(Ryker's POV)Sleep wouldn’t come no matter how hard I tried to just lay dead on my bed. I tossed. Turned. Threw the blanket off. Pulled it back on, but still nothing.It was like my body was tired, but my mind refused to shut up. No matter how I tried to clear my thoughts, they circled back to her. The way she looked at me and Jessica at lunch, I just can’t get it out of my head. Frustrated, I sat up, dragging a hand through my hair with a heavy sigh."Screw this."I threw on a hoodie, laced up my boots, and stepped outside. Hoping to get some fresh air to clear my mind out. The cool breeze kissed my skin, carrying with it the earthy scent of pine and moss. Crickets chirped in the distance, and the moon peeked through drifting clouds, bathing the forest path in its silver luster.I walked, not caring where my feet will lead me. I just needed to breathe, to get this darn thoughts out of me head.While walking, I suddenly caught a strange scent.My steps began to falter, my brows cl
Before I could sidestep, she had already draped herself on me like a second skin, her hands snaking around my shoulders with a sickeningly sweet laugh."I missed you," she cooed, her voice so itchy to the ears that it made me want to gag. Okay, I admit, I used to like her, but that was before I was pulled out of my miserable nightmare. Those times when I was still stupid and blinded by rage.Seeing Jessica now, she really had no desirable qualities. Even when we were together, I knew she was sleeping with other warriors here. But again, it was my fault for not doing anything. There is always a consequence of inaction, but I guess the same rule applies whether we decie to act or not, it just depends on the intention of our decision. "Did you miss me? I just got back. We really need to catch up."I stiffened, trying not to cause a scene. "Jessica, let go."She giggled again and pressed closer, her boobs basically squishes between us. "Come on, don’t be like that. You used to like me a
(Ryker’s POV)Training was brutal. Even for someone like me. And it wasn’t because of the routine or intensity. It was because of her.Ivy.Every time she stepped forward to demonstrate a move, I found myself completely captivated. Not just by her grace or speed, but by the deadly precision in every step, every strike, every calculated motion of her body.She was lethal but at the same time stunning to look at.Gabriel even had to slap me multiple times, and hard, just to get me out of my trance.And Goddess, it made me realize something disturbing. If she had used even a fraction of that speed and skill during our spar... I would've been on my ass in under a minute.I felt both awe and something bordering on humiliation that she clearly had gone easy on me.Why? Was she trying to protect my pride? Or maybe... it was because she didn’t want to hurt me the way I had hurt her. I clenched my jaw at that thought."Ryker, focus," Jace barked at me from across the field. "You're drifting.
(Ryker’s POV)Pain.That was the first thing that registered to me the moment I started regaining consciousness. A sharp, throbbing pain stabbing through my skull like a hammer cracking stone.I groaned, shifting slightly as I massaged the back of my head. My entire body felt like it had been dragged through a grinder.What the hell happened?As I opened my eyes, the hazy outlines of the infirmary came into view. I blinked a few times to focus. My breath caught.How many times have I visited the infirmary this month?“Fuck!” I groaned as an aching pain shot through my side.This really has to stop. I can’t keep getting beaten up this badly.“Hmmm~” I froze, hearing a sound beside me.I turned my head slowly, and when my eyes landed on the person beside me, my heart stopped. For a moment I forgot to breathe.Beside me was the one person I never thought I’d ever come close to again. Or rather, the one I didn’t deserve to see again.Ivy.Her head rested gently on her arms, folded across
(Ivy’s POV)It had been almost a week since we arrived at Blood Moon Pack. The training we conducted with their warriors had been intense, brutal, even. We didn’t sugarcoat anything. As promised, we didn’t go easy on them. And though some of the warriors grumbled under their breath about the relentless drills and bone-deep exhaustion, none dared to challenge us. They knew better.They were no longer just training for strength. They were training for survival. Every moment counted now. Every bead of sweat could mean a life saved.Still, watching them improve was satisfying. Even if they resented us now, even if they hated the pain, we knew this was what was best for them.That afternoon, the air felt different.The sun was dipping low behind the trees, casting long golden shadows over the grounds as we finished a final round of weapon drills. My clothes stuck to my back with sweat, and my muscles ached, but there was something oddly calming about the discipline of it all.I remembered
(Ivy’s POV)I locked the door behind me and let my back press against it, my legs giving out as I slid down to the cold floor. The silence wrapped around me like a heavy fog, thick and suffocating.I tried to keep it together—tried to breathe, to calm my mind—but it was no use. The haunting voices, the humiliation, the pain… they clung to me like shadows I couldn’t shake.My eyes found the mirror across the room, and I flinched.I looked wrecked.My face was pale, my eyes red and glassy. My hair was a mess. But none of that hurt as much as the way I looked…lost…Tears slowly slipped from the corner of my eyes, cascading down my cheeks, then faster, no matter how hard I tried to stop them. I buried my face in my knees, muffling the broken sobs that tore through me. Everything I’d been holding back came crashing down in waves. The past. The pain. The confusion. The ache in my chest that is so hard to get rid off.Why couldn’t I just move on?I don’t know how long I stayed like that, mi