Eden’s POVIt was the day! Finally, the day had come! Today, I would fight on the stage, in front of all the other werewolves. I would use everything that Astrid had taught me, all the moves, the attacks, the strategies.I would win.And then, I would be free to train with the warriors.I got dressed and pushed open my bedroom door, nervous and excited to start the day. But as I did, I found myself face to face with Zane.“What are you doing? Lurking outside my bedroom again?” He was momentarily taken aback by my sarcasm, but then he shook his head.“Will you join me for breakfast?” he asked.What? He’d come to my room to ask me to breakfast? This was odd. He didn’t have to come in person. In the past, he always sent for the maids to come and get me when he wanted to see me. I was confused by this.Was it because of last night? Memories of the kiss washed over me. His eyes, his lips…No. The fight was today. I had to focus on that. I bit my lip and hesitated. He looked gorgeous, as
Eden’s POVI stood on the battlefield, full of nervous energy. Astrid rushed towards me. She grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes.“Focus. Stay alert. Remember the things we practiced. Defend and attack. Yes?”“Yes, yes, yes,” I nodded. Then she gave me a big hug.Applause broke out and I looked at the audience. It was packed. Everyone had come to watch the big fight.Oh my goddess. I was doing this. I was ACTUALLY doing this.Warrior Seth strode onto the stage, all confidence and bravado. The audience roared. They clearly loved him. He raised his hands and they just kept cheering. He was the crowd favorite. I watched.“Don’t worry about that,” Astrid said. “You’re the underdog. They’re just cheering for what they know. You’ll win them over. You’ll see.” Her words gave me the boost of confidence I needed.It was my turn. So I took a deep breath and lifted my chin. I strode onto the stage. The applause for me was not so big. In fact, it was paltry. A few shy werewolves called m
Eden’s POVHe was pissed. His face contorted with rage. I tried to take a step back but he was too quick. He punched me hard in the jaw. The force of it caused my body to spin in the air. I fell to my knees. For a moment, I saw stars, dizzy from the punch. But I shook it off and stood up. Blow spilled from my mouth, the taste warm and metallic. I wiped it off with my sleeve and smiled.The werewolves were cheering for him.“Come on, finish her off!” “Enough already, end this.” “What’s taking you so long?”“She’s just a girl. She doesn’t even have a wolf! KILL her!”This is what I heard from the stands. Blood gushed from his stomach, but his eyes were locked on mine.I was a worthy opponent. He could see that now. A sense of accomplishment washed over me. My heart surged with pride.I was strong, and he had underestimated me. So had the crowd. I can sense it – a shift in the air. They were surprised I was still standing. They all thought I’d be long dead by now.
Eden’s POV“EDEN!” The king’s voice was more urgent now. I lifted my arm off the ground, but then I placed it back down. NO! I couldn’t give up. I had to prove myself. I had to prove that I could train to be a warrior. I couldn’t just keep living like this, waiting to be saved. This was my chance, my chance to become someone different, someone strong.A force to be reckoned with.Like Astrid.The pain in my left shoulder was excruciating. The wolves in the stands were cheering wildly now. I struggled, trying to get him off me. But he had me completely pinned.They were talking about my death – the wolves in the stands. I could hear them. I gasped violently.I had trained so hard! Astrid had said I was better than some of her most skilled warriors. Why can’t I win? He snapped his mouth at me, growling constantly. To him, I was already as good as dead.Is it because I don’t have a wolf? Is that why I can’t win?But I do have a wolf. Zane said so. He said she’s strong and powerful. I was
Eden’s POVMy vision went dark. But as I fell, I felt strong arms catch me before I hit the ground. I tried to see but there was only darkness. My body felt like glass that had been shattered into a thousand tiny shards. The arms holding me up wrapped around me as my consciousness gradually faded away.“Eden.” I heard someone calling my name. The sound was distant at first, but it gradually got louder. Where am I? “Eden! Wake up! Why won’t she wake up?” All the faint sounds around me suddenly became clearer. I struggled to open my eyes. The pain in my head was too much, the light was too bright. I snapped my eyes shut.“She’s unconscious.” I listened, my eyes shut. This was a voice I didn’t recognize. “Her body is very weak right now. She’s in critical condition.”“What are you going to do for her, Dr. Devonworth.” That’s who the unfamiliar voice must be, I thought to myself. It was Dr. Devonworth, the pack doctor. I had never met him before; I’d only heard of him. Apparently, he was
Eden’s POVI was floating in a void of white. I had no idea where I was or who I was with. I couldn’t see myself or anyone else – I was just suspended, floating peacefully through a white void.But then, suddenly, the white dissipated. I was now standing at the foot of a forest. It was an old forest, with ancient trees that reached up high, threatening to pierce the sky. The scent of pine was thick in the air. I stepped into the forest and looked up, through the cracks in the branches, to where the sun shone overhead. But then I shivered. It was chilly in the shade so I stepped into one of the patches of sunlight. That was better. The sun was warm on my skin there. I rubbed my arms.I heard a quiet whimper then and turned my head. There was a massive black wolf, not too far away, staring at me. Its gaze was fixed on me, intensely. I should have been frightened; the wolf was very big and very strong.But I didn’t feel threatened by this wolf. Not at all. I didn’t feel like this wolf w
Zane’s POVSlade was going crazy again. He couldn’t handle seeing Eden lying there, so weak and bruised. She’d taken a real beating during the fight and she now bore the wounds to show it. Deep down, I was really proud of her. Most girls would have given up half-way through. But not Eden. She had just kept on fighting.Seth had torn clear through all the tendons in her left shoulder. Her ribs were crushed and broken, as well as her femur. Other assorted welts, bruises, and gashes covered her body. Slade whined and paced around in my head. He was not happy about this. Not. At. All.When Dr. Devonworth told me she might die, Slade nearly pounced right out of my head. I held him back, but it wasn’t easy. It was clear to me then that if Eden died, Slade would never recover from the loss. So I had told the doctor that she was my mate and that I would do anything and everything to save her. Slade was already on the brink of insanity. Eden’s death would DEFINITELY push him over the edge.
Eden’s POV“What do you mean ‘can't be with me’?” Zane was furious. His anger made me tremble.“I mean, I can’t be with you like this.” I pointed to my body and then to his. I assumed something had happened between us while I was unconscious. I mean, we were both naked and snuggled up together in bed. What was I supposed to think?“You think…” His voice trailed off for a moment. Then he realized what I had insinuated, that we’d had sex. Realization dawned on his face. He shook his head. “You thought I was taking advantage of you? You were unconscious, Eden. I was trying to save you!”I was stunned. Trying to save me?He sighed. “If you don’t believe me, check your wounds.” I lifted my arm and saw that a large gash was almost completely healed. Then I lifted a mirror and looked at my shoulder, where Seth had torn it with his claws. Instead of a deep cut, I only saw the faint outline of a pink wound. It too had almost completely healed.I shied away from him, embarrassed by my accusatio