All Chapters of Masked Desire: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Jason's eyes opened slowly, the world coming back in fragments. White ceiling. Antiseptic smell. The steady beep of medical equipment somewhere nearby. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and his body was burning up despite the cool air.Outside the door, he could hear voices – two instructors arguing in hushed tones."—should have been monitoring the doses more carefully—""—not our responsibility to babysit every student's medical needs—""—but if the council finds out about this incident—"Jason tried to focus on their words, but his mind felt sluggish. More concerning was the faint scent lingering in the air around him. Sweet. Floral. Distinctly omega. His heart started racing as panic crept in.*Did someone catch it? Did the scent blocker fail completely?*He tried to remember what happened at the rocky outcrop, but everything after Ivan's confrontation was a blur. His ankle still throbbed, but that pain

Jason kicked open the cabin door, the torn scavenger bag clutched in his fist. His shoulders burned from the climb, his ankle throbbed, and sweat stuck his shirt to his back despite the cool air. He threw the ruined pack across the small room, watching it hit the wall and crumple to the floor."Fucking perfect," he muttered, running his hands through his damp hair.His body felt like it was on fire again. The heat crawled under his skin, making him restless and uncomfortable. He told himself it was just the stress. Just the exhaustion from the failed trial. Just the anger at whoever had sabotaged him.*It has to be that. Nothing else.*He stumbled to his bag and pulled out the small bottle of scent blocker. The liquid inside barely covered the bottom. His heart jumped at how little was left, but he couldn't think about that now. He couldn't risk being caught. Not when everything was falling apart.Jason twisted off the cap and poured the remaining drops into his palm, rubbing it over

Jason woke up tired.The exhaustion sat heavy in his bones, like he hadn't slept at all. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before turning his head to look at the other bed.Avalon was already gone. The bed was made, corners sharp and perfect, like no one had ever slept there.Jason forced himself to sit up, his body stiff and unwilling. Everything ached - his muscles, his head, the space between his ribs where tension had settled and refused to leave.Get up. Act normal. Don't let anyone see.He pulled on clean clothes and ran his hands through his hair, trying to look like someone who had their shit together. The mirror showed him a face that was too pale, eyes that were too bright, but it would have to do.The dining hall was already busy when he arrived. Jason grabbed a tray and loaded it with food he didn't want, scanning the room for an empty table.But as he walked, he noticed the whispers.Students leaned close to each other, voices low and urgent. When they saw him lo

Jason boarded the first bus back to Blackmoor, his movements mechanical and distant. He chose a seat by the window, settling into the worn fabric with his bag clutched tightly in his lap. The other students chatted around him, their voices blending into meaningless noise as the engine rumbled to life.He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, watching the retreat center grow smaller in the distance. His throat still felt raw. His knees still ached from the cabin floor. Every breath reminded him of what had happened, what he had let happen.Don't think about it. Just don't.As the bus began to pull away from the loading area, Jason caught sight of movement outside. Avalon was walking toward Ivan, his stride confident and purposeful. Even from this distance, Jason could see the tension in both their bodies.Avalon moved closer to Ivan, close enough that their conversation would be private. Jason watched as Avalon's head dipped slightly, like he was whispering something meant only

The academy atmosphere was shifting around me like a slow tide. I could feel it in the way conversations grew hushed when I entered a room. The way stares lingered a little too long before people looked away.Since the retreat, attention had been mounting on my shoulders like a weight I couldn't shake off. No one said anything outright, but I caught whispers in the hallways. Fragments of conversations that stopped when I got too close.They were talking about me. About what they thought they knew.During morning drills, the instructor announced that Avalon would be captain for the session. I should have expected what came next, but it still caught me off guard."Jason," Avalon called out, his voice carrying across the training yard. "You're with Marcus."Marcus was one of Avalon's inner circle. Big, aggressive, the kind of alpha who solved problems with his fists. Avalon was making a show of this, setting the tone by pairing me with one of his own.I held my ground as Marcus and I cir