Semua Bab Hold on, Alpha! Your Luna is on the Way!: Bab 1 - Bab 10

LYRAMy boyfriend lunges at me. And in an instant, his face shifts from ally to executioner.“Drake! Please, you don’t have to do this!” I have no time to be angry as I scramble away from him.We’re the poor souls picked to fight in the arena today.Before anyone alive now was born, wars and disaster had decimated our werewolf world. Vast, barren wastelands stretch across much of the globe now. Since then, every season, five low-ranking orphans like me have been forced into arena fights: win, earn supplies and a shot at warrior training; lose, and you die. Everyone wants out, but it’s tradition and the only way to survive.Drake and I always thought we’d chase victory together. We were never supposed to be on opposite sides.But just a second ago, the moment he realized we couldn’t win this time, he sided with the enemy.Drake lands a blow to my side, and I wheeze, coughing up blood. My vision swims with black dots. The little strength I have is slipping away as rain soaks my skin.I

LYRAThe girl in the red dress doesn’t seem to notice me as I walk over. She only looked up when I called out to her.“Leave her alone,” I say, with confidence that I didn’t know I had.“And you are?” The girl looks me up and down. “Besides a freak with a messed-up face?”I ignore her. She’s obviously wealthy, and the other girl, if her plain clothes are anything to go by, isn’t.“You’re lucky to even be here,” the girl returns to her tirade, “But you’ll be gone soon enough.”I take the arm of the girl clad in the plain dress and tug her towards me. The red dress girl only shrugs, and sneers before turning around.“Thanks,” the plain-dressed girl says.“No problem,” I offer her a smile. “You’re a volunteer?”She nods quickly, smoothing out her dress. If she won this selection, her family would be given enough resources to live off of for years. It’s not a surprise she volunteered—and it’s also not a surprise that some rich girl would bully her for it.“I’m Zoe,” she says.I nod stiffl

LYRAAs I leave for the dining hall, my embarrassment turns to anger.There is no way I want to be his bride. I don’t even want to stay here any longer, but I know I can’t escape. And I know I can’t wipe that stupid disdainful look off his face.As I load my plate, I can’t help thinking about Zachary’s attitude.I am sure the three of us weren’t the only team struggling. Why is he targeting me? Did Zachary have a grudge against Elena?I immediately dismiss my thought. If they knew each other, Dorian wouldn’t have made me pretend to be her. He’d have seen right away that I was an imposter.Seems like there is a lot I don’t know.Lost in thought, I walk toward the dining table.Suddenly, someone bumps into me. I fall to the ground, my food splattering across the floor.Gasps and snickers ripple through the room, but I don’t have to look to know who was behind me.Sabrina.I push myself off the floor, my gaze locking onto Sabrina and her friends smirking at me.“Oops,” she says, covering

LYRAI do stay.And I am glad I did. It is hilarious to watch the quiet and reserved Julian put on an actual apron to cook for the group.I sit with the others as he cooks, the delicious smells wafting into the air. It is strange to see Zachary so casual. He is lying back on the grass, his arms behind his head, cracking jokes with Jasper.I can’t believe this is the same Alpha prince who’d embarrassed me earlier. This version of Zachary seems like an entirely different person.“Dinner.”I look up when Julian speaks, his voice firm and quiet. Everyone gets up to grab a plate. I hesitate, but Sloane claps me on the back.“Hurry up, before the boys eat it all,” she says.I smile and fill my plate before sitting back down with the group.Jasper hasn’t been exaggerating. Julian’s cooking is way better than anything I’ve eaten in the past few days at the pack house, not to mention Dorian’s terrible cooking skills or the near-starvation I’d endured at the orphanage.“You like it?” Jasper ask

LyraSabrina and her group stare me down like they just caught me doing something bad.Which they sort of have. I am late for curfew, and I’d be punished if they snitch on me.I have a bad feeling they are going to handle the situation themselves.“Teach her a lesson,” Sabrina orders.Lola is carrying a bucket of water. What was their plan if they didn’t catch me? Or maybe they’ve been waiting for me to return.It is obvious to me that I am their target because I am, as far as they know, Beta Dorian’s daughter. And probably because Zachary had spoken to me, even if his words were cruel.Lola steps forward, waiting for me to fight back. When I don’t, she throws the water directly at my face.She watches the water drip from my hair with a smug little grin.I wipe the water from my eyes. I am not going to give them any more ammunition.Unhappy with that, Sabrina grabs my arm.“Don’t touch me,” I warn, my voice sounding tired.“Stand by the window.”I turn to the window, looking out. The