NineCameronThe plan to frustrate Athena worked, and I was glad I wasn’t the only one who was offended. She had no idea what she was doing to me and how I couldn’t focus anymore because I kept thinking of a thousand reasons why she wouldn’t want the bond, and why her damn wolf couldn’t connect with her.Even though I didn’t mean to cause her stress, I just had to do things the tough way. Every time we met in class, she'd act like I was poisonous and would stay very far away from me.We didn’t have many classes in common, which kind of sucked because I'd been looking for opportunities to be by her side.The days passed, and from the bits of information I gathered from my cronies, they didn’t seem to know much about her. She had a mysterious vibe that drew me in. She never tried to fit in or suck up to the queen bees like many wannabes did. It seemed like she enjoyed her own company, which was quite admirable because she didn’t seem like a pushover.I was heading upstairs from the prin
Athena Mia's voice pierced through my sleep. "Wake up, you lazy bum!" She stood over me and shook me gently but firmly. On the other hand, she held a cup of ice-cold water and threatened to spill it onto my face.That didn't work. She plopped down on my bed and started bouncing up and down, her weight causing the bed to shake and jiggle. I groaned loudly. When I finally opened my eyes, I was met with the sight of Mia fully dressed in her school uniform, ready to take on the day."Even someone like me, who was out partying last night, still managed to wake up early and get dressed. What's your excuse for still being asleep at this hour?" Mia said. "Leave me alone. What time is it?" "It's 7:15, and you've got 10 minutes to get moving before the matrons come to lock up.""Oh shit!" I jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. There was no hot water, and it was cold outside. I couldn't afford to wait for it to heat up.I dropped my pink towel in the sink and summoned the courage
AthenaEvery student must join a compulsory club, and since I already loved chemistry, I decided to join the chemistry club, which mainly consisted of nerds.They looked quite skeptical, as my physical appearance didn’t resemble that of a nerd, especially with the highlights in my hair.“It’s always a breath of fresh air when new students succeed or join us. Most students dread chemistry,” the club president, a pleasant-looking girl, said to me. I'd seen her several times trying to be a pick-me to Jennifer. The teacher, who introduced herself as Vera, agreed with the club president and welcomed me warmly. Since Mia was kicked out of the music club, she decided to join cheerleading for just one reason, which irritated me. She wanted us to be together, but I blatantly refused. Why would I want to shoot myself in the foot by watching Cameron run around all sweaty and playing soccer with his bimbo cheerleaders cheering him on? Jennifer was even their president and that alone was a red
Cameron I watched Athena leave, and with every trace of excitement, I felt drained like water from spaghetti. I was doing everything I knew to make her see reason with me, but she didn’t even care about me.My mood was ruined by her blatant refusal, which made me think about forcing a bond by marking her. I couldn’t do that, though. Even though I was desperate to retain my father’s legacy, Athena was my mate, and I wanted a natural bond to form between us.The question was, how long could I wait? Fabian and Michael joined me, and after they noticed my sour mood, they were careful about what to say."Perhaps you should make yourself more likable to her; this bullying stuff might not be working. She seems tough as nails."Michael could be right. Perhaps it was time to channel more energy into winning her over. We headed to the soccer field as usual, and the cheerleaders joined us. They usually came once a week, and I wasn’t looking forward to it because of Jennifer, their leader. She
AthenaThe jealousy in my heart could not be contained, and I almost felt like exploding. I knew that I was being petty and was consciously encouraging myself to bother about Cameron, but I couldn’t help myself.The new guy, Ivan, sat beside me, and I was extremely happy that he was a hybrid. I knew immediately that he had something I did the moment our eyes met, and he made things easier by introducing himself as a hybrid. I was glad that, finally, I was getting to meet someone like me who understood all my struggles and could relate to them all.Seeing Cameron and Mia sitting opposite us just made me feel pissed off.“Are you okay?” Ivan, who immediately noticed the switch in my mood, asked, and I could only manage a nod.He tried to continue talking about other stuff, as we couldn’t talk about having witch blood in public, but the energy wasn’t the same as before Cameron came to the class.“Do you have a thing for him?” Ivan asked out of the blue, and I swallowed hard before turnin
AthenaIvan begged me, just as Caleb used to beg me at home to take him on my midnight magic encounters.I would've said no, but I agreed because I needed a distraction from thinking about Mia, and I didn’t want to be around when she got back from the date and make things even more awkward. Secondly, Ivan had sworn on his life that he found a secluded valley where no one would ever catch us. And I kind of missed spinning magic- it always helped with my mood swings."Fine, I’ll meet you at the general quadrangle," I told him. I grabbed the things I needed, tossed them into my bag, and grabbed my cloak.Ivan was waiting for me with a broad grin. His long blonde hair cascaded down his back, giving him a Scandinavian look."Your Royal Highness," he bowed playfully. "I can’t wait to learn at your feet.""Let’s go, silly," I laughed. "I hope I don’t regret this."Hand in hand, we headed to the valley, and I gasped in awe at the breathtaking setting."How did you even find this place? It lo
Cameron "Guys, I can’t stand him near her," I complained to Fabian and Michael. "He’s always with her. Do you see the way he looks at her? Why the hell does she even tolerate him? She won't even talk to me, and to make matters worse, he’s in my fucking dorm, so I have to see him every damn morning.""Relax," Michael laughed, which even got me angrier. That Ivan dude was so infuriating —he wasn’t afraid of me or my threats and showed that I wasn't intimidating him."How can I relax when someone’s taking what belongs to me? Things would be worse if my dad found out that I have found my mate.' If he and the other government council discover this, Athena and her family will have no choice but to accept the bond. But I’ve been trying to be patient to get her to like me, and she doesn’t even want to stand near me.""I have a theory," Fabian said and took off his shoes. His socks reeked, making Michael scrunch up his nose, but my pet peeves seemed insignificant compared to the anger I felt.
Athena"I swear if you tell me to calm down one more time, I’ll fucking wring your neck," Mia warned, wagging her finger in my face.She was in a rage, and I tried to get her to sit on the bench under the staircase."Who the hell does she think she is?" She complained, her face and breath growing ragged.I looked around to make sure we were alone since we couldn’t discuss Jennifer in public. All the girls seemed to be sucking up to her.While I remained calm, listening to Mia, I couldn’t help but think about what Jennifer had said earlier. My thoughts were almost drowned out by the faint thread of hysteria in Cameron’s eyes. He was trying hard to hide his confusion, making me wonder if Jennifer had some power over him.How was that possible if Cameron‘s dad was a king? I tried to make sense of the events, but nothing added up"Are you even listening to me?" Mia shook my arm, snapping me out of my thoughts."You said you want Jennifer to disappear, but asking me to levitate and harm he
Chapter FiftyAthenaFour months had passed, and the academy graduation day had finally arrived. It was a bright and beautiful morning, and students, parents, and teachers gathered to celebrate this milestone. My dad and mom were there with my sister. Uncle Zika and their wives were also present. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my dress. I had settled for a simple blue gown that had a long slit. Mia helped me with my hair and makeup, ensuring perfect detail. Oh, and did I mention that Cameron was still alive, and Mia was engaged to her boyfriend Sean? She wore an off-the-shoulder dress to flaunt her mark with pride. I tried not to look at it because I always became jealous whenever I did. Mom and Dad beamed with pride, taking photos of me and Caleb. Cameron's dad, King Marcos, had also arrived, and when I curtsied respectfully, he smiled warmly at me and hugged me. His mom still had not been found, and some people speculated that she might have killed herself. Cameron ofte
AthenaSex with Cameron was beautiful. I never knew it could get so addicting, and I always thought the act was overhyped until I experienced it. The more the weeks passed, the more I couldn’t get enough of him. He had complained about condoms, saying that it wasn’t like the real thing, but I would always scream at him to stop being stupid and that I wouldn’t be responsible for his death. We kept the news from our parents. Cameron’s mom had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Cameron pretended to be calm the time we bumped into King Thor, but when he was closing off, he landed a punch on the king's jaw that I heard crack. He got a few bruises from the king’s bodyguards, but I was proud of him. The bastard deserved to be manhandled.Despite everything, I needed validation that I was doing the right thing. I couldn’t tell my mom because she would tell my dad, so the only person I could confide in was my grandmother. One of the weekends, I took a train to her house, which was close
Cameron's POVI'd never been on the verge of tears in years. It was taboo for boys to show emotion. Lately, life has been unfair to me, and realizing that nothing could ever be okay again has made me feel like a failure. I had always thought my life was great and better than most. Now, it was clear that that was just a delusion. The fact that my parents were on the brink of divorce because my mom fucked that bastard, Thor, made my blood boil.This roller coaster left my body drained. I didn't care how stupid I looked in tears; the feelings overwhelmed me. When the first wave of grief subsided, I finally looked at Athena, who was also in tears. She cupped my chin and kissed my forehead. “Why? Athena. Why does it have to be me? First, it's our bond and the pain of knowing you and I can never be together. Now, this?”“I'm sorry,” her mouth trembled as tears streamed down her face. “It isn't right. I wish I could fix it.”She wrapped her arms around me tightly, and I held her back whil
AthenaA crease appeared on Cameron's forehead, and he looked pinched and unhappy from my rejection. I moved my hand frequently, trying to distract myself, and thought he would understand as usual, but he seemed too defensive."It's just a dance, Athena. Even strangers dance. Things aren't that bad; please don't push it," I said, remaining calm. Cameron grinned at me, and I didn't understand why he was so stubborn."Fine then, I'm not going to ruin the fun. I hope you wouldn't mind if I danced with another girl.""Break a leg."He looked like I had just slapped him in the face, surprised by my response, but I needed to protect him from myself, even if it hurt. He turned around and left, and soon, he was dancing with a popular girl from school. Watching them felt too painful. I skipped to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of juice to distract myself.I noticed someone at the door and thought it was Cameron, but it was my cousin Alex. He smiled a little too broadly, and there was an
AthenaI bit the inside of my cheek, feeling trapped and unsure of my options to return to school. It was easy to second-guess myself because teenagers and young adults my age were mean, and no matter how I pretended that words didn’t get to me, I knew that wasn’t true. Stepping off the plane, I hoped I had made the right decision. I flagged a taxi from the airport parking lot, wondered why they were so expensive and hiked their prices compared to regular taxis, but I had no choice because Mom had gotten me a truckload of edibles and even more for Caleb. The driver dropped me off at the school gates, and I didn’t know if it was the hopeful expectation that there was going to be a strange twist between Cameron and me or the fear that things could get worse and that I was shooting myself in the foot. My heart pounded as I dragged my suitcase behind me. I stopped when I spotted Cameron standing and smiling at me at the gate; my heart melted.Our love brought us back to each other in wa
Cameron My gaze never left Athena. She was too startled by my bold declaration, and even though I was more uncertain than ever about what I was doing, and my dad was caught off guard by my words, I couldn’t help it. A part of me knew I was digging my grave, and I liked life too much to lose it. But at the same time, seeing Athena roused my deep affection and attachment for her. It wasn’t just about lust; there was more to my feelings. I wanted to move closer, to touch her. My pulse raced, and I felt a hyper-awareness of being close to her. Only she could cause me this mental fuzziness and the feeling of possessing her and keeping her safe.Her father looked confused. I heard his quick intake of breath. Athena stood tongue-tied, and shock flew through her mother’s eyes. I could tell my father was irritated.“What is wrong with you?” he whispered harshly, but I was too far gone. Athena looked different, skinnier than when I last saw her. She looked like someone who had been through a
Athena The next day dragged on without much happening. Everyone soon returned to their lives, with Dad busy with alpha duties and Mom busy with work and the home front. I knew this was how it would be—that everyone would forget my predicament or soon see me as a sore loser who couldn’t overcome the fact that Cameron and I could never be together. But I was wrong. My mom had invited my grandma to come over, which was a real surprise, as my grandma was a pure witch, and it was risky for her to be in our pack. Having her over made me feel a certain type of way. I had inherited her bloodline, and with it came a legacy of pain and heartache. I didn’t know if I wanted to see her.I drifted to sleep but could hear my grandma’s voice in my dreams. When I woke up, I realized she was indeed downstairs. My parents and sister were welcoming her warmly. I remained in bed; a part of me wanted to rush downstairs and fling myself into her arms. Instead, I made my way to the window and peered down
AthenaThe next few days were a blur of sorrow and nothingness. I struggled to remain alive and succumbed to the sadness that consumed me. I hated myself. I wished my life was over. There was nothing positive to look out for in this bleakness. My parents were concerned, but I chose isolation, finding people's words and concerns irritating. My eyes were swollen from crying, and my bed was bearing the brunt of this depression. I didn't leave it; if the poor bed could speak, it would be screaming n. I knew I would be expelled from school; that was a no-brainer. My dad and mom tried to reach out to me. Even my uncles, Zeke and Ziah, came over with their wives, but I didn't want to see anyone.Caleb had sacrificed to travel back with me, but he shouldn't have bothered because his presence didn't lift my spirits. The whole family was angry with Alex for exposing my secret, but I knew it was for the best. Cameron would be free now, and it was useless holding him back. I heard my mom knoc
CameronIf anyone had ever told me that this revelation would break the bond I shared with Athena, I would have never believed them because Athena seemed like everything good in my world, all in one package. I devoted myself to her and desired to share everything with her—my body, mind, and soul. I gave my heart to her to treasure with trust. We matched perfectly and had never fallen in love so quickly or completely.A wedding seemed the next logical step. I thought I would feel happy with her and that even if we encountered issues, they would be minor things with solutions.But now, my heart was shattered beyond repair. I was furious, I was afraid, and the thought of bonding with Athena leading to my death frightened me beyond measure. The hurt was raw, and the terror came gasping up my throat in a cold, panting fear. Ever since that night at the ballroom, surrounded by the elite who gathered to watch the commotion occur, my life went downhill. That night, a hush fell over the cr