All Chapters of Masked Desire: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The storm raged all night. Rain hammered against my window, and thunder shook the walls. I barely slept, tossing and turning as the wind howled outside.When morning came, I couldn't face breakfast. Couldn't face the dining hall full of students talking about the ceremony. About who would be chosen. About what would happen in nine days.I need space. I need to get away from everyone.I sent a message to my instructor claiming fatigue. Said I needed to rest instead of attending training. It wasn't entirely a lie. My body felt wrong, overheated and restless.It's the stress. Just the stress.But I knew it was more than that. The scent blocker residue was building up in my system. And there was something else, something I wouldn't let myself name.Instead of going back to my room, I found myself wandering toward the old abandoned wing of the building. The part that had been closed off years ago when they built the new dormitor

Chapter 34 Jason woke slowly, his mind swimming through layers of confusion. The bed beneath him didn't feel right—the sheets were different, rougher, and they carried a scent that wasn't his own. Something dark and complicated that made his chest tighten. Where am I? Memory crashed back in fragments. The brutal fight with Matvei. Ivan lifting him off the ground. The rough treatment in this very room. He was in Ivan's bed, and Ivan was already gone. Jason sat up quickly, wincing as his shoulder protested the movement. The joint was stiff and sore from Ivan's brutal reset, and his whole body ached like he'd been hit by a truck. Which, considering Matvei's size, wasn't far from the truth.

I wake earlier than usual, my body pulling me from sleep before dawn breaks. The darkness outside my window feels heavy, matching the weight settling in my chest. I dress slowly, each movement deliberate as Kaelen's words from yesterday replay in my mind on an endless loop.You're being watched. Don't mistake it for protection.I can't shake the way he said it—like he knew something I didn't, like he was trying to warn me about something bigger than I could see. But with Kaelen, it's impossible to tell if it was genuine concern or just another twisted warning wrapped in false care. Either way, his words follow me through breakfast, making every bite taste like ash.During drills, I notice the council observers stationed along the sides again. Their presence has become a constant, but today feels different. Today, their stares linger on me longer than anyone else. I catch one of them making notes, his pen moving across the page while his eyes remain fixed on my movements.My skin crawl

Jason woke to the sound of soft chimes echoing through the halls. Ceremonial bells. The sound sent ice through his veins because he knew what it meant.Today was the day.The entire academy felt different. Quieter. There were no early morning drills hammering through the corridors, no instructors shouting commands. Just the gentle, persistent ringing of those bells, calling everyone to prepare for what was coming.Ritual preparations. That's all today is.Jason could hear movement in the rooms around him, students getting ready, but he stayed in bed longer than usual. His eyes fixed on the ceiling as his mind tried to process what this day would bring.Something felt wrong with his body. Not just the usual soreness from training, but something else. Something that made his skin feel too tight, too sensitive. His pulse hammered against his throat, faster than it should be.It doesn't mean anything. It's just nerves.But even as he told himself that, Jason couldn't shake the feeling tha

Jason's heart rate increased as he saw Avalon and Ivan start to move in his direction. Their movements were slow but determined, like they had all the time in the world to reach him. His pulse hammered against his throat as panic set in.I need to run. I need to get out of here now.He tried to make his legs move, tried to force them to carry him away from the approaching alphas. But his body wouldn't listen. His feet stayed planted on the cold stone floor like they were rooted there.Move. Please, just move.The worst part was that when his legs finally showed any sign of wanting to move, it wasn't away from Ivan and Avalon. It was toward them. His treacherous body wanted to go in their direction, wanted to close the distance between them.What's wrong with me? Why can't I control my own body?Jason's breathing became shallow as he fought against his own instincts. The moonflowers in the air made everything worse, their sweet scent filling his lungs and making his head spin. His skin