Ascend or Be Consumed

I sucked in a shaky breath, trying to contain the overwhelming power that hit me like a thunderbolt as Desmond and his friends howled with laughter. “Leave her alone, Desmond,” one of the younger boys muttered, but it was half-hearted. No one stood up to Desmond. Not really. They preferred to lick his ass since he was the next Alpha of the most powerful and popular pack in the northern territory. He could do no wrong in the Alpha’s eyes, and the Pack Elders turned a blind eye to his cruel actions since it was aimed at me “the cursed, half-blood” I didn’t dare confide in my stepmother. She wouldn't believe me and would want to investigate but by then, my father would have heard of it eventually, and he’d twist the story until I became the villain. I still regretted the last time I tried to speak out against Desmond. It didn’t matter how cruel he was, how twisted he was upstairs, he was Pureblood. The first and only son of Alpha Darrin Sterling. Power and Blood forgave eve

“I—” The word caught in my parched throat. Before I could form a proper word, he said out of the blue. “Expect me tonight.” “But.” I started, and he tilted his head, giving an assessing look that made me temporarily forget what I wanted to say. “Be careful, more Apex students would ask to fill your mana before you're taken to the Hall of Mirrors but they’ll only contaminate your pure, inner Core so you will fail the Trial of Mirrors. If you fail, it will be removed and sold to the highest bidder.” I blinked hard as his words sank in. “A-are you trying to contaminate my…my Core too?” I stuttered. “No, love.” He answered and grinned at me with the most perfect white teeth. “I am one of the school’s five most powerful Alphas, and tonight, I will claim you… alter you, refine you.” I closed my eyes as his words coaxed more fluids out of my throbbing pussy. I sink my teeth into my lower lip, trying to stop my mind from wandering to what he really means by 'altering' a

“You are my mate.” He said as if in disbelief. His voice was so thick and rough that it resonated through the whole chamber. I heard him clearly but I couldn't speak or react. He maintained eye contact with me as he began to shift. This wasn't the first time I would be seeing someone shifting into their wolf form as I had grown up in a Pack, but I couldn't drag my eyes away from him as his bones started to crack, and a mix of black, white, and brown fur sprouted across his skin. I was completely enthralled. Just like I had been when I first saw Corin, the fallen angel. My wolf, which I assumed to be absent, began to respond in kind after he stood before me in all his glorious might. I gasped as extreme heat bloomed in my chest and expanded like an inferno. The next thing I knew, his shift triggered mine! My eyes widened in shock when I felt my bones begin to crack but the pain became extremely agonizing. When I couldn't take it anymore, I let out a harsh cry. “Ahh!

I moved forward silently, following behind him. Then I noticed my footsteps had vanished. My heart thudded in my chest as unease curled through me. This was completely bizarre even for Blackcroft. But I reminded myself: here, the impossible was expected. The deeper we climbed, the more silent it became. It was as if the staircase itself had devoured noise, connection, even time. My legs felt weak at that moment, but I quickly regained my composure. So this is how it begins. I should have been afraid. I was. But under this extreme fear, I felt a sense of familiarity with this place. Like I belonged here. But will I ever get to ascend to the Apex if my Core was stripped off? What would happen if I fail this first Crucible? What if the Mirror sees everything I didn't even know I was? What if it saw nothing? What if I passed? Will I finally be recognized here, or will everyone see me as a curse again? I jerked out of my spiraling thoughts as another door form

I caught High Chancellor Veylor’s wrist, gripping it tightly, trying to ground myself and attempting to stop him before I lost what was left of my control. “You can't resist the passion we intended to consume you with, Juno,” he murmured. “You will want all of us in ways you would never be able to imagine or explain. This is fate.” *** I’d spent time learning about the Apex Hierarchy from our House Head, Mistress Lune. We became fast friends because she was a half-werewolf and half-fae like me. She told me that the five most powerful alphas in the school formed the Apex Circle—an elite group that sat at the top of the food chain across all realms: Mortal, Demon, and Magical. From her, I also learned something even more staggering; Blackcroft was built at the very center of those realms. The stone chamber where I had met all of them wasn't just a room with ancient energy. They called it the Nexus of Power. Mistress Lune said the five alphas were students too but I beli