ARTEMIS’ POVI can't help but stare at her smaller frame as she walks in front of me, moving out of the girls' dormitory.From the moment I spotted her riding the wolf back to school, I've had to agonizingly restrain myself. The constant urge to rush up to her and pull her close—until my racing heart steadies—has been almost unbearable. Turns out that one hug didn't even begin to quench my yearning for more. Now, as we walk, it's a battle of wills not to slide my hand into hers, not to seek out that singular warmth her touch bestows. This unexplainable pull defies all logic.It makes absolutely no sense.It’s like my body is short-circuiting, reacting in impossible ways, all because of this anomaly of a girl. I'm wanting, craving even the slightest contact from her until I can truly convince myself that no harm could come her way.I really meant what I said earlier.Her absence for 24 hours did something to me; it sent me into a temporary fit of madness that logic couldn't explain.

SERAPHINA’S POV The school has generously given me a week off to recover from the physical and emotional trauma of being attacked. In reality though, I know this 'grace period' is a tactical move—a cover-up for their failure to protect their students. It's a bribe, intended to keep me quiet and prevent any negative publicity. Regardless, I appreciate their attempts to save face in the eyes of the Alpha King. Yet, I can't shake this restless energy that makes it impossible for me to lounge in Artemis' room all day while he and everyone else are out. So, I decide to pay another visit to Olivia. She looks just as pale as she did yesterday, her lips cracked and parched. But, thankfully, her face has filled out a bit more, and her scars and cuts are nearly fully healed. The healing rate of wolves actually scares me when I think about it, making me even more interested in the supernatural, I get why Kamila often says they're a superior race, able to heal from wounds and injuries quickl

SERAPHINA’S POVI don't go to meet Artemis in the teacher's lounge until Jasper has found the nurse, and Olivia receives the attention she needs, now that she's awake.Eventually, she falls asleep once more. This time, however, we're assured that she's really just sleeping, not slipping back into a coma. I can finally breathe again. When she wakes up, we can get her to testify against whoever it was, and finally have Morgan right where we want him. Somehow, in the end, being patient and doing absolutely nothing paid off. I knock three times on the door leading to the teacher's lounge and walk in, expecting to see only Artemis—but he's not alone.With him is the entire campaign team. The moment our eyes meet, Alice jumps up, popping a bottle of champagne just as everyone else in the room screams 'Congratulations!' I'm stunned and surprised, taking a moment to look around before Alice and Juliet rush in to hug me. I can't help but chuckle now, reveling in this precious, happy moment

SERAPHINA’S POVI sit alone on Artemis's balcony, wrapped in my own arms, staring quietly at the full moon overhead. My thoughts keep drifting back to that unsettling dream – was it even a dream? - wrestling with the impossibility of making sense of it all. The only logical explanation I can muster is that I must have sleepwalked—trashed the room and nearly stabbed Artemis as he walked in.I still can't piece together how that knife ended up in my hands; there are unnerving gaps in my memory. “Here you go,” Artemis says, reappearing to hand me a bowl of ice cream.I take it, stirring the chocolate ice cream absentmindedly with my spoon as he sits beside me, digging into his own bowl. “I'm sorry,” I finally murmur, unable to meet his eyes.“For what exactly? Trashing my room or nearly turning me into a cyclops?” he teases, chuckling to lighten the mood.I offer a bitter laugh in return, biting my lip and looking away. “Hey, you said it was an accident. So, it's okay.”“No, it's no

SERAPHINA’S POVI cough just as Juliet, who's been my makeover maestro for the evening, dabs into her eyeshadow palette to add another layer onto my lids. "Sera, you'll smudge it if you keep squirming like that," she warns."Is all this really necessary?" I ask, a touch of exasperation in my voice. Two hours of skincare treatments, an hour for hair, and now we're thirty minutes deep into the makeup phase. I’m in Alice and Juliet’s room, and my face feels as though it's laminated with all the products they've applied. I mean, it's just a three-hour party, and let's be honest—I'll probably enjoy only the first hour before my social battery taps out.Juliet rolls her eyes but remains laser-focused on my eyes. "Yes, Sera, it's absolutely necessary. You're the star tonight; you have to look the part.""But it feels like you're prepping me for the Oscars, not a college party," I counter, sneaking a glance at my increasingly unfamiliar reflection in the mirror.Alice, who's giving the f