Whew… Calantha said “rage first, cry later.” If you’ve ever wanted to outrun heartbreak or chuck a necklace at someone’s emotionally unavailable chest, this one’s for you. Hahaha Kaidennnnn? You're on thin ice. Real thin. See you in the next chapter, where the drama’s only just getting started. — With love & chaos, Zee💋 Your favorite emotional rollercoaster operator. hahaha
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
KAIDENAs my car rolled to a stop in the packhouse parking lot, I let out a deep sigh. Just being here made my chest feel heavier. The weight of pack duties, my mother’s constant pressure, her annoying obsession with picking a concubine for me,…. it was all waiting for me inside.And the one person who made it all feel bearable wasn’t even here anymore.The thought of her hit me again. That sharp ache in my chest showed up just like it always did every time I thought about her since she left.My mind drifted back to earlier today, at the academy’s sport field. I could still see her standing there, those big angry olive green eyes locked on mine. She throwing my necklace back at me as her words cut me deep.At first, when she had confronted me, I had been so shocked that I couldn’t speak. Immediately, I figured she had just found out about the concubine situation. And for the first time in a long while, I felt powerless and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t chase after her. I wanted to
CALANTHA The rest of the week felt like a blur.Between trying to heal from my heartbreak, attending the academy, pretending Kaiden didn’t exist—though I somehow always ran into him—and competing in the Wolfville Blood Games trials, I stayed busy. And even though I didn’t care about the tournament, I kept winning. Surprisingly.The only thing that really kept me sane, though, was the boutique. I kept showing up every day with Eloise and Nyx, throwing myself into work like it could patch up the aching hole in my chest.And as always, the girls stayed by my side through everything.“Our boutique sales keep going up every week, except for the elite membership club.” Nyx said with a sigh, eyes glued to the computer screen as she scrolled through our sales database. We were both sitting on the counter while Eloise munched loudly on a burger beside me, and the salesgirls attended to customers.“We might’ve beat Isadora’s boutique in sales,” Nyx added, “but her membership club still has us
CALANTHA “Your Highness. Welcome to Pinkie Boutique and Elite Club,” I said, quickly bowing my head. “It’s an honor to have you here.”Queen Adeline was now standing in front of me with the lady by her side. When I raised my head again, I found her eyes locked on me, cold and unreadable just like Kaiden’s. You could never guess what they were thinking.This was the first time I was seeing her since I left the packhouse. We hadn’t crossed paths until now. And although it looked like she had a lot to say, she kept it all to herself.Instead, she said, “Calantha… meet Ivy Knight. She’s the daughter of Councilman Leonard Knight. And Kaiden’s choice.”The moment those last words left her mouth, my whole body froze. My chest tightened, and that same hollow feeling returned, ripping open the wound I had been trying so hard to heal.My eyes moved to the lady beside her again before I could stop them. I fought to keep the tears from rising, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat.She s
IVYI sat quietly in front of the mirror in the guest room where I stayed at the packhouse. The maids surrounded me, gently working on my hair, styling it into soft, loose waves that flowed down my shoulders. While some focused on my hair, others applied light makeup to my face and dusted my body with powder. A sweet, floral perfume filled the air as they sprayed it over me, adding a hint of shimmer to my skin with body oil.They were getting me ready to meet the Lycan King.But as I stared at my reflection, my mind drifted to earlier today at the boutique. The moment I had walked in with Queen Adeline and finally saw her.The woman who had captured the Lycan King’s heart.In this my short stay at the packhouse, I had overheard Queen Adeline’s quiet conversations with the maids. She often asked for updates on a girl named Calantha. It didn’t take long for me to realize they were her eyes and ears; spying for her and reporting back every little detail. It made me wonder who Calantha
IVYA shaky breath slipped past my lips as I stepped into the chamber, relieved to find it empty. The Lycan King wasn’t here—at least, not yet. But I knew I couldn’t turn back. He could walk in at any moment.I used the little time I had to finally breathe, letting my eyes wander around the room. Everything was expensive and elegant. The antique paintings, the polished furniture, the rich color of the drapes. It all screamed power and wealth. He definitely had a taste for the finer things.Slowly, I began to pace, taking it all in with quiet awe.Then, out of nowhere, a deep voice shot through the silence making me almost jump out of my skin. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?”I spun around so fast, only to face the Lycan King who was now standing just a few feet away, his hair damp and with droplets of water still sliding down his bare chest. The only thing covering him was a towel loosely wrapped around his waist.It was now clear that all the while I thought he was ou
KAIDENThe anger I had been trying so hard to keep inside started bubbling again the moment I heard a knock at my door. My jaw clenched as the first thought crossed my mind. Ivy. That girl must have come back, even after I had humiliated her and kicked her out.The door opened before I could even respond, and my tension eased a little when I saw it was Bradley who walked in. He looked concerned, his brows furrowed as he stepped inside.“Did something happen between you and Councilman Leonard’s daughter?” he asked, glancing around the room before focusing on me.I was sitting on the edge of my bed, slowly sipping from a glass of wine. I didn’t answer him right away. I was still too angry, not just because of Ivy, but because of everything that had been building up inside me all day. Ivy had just added fuel to the fire.Bradley spoke again after a few seconds of silence.“I saw her crying in the hallway. From the way she looked and what she was wearing, I could tell she just came from
KAIDEN“Kaiden?”Calantha’s smile vanished as soon as she saw me. Her eyes widened, filled with shock and confusion.Even with the alcohol still fogging my head, I kept walking toward them. My eyes stayed locked on Cross, who looked annoyingly calm. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snapped as I reached them.Calantha stood frozen beside us, completely thrown off by my sudden appearance here.“My King.” Cross greeted with a small bow, then stood straight again, a smug smile tugging at his lips.That smile. It made my blood boil.I clenched my fists hard at my sides, seconds away from breaking his face. But then a voice in my head reminded me…This isn’t why you came here. Don’t ruin it more with Calantha.“I ran into the Luna at the restaurant nearby,” Cross said, holding up a brown paper bag that smelled of food. Calantha held one too. “It felt wrong to let her walk back alone by this hour of the night. I was just being helpful.”His voice was calm, almost casual. But I
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
CALANTHAThe rune blinked once then glowed gold. The words on it shifted and changed:Passed ⅓.“Oh, thank the gods,” Eloise breathed out behind me, placing a hand over her chest. She looked like she had been holding her breath the whole time. I let out a small laugh, the tension finally easing a bit. I turned to the timid boy.“Well done.”He smiled shyly, his cheeks turning red as he looked down at his shoes. His ears were flushed too.Before we could say anything else, another door shimmered to life —this time, the obsidian one. A second riddle echoed through the chamber:"I wear your face, but hide a knife. I smile as you bleed. Once I strike, the scent of trust never returns. What am I?"Isadora folded her arms across her chest and stepped forward with her usual smugness. “That’s betrayal.” She said with a slight toss of her head, her voice sharp and confident.“Wait,” I said quickly, holding up a hand. “Could it be deception? Or maybe false love?”She let out a small snort. “I
CALANTHA"Um... I-I think I panicked and pressed the wrong runes." Isadora mumbled as the floor finally stopped tilting and the magic fog faded. We slowly picked ourselves off the ground. Eloise and I stayed close together, like something terrible might happen if we let go of each other. Isadora, on the other hand, was still trying to act calm, like nothing had shaken her."It’ll work this time.” She said confidently and started walking toward the rune slab again, but Eloise quickly stepped in front of her."We only have one chance left, Isadora," Eloise warned. "You already messed up the first try. What makes you so sure you won’t mess up again?""Oh really? Then why don’t you try it if you think it’s so easy!" Isadora snapped, glaring at her.Eloise scoffed. "Oh, now you admit it’s not easy? That’s funny coming from someone who said she’s the best in werewolf history.""You’re just jealous because I’m better than you!" Isadora hissed, her face red with anger."Me? Jealous of you?"
CALANTHAWe were all sorted into groups of five. In my group, there was me, Eloise, Isadora, a girl, and another timid looking guy whose names I didn’t know. Each group was given a name, and ours was called Group Starlight. Nyx ended up in a different group.I couldn’t help but glance over at Kaiden. He was grouped with Lysandra, Sara, Ryker, and another boy. A jealous feeling crawled up my stomach at the thought of Lysandra being in the same group as him. My jealousy only grew when Kaiden sent me a small smile from across the field. I pouted and looked away, feeling even more annoyed. Why couldn’t I have been in his group instead of her?"The gods, I’m so nervous." Eloise said next to me, kicking her legs as she warmed up, her face serious like she was going into battle.Before I could say anything back, Mr. Fisher spoke up again."Each group will enter the portal one at a time," he said, his voice loud and clear. "You’ll each be taken to a different puzzle room. You’ll have no mor
CALANTHA"I still can't believe you're hooking up with the Lycan King again after everything he did to you!" Eloise said beside me, throwing her hands up in frustration as we walked down the academy hallway, surrounded by other students. I had just finished telling her and Nyx about what happened yesterday. About me and Kaiden’s ‘little moment’, and Queen Adeline showing up at my doorstep. And Eloise and Nyx’s reactions were exactly what I had expected."Shhh!" I hissed quickly, glancing around to make sure no one had heard. I turned back to Eloise, shooting her a warning glare. "Someone might hear you! And remember, no one’s supposed to know I’m out of the packhouse yet."Eloise just rolled her eyes, and Nyx leaned in closer to ask in a quieter voice, "How did you two even make up?""I don't know," I said with a small shrug. "It just... happened."Eloise shook her head. "Well, as much as I don't want to see you get hurt again, I'm glad Queen Adeline walked in on you and Kaiden hal