SERAPHINA’S POVMy idea of payback is possibly the cheesiest thing Artemis will ever see in his life. I plan to do something grand enough to shake the feeling of being indebted to him. What do I do instead?I plan a modest snack table featuring the best items the school's vending machines can offer, complete with a side of ketchup and my laptop for another scary movie night. Compared to the elaborate hangout he planned before, mine feels like child's play. But I guess he'll just have to take what he gets?By the time I'm done setting up, I can't help but notice how shabby and empty the table looks from my perspective. It makes me wonder how he managed to order pizza and stock up on all those snacks before. Exhausted, I decide to leave things as they are. Just then, a knock on the door jolts me from my thoughts, and I head over to answer it.“Heads up, Artemis. It's not the best, but just know it's all worth three hours of hard human effort,” I explain as I pull the door open. To
SERAPHINA’S POVI sit alone on Artemis's balcony, wrapped in my own arms, staring quietly at the full moon overhead. My thoughts keep drifting back to that unsettling dream – was it even a dream? - wrestling with the impossibility of making sense of it all. The only logical explanation I can muster is that I must have sleepwalked—trashed the room and nearly stabbed Artemis as he walked in.I still can't piece together how that knife ended up in my hands; there are unnerving gaps in my memory. “Here you go,” Artemis says, reappearing to hand me a bowl of ice cream.I take it, stirring the chocolate ice cream absentmindedly with my spoon as he sits beside me, digging into his own bowl. “I'm sorry,” I finally murmur, unable to meet his eyes.“For what exactly? Trashing my room or nearly turning me into a cyclops?” he teases, chuckling to lighten the mood.I offer a bitter laugh in return, biting my lip and looking away. “Hey, you said it was an accident. So, it's okay.”“No, it's no
SERAPHINA’S POVThe next morning, I'm jolted from my deep slumber by the sound of laughter – particularly the kind you'd hear after every punchline in an old nineties sitcom.I ignore it, thinking it's just an extension of my dream until it resounds again, originating from the outside world, and my body descends. I groan with annoyance, hating the fact that I'm being woken up so early in the morning and swiftly turning to get whoever it is to shut the fuck up. Then, out of nowhere, a migraine hits me like a bomb.I can feel every blood vessel pumping blood to my brain, each pulse fast and hard, causing excruciating pain in the process. Settling back down on my pillow, I keep my eyes shut, waiting for the discomfort to subside. Once it does, I tentatively open my eyes, only to be immediately blinded by the morning light flooding the room. Ah, it's definitely morning.Obnoxious laughter echoes once again. Slowly turning to the side, my vision begins to normalize. I find myself stari
SERAPHINA’S POVI cough just as Juliet, who's been my makeover maestro for the evening, dabs into her eyeshadow palette to add another layer onto my lids. "Sera, you'll smudge it if you keep squirming like that," she warns."Is all this really necessary?" I ask, a touch of exasperation in my voice. Two hours of skincare treatments, an hour for hair, and now we're thirty minutes deep into the makeup phase. I’m in Alice and Juliet’s room, and my face feels as though it's laminated with all the products they've applied. I mean, it's just a three-hour party, and let's be honest—I'll probably enjoy only the first hour before my social battery taps out.Juliet rolls her eyes but remains laser-focused on my eyes. "Yes, Sera, it's absolutely necessary. You're the star tonight; you have to look the part.""But it feels like you're prepping me for the Oscars, not a college party," I counter, sneaking a glance at my increasingly unfamiliar reflection in the mirror.Alice, who's giving the f
SERAPHINA’S POVIt seemed like a fantastic idea in my head to approach Lucian, but as I draw closer to the group of guys he's with, self-doubt and nervousness flood over me. Just when I'm about to retreat, our eyes lock—his silver eyes meeting mine. We both freeze for a moment, suspended in time.His eyes widen as if he's seeing me for the first time, or maybe he's just taking in my new look. Whatever it is, it seems to catch him completely off guard."Hey!" he's the first to break the silence, pulling away from his friends almost immediately."Hey!" I echo, injecting my voice with enthusiasm as I attempt to cloak my nervousness.In mere seconds, he's closed the distance between us, standing close enough for me to catch the mix of his cologne and a slight, manly musk."Awesome party you've got going on here," he says, edging even closer.Fumbling awkwardly with my fingers, I suddenly become hyper-aware of my outfit, my makeup, every little detail. But even in the midst of my self-c
A FEW MOMENTS EARLIERARTEMIS’ POV"Any sign of Morgan yet?""None. He's done a good job of hiding ever since evidence came to light about his crew attacking Kamila and Sera," Jasper replies as we complete our final round through the school.It's as if the bastard has vanished off the face of the earth. Despite my efforts to get the school to flush him out, it's like hitting a brick wall; the investigation just can't seem to break through.He crossed a line with Seraphina, even after my warnings. And he thinks he can get away with it? Not a chance. I'll draw out the big guns if I have to. Run, hide—it won't matter. I will find him. And when I do, blood will spill.My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I check the message from Ace. ‘They're done,’ it reads, which means Sera and her friends are almost at the party.I can't help the small smile that manages to find its way to my face when he sends a picture along with the text.Her two friends are literally dragging her out of the room, wh
ARTEMIS POV"Artemis, where are you going?" Jasper's voice calls out to me, but I ignore him. All I want is to escape this rowdiness, to find solitude far away from Sera and her all-too-perfect moment with fucking Lucian.I push my way through the crowd, heading toward an old shack in the distance. How dare she? After everything I've done for her, she chooses to hang out with that jerk? Laugh with him? She's never laughed like that with me. Never twirled her hair around her finger while I talked to her, never looked at me with eyes that twinkled quite so brightly.With each thought, my chest tightens further, the knot of emotions becoming almost unbearable. My wolf dies a little by the second, stabbed down with a dreadful feeling."Artemis?" A new voice pierces through my storm, pulling me out of my misery.I look up. "Zoya?" I say, hoping I've remembered her name correctly.The wide smile she gives me right before engulfing me in a hug lets me know I was spot on.She's the first
SERAPHINA’S POVI follow the two guys down a path leading to the outskirts of the school and deeper into the woods. A part of me screams to turn back, to return to the party or maybe even go home where it's safe.But the thought of going home means facing Artemis, and right now, that's not something I can bear. Just thinking about him brings back those awful images of him kissing some girl in an alley. It's infuriating, confusing even, because I can't quite fathom why I'm so angry in the first place.After all, it's none of my business what he does. He has a mate, and last I checked, we're not even friends. What he does in his free time, or whoever he's grinding against, shouldn't be my concern.My actual business here is to ensure Olivia gets the revenge she deserves after what these people did to her. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but a subtle feeling tells me I might gather some evidence for the school board if I follow them. We walk for a while until we spot what looks
SERAPHINA’S POVThe doors to the throne room on the west side of the castle finally pull open, revealing Artemis and me to the entire congregation gathered to celebrate our crowning and witness the beginning of a new era of peace. Our hands are intertwined, our traditional garments matching, with long flowing capes that trail a few feet behind us. A wave of anxiety and excitement hits all at once, but I know I’m not alone. Never again.The congregation stands, applauding endlessly as we walk down the aisle, side by side, hand in hand, waving at all of them. I spot Olivia and Jasper, hand in hand, seeing them for the first time in three years, waving harder and growing excited to tell them all about my tales. Ace and Gabe sit in the next row, clapping along with the crowd, smiles on their faces as well. Of course, Alice is nowhere to be seen. It’s been years, and she has never shown her face to me again.Olivia had said that she moved to a different country, one that’s far a
ARTEMIS’ POV ( 3YEARS LATER)I'm completely stacked with work, towers of paperwork almost reaching the ceilings for the changes I've tried desperately to implement for the past four years since becoming the Alpha King. Laws newly implemented seem to have more backlash than initially anticipated, yet I’m committed to see them to the end, all to make some time for the coming weekend. A knock echoes from my door before Jasper walks in, still rocking that god-awful goatee Olivia hasn't succeeded in getting him to chop off. "Beta reporting for duty, Your Majesty," he bows. "Any news from the delegation you sent out to the human population?" He now turns serious once he sees all the papers.I instantly appreciate the new version of him that's capable of taking things seriously while still retaining his joyful side. I've tried to continue my father's works, improving the mission to unite all races as one to prevent things like war from ever happening again, to form a union o
ARTEMIS’ POVWeeks pass since Sera’s eyes open, and like a sick twist of fate, I find myself unable to see her as much now, with doctors being around her and more work piling on my desk. Yet, I remind myself to be patient while she gets the treatment and therapy she needs. The times I do stay by her side, I hold her in my arms, slowly filling her in on everything she’s missed in the past year. Her greatest hurdle with everything is accepting how much time has passed, how long she’s been unconscious, the time she’s lost. Processing it has not been easy and simply adds to her stress. Thankfully, Olivia stayed back for a few weeks to help her readjust to it all while I’m away and has only just left a few days ago.Tonight, as always, I’m in my office completely swamped with work, trying to achieve most of what I planned to do before Sera is completely better and on her feet again. Because I want to show her the world and more, and before I can get anywhere, I have to fix it.
ARTEMIS’ POV(ONE YEAR LATER)"In light of all the allegations brought forth, not only by students but also by teachers, I hereby strip you of your position as school Administrator," I declare before the newly appointed school board gathered before me. The now former Administrator, Mr. Andrew, stares at me with wet, red eyes on the brink of breaking into tears. He trembles, looking at me with pleading eyes for mercy, but I feel nothing close to remorse, especially with proof of years of his embezzlement sitting right in front of me on my desk. The fact that he also played a huge part in the school's segregation alone tempts me to strangle him with my bare hands every time I remember what Seraphina had to go through - but then, even I had a hand in this.My eyes shift to the other man in his late thirties standing on the other side of the room among the council, nodding in his direction. "In replacement, I appoint Mr. Jermaine for the new position of school Administrator."
ACE’S POVAs the doctor announces the outcomes of the surgery, I slowly detach from the group, watching their faces light up for only a moment before something even darker takes over. But I don’t stay long. I don’t dare stay with them in their moments of grief or offer words of encouragement, not when I haven’t been there for everything they’ve had to face. I don’t deserve to sit in their presence of lament with any of them, not especially Artemis or Jasper. I was a shitty friend, I probably still am. I haven’t gotten over my jealousy or my issues. I couldn’t be there for them even if I wanted to, but I at least wanted to show up and apologize, at least to Sera, for everything I did. I wish I could do more, be better. Perhaps in the future, when so much isn’t happening, perhaps one day I could have the courage to face each of them and apologize properly.I walk to a corner, resting against the wall, wanting to be alone before I read the letter from Kamila. She’s neve
ARTEMIS’ POVI grab her before her body can hit the ground, pressing down on her neck that gushes more blood than I can bear to see. “Sera!” I yell her name, my voice laden with begging and pleading for her to wake up, to look at me, to say something—anything at all. Even if it means her hating me for forcing her into this situation, for not being strong enough, I would gladly take it; she need only say anything.The blood doesn’t stop, and she doesn’t move either; her eyes remain unfocused, staring at nothing without the usual glint of light in them. “Sera, please…” I break into a sob, holding her against me, pressing my cheek against her forehead as a wave of agony overwhelms me. She can’t leave me. I won’t let her."Moon Goddess!" I scream, my voice reaching the sky with tears in my eyes, Sera clutched tightly in my arms. Rage burns like fire in my blood. "You said you chose me to make a difference, you said you wanted the circle to end. None of it would make any s
SERAPHINA’S POVHer hands stretch out, and numerous black hands spring forth from the shadows of everyone else, every person that still remains on the school premises, grabbing onto whomever it comes from and pinning them to the ground, myself included. "I only spared you for a moment because you meant something to her, but if you force my hand, I will find joy in crushing you with my bare hands," she seethes, trembling with anger. The shadow holding me down doubles in pressure, and I feel a few of my ribs breaking under it. It’s only a matter of time before she kills me along with everyone else here, and if she does that, there would be no one else to stop her."Sera, don't!" the scream of a female voice pulls both our attention to the far left. It's Olivia, tied down by her own shadow, trembling and in tears, next to an equally captured Jasper... I thought they had escaped. "Don’t do this, Sera. This isn’t you." Her surprise turns into disgust while facing Olivia now.
ARTEMIS’ POVI'm violently shaken awake by someone, and my eyes open, staring at the gruff, manly face looking down at me with concern—a face I recognize as one of the soldiers on my side. "Your majesty," he cries the second my eyes are open, giving me enough space to sit up. I feel as though I've only woken up from a deep, restful sleep, my body relaxed and fully energized once more, which is confusing for an entity claiming to save me for last after wiping an entire race out.I look around the room, everything being the same aside from Sera’s presence. She’s really gone. I look at the large hole in the wall, at the sky that suddenly seems like a darker red shade with clouds hanging around. It really does look like the end of the world. "Report," I say to the soldier, getting to my feet again. "The witch..." He begins, pausing the second I cast a deathly glare his way. "...I mean the princess managed to change the color of the sky as soon as she left the building, casti
SERAPHINA’S POVI blink my eyes for only a second, and suddenly I'm in a garden with the sun setting, showing that half the day has passed. Half the day just breezed past me without being present, almost as if I’m running through today. I'm startled for a second, not remembering coming here at all. I could have sworn that I was back in the hall accepting my new title just a second ago. Yet, I'm sitting on a bench holding the book in my hands, its skin feeling and looking awfully familiar, as if I’ve had it long before now.“How does it feel being Queen now?” A voice cuts through my train of thought from behind me. I pause and look around, meeting my mother walking towards me in her always slowly paced walks. I’d never seen her run, even in times of distress and emergency, and always wished I could be half as regal and calm as she is. “Mother,” I say, standing to my feet and hugging her for a while. Somehow calling her my mother leaves a feeling of yearning in my heart, des