FAZER LOGINThis dude is a bit…
PAST TIMELINE…The morning sun sits low over the wall, casting long, pale shadows across the dew-spotted grass at the back of the Rosante estate.Seventeen-year-old Leah Rosante— or Leah Bellmoore, as the whispers in the pack have begun to call her— kneels on the cool damp ground. Her skirt is tucked neatly around her knees, her hands dark with rich soil as she carefully presses the roots of a tiny, delicate stem into the ground.Three feet away sits her small patch of herbs. It is a tiny, hidden square of earth squeezed between the foundation of the main house and the outer wooden fence. The dirt here is rich and black, shielded from the harsh mountain winds by the high wall.A hundred yards across the wide, manicured lawn stands the grand glass greenhouse. Its tall silver frame glitters under the morning sun, housing rows of rare, warm-climate orchids and imported rare herbs. Augustine Rosante had built that greenhouse for Leah when she was ten years old, a birthday present for h
DURING THE COURSE OF THE OUTER VALLEY RIDGE TRIAL Then, in true Regis fashion, he turns his head toward Willow. A dark, menacing smile spreads across his handsome face, so cold and wrong that the wild birds in the surrounding trees instantly stop their singing. "Once I take her antidote," Regis whispers to Willow, his dark eyes gleam with a cruel promise, "I am going to have a lot of fun making you explain the exact poison you thought you could use on me after I dislocate your jaw.” Willow pales instantly. She takes a frightened step back, hiding her face behind Asher’s shoulders. Sitting in the damp grass, a small wave of satisfaction washes over Leah. It is deeply gratifying to see that Willow’s soft, innocent charm does not work on a lunatic like Regis Nightshade. Leah rises to her feet. She takes a slow, shaky step forward. Then a second step. Then a third. She moves as slowly as humanly possible, her knees trembling, her hands clutching her small bag. To anyone watching, sh
DURING THE COURSE OF THE OUTER VALLEY RIDGE TRIAL The pressure between Uriel and Jakob escalates rapidly. The ground between them groans as deep fractures spiderweb through the dark earth. Jakob’s Alpha will is astonishingly strong, standing ground against a pureblood Lycan prince without taking a single step back. Yet, everyone in the clearing knows the objective truth. If they truly fight, Jakob will lose. Uriel’s bloodline is simply higher in the wolf order. "Stand down, Greaves," Uriel commands, his voice dropping into a chilling tone that makes the surrounding pine trees shudder. "You stand down," Jakob snaps back, his broad chest rising and falling as he holds his ground. "This is a squad, not your personal kingdom. Asher is mine." Asher watches the two of them argue, his own golden Alpha pressure suddenly exploding outward from his body. It slams into Uriel and Jakob’s clashing weight, turning the conflict into a violent, three-way storm of raw physical power. "Who said
DURING THE COURSE OF THE OUTER VALLEY RIDGE TRIAL The morning mist hangs low over the damp dirt in Sector Five, clinging to the high granite rocks like a cold grey shroud. Two squads stand twenty paces apart in the quiet clearing. The silence is heavy, filled only with the sound of cold wind moving through the high trees in the forest. On one side stands Squad 01. Uriel Thorne, Regis Nightshade, and Jakob Greaves form a terrifying, broad wall of high-tier strength. Tucked near the back, looking small and fragile in her oversized trial uniform, is Leah Bellmoore. On the other side stands Asher’s squad. Asher steps forward first, his heavy iron shield strapped securely to his broad arm, his golden Alpha aura flickering around his shoulders like a slow fire. Safe behind his right arm stands Willow. Her pale blond hair is tied neatly with a silk ribbon, her large blue eyes wide, innocent, and glossy as she watches the three high-ranking wolves in front of her. Flanking Asher and W
DURING THE COURSE OF THE OUTER VALLEY RIDGE TRIALLEAH’S POVThe dark shadow surges across the ground like spilled ink, rising in thick, writhing tendrils that wrap around the four Class B wolves in a heartbeat."What is this?!" the Class B leader screams, his voice cracking with sudden, overwhelming terror as the black energy binds his arms, his legs, his throat. "Wait! Stop!"The shadows twist, tightening with a horrifying, bone-crushing force.Right before the dark pressure can crush their ribs to splinters, Regis turns his head toward me.He looks straight at me over his shoulder, a sly, wicked smile stretching across his handsome face as the dark magic flares around his hands.A sharp shiver runs down my spine, cold and thrilling all at once.Another loud beeping sound echoes. The digital wristbands flash yellow, and the four Class B wolves vanish into thin air, leaving their badges scattered across the dark stone floor.I look at the empty space where they were standing, my min
DURING THE COURSE OF THE OUTER VALLEY RIDGE TRIAL LEAH’S POV I stand there, my hands frozen on my belt, my eyes wide as I stare at the empty spot where four living students were standing a second ago. How... how were they not dead? A blade cut through their bellies. If the magic took them away, how could a body survive being cut in half like that? A warm breath touches the side of my ear. "Don't worry, little bird," a low, amused voice whispers right beside my neck. I flinch slightly, turning my head to find Regis standing dangerously close to me. He has stepped up behind me without making a single sound, his tall, lean frame leaning down so his mouth is inches from my cheek. "They aren't dead yet," Regis whispers slyly, his dark eyes sparkling with a cruel, mocking delight. "Didn't they teach you in basic anatomy? A human brain stays alive for up to seven minutes after the body suffers a fatal blow.” “Right now, those four boys are probably floating inside the medical transpor







