Mag-log inRiley’s POVI stared at Roy for a second, my mind almost blank.“...What do you mean, execute you?”Roy was still on his knees, breathing hard. His face was wet with tears and dirt.“Kade said if I go back empty-handed, he’ll make an example out of me,” Roy said hoarsely. “Not just beat me up. He said he’d tie me to a tree at night and leave me there with fresh blood on my skin.”A chill ran down my spine.Carrion hounds.Or worse.I swallowed. “He’s bluffing. You’re his teammate. And this game is being broadcast right now. He would never do that.”Roy let out a weak, shaking laugh. “This is the guy who uses healers as bait, Riley! You know that more than anybody else. And the school doesn’t give a shit about guy like me. No rich and powerful family, no connections, no real potential. They will watch me get ripped apart by the hounds.”He was right. I knew exactly what kind of monster Kade could be.My fingers tightened around my dagger.God, I hated this.“And why should I believe yo
Riley’s POVThis wasn’t the first time I kissed him.But it’s the first time I ever felt like this.I could feel his body stiffen for a moment, as if he couldn't believe it. Then he suddenly tightened his arms, like he was trying to melt me into his body. His scent crashed against my soul like waves, so strong I could barely breathe, but I didn't hate it at all.The next thing I knew, I was pressed against the tree, with him kissing me like he wanted to swallow me as whole. I felt his hand slipping into my shirt and I quickly grabbed his wrist.“No wait. Not now,” I breathed, my face red. Had he forgotten that we were in the middle of a competition?He looked down at me. There was a hungry gleam in his eyes, full of lust and yarning.“Fuck, you’ve got to stop doing this to me,” he growled. “I’ve never wanted something this badly but couldn’t have it.”“It’s not the right time. And Silas—”His face darkened instantly. “Don’t mention other men right now.”I finished anyway. “And my team
Riley’s POVMy whole body went cold.Then hot.Then furious.This was exactly what I had been afraid of all along. Ezra and his endless messy history with girls. All those gorgeous, cheerleader exes. I knew how quick he moved on, and that’s why I kept telling myself not to fall for him like some stupid idiot.And still, the moment I saw him in the moonlight, my heart had leaped anyway.What a joke.I stared at Danica’s hand looped around Ezra’s arm and felt something ugly twist in my chest.“So he’s your bodyguard?” I avoided Ezra’s gaze and kept my eyes on her. “You don’t even have the courage to face me yourself.”He raised an eyebrow. She choked and forced out a smile, “Come on, Riley. You don’t need me to tell you the right from wrong. What you’re doing is very cruel. Inhuman, almost.”There it was again.That same fake moral tone from the broadcast.“So you are here to beg me,” I said coldly.Her expression turned harsher. “I’m not begging. I’m making demands. Reasonable demands.
Riley’s POVCamila’s alliance took a brutal hit.Even from the ridge, I could tell they were finished for the day. The ones who managed to escape were half-dragging, half-carrying each other through the trees. Some were limping. Some were bleeding so badly their clothes were soaked dark.And right in the middle of them, they were carrying Camila.As the top healer myself, I could see that most of her wounds would heal in a few days. She would suffer a bit. Let that be a lesson to her.But then I narrowed my eyes and looked closer.Wait, her leg.Even from this distance, I could see the flesh around the bite had already started turning an ugly grayish color. The wound edges were swollen and wet. That was no normal tear. One carrion hound must have drown their fangs all the way in.Shit.I knew that wound.Carrion hound bites weren’t just deep. Their saliva carried rot. If you didn’t treat it fast, the flesh started dying around the wound. Fever came next. Then infection. Then maybe you
Riley’s POVOlivia’s face went white.“N-No! Wait—” she shrieked as two of Ezra’s men strode toward her.They didn’t hesitate for even a second. One grabbed her by the arm. The other reached for her shoulder like they really meant to drag her all the way back to the blasted camp and toss her into the fire.“Odin, Odin, help me!!” she screamed, kicking her legs. “Look at them! Fucking monsters—Let me go!!”“Get your hands off my sister!” Odin roared.He shoved himself in front of Olivia, his eyes bloodshot. Even half injured, he still looked ready to fight Ezra and his teammates.“Riley, tell them to let her go!” he snapped his head around to me. He might really hate me if I didn’t do something.I narrowed my eyes, “Sure. But isn’t she going to apologize for what she said? Because I’m one hundred percent sure she wanted to screw me over.”Odin hadn’t even replied. And Olivia started screaming again, half-choking, “I was simply looking out for our team. Are you going to punish me for th
Riley's POVI stood there, my hands and legs still shaking from the fight.We poured everything we had into this and barely came out alive. And those robbers were just going to steal it?"Shame on you!!!" Odin's face twisted with anger. "This is against the rules! I'm going to report you all to the school board!"But our enemies only answered with a round of mocking laughter."Rules? Which rule says we can't reap the rewards of someone else's hard work?" Camila smirked. "Blame yourselves for being so stupid."Odin froze.She was right. None of the four rules the principal announced banned stealing."Now get the fuck away from our prize. You're blocking the way," Kade cursed.He jumped down from the cliff, bent over, and grabbed the tag from one of the boars' necks. You needed the tag from each beast to add the points to your team.I strode forward and pointed my knife at Kade. "Put it down.""Or what? You gonna kill me? You can barely stand," he sneered, glancing at my teammates. "Nei
Riley’s POV“What are they talking about?” Odin asked with a frown, clearly confused.I grabbed his wrist and started walking toward the door. “Let’s just go.”Camila burst out laughing behind me. “Yeah, run away. It’s not like you can afford anything in here anyway.”“Riley?” Odin asked again. “Wh
Riley’s POVAfter that day, Odin and I kept going into the mountains for training. We were syncing up better with every session, which also boosted Odin’s confidence in our team.As for the kiss, it never happened again.And we both silently agreed not to bring it up.With less than a week left bef
Riley’s POVI rolled my shoulder once and stepped back into the arena.“Let’s see what else you’ve got, asshole,” I growled.Vincent’s jaw was clenched tight. Ever since Ezra exposed him for sneaking in a knife, his face had been red like it was about to explode.“O-Or we don’t have to do this,” he
Riley’s POVI glared at him, furious. That shameless jerk!“Riley, your lips... what happened?” Odin asked, hesitating.“Nothing!” I said quickly.“You sure?” Ezra drawled, giving me a smug smile. “Because I know what happened last night. And I know who that guy was. You can’t lie about this, littl







