Semua Bab Rejected Luna : Alpha's Promise, King's Claim: Bab 71 - Bab 80

VENUSBut none of that matters now. She’s gone.I push the sting down and bury it under the growing storm in my chest."I didn’t hurt her," I say, my voice firm now.Bronze exhales. "Simon, enough. I’ve known Venus for years. She’d never hurt anyone, let alone someone defenseless."Simon scoffs and throws his hands up. "She literally caused a scene at the party. Threw a glass. Right in front of Olivia."Bronze’s head snaps toward me and he stares at me, as if the wheels on his head are turning. The silence that stretches between us is thick and suffocating. I lower my eyes, guilt pressing heavy on my chest. I know what I did wasn’t right… but I had no choice. I was cornered. So all I could do was react at that moment. Simon doesn’t waste a second. “She did it because Olivia won the one-on-one battle,” he says, tone laced with mockery. “She couldn’t accept defeat. I heard she even bullied Olivia before that. Slapped Trent too.”My fists clench at my sides.Bronze’s face changes. “I

VENUSThe shrill cry of the alarm drags me out of sleep. I blink groggily, the ceiling unfamiliar for a second before my mind catches up. I'm in Sydney’s room.My arms are tangled in a blanket and when I shift, I realize I’ve been sharing the bed with Sid. She’s still fast asleep beside me, her face buried in the pillow, looking more like a sulking child. Across the room, Alex snores lightly on the guest bed, one arm draped over his face. I don’t even remember lying down. At some point last night, exhaustion must have knocked me out cold. After Rimi’s murder, the three of us felt dreadful so we stayed in Sid’s room, and spoke about how we knew her and what could have potentially happened. I didn’t tell them that I suspected Mallory. The clock blinks. 5:15 AM.I groan and gently shake Sydney. “Time to get up. Training.”She mumbles something into the pillow and tightens her grip on the blanket like it’s a lifeline. “I just want to sleep for ten more hours…”I get it. I really do. Th

ROWANI ignore him.It’s better if she thinks I’m indifferent. That she can build a life with someone kind, her age, who doesn’t have blood on his hands.Someone... better. Like Bronze. But he’s disappointing me lately by acting confused and not giving Venus the respect and love she deserves. It’s all because of that woman, Mallory. I don’t know what her plans are yet but I’ll find out soon. My men have already started keeping an eye on her. Asgard growls. "She’s not meant for Bronze. She’s ours. The Goddess chose her."I shoot back, "The Goddess chose wrong."I rise from my chair and walk to the window, hands slipping into my pockets as I stare at my reflection in the glass. A tall shadow stares back. Hard eyes. Cold face. There are too many ghosts standing behind me.I’m not a saint. I never was.I’ve destroyed too many lives. Taken too much. Manipulated every board until I won. And I enjoyed it.I thrive in the shadows, where truth is twisted and blood is the currency. In the ro

VENUSI shrug it off and head to the mess with Sid and Alex once the next one-on-one battle ends.Sid laughs the moment we walk through the mess. “Did you see Trent’s face when you kicked his ass?”I shake my head, a smile tugging at my lips despite myself.Alex smirks. “Serves him right. You taught him a good lesson,” Then his gaze lingers on me, full of warmth. “I knew you were strong enough to take down most of them.”Heat creeps up my neck at the admiration in his eyes. I duck my head, suddenly aware of how fast my pulse is racing.Sid slaps me lightly on the back. “Well, we’ve got to celebrate your victory now!”I shake my head. “Not with everything that’s happened. It doesn’t feel right.”Sid’s smile falters, her lips pressing together. “You’re right. Rimi’s death…” she exhales, her usual cheer dimming. “…it’s shaken us all.”We grab trays at the counter, the clatter of dishes and chatter of other trainees filling the space. “I just wish we knew who could do something like this

VENUSThe ground slams into my back. My breath rushes out, but before she can pin me, I roll, sweeping my arm to knock her off balance. She falls to her knee, and I push back up, chest heaving.We lock eyes. Her eyes are blazing with fire. Fire, that matches mine. She slams her shoulder into mine, shoving me against a tree. Bark scrapes my skin, but I use the rebound, twisting behind her and shoving her forward. She stumbles, then whirls, her eyes burning with rage and determination. She throws a rapid set of punches, testing my guard. I block high, low, high again then she feints left and knees me in the stomach. Pain explodes through me, and I bite down a gasp.I refuse to give her the satisfaction.I grit my teeth, grab her arm before she pulls away, and spin us both, using her momentum against her. She crashes into the dirt with a sharp cry, but she’s quick, rolling back to her feet like a cat.At the last second, I duck beneath her swing, slam my shoulder into her chest, and sw