CLARISSA My heart thudded madly in my chest, my attention focused on my mate. The silver gauntlet had just begun. Callum stood by Jaxon's side as his partner. They stood on a raised silver platform on the field. There were twenty-eight teams on the arena. According to Jaxon, the gauntlet was based on elimination. Only five teams would advance to the finals. And from there, the winning team members combat with each other for the silver gauntlet crown.I knew the rules. Once the Gauntlet began, there were no substitutions. No interruptions.But rules were made for people with nothing to lose.And I had everything to lose.The sound of an ear-splitting whistle cut through the air, and each team leaped from their platforms and took off into a sprint towards the obstacle course.I balled my trembling hands as I watched the obstacle course shift and transform.Jaxon leaped across platforms that vanished behind him, dodging enchanted blades that sliced through the air and manouevre
CLARISSA I had finally found a comfortable position after what felt like an eternity of tossing and turning, trying to accommodate the stubborn curve of my baby bump. Curled on my side, one leg drawn up and an arm tucked beneath my head, I let out a slow breath, the cool sheets offering a small moment of relief.I was dressed in a pair of joggers and a bralette. The simplest things felt like a chore tonight.Across the room, I could hear the sound of the shower running. My thoughts were a mess. If Callum hadn't reminded me of the consequence of getting involved in the silver gauntlet, I might've truly stayed ignorant until that day. My gaze wandered to the glass door of the bathroom. Steam had heavily fogged up the glass, but I could still see Jaxon's silhouette.My gaze trailed up his strong legs and thighs, my cheeks heating up when I noticed his firm ass.The ridiculous urge to smack him hit hard. But knowing Jaxon, I'd probably end up over his knee.The tattoo on his back
JAXON They attacked from all sides, wielding silver blades. But I was more worried about Clarissa, whom I could no longer see, as a result of the thick fog. I hoped Zoey had played her part in securing my mate. I hissed in pain as the edge of a blade sliced through my forearm, the silver causing the wound to sizzle. Still, I was distracted, constantly searching for a way to find Clarissa while I defended myself against the attackers.'I've got Clarissa,' Zoey mind-linked me, and relief sank into me.The masked attackers surged toward me, but this time I was ready. I moved like a storm, my claws tearing through flesh and knocking blades from trembling hands. There was no hesitance.I cut them down as quickly as they lurched themselves at me.From the corner of my eye, I noticed a flash of movement heading for me.I barely managed to move out of the way just in time to dodge Callum's attack. I scoffed, not surprised that he was the one they'd sent to get rid of me."The rest of
CLARISSA 'Mate!' Snow, my wolf, echoed in my head as a sweet scent flooded my nostrils. Tears of gratitude welled up in my eyes, and my heart started to pound a lot faster as I quickened my pace and followed the smell of my mate. It had to be Kieran. I was his chosen mate, and tonight, our mating ceremony was about to take place. My excitement went up a notch, and I broke into a sprint, hiking up my ceremonial red dress. All of a sudden, pain slammed into me so hard, I doubled over. With my eyes watering, I dropped to my knees. Whimpers escaped my lips as the pain continued to build, searing through me like a red-hot knife. I was confused and disoriented. I couldn't understand what was happening to me. I parted my lips to call out for my fiancé, but in an instant, I heard the sounds of his moans in my head. 'Fuck, MIA. You feel so good,' I heard him say and my confusion swelled within me. Mia? My bully? That couldn’t be right. My mind had to be playing tricks on me. Maybe I mish
CLARISSA I was thirteen years old when my father was assassinated. His beta took over his position, and my life took a terrible turn. Although my father's beta had promised to investigate his death and bring them to justice, nothing had been done. Kieran, the new Alpha's son, had comforted me during those times, and I'd been fooled into believing that he truly cared about me. And now, it was up to my new mate to save me or toss me to the wolves."Help me," I said to him, and he fixed his gaze on me for a moment before glancing at the street ahead. Silently, he took off his velvet jacket and placed it around my shoulders."You're better off not associating yourself with me," he said, placing a small dagger in my hand."Go left. There's a river close by. If you can make it past the river, they won't get to you," he said, and I swallowed hard, unsure of what this meant for me.Was he rejecting me as well? I wondered.However, there was no time to dwell on this; I took his advic
CLARISSA "Clarissa, you're pregnant," the healer announced.I felt the world tilt.Pregnant.The word felt foreign, unreal. Yet, deep down, hadn't I already known? The nausea, the exhaustion, the way my body felt different... I'd ignored the signs, unwilling to face what they meant.Six weeks had passed since I last saw my mate. The man who claimed me and then vanished into the night. It's been six weeks since the guards captured me and threw me back into this miserable cell.And now this?"She's pregnant?" Kieran asked, his voice laced with disbelief.The healer nodded, and he stormed towards me, his palm colliding with my cheek."You whore!" He yelled, and I glared at him."That's enough, Kieran," Alpha Garrick hissed, redirecting his gaze on me."Who is the father of your child?"I bit my lower lip, unsure of what to say. I barely knew who my mate was. All I knew was that he had the brightest golden eyes I'd ever seen."Are you going to stay silent?" Kieran demanded, and I
JAXONA few hours before,"Jax?!"Dante's voice cut through the fog in my head, laced with concern. His footsteps were urgent as he stepped into my office, glancing around. He couldn't see me—not at first.I was slipping. Again.My vision flickered between reality and the void, the cursed abyss where my wolf had been torn from me. The air felt thin, like I was being pulled under water. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to hold on."Jax, come on, don't scare me."His voice wavered as he stopped in front of my desk, scanning the room."I'm here," I croaked, anchoring myself back into reality.Dante released a sigh of relief when he finally saw me."Are you okay?" He asked, and I grunted, pinching the bridge of my nose."For how long were you slipping this time?" He said as he poured me a glass of water and handed it over to me."Maybe thirty minutes?" I croaked, bringing the rim of the glass to my lips."It's getting worse. The old woman was right," he muttered.I didn't respond. What
CLARISSA Probing stares lingered on me as I stepped into the spacious school grounds, clutching at the straps of my backpack. I could hear them whispering to themselves, probably gossiping about how shabby I looked and how someone like me had sneaked into the Academy.That's right.I'd somehow made it to the Werewolf Academy after my bargain with my mate.He'd tried to talk me off my decision, but this was a matter of life and death.Lifting a hand, I knocked on the door of the registration office. A high-pitched voice responded, urging me to step in.When I strode in, I was greeted by the sight of a plus-sized red-haired woman. She wore thick-framed glasses and a red dress. On her table was a polished nameplate with the name 'Lauren Philips.'She eyed me from top to bottom with a look of barely concealed irritation."Are you lost?" She asked, her voice laced with impatience."I'm here for registration," I replied, and she frowned."Where's your invitation?" She asked.I froze.
JAXON They attacked from all sides, wielding silver blades. But I was more worried about Clarissa, whom I could no longer see, as a result of the thick fog. I hoped Zoey had played her part in securing my mate. I hissed in pain as the edge of a blade sliced through my forearm, the silver causing the wound to sizzle. Still, I was distracted, constantly searching for a way to find Clarissa while I defended myself against the attackers.'I've got Clarissa,' Zoey mind-linked me, and relief sank into me.The masked attackers surged toward me, but this time I was ready. I moved like a storm, my claws tearing through flesh and knocking blades from trembling hands. There was no hesitance.I cut them down as quickly as they lurched themselves at me.From the corner of my eye, I noticed a flash of movement heading for me.I barely managed to move out of the way just in time to dodge Callum's attack. I scoffed, not surprised that he was the one they'd sent to get rid of me."The rest of
CLARISSA I had finally found a comfortable position after what felt like an eternity of tossing and turning, trying to accommodate the stubborn curve of my baby bump. Curled on my side, one leg drawn up and an arm tucked beneath my head, I let out a slow breath, the cool sheets offering a small moment of relief.I was dressed in a pair of joggers and a bralette. The simplest things felt like a chore tonight.Across the room, I could hear the sound of the shower running. My thoughts were a mess. If Callum hadn't reminded me of the consequence of getting involved in the silver gauntlet, I might've truly stayed ignorant until that day. My gaze wandered to the glass door of the bathroom. Steam had heavily fogged up the glass, but I could still see Jaxon's silhouette.My gaze trailed up his strong legs and thighs, my cheeks heating up when I noticed his firm ass.The ridiculous urge to smack him hit hard. But knowing Jaxon, I'd probably end up over his knee.The tattoo on his back
CLARISSA My heart thudded madly in my chest, my attention focused on my mate. The silver gauntlet had just begun. Callum stood by Jaxon's side as his partner. They stood on a raised silver platform on the field. There were twenty-eight teams on the arena. According to Jaxon, the gauntlet was based on elimination. Only five teams would advance to the finals. And from there, the winning team members combat with each other for the silver gauntlet crown.I knew the rules. Once the Gauntlet began, there were no substitutions. No interruptions.But rules were made for people with nothing to lose.And I had everything to lose.The sound of an ear-splitting whistle cut through the air, and each team leaped from their platforms and took off into a sprint towards the obstacle course.I balled my trembling hands as I watched the obstacle course shift and transform.Jaxon leaped across platforms that vanished behind him, dodging enchanted blades that sliced through the air and manouevre
JAXON We hadn't seen each other for more than ten years. Looking at her now, she looked much frailer and smaller than the fierce woman I used to know. Our resemblance was striking. We were mother and son after all. Beside her stood Dante, who had his head lowered. "I tried to stop her, but she insisted that I give her your address," he mumbled. This was how bad my relationship with my mother had become. She didn't even know her son's home. My feelings towards her were complicated. A part of me hated her for never speaking up for me or believing in me even before my sister's death happened. The other part of me felt sorry for her. She'd lost a child after all. Maybe my father had influenced her, convinced her to isolate herself from me. But seeing her now, I wasn't sure if my thoughts were wrong or right. "Jaxon," she said, her voice cracking. I blinked at her, a storm welling inside of me. Why was she here? Why show herself now? "Mother," I droned, and her grey eyes welle
JAXON I was a coward. I should've told her everything. I'd told myself I'd kept it from her to protect her, but that was a lie. I knew that the void played a big part in my growing negative emotions. However, I was also aware that some of it was all my fault. When Callum had forced me to raise questions about his involvement with the void, I should have confronted him head-on. But I had a feeling that many other people were involved. And I feared the truth. The knock on the door of my bedroom had me sitting up in bed. I could feel Dorian's presence behind it. "Come in," I said, and the door jerked open. Dorian stepped in, his gaze softening when it landed on me. "How are you feeling?" He asked, shutting the door behind him. I shrugged. "I've experienced worse." A sad smile ghosted over his lips as he moved over to sit on the edge of my bed. "I found what you asked me for," His voice was tight and brimming with tension. My chest tightened with unease. "The CCTV camera
CLARISSA Kieran visibly sized him up as he strode towards us, but Stefan didn't flinch or bat an eyelash. It was true that I'd somehow turned him into an errand boy, but I hadn't expected him to 'come to my rescue' like this. Stefan grabbed Kieran's wrist and pried his fingers off my arm. Then he pushed him away from me, moving to stand in front of me. Kieran's expression twisted into one of disdain."You whore. Is this another one of your boy toys?" Kieran spat, and Stefan folded his arms across his chest."Why? Do you want to sign up?" His voice was tinged with so much sass, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.Kieran's green eyes darkened with rage, and he lurched forward in a bid to strike Stefan. Unfortunately, Stefan kicked his legs from under him, sending him crashing to the ground."Stay away from her. I won't give the same warning twice," Stefan said and took hold of my hand. Then he walked me far away from Kieran."Thank you," I mumbled, and he snorted."You alrea
CLARISSA Something changed after Callum's visit. Though he didn't say anything concerning, the look on my mate's face had indicated that something was wrong. Still, no matter how much we asked him what was going on, he refused to speak. Instead, he decided to go home, saying he needed some rest.Jaxon's condition took a downward spiral from that moment.The days that followed bled into weeks and months. And worse, my mate began to spiral.He barely ate or slept. Instead, he seemed to be digging into some mysterious information.According to the book I'd taken from the archive, conjuring the twin moons was risky, and there was a high chance of me losing my life. Still, for Jaxon's sake, I wanted to try it. There was a good chance that I could be successful. But my mate wasn't having it.He stopped me from coming over to his house, and he also took the book from me. Little did he know that I'd taken screenshots just in case. And I was secretly practising and preparing for the r
JAXON My body didn't feel like mine. Even my thoughts were broken and disoriented, like they belonged on a shattered puzzle piece."...Jaxon?"I looked up, startled by the sound of a familiar raspy voice which had turned that way because of how much he used to smoke. Dorian.I blinked at him, wondering when he'd stepped into my office. Wait, what if he'd been here for a while already? What if my blackouts were getting worse?"Were you listening to me?" He asked, and I shook my head slowly.His gaze softened, and he drew closer to me. "You look...cold," he said, moving over to me. I zoned out as he picked up my coat from the hanger and placed it around my shoulders.I didn't realize how much I'd been freezing until I felt the warmth of the fabric."How long have you been here?" He asked, and he gave me a smile. "Barely two minutes. I just got here."Relief sank into me."What were you saying?" I asked him, and he sank into the seat in front of my desk."I was talking about the si
CLARISSA I was speechless, my emotions were clogging my throat so much that I could hardly breathe. Jaxon was mocking me. Why? Was it because I'd finally seen him for what he was? Clearly, he was no hero. I'd always known of his morally grey tendencies, but this...he was pushing it too far."Since you've got it all figured out, what are you waiting for?" He said, his eyes sparkling with mischief and barely restrained psychosis. "Kill me."I shook my head in disbelief, tears welling up in my eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to assure me that his intentions were pure.He moved closer to me, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. "Do it."I brought a hand to his chest to push him away. "Stop it, Jaxon. Stop!" I screamed at him, my voice trembling. "Please..."He didn't flinch. He watched me, his head tilted, as if I were a puzzle he no longer cared to solve."This is not you," I croaked, and he arched a brow."And how do you know that? We're both strangers, don'