve seen in the mails sent to you, several high-ranking figures will begin arriving in our pack starting tomorrow. The Vampire King is among them. His crowned prince will be participating in the tournament as well.”My hand froze mid-sentence, the quill pausing just above the paper. I had been drafting formal invitations to other royals across the realm, but Bradley’s last words caught my attention.“The Vampire Prince?” I asked, glancing up at him with a slight frown. “Didn’t he take part in the last tournament with me?”Bradley nodded. “Yes, my King. Like you, this will be his second, and final tournament.”“Interesting.” I muttered, eyes returning to the letter I had been writing.Back then, the Vampire Prince had proven himself a worthy opponent. He was tactical, fierce, and unpredictable. He had made the games challenging, not just for me but for the entire
LYSANDRAI took a deep breath, a soft smile spreading across my face as I sipped my tea. The warm scent of flowers and herbs from the garden surrounded me, wrapping me in a calm I rarely found anywhere else.It was early morning, and the academy was on a short break for the next two days. That meant I could spend time in my favorite place. The garden.The break had been given because of the upcoming tournament. Preparations had already started, and soon the pack would be buzzing with important guests from different packs, clans, and kingdoms. But for now, everything was still and quiet.Days like this were the ones I treasured the most. Sitting here, away from all the noise, just watching the flowers sway in the wind, the butterflies flit around, and the squirrels chase each other with tiny nuts. It felt like a little piece of heaven.My smile faded a little as my eyes caught a squirrel struggling under a low shrub. I leaned in for a closer look and noticed its leg was injured. It loo
NYXMy eyes widened in shock and fear. My heart thumped wildly as I stared at the broken pieces of the vase I had just smashed against his head.He lay on the floor, groaning in pain, a small trail of blood trickling from the side of his head. At least he was still alive. For a second, I had thought I killed him.“You…” he groaned, trying to crawl toward me, reaching for my foot. But before he could get close, I turned and ran—bolting out the door and down the hallway, my torn nightie flapping behind me, barely covering my body.I didn’t stop. Not even when I passed Aunt Diane, who was sitting in the foyer, lazily smoking her pipe. She sat up fast, sensing something was wrong. But I didn’t wait for her to ask. I just kept running.Because I knew that attacking an elite meant so much trouble for me. I was so done for. Once I burst through the gates and out onto the road, barefoot and shaking, I stopped in the middle of the street, my chest heaving. My ears rang with the sound of rushi
NYXTrigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of attempted assault and may be distressing for some readers. Please proceed with caution.~~~~After a while, I finished showering. The cold water stung the open cuts on my back from Aunt Diane’s whip, making me flinch every time it touched my skin. I bit back the tears, trying not to cry as I washed the blood away.Once I was done, I changed into the usual lingerie I wore on nights like this—thin, see-through, and short. It stopped just above my thighs, showing the lace panties and bra I wore underneath. I hated it. But I didn’t have a choice.I sat in front of the mirror, spraying some perfume on my neck and wrists. The smell filled the air, sweet and heavy. My stomach twisted, and I felt sick. My eyes were full of tears, but I held them back. I just stared at the broken girl looking back at me in the mirror.This was when I always blamed my mother. The anger inside me burned. If she had been a real mother, none of this would be hap
NYXI didn’t miss the way Eloise kept glancing at me with concern during the entire car ride from the academy. Her silence spoke louder than words. Every time I felt her eyes on me, I looked away, pretending to be interested in the scenery outside the window, pretending everything was fine.When we finally arrived at my aunt’s mansion, I opened the door and stepped out quietly, shutting it behind me. Just as I turned to leave, her voice stopped me.“Should I come in with you?” She asked through the rolled-down window, her tone gentle but filled with worry.I forced a small smile onto my face as I looked up at her. “It’s fine. You don’t have to.”But the moment our eyes met, she caught the fear behind my mask. I saw it in her face—the way her expression shifted. She opened her door and got out at once. “Come on,” she said, reaching for my hand. “Let’s go in together.”“I already said it’s fine.” I pulled my hand back softly, not harshly, but firm enough that she understood I wasn’t g
CALANTHA“I remember my name now!” The timid boy said as we lay on the ground, breathing hard and trying to recover from the adrenaline rush. A small, relieved laugh escaped his lips. “Oh, gods… I actually remember!”“I remember too!” Eloise gasped, turning her head quickly to look at me. A wide, happy smile lit up her face, just like his. “Calantha. I remember now. Damn, I thought I was going to lose my mind back there.”I laughed softly, still catching my breath. It felt so strange that just a few minutes ago, I couldn’t even recognize the girl beside me as my best friend.This trial was definitely the hardest, scariest, and most confusing thing we had ever faced. And honestly, I would give anything not to go through the main tournament after this.“Come on. Let’s go find Nyx.” Eloise said, pushing herself up and reaching a hand out to me. I took it and stood, brushing dried leaves and dirt off my clothes. The others got up too, and I looked around.Other participants were stepping
CALANTHA As everyone started to panic, shouting things like “Who are you?” and “Why are we here?”, I took a step back and let my eyes roam around the strange room that had trapped the five of us together.The walls were tall panes of silver glass, stretching out in every direction like an endless mirror maze, reflecting our confused faces a thousand times over. A soft hum echoed through the room, and suddenly, a glowing clock appeared on one of the mirrors.00:10:59.An eleven-minute countdown.Fear climbed up my throat. What were we supposed to do?Beside me, the timid-looking boy stepped closer to the mirrors, frowning as he studied the clock.“We’re being timed.” He said quietly.“Timed?” The girl with soft cherry-brown hair echoed, stepping forward to see for herself. Her forehead creased with worry.As everyone started pacing in confusion, trying to make sense of the place, I moved closer to one of the mirrors and stared into it.My breath caught in my throat.My reflection didn