The back of my legs was aching. I had difficulty breathing and it felt like my vision would fade to black at any moment. But the pain in my left arm wouldn't let me rest. I forced myself to stand straight. My entire world shifted as my foot hit the ground again. My knees buckled and I struggled to catch myself on one arm. The pain flared even worse when I tried to stand upright again.Twenty minutes was starting to feel like an eternity. So many girls had fallen behind me, some were injured, and barely mobile just like myself. The roars of the crowd seemed to echo in my ears. It was hard to concentrate. We had less than ten minutes left and I hadn't set my sights on the finish line. I lifted my head to catch sight of Paige. Her hair was a tangled mess around her face, and tiny bruises littered her skin from the hit she had taken moments ago, but her eyes still shone with determination and concern,"The blade cut you deep," She offered me a hand which I gratefully accepted, "We have to

I had no clue where he was taking me. Heck! I didn't even know anything about the man, but I trusted him, I trusted the reassuring smile he kept throwing at me over his shoulder, the way he gently squeezed my wrist as if telling me that I would be fine. I trusted him and I didn't know if that was a wise decision.We were far away from the West Court now, even from the main Palace, with only trees and shrubs stretching out into a thick canopy of greenery, a forest I hadn't even known Castle Black possessed. The trees were tall, their branches heavy with blossoms and leaves that swayed in the cool breeze. It smelled fresh, almost like a field after rain. A soft, gentle wind tickled the back of my neck. It felt so relaxing… so right. We walked for a while, and my ankle protested with every step but I told myself it would be worth it,Finally, we reached a clearing and a shocked gasp escaped when I realized what I was staring at. My gaze flickered to his grinning face, a proud look on his

"I have to go. Where's my phone?"I was agitated, my mind racing in fear. I made to leave the room when her voice stopped me,"You're leaving? like that?"I backtracked to the doorway, staring down at her with a frown. One look at my outfit told me what she meant, part of the dress had dried and although the jacket covered much, I still looked like a freak. "Take a shower first." Paige motioned to the open door with her head. I chewed on my bottom lip, pondering whether or not it would be better to take a bath now. Deciding it was wise, I sighed, walked towards the bathroom,Dahlia could wait. I took a bath and had dinner with Paige and some other girls. She shared some funny stories that almost made me forget my situation...almost. I cleared my plate within minutes and gave them a silly excuse about wanting to call my family to break the good news. They'd cheered me up, saying they had done the same thing. The moment I stepped into the garden, for a minute I thought I saw Theo

A crazed scream cut through the air, startling everyone. Paige paused the braiding on my hair and I looked toward the source of the noise, Bree was standing at the foot of her bed, her clothes littered all over the ground and a crazed look in her eyes. "Who took it!? WHO!!!?" She swiveled to face us, her dark gaze passing over everyone. Jessica was leaning against the window, phone in hand and a bored expression on her face. Cora was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a laptop resting on her lap and her eyebrows cocked high. Bree's dark-haired friend, Diana, had a weary countenance, as she watched Bree."What are you looking for, Bree?" Diana asked slowly, rising to stand beside the fuming girl. "My necklace!" She yelled, turning to flip her suitcase over, the item landed with a thud on the carpeted ground. "The diamond-encrusted one my father gave me for my last birthday! It's gone!" She faced us once more, pointing an accusatory finger in our direction, "I know one of them too

I paced back and forth, my sweaty fingers rubbing against each other nervously. My eyes kept darting toward the entrance and each time, the space remained empty. Doubt slowly began to creep in and I wondered if I was doing the right thing,Was he going to show up? And if he did, would he even believe me?The fountain makes splashing sounds as it spouts water from its mouth, the light from the moon above reflected on the surface, making the water resemble glittering gems,I wondered how nobody knew of this place, of the beauty of the fountain, especially at night."I knew I would find you here."My body reacted before my mind did, turning to face the intruder. I instantly relaxed at the sight of Theo walking towards me."Theo," I jogged to meet him halfway, a smile lighting up my features, "You're here."His lips curled into a lopsided grin and he lifted his hand to gently pinch my cheek, "You look excited to see me today. Did something happen, little wolf?" "Come." I wrapped my hand