LOGINEmily’s POVThe arena fell into a heavy silence.It wasn’t the kind that came from peace.It was the kind that came from anticipation… from something about to break.Something irreversible.A mistake. A fall. Blood.I could feel it pressing in from all sides, thickening the air until it almost felt hard to breathe properly.Adrian and his parents had corrupted this place for so long that many of the pack members didn’t even question what they believed anymore. Truth and lies had blended together in their minds until nothing felt solid.They weren’t entirely to blame.That was the worst part.They had just… been taught wrong.But even so, I could feel their eyes on me.Curious.Doubtful.Some amused.A few… already pitying me.They had decided it without saying it aloud.I could almost hear it in the silence.How quickly they expected me to fall.How easily they believed this would end.Across from me, Adrian stood like he had all the time in the world.Bored.Not even tense or even al
Malric’s POVI wasn’t going to interfere.That had been my decision from the start.The duel between Emily and Adrian… it was hers. Not mine. Not the pack’s. Hers.Her fight.Her right.And I knew exactly what it meant to her if I stepped in.Victory, earned.Not handed over like she was incapable of standing on her own.That was the only kind she would accept.And I understood that more than she probably realized.Still… understanding something didn’t mean I was careless enough to leave it unguarded.Far from it.I stood at the edge of the arena, my gaze fixed on the wide open space where everything would unfold soon enough. The air already felt different—thicker, heavier, charged with anticipation even though no one had shifted yet.Wolves gathered in scattered groups, voices low, restless. Some tried to mask their excitement. Others didn’t bother.All of them were waiting.Watching and Judging.I exhaled slowly, my arms folded loosely behind my back, posture relaxed on the surface.
Emily’s POVAfter the whole ridiculous drama with Malric and the cockroach, I ended up falling asleep in a way I didn’t even realize was happening.One moment I was still laughing at him trying to act like nothing had happened… and the next, I was sinking into the mattress, trapped in the warmth of his arms wrapped tightly around me.Not forceful.Just… secure.Strangely grounding.He had even admitted later—grudgingly—that there had been no “research” at all.Just an attempt.A failed one.Because he had tried to kiss me again, and just like before, I had jerked back without thinking. Instinctively.And that was what bothered me.Not the rejection.But the fact that it kept happening.As if something inside me was reacting before I even had time to decide.But one thing was strange, the marking wasn't even supposed to strengthen our bond and feelings, but it seemed we even got closer.When morning came, I woke up first.The room was still dim, soft light slipping through the curtains
Emily’s POV My brow pulled slightly as I watched him.He truly meant it.That much was clear.Deep down, a small, traitorous part of me hoped this might actually work.My back lowered instinctively against the bed as he leaned over me, his hands bracing on either side, caging me in without actually touching me.The mattress dipped beneath his weight.His scent, clean and sharp, mixed with the faint trace of soap, wrapped around me, filling the space too quickly.Causing that small strange flutter in my stomach again.His storm-grey eyes held mine, steady and unyielding, as he lowered his head, clearly intending to close the distance between us.My eyes slowly closed in expectation.Then…A faint buzzing sound cut through the moment.I opened my eyes already knowing what it was.Malric’s head snapped up instantly.A flying cockroach.For a split second, neither of us moved.Then…Like lightning, Malric sprang off the bed.Gone.Just like that.I blinked.The shift was so abrupt it too
Emily’s POV Everything Irene was saying didn’t even make sense.That I should back out of the duel?Not possible.There was no version of this where I stepped down and let them twist the story however they wanted. I wouldn’t hand them that kind of victory. Not after everything.“Emily… they’re planning something,” Irene said again, her voice tighter now, like she was holding herself together by force.“I know they are,” I cut in, my tone calm, steady. “And they’re not the only ones planning. I am too.”She stared at me, her expression tightening further—fear and worry written all over her face.“This isn’t the same,” she said quickly, stepping closer. “Whatever Adrian’s father is planning… it’s bigger. It’s not just about the duel anymore. The… the King might be involved.”That made me pause.“The Lycan King?” I asked, my brows pulling slightly.She nodded.I let out a short scoff, shaking my head.“They wouldn’t dare,” I said flatly. “They’d be dead before they even tried anything l
Irene’s POV “I’m the king. The throne is mine!”His voice roared through his memory flashing in my mind—sharp and unrestrained.A younger version of him stood there, eyes burning with ambition, like that sentence wasn’t just pride, but a promise he had been repeating to himself for years.Like those words weren’t just something he said… but something he had been telling himself over and over again, until it became the only truth he believed in.Then the memory shifted.The same man stood there again.This time calmer and controlled.He poured something into a small bottle, his movements careful, deliberate—like he had done it before. Then he handed it to one of the palace maids.My breath caught.I knew her.She used to be the Lycan King’s personal maid… before Emily took over.My stomach tightened.Then his voice came again, quieter this time. Colder.“Put it in Damian’s drink.”A chill crawled down my spine.That was the King.Before I could see more, A sharp pull yanked me violen
Emily’s POV (Before she collapsed)I didn’t care if I was going to bleed to death. But I couldn’t stand there and watch Malric die like this.Without thinking, I challenged the beast.It recoiled again, just like before, and I couldn’t understand why.That hesitation… it felt unnatural.Driven by
Malric’s POV Sarah gazed at me, waiting for my conclusion.I checked the time, we had less than an hour left before midnight.“Where is she?” I asked.She raised a brow. “Who?”“Sharina.”Her face lit up. “You…you agree?”“I have a few seconds before I change my mind.”“Of course…her room. She’ll
Emily’s POV Finally, I managed to save Piper from Malric and the others by threatening to slit my throat. I didn’t expect it to work, but it did. It worked on Malric himself, his face twisting into something like fear. I wasn’t being unreasonable or inconsiderate. If anyone was, it was him. He ju
Malric’s POV A mindlink surged through me, cutting through the moment with Emily.“My king, you need to come to the study now. I found something on that hybrid’s mother.”“On my way,” I replied.I pulled back from Emily reluctantly.“I have matters to attend to,” I told her.She asked to step out







