SERAPHINA’S POVFalling is anything but how it is depicted in dreams.I've had occasional dreams where I'd become a bird, soaring through the sky and feeling the wind in my feathers. There are also those dreams where I'd fall freely through the air, only to crash into my bed and wake up.I’d guessed that it’d be faintly similar to the real thing - not that I ever thought I’d have to check it myself just to be sure.But boy, was I fucking wrong.It’s terrifying in actuality. The force of the air pushes against you harshly while gravity fights back.It's as if you're caught in a push and pull game between the two, your heart racing, pounding, like you're about to die. You scream so loudly, your mouth wide open, enough to catch a good number of bugs.I black out the moment we fall into the water, recalling nothing else of what happened next. That is until I wake up probably hours later at the bank of a river I’ve been washed onto.I sit up abruptly, breathing fast and looking around, rem
ARTEMIS’ POV(HOURS EARLIER)A hard pang shoots through my chest, momentarily rattling my wolf. It puts me on the edge instantly, and I’m forced to sit upright, eyes scanning the vicinity for any signs of danger.However, I see nothing except a class of bored students, then I relax into my seat once more. Weird.The teacher standing in front continues to drone on about the biology of the werewolf, explaining how the larger organs shift along with the rest of the body during a turn. However, I'm too bored to pay attention.Having already studied far beyond the current stage in class, school seems pointless to me.If it wasn’t for father’s demand of an above average attendance record, most of my time won’t be wasted in conventional classrooms, learning things one can easily find in textbooks.I tap on my table, counting every second until the school bell rings again, freeing me from this torturous hell. Thankfully, it’s not long until the familiar ringing sound echoes from the hallway,
KAMILA’S POVIt's morning when I finally open my eyes, the sun's rays slipping into the tiny cave.Now awake, I'm instantly met with intense discomfort in my neck and lower back, a jarring contrast to the plush, high-quality mattress I'm accustomed to.The light snoring at my side pulls my attention to the human girl.Somehow, she manages to sleep peacefully despite the hard, roughened floor, which makes her seem even more weird. What has she been sleeping on all her life? Spikes?It’s bewildering, absolutely dumbfounding, how this human – the very one I’d despised and attacked endless times – had summoned the courage to get us out of the most threatening situation. And she does this even after I’d selfishly sold her out, time and time again. Is she really that weak? That naïve? My weakness was her one chance to ruin me, and yet…Yet she saved me – her enemy.She put her own life on the line for my sake.I…don’t get it.Father never taught me to be selfless. Take what needs to be tak
KAMILA’S POVI’ve never truly understood Artemis’ friend, Ace.He was a philanderer, even worse than my mate, willing to sleep with anyone in a skirt who succumbed to his good looks and irresistible charm, and yet...Yet, during moments like this, when it's just him and me, he shows a side of himself that I still find hard to believe. He becomes so sweet and kind, even going so far as to do me favors, almost like a little boy nursing the biggest crush. Despite his excessive gestures, I continually turn him down, hoping he'll realize how stupid it is and kill this silliness himself. He picks me up in his arms with ease, and I let him for once. Being a future pack warrior, he's stronger than most wolves of his rank. I have to commend him for that; it makes him worthy enough to stand by Artemis' side.The moment we start moving, I'm forced to hold onto him. He briskly walks towards the nurse's office, carrying me silently in his armsFrom the corner of my eyes, I spot Artemis again, a
SERAPHINA’S POVI'm left stunned, a deer caught in headlights—confused, wide-eyed, and paralyzed in place.The ground beneath me seems to crumble as I fall into a sinking pit of despair, engulfed in darkness. All the while, I'm denying it over and over again in my head.There’s no way Olivia would be in a coma. The school is safe. Despite the segregations, there’s no way a student could get badly hurt like that, and no one would know the culprit.But why would he lie to me about Olivia? He has no reason to - nothing to gain. She really is unconscious.‘It’s all your fault. You promised you wouldn’t let anything happen to her.’No, I-I did my best. I left her out of everything dangerous.‘She’s your friend; she’s bound to get wound up in the threats that come after you at some point.’But I didn’t mean for any of this.‘You let her down, and now she’s hurt.’I-I…I did this.The realization hits me, and my inner thoughts harp on my own role in all of this. The ringing in my ears intensi
SERAPHINA’S POV“There is no fucking way that I will move into your room with you.”“I wasn’t asking you, Sera.” He says sternly, tuning away to leave while I stand there, still flabbergasted by his suggestion.Imagine waking up every single day to see the face of the literal bane of my existence. As if the school hours I've already been forced to spend with him weren't enough.“Wait.” I call out to him before he can leave, stopping him just at the door.He halts in his tracks to look at me.“I can’t possibly move in with you - that’s insane. T-that’s the boys’ dorm.”“I will request for permission from the administrator. I bet he will understand if I mention that Father’s precious human could be at risk of dying if not.”"What about Kamila, your mate?" I can't help the incredulous tone that seeps into my voice.He freezes on the spot momentarily, a look flashing in his eyes before he shrugs it off. "Kamila should be the least of your worries. Being the Alpha princess, there'd be co
SERAPHINA’S POVAs expected, the room is empty when I arrive - colder than usual, and perfectly spotless as it would be just before we left for school.Her lavender scent still lingers in the air, stronger on her side of the room, hurting my already aching heart even more.Instead of falling on my bed as usual, I move over to her side, seating first on her soft mattress and gently feeling the fabric of her sheath beneath my fingers. That is before falling back and fully lying on it.I turn, pressing my face into it just as tears fall down my eyes again.If it weren't for me, she'd be here by now, back from school, sighing away the stress of the day. She'd toss her bag aside, climb into bed for a 15-minute power nap, and then dive into her thick books.But instead, she's trapped in a vegetative state, all because I was so desperate to change this school. Regretting it now won't change anything. Like Lucian said, all I can do is sit and wait, praying they find the evidence they need—an
ARTEMIS’ POVI can't help but stare at her smaller frame as she walks in front of me, moving out of the girls' dormitory.From the moment I spotted her riding the wolf back to school, I've had to agonizingly restrain myself. The constant urge to rush up to her and pull her close—until my racing heart steadies—has been almost unbearable. Turns out that one hug didn't even begin to quench my yearning for more. Now, as we walk, it's a battle of wills not to slide my hand into hers, not to seek out that singular warmth her touch bestows. This unexplainable pull defies all logic.It makes absolutely no sense.It’s like my body is short-circuiting, reacting in impossible ways, all because of this anomaly of a girl. I'm wanting, craving even the slightest contact from her until I can truly convince myself that no harm could come her way.I really meant what I said earlier.Her absence for 24 hours did something to me; it sent me into a temporary fit of madness that logic couldn't explain.