LOGINElsie’s POV I spotted him instantly and chased after him. Hearing my boots thudding behind him, he looked back over his shoulder with a look of panic. I let out a dark smirk because we both knew he wasn't going to make it to our platform.I lunged forward, tackling him hard to the ground. We rolled into the dirt, and as we scrambled, he threw a wild punch that, honestly, I wasn't expecting at all. The blow caught me squarely in the jaw, sending a throbbing ache radiating through my face.My wolf growled in anger. I threw his red flag far aside to clear the space, pinned his shoulders, and threw three successive, lightning-fast punches of my own to his face. The final blow knocked him out cold, his head dropping back into the grass. Well, there was no rule against knocking your opponents out cold. I scrambled back to my feet, panting, and picked the red flag back up.Right then, another loud roar erupted from the crowd. I looked over toward their platform and saw a second blue flag s
Elsie’s POVI tried my hardest to ignore the prickly feeling on my skin and the unwanted thoughts that came right along with it. Forcing my head straight forward, I kept my eyes pinned on the match below.Down on the field, the white team was dominating. They already had two of their white flags planted firmly into the black team's territory, while the black team had managed to secure just one single flag on the white side. As I watched, two large men from team black quickly cornered a guy from team white near the boundary line, effectively boxing him in so he couldn't advance. Before they could strip the flag from his grip, another guy from team white came out of nowhere and body-rammed into one of the black team defenders. The impact threw the man off balance and gave the cornered guy a perfect window of opportunity to escape the trap.I noted the move instantly. Okay, so hitting and pushing each other is allowed.The escaping warrior sprinted a few yards before passing the flag of
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
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







