XANNONHis lifeless eyes have plagued my mind since the day it happened at the Crescent Ball. As green as mine, like fresh grass in the meadows. They remind me of where my brothers and I come from. Home. But they also remind me of the day our lives changed. The day we signed an agreement with death that we won't last until the end of our wolves' life span. I still hear the rage of laughter coming from the ongoing Crescent Ball in my head. The table had curved around the Crowngate Higher square and, on the other radius, sat Casterton, the Vamp Lord. Our gazes meshed in a line as we drank from our goblets. His normal wine. Ours poisoned."Xannon." I turn, blinking away my father's lifeless eyes and his voice in my head, facing Kace Morgant. He's not alone. I've come to learn that he always walks with minions from the Dusk Fae Court, who've found their way into this school of bloodshed as well."I haven't seen you since Naming Day ended." He regards me with soul-piercing eyes, like h
MAE: One week ago. I think it’s a trumpet. Maybe the sky gods want a red carpet laid out for them before they arrive on the ground. But it’s only Kira blowing snot into a tissue, repeatedly, in the living room. “Arghhhh.” She half groans and half wails, leaving me dumbfounded. “Don’t you think it’s too early in the morning?” She pops one eye open through her aggressive tears, blowing another round of non-existent snot into a tissue. She’s all surrounded. White crumpled paper towels dot every spot on the black tiled floor next to her. “Men are scum!” she says while crying, but I strain to hear her correctly. “What? Men are saints?” The leatherette couch pillow lands in my face for that, and I raise my hands, surrendering. “Too soon. Got it.” I sigh, watching her crumble, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Kira fell for her mated boss, who hid the truth about his family from her. It wasn’t until she had gotten tangled in his messed up life that she found out. Falling
XANNON: Present Day. “Uncle, do you enjoy having your cock sucked?” Xaden asks Damek Beverion, the Lycan King of the Vale, which is the capital of Evencrest city. My brother seldom has a filter, and sometimes, he lacks a working brain. We are far from home, being housed by the Red Dawn pack. After someone attacked and killed our father in Crowngate city, we fled before it was too late. They may not have finished off the Beverions of the Silent Winter pack, but they will return to end what they’ve started. And we don’t even know who the enemy is. Yet. I clear my throat. “Excuse Xaden, Uncle. He’s had a long month since we left Crowngate, grieving.” Xaden scoffs, curling his lips into a mocking smile, but he stays silent. I’m glad his brain boots again and reminds him of whose roof houses us now. In a few moments, I will realise I spoke too soon about my brother. “No, it’s alright.” Alpha Damek chuckles in his seat on the long table while his servants serve breakfast. “What man
MAE: A slap. A fucking hard one. Stella Holden answers her door and slaps me hard in the face. I don't know this woman. I just know that she's Sai's stepmother. Kira’s the reason I’m here, so what the hell is this woman’s problem? They turned her into a suspect and took her away from me. Now, she just hit me like I'm responsible for her son's death. I remain calm, watching her take in deep, hard breaths as the sting on my face slowly disappears. "I've been meaning to do that for nineteen long years, Mae." Her face morphs into an ugly snarl—the kind you'll find on the face of a demon. Huh, she knows my name...How? "At least, I deserve to know why you’ve pinned your son’s murder on an innocent person." I say, too calm to be true. She’s dazed for a moment before she mutters. "Because you ruined my life...But at least now, you are about to save it." This. Woman. Is. Crazy. "Kira didn't kill Sai! I'm warning you. End this madness now, Stella." "How dare you warn me?! My brothe
MAE: Ivan Holden hands me his family’s crest. Dragon fire. Only the most influential families in Solantis own crests. I’ve never had one. Kira Reane didn’t have one, either. We've never been amongst the cream of the crop. Our social ranks are far below average, even the town we live in is known to house the lowest grades of people. I would have never imagined before now that I would step foot in the Vale, which is the home of top-tier individuals. The idea of Crests began thousands of years ago after all supernaturals united under the umbrella of Solantis at the end of the great war. That's as far as my knowledge of our history went, but at least, I've painted a clear picture of the life I've lived for you. Also, I realise the Holdens aren’t done with me after dinner at the Vale. They’ve made another offer. If I want Kira back, I have to sign up for the Starweaver Academy, and to do that, I must identify as Alpha Ivan’s daughter before all of Solantis and not just the Beverions of
XANNON: A fucking plot twist. It’s the beauty with pretty, fuck-me grey eyes, sitting outside Kathleen Aranal’s office. I swear time stills for an eternity when our eyes meet. She smells like ours. She is ours. “What?” her voice speaks to my cock, like its an audio manual. It’s the most perfect sound to exist. I sigh mentally. I have to hear it again and again, but which of them did Wade bind us to last night by honour? My eyes dart to the blonde pretty face at her side. A shocking spark of familiarity settles inside me. I frown. Her deep blue eyes, flawless golden skin, and that sharp nose do not seem...new. “Mae Holden? The director is waiting for you.” Kathleen’s secretary saves everyone from the awkwardness brewing like a storm. The Holden girls stand and leave, but my brothers and I have our eyes glued to one perky ass. Who’s Mae? Her? “Holy shit.” A stunned Xaden mutters when they leave. “Did that just happen?” “Wade. That cunning bastard. He should have sent us a pic.
MAE: Me?! All eyes in the court fix on me. Murmurings spring up around me. They are hungry to see my next move. Everything depends on the choice I’m about to make. However, I’m no fighter. I don’t even belong here. I stand, thinking of how Xannon’s last name rings a damned bell, but the only other Beverions I know are House Crow; the Silent Winter Alpha, my betrothed, and his beta, Wade Beverion. But there’s also the Lycan King Damek. He’s the Red Dawn Alpha and his crest is a Raven. His last name starts with a ‘b’ and ends with a fucking ‘n’. These triplets are his. “What do we call you?” Kace Morgant asks. “Mae.” “Title, Mae.” The darker skinned boy commanding the court insists. I grumble out an answer for Lukas. “House Dragon fire.” The crowd gasps again. Ivan Holden must be popular around here, but their surprise has nothing to do with my new name. It has everything to do with my existence. I move out of the row. In the aisle, someone shoves me from behind. It takes a m
MAE: Gods… Not four weeks. Hours. He promised I will make it out of here alive, but so much has gone wrong in Ivan Holden’s perfect plan to deceive everyone. I run, even when the voice in the speakers hasn’t stopped. Before Riah can blink, I’m out of my seat, searching for a way out of this Academy. Today’s certainly not the day I die. “Wait for me!” I keep walking fast, ignoring Riah, who’s close behind me. She doesn’t back down from pestering me, though. “Mae! The Aranal crystal ball chose today as your naming day! A year ago, I would have envied you to death because you won’t have to wait weeks to know where you truly belong. It is a good thing, so stop running—” I whirl around, snapping, “I don’t want to be named, okay?! This isn’t how...” I pinch my forehead, battling with a rapidly beating heart and tight lungs. I swallow the lump of dread in my throat. “This isn’t how it is supposed to turn out.” “What are you talking about? You are the daughter of the MoonFall pack
XANNONHis lifeless eyes have plagued my mind since the day it happened at the Crescent Ball. As green as mine, like fresh grass in the meadows. They remind me of where my brothers and I come from. Home. But they also remind me of the day our lives changed. The day we signed an agreement with death that we won't last until the end of our wolves' life span. I still hear the rage of laughter coming from the ongoing Crescent Ball in my head. The table had curved around the Crowngate Higher square and, on the other radius, sat Casterton, the Vamp Lord. Our gazes meshed in a line as we drank from our goblets. His normal wine. Ours poisoned."Xannon." I turn, blinking away my father's lifeless eyes and his voice in my head, facing Kace Morgant. He's not alone. I've come to learn that he always walks with minions from the Dusk Fae Court, who've found their way into this school of bloodshed as well."I haven't seen you since Naming Day ended." He regards me with soul-piercing eyes, like h
MAE: I'm basking in the clouds, floating like the wind. Xannon’s mouth is my eighth wonder. I don't ever want to meet the ground again. “Gods, why does it feel this good?” I moan as soon as the back of my thighs hit the dresser. “Fuck.” “Xannon,” I moan his name, holding his face. Suddenly, he bites my bottom lip. Pain flashes by, but it only turns me on more. Pressure builds as fast as lightning in between my legs. I dig my nails into his skin, letting one hand curl in his long, soft hair. He's practically eating my mouth now. His finger trails down my neck to the valley between my breasts. “The things I want to do to this body of yours, Mae.” I'm suddenly flammable. Everywhere he touches burns sweetly. “Do them.” I don't recognise my voice—in fact, I don't even know I've moaned that out loud. He laughs softly. “Will you really let me?” I can’t think. I'm incapable of processing a thought. Just need exists. Brain-paralysing need. I blame my wolf Lena. But it's my head b
MAE: I still have just two missions within these walls. One, find out what happened to Sai, my dead boyfriend. Two, survive at all costs. There are no classes ongoing now. Shifters are everywhere, but the orders should have less people lurking around. I’m confident in that thought because it’s the most likely. Also, the professor I had seen with Vienna had talked about a meeting with Kathleen. This is my chance. I step into the Order of Founders, sneaking past the guards. It is a square-shaped building, much larger than the rest with fewer occupants. They are the true leaders of Solantis. The ones who will sit in the Paragon Chamber someday with a unit behind each of them, consisting of their Chief Shaper, Elder One, and a Warden General. Willas Aranal read it out to us right before the tolerance test. Somehow, I believe becoming a newborn is a curse in disguise. If you can’t manifest the power of your crest while in any of the Orders, no matter how long it takes, you can leave.
MAE: Psychopaths! What a deranged bunch these three are! How could Tyra do this to me? Every female shifter dreams of finding their mates in the most perfect of humans. I found mine in a crazy bunch, who think I’ll sit back and watch them ruin me. Ha! I’m still stomping off with my hands fisted at my sides and my lips twisted into an angry pout. “Mae?” I whirl around. “What?!” My next words trap in my throat when I realise I’m in the presence of two professors. They both have that signature black cape gown that all Starweaver professors wear above their clothes. “Excuse me, Vienna. Remember we have a meeting with Professor Willas,” the male professor says, placing a hand on her shoulder before leaving the both of us on this hallway. We are inside the Order of Wardens. I came here first because Aria and I need to have a serious conversation about who’s been telling lies. Maybe if I find out the truth, Xaden Beverion will finally let me breathe. “Hello, ma’am.” I clear my thro
XANDER: Seven of us dive into the water, searching the ground for a source. The rush of water is coming from below, not above, but I can’t find anything. Not a single hole, just rock solid concrete. I search like my life depends on it—because my life does depend on it. It submerges us. We have seconds left. “Over here!” someone shouts, “There’s a hole...I need something to clog it.” I swim over to Mae and pull her up to the little space that’s left between the ceiling of the room and the mass of water. “What are you doing, Xander?” “Give me your jacket!” I pull it off her and swim over to the source of the voice. It’s Darius. He takes it from me and we swim to the bottom. I see Xaden dive right after us. The second the hole in the ridgeline between the floor and the wall is clogged, the water stops rising. Darius Raken is still distracted. Xaden comes from behind and breaks his neck. The Founder's body drops to the floor as we swim up for air through the bloody water. I whi
XANDER: It was Xaden’s idea to make it to confinement. Pulling a little last minute trick on Emerald’s pants was also irresistibly easy. He confined us like we wanted because wherever Mae Holden is, we will always be. Our matebond is strong, unbreakable. I walk into the room and it’s the first time I’m beholding her face up close. She’s insanely beautiful, and it’s not-in-your-everyday kind of way. When the professor locks the door behind him, Xaden draws to our mate. “What happened out there, Mae?” he grits in a quiet voice. “I didn’t die.” “Why?” “We have sky gods for a reason. Ask them.” Xaden grabs her elbow, threatening her with his jarring gaze. “Mae, you know exactly what happened out there. Or is this also another lie?” “Fuck off, Xaden.” She glares at him like her eyes are the most lethal poisons to exist. “You know? It will be wise to save your energy and hers,” I say, easing up the tension brewing like a storm. He snaps, “Are you seriously telling me to fuck of
MAE: The flames burn my left leg, but a hand hauls me off my burning rope and I slam into someone next. It’s Xannon. I hold onto him, looking into his eyes as time stops. He’s incredible, using one hand to hold my waist and the other to hold us up. “Cut off the damned burning rope. That’s what you should have done, Mae!” “What?” “Get on my back,” he orders me instead, “You had better hold on tight this time.” I twist, clasping my hands over his shoulder, holding on tight. “Listen, Mae. When I tell you to cut the rope below, start from the place underneath my knee. Can you reach it safely?” I try. It’s almost futile at first, but I try harder with my shard. The cut end falls into the hot flames, vanishing in a split second. So many are still struggling to live. “Good. Keep doing that. It’s the only way we will survive.” Xannon climbs the rope faster, even with me on his back. I begin to understand the pattern. We must outrun the rope’s speed and manage not to get burned. If w
MAE: No one said anything about a tolerance test. Ivan didn’t. Aria didn’t. Riah didn’t. I gulp, trying my hardest to keep my feet from leaping into a dash out of here. I search for Riah’s gaze through the crowd seated around us. Riot says next to me, “Easy there. Your trembling could shake even the earth.” I can’t find Riah. There are so many named shifters surrounding thirty of us. My eyes fail me again and again, and I’m wondering, will it be better to die from the tolerance test or die when everyone discovers I’m crestless? “FYI, Riot. I’ll pray everyday to the sky gods just so they can take away your voice. It’s annoying me.” “You wish,” he scoffs, “My sister has been trying since we were little, but the wonderful goddess Tyra turns her down every time.” Speaking of the Moon goddess. I need her help now. I shut my eyes, taking in deep breaths and ignoring Riot, who’s still at my side. He's one lucky idiot. I won’t waste my prayers to Tyra on him; not when my life is in dire
MAE: “Kill him. Not me,” I seethe at Xaden who’s having a hard time processing the turn of events. If I wasn’t on death row because of his actions, I would have laughed. No matter how sick that sounded. “Wait a second! Don’t listen to her.” “Yes! Listen to me,” I insist, voice rolling over his. “We are not listening to both of you. Naming Day has begun. No shifter in the Starweaver Academy is expected to be around the dorms.” Xaden steps forward, wearing a diplomatic smile. “Good point, officers, but do you know what else you are missing? The fact that I stumbled upon her like you both just did.” “Why did you come here? That was wrong, okay?” The guard brings out his gun, and I can see the daggers he has on him. There are many and all are sharpened to kill. I blurt, “We…We demand a panel judgement!” Xaden and I lock eyes for a moment. We share a frown because even myself does not know what I'm talking about. However, I’m pissed that I just included him in my appeal. A ‘we’? T