MasukAzraelI poured myself another glass of drink, just like I had been doing for the past few days. The bottle on my desk was almost empty, yet I reached for it again without thinking.The alcohol had little effect on me. It didn't calm my anger or ease the frustration eating away at me. If anything, it only gave me something to do while I sat alone in my office, drowning in thoughts I couldn't escape, It had been like this every day.Three days, that was all that remained before my mating ceremony. The closer the day came, the worse my mood became. I was angry all the time. The slightest thing annoyed me, and everyone around me seemed to know better than to cross my path.I hadn't spoken to Mother since the day she cornered me at the arena and made that announcement before the entire kingdom. Thinking about it still made my jaw tighten.That day should have been about the warriors. They had fought with everything they had, risking their lives in the contest. They deserved to be celebrat
AthenaThere were only three days left until the mating ceremony. Yet I still hadn't come up with a single plan that could stop it from happening. The thought alone made me restless.For the past few days, my mind had been working endlessly, searching for even the smallest loophole that I could use against Aurora. Every possibility I came up with ended in failure before it even began.Every time I closed my eyes, all I could picture was Aurora standing beside Azrael as the newly crowned Luna of the Central Kingdom. The image alone was enough to make my blood boil.Talia had even tried to help, she had casually brought up the subject with Gabriel, asking if it was possible for someone to challenge the Luna on the day of the mating ceremony.Unfortunately, his answer had crushed the little hope we had. According to him, it wasn't possible. The council would never approve such a challenge because Aurora hadn't officially become Luna yet. She first had to be given the opportunity to prove
AthenaGabriel stepped forward, a tablet resting in one hand as he stood confidently before everyone in the conference hall. The room immediately became quiet, every pair of eyes fixed on him. This was the moment all of us had been waiting for ever since the contest ended."I want to congratulate every one of you," he began. "The determination and strength you've shown to make it this far is truly commendable."A proud smile settled on his face before he continued."By the end of today, each of you will know the position you've been assigned within the kingdom. You may begin with a lower rank, but if you continue to work hard and prove yourselves, there will always be opportunities to rise through the ranks."The hall filled with applause as everyone clapped excitedly. All eighty contestants who had successfully earned a place in the king's army were seated inside the large conference hall. We weren't alone. The hall was also occupied by people who held important positions within the
Athena"But she doesn't have a wolf. What kind of creature is she?" I heard some of the contestants whisper among themselves.I pretended not to hear them, by now, I had grown used to the whispers. Ever since the tournament began, people had been trying to figure out how someone without a wolf had managed to defeat so many werewolves. At first, they laughed at me and dismissed me as nothing more than a weak human who would be eliminated in the first round.Now, they looked at me with confusion and a little fear. I had just won my final combat match and secured my place among the top two hundred contestants who would advance to the next stage of the competition.The past few days had been nothing short of exhausting. Fight after fight, I had been forced to face opponents who were naturally stronger and faster than I was. Every victory came at a price.My arms were covered in bruises. Small cuts decorated my skin, and several parts of my body still ached from the previous rounds. Even w
Athena“Sunshine, I don't see why you have to participate in this competition. You can always join the next one,” Azrael said.I immediately shook my head. “No. I already told both of you that I'm perfectly fine and fit enough to do this. Please stop trying to talk me out of it,” I said, looking between Azrael and Talia.Today was finally the day of the contest, I was in our apartment, getting ready. Azrael had come over early this morning before his duties as king demanded his attention. The contest was one of the biggest events in the kingdom, so he would have plenty to do once the crowds arrived. Yet, instead of focusing on that, he was here, trying to convince me not to participate.Talia was doing the exact same thing , ever since my accident, they had both been treating me as if I were made of glass.After Talia informed me that Raven had removed my name from the list of contestants, I had immediately contacted Azrael. At first, he refused to put my name back on the list. Unfort
AthenaWhen I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in a hospital bed back in the kingdom. For a moment, I simply stared at the white ceiling above me, trying to make sense of where I was.I slowly turned my head and looked around the room, Talia was sitting beside my bed. The moment she noticed my eyes were open, she jumped up from her chair and rushed toward me."Athena, you are awake," she said excitedly. I gave her a small nod and carefully pushed myself into a sitting position.Immediately, my eyes dropped to my injured leg, it was wrapped neatly in bandages. Slowly, I lifted it, I expected a sharp pain to shoot through me, but nothing happened.Confused, I moved it again, still nothing, my frown deepened. I reached up and touched the injury on my head. The wound had been bandaged as well, but just like my leg, it didn't hurt anymore.My fingers moved across my body. There were still bruises and cuts scattered over my skin, evidence of everything I had endured, yet I couldn't fee
AthenaThe impact was brutal. A deafening crash echoed through the forest as the truck lurched violently to the side. I was thrown from my seat, my body slamming against the metal interior. Around me, everyone screamed as the vehicle rocked dangerously. The sound of metal scraping against metal fil
Athena“Do you have any idea why the Head of Supervisors is asking to see us at this time?” Talia asked as we walked side by side toward her office.I shook my head. “I have no idea. You know I am still completely new to this,” I replied.Just as Azrael had promised, I had been promoted to the posi
AzraelAzrael’s mouth found mine again, the kiss wasn’t gentle, it was a claim, a statement, teeth grazing my lower lip before his tongue swept inside and erased every thought I’d been holding.My hands found his hair, that impossible softness my fingers had been hungry, I dug in, nails scraping hi
Athena“What do you want, my not-so-dearest evil twin?” I asked.A tight smile appeared on Aurora's face, but it didn't reach her eyes. “Sit down. Let's talk,” she said, gesturing toward a couch nearby.I folded my arms across my chest and remained where I was. “You do not order me. If you have som







