ログインElsie’s POV That was actually great for us. It meant I would be able to watch a full match and study the dynamics before we needed to play our own round. I spotted Tate down on the field with team one; he was wearing a white cloth headband around his forehead. Some of the men out there were shirtless, probably to avoid being grabbed, while some were fully dressed. I guess it was entirely up to personal preference. They were all wearing their colored headbands, though, to keep the teams clear.Team one took the left side of the field while team two took the right side. I counted how many men each side had on the field, and it was eight players.I looked back around at the men sitting in my own section, a feeling of guilt lancing through me. I realized then that I didn't really know these men or their strengths at all. What a fantastic leader I was. The very first thing I should have done was a proper team introduction. Anyways, it was far too late for regrets now; we would just hav
Elsie's POV I stepped outside and immediately entered the thick, bustling throng of recruits moving down the dirt paths. The crowd was dense, and I got pushed and shoved every which way by broad shoulders until a large hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.Instinct took over, and I pulled my fist back to strike, but the person immediately shouted, "It's me! Don't shoot!"I dropped the punch I had ready, instantly recognizing Tate’s breathless voice through the noise. I let out a sharp breath and rolled my eyes. With how crowded and bustling everywhere was right now, the camp felt more like a chaotic festival fair. Usually, all the different recruit teams had different training schedules, so we didn't see each other very often during the week. But now, every single recruit in the Iron Hold was walking and milling about in the same space.As we walked, I quickly calculated the numbers in my head. If there were an average of fifty men in each te
Elsie's POV Commander Hunter, Dane, the head healer, and the now crying girl all shuffled out of the tent in a tense, hurried silence, leaving the space completely quiet. The leather flaps settled back into place, sealing the two of us inside.The Lycan King sat at his desk for a long moment before he spoke. "Come here."I took a deep breath, trying with everything in me to pull my shattered emotions together. I didn't want to look like my entire world had just crashed down around me. I turned around, walked closer to his large desk, and kept my eyes fixed firmly on the floor."Let me see your hands," he said softly.I slowly stretched my arms out across the dark wood, palms facing up. He leaned forward, his green eyes examining the multiple bleeding cuts and the slow, sluggish way my skin was trying to knit itself back together. He didn't touch me though, keeping a strict distance, but his gaze was intense.Then, he looked up, locking his eyes onto mine above my mask. "Are the cuts
Elsie's POV I walked further inside toward the back area, stepping behind the privacy screen, and started wiping down the space the Lycan King uses to bathe, cleaning up the dried suds and grime from the edges.The fabric of the screen didn't block the sound. I heard the head healer’s voice speak first. "As I was saying, Your Majesty, I have already sent a letter to a trusted human doctor I am familiar with to know how soonest an appointment can be made for the test."I paused my wiping. For them to need a doctor in the human cities, whatever they wanted to do was something that required advanced medical treatment or specialized equipment. Is someone important very ill?Dane’s voice boomed next. "When the date is confirmed, would the King also need to make the journey to the city?"The healer woman sighed. "No. Just some strands of his hair can be sent along in a sealed container. Liliana will go with some attendants and guards, but the travel would have to happen in her second trime
Elsie's POV I stood at the front of the clearing, my heart beating fast as I addressed the crowded lines of recruits. A low, persistent murmuring broke out among some of the men in the back rows, their voices blending into an annoying hum. I couldn't imagine what they were saying about me, but I honestly didn't have it in me to call them to order. As long as they weren't disrupting things or walking away, I decided to let it slide. I took a deep breath, consciously amplifying my voice much more so the sound could be heard clearly through the fabric of my mask. I also didn't forget to deepen my pitch, forcing the masculine Elias persona into every word."Listen up!" I called out, projecting across the dirt. "We are team four, and we would be going up against team three. We don't know the kind of men they have over there, or the skills they might be facing off against us with. But if we work together as a team, we will do well."I paused, looking at the stone-faced warriors. "We don'
Quinn's POV I still felt like I had dreamt the previous night’s events, but with how incredibly vivid the memory was in my mind, it simply could not be so. Someone had been right there with me while I was shifted into my Lycan form. And it wasn't even someone I had known for a long time.It was Elias. The scrawny, pretty-looking boy.I felt ravenous this morning, my metabolism burning through my energy reserves after the intense strain of the full moon. But it was only after the recruits finished their morning training session that my breakfast tray would be brought to my tent. I couldn't lie to myself and pretend that I wasn't looking forward to seeing him walk through my tent flaps.I needed a distraction to kill the time and burn off the remaining restless energy buzzing under my skin. I figured I should probably go find Jasper to practice fight. He should be free at the moment, seeing as he is the head of the scouts and doesn't run a recruit training unit like Hunter.I left my p
Quinn's POV It was the night of the full moon.Like usual on these miserable nights, I was huddled up in a dark, secluded thicket close to the stream, waiting in isolation until the forced shift inevitably happened and passed. But tonight, my mind wasn't entirely focused on the upcoming physical a
Elsie's POV An unknown cracking sound outside the tent jolted me awake, and I immediately realized my error.I had slept for far too long.I hurriedly shoved my feet into my leather shoes, barely tying the laces, and ran outside into the cool air. A quick glance at the sky confirmed my worst fears
Elsie's POV Training was finally over for the day, and Commander Hunter had gathered us around to give a quick, broad rundown of how the upcoming game trials would work. I was barely paying any attention to his booming voice, though, seeing as my mind was completely consumed by the thought of bein
Quinn's POV I stood tall on the edge of the raised wooden platform, my hands clasped tightly behind my back as I watched the recruits engage in their endurance drills. I have been standing here for over an hour now. Below me, the clearing was a chaotic mess of grunting men. A few of the recruits







