Atlas The underground wolf chamber was silent except for the dull thuds of my fists against the reinforced stone wall. My breaths came in ragged pants, misting in the cool cavern air. Sweat dripped down my chest, soaking the waistband of my training shorts as I threw another brutal punch at the moss-darkened rock, sending a crack spiderwebbing across its surface. Pain flared up my knuckles. I welcomed it. I needed it. Anything to drown out the thoughts gnawing at my mind since dawn. Since Kieran’s words. Anything to silence Mira’s name echoing through my veins. I drew back, knuckles bloodied and raw, and pressed my forehead against the cool stone. My chest heaved. The stale, earthy scent of damp rock and wolf musk filled my lungs, grounding me in the present. But suddenly—something shifted. I froze, every muscle in my body going taut, my wolf snarling awake beneath my skin. The shadows in the chamber seemed to shiver, curling around me like sentinels. And then I felt it. Her.
Zara I woke up that morning to Talia’s words replaying in my mind, looping endlessly like a cursed song I couldn’t silence. “Imagine if he actually liked you… Do you still have feelings for him?” I clenched my fists around the hem of my sleep shirt, twisting the fabric until my knuckles burned white. Did I still have feelings for Jace? My chest ached with confusion, tightening so painfully that each breath felt like shards scraping my lungs. When he kissed me, I had felt… everything. Anger. Shock. A fierce sign of longing that terrified me. But then there was Atlas. The way he made me feel like I was something more than the broken girl everyone whispered about. I buried my face in my knees, my hair falling around me like a dark curtain. The silence of my room was thick, broken only by the slow ticking of the old brass clock perched beside my mirror. Its rhythmic beat felt like a countdown, like time itself was winding down to something inevitable. Choose… The whisper slid thro
My chest tightened, heat prickling up my neck until it burned the tips of my ears. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t even know how to begin to answer a question like that. Memories of the kiss slammed into me. the roughness of his grip on my waist, the desperate heat of his mouth against mine, the way he’d pulled back with trembling fingers as if he hated himself for it. My pulse skittered painfully in my throat. Talia smirked, her glossy lips curving as she tilted her head slightly, watching me with an amused glint in her amber eyes. The moonstone pendant around her neck caught the lamplight, throwing silver glimmers across her cheekbones. “You’re blushing,” she teased, reaching out to flick a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. Her touch was featherlight, but it sent shivers down my spine. “I was just manifesting, Zara. Don’t look so scared.” “Manifesting?” I managed to croak out, my voice cracking embarrassingly. My hands clenched around my books so tightly that the sharp corners du
Zara The sun was beginning to slip past the horizon, leaving behind strokes of gold. I walked across the courtyard alone, hugging my books to my chest as the breeze teased loose strands of my hair against my lips. The magnolia trees swayed gently above me, their creamy blossoms rustling with every sigh of wind, releasing that sweet, almost lemony scent that always reminded me of childhood mornings in Aunty May’s garden. I paused beneath the tallest tree, letting my eyes flutter closed for a moment as I inhaled deeply. The day had felt endless, every class dragging like lead weights against my mind. My senses were still heightened from the past few days. Every whisper of a breeze felt like a phantom touch on my skin. Every scent seemed magnified, sharper, and clearer. It left me drained and jittery all at once. “Zara.” The voice was soft but carried through the quiet courtyard. My eyes snapped open. I turned to find Talia walking toward me, her boots crunching on scattered petals.
Alex The training pavilion reeked of sweat, and fresh-cut grass. Morning sun sliced through the rafters, dappling the sanded floors with gold and shadow. The clang of swords, the crack of bone against padded mats, the sharp bark of instructors echoing commands—all of it usually grounded me, reminded me where I belonged in the hierarchy of Blackwood. Today, it only grated my already fraying nerves. I sat cross-legged on the edge of the sparring ring, elbows resting on my knees, nails tapping irritably against each other as my gaze flicked between Atlas and Jace. They sat in stony silence on the opposite bench, arms folded, bodies taut with unspoken animosity. Atlas’s eyes were fixed straight ahead, unblinking, jaw clenched so tight I wondered if he tasted blood. His raven-black hair fell across his brow, casting shadows over his eyes. Beside him, Jace lounged with an air of cold detachment, his muscular arm draped along the back of the bench, legs spread wide in that infuriatingl
Zara I sat on the edge of my thin mattress, staring blankly at the cold stone floor. The sun had only just begun to rise, spilling through the window, brushing my bare toes with trembling light. A shiver passed through me, curling around my ribs, making my chest tighten until it hurt to breathe. Eighteen. The number echoed in my mind like a chime striking midnight. I’d spent my entire life in fear of this day, counting the months in secret dread, wondering if I would live long enough to reach it… and now that it was days away, the terror felt thick and metallic on my tongue. I pressed my fingertips into the creased blanket pooled around my thighs. My nails dug crescent moons into the flesh of my palms. The room was silent except for my ragged breathing. Even though Alex’s room was down the hall, I felt her presence looming like a shadow in my thoughts. I imagined her now, asleep in her own perfect room, hair spread like a raven’s wing across silk sheets. Alex. Her name felt jagg