NIKLAUS I was lurking in the shadows at the edge of the clearing, like some kind of mysterious ninja. The night wrapped everything in darkness, but the moon was doing its best to spill some light through the trees. And there she was, swinging that sword of hers like she meant business.She moved with such grace, and that sword gleamed in the moonlight. It was like she was in a dance with her own frustration and determination, slashing at the air like it owed her money. Trees didn't fare too well either – they got some deep cuts and bruises as if they were the ones who ticked her off.The sound of that sword cutting through the air was almost poetic, echoing through the quiet forest. I could feel the weight of her emotions in every swing, like she was taking out all her inner struggles on those poor trees.I couldn't help but feel for her. Rejection sucks, and I've seen it in the way those recruits treat her on the training grounds – like she's invisible. But here, under the night sky
NIKLAUS"Alright, folks, pair up!" I call out, my voice loud and clear across the training ground. The trainees hustle to find their partners, like kids picking teams for a game. It's early as hell, but I'm pumped to see what these newbies can do."Spread out, people! Today's all about swordsmanship," I announce, watching them scatter like ants, sizing each other up. There's a buzz of excitement in the air like we're gearing up for a showdown.I step back, giving them space to do their thing. Blades out, they start circling each other, eyes locked, looking for an opening. And then bam! They're at it, clashing swords like they're in some epic duel.I'm keeping an eye on them, throwing out tips, and cheering them on. It's a fine line between guiding them and letting them figure it out themselves. But hey, they've put in the work, and now it's time to show what they've got.Watching them go at it, I can't help but feel proud. These rookies might be green, but they've got heart. With ever
CRYSTALAs our training wrapped up, we all gathered around the bulletin board to check out the patrol schedule. The new guy, Marcel, Niklaus's right-hand man, wasted no time throwing us into the action.When some girl recruits started to whisper and giggle after their lustful eyes caught Marcel under the sunlight. I too decided to let my eyes wander. Tbh Marcel's a real sight to behold, I tell ya. He's got that South African vibe written all over him, with features that'll make you do a double-take. Picture this: he's built like a tank, all muscle, and no nonsense. And those facial features? They scream strength and resilience, with a jawline you could cut glass on and cheekbones that could rival Mount Kilimanjaro.His skin's got this warm bronze tone, like he's been soaking up the African sun his whole life – which, knowing Marcel, wouldn't surprise me one bit. And his eyes, man, they're like two deep pools of dark brown that seem to see right through you. There's a spark in 'em, th
POV: Niklaus Prime Wolfe The night sky stretched above me, dark and endless. A sliver of the moon shone through the clouds, illuminating the quiet landscape of our territory. I stood at the edge of the ceremonial grounds, my heart heavy with anticipation, my gaze fixed on the distant woods. The pack would soon gather here, their eyes upon me. Tomorrow would be the day I ascended to my rightful place as the Alpha of the Prime Pack. Tomorrow, I would take the reins my father had held for decades. I had worked my entire life for this. Every fight, every sacrifice, every challenge—I had endured it all with the single goal of one day leading the Prime Pack to greater heights. My father, the mighty Alpha, had taught me everything I knew. He was a leader who commanded respect with a mere glance, a man whose strength and wisdom were unmatched. But tomorrow, that legacy would be mine. I exhaled sharply, trying to calm my nerves. I had always been the strong one, the confident one. My father’
POV: Niklaus I stood at the center of what had once been home—where laughter had filled the air, where strength and unity had flourished. Now, it was nothing but ruins. The ground beneath me felt cold, as if even the earth was grieving. The scent of burnt wood and fresh blood clung to the night air. The howls of my pack members echoed faintly in the distance, and my heart clenched as I knew most of them were already gone. It had been a massacre. I had watched it all unfold, helpless, as the Silverclaw pack descended on us like a storm. They were ruthless. It was a strike that should never have been possible. Our Alpha, my parents, had been slaughtered in front of me—victims of a power play too large for us to understand in the moment. But the true blow came after. The Alpha Council had seen fit to exile me. They didn’t care that Jackson Salvador, the Alpha of Silverclaw, had died by my hand. They didn’t care about the reason. The fact that I had killed an Alpha, even in defense, m
POV: Niklaus The world felt smaller when you were a rogue. The vast wilderness surrounding me was mine to roam, yet there was a constant weight in my chest—a reminder of everything that had been stolen. I’d gone from heir to the Whitelight Pack to a shadow in the night, hunted by those who had once been my kin and ruled by a council that had betrayed me. The nights were long and cold, and the days even colder. The ache from my injuries hadn’t faded. Instead, it clung to me, a reminder of my defeat and of my purpose. I clung to that pain. It was the only thing that kept me moving, that kept me from giving in to the emptiness that threatened to swallow me whole. I was no longer part of the pack, but I refused to let that be the end of my story. I needed a new purpose, a new direction. If I couldn’t protect my pack as its Alpha, then I would become something else—something that no pack, no council, and no rival would ever dare to challenge again. For the first few weeks, survival was
CHAPTER 4NIKLAUSI stood at the entrance of The Mayhem: School for Gifted, feeling the weight of the moment, like a ton of bricks on my chest. Today, the big shot, Alpha Skylar, head of the Alpha council, wanted to introduce me to the crew I'd be working with. I decided to slap on that custom-made fake eye, trying not to freak out the professors. I strolled past all the curious looks, heading in with purpose. And there he was, Alpha Skylar, looking all commanding and serious, like Negan from The Walking Dead. "Hey, Niklaus," he greeted, with his Luna Sparrow right beside him, radiating warmth compared to Skylar's tough vibe. "We've been waiting for you."Thanks, Alpha Skylar," I said, playing along. Then Skylar's eyes landed on my lonely self. "So, where's your Luna, Niklaus?" he asked, with a touch of concern. I let out a bitter laugh. "Haven't found her yet."That's a tough break," Skylar sympathized. "You hit 35 this year, and that's pretty late for an Alpha not to have a mate."I cou
CRYSTAL I stumbled into our cozy stone cottage, my head pounding like a drumline at a rock concert. The place smelled of herbs and earth, a familiar scent that offered a bit of solace in my skull-splitting headache. Alpha Skylar had given us this place when he took us in, a real solid move on his part. I couldn't help but think back to the day we joined Skylar's pack. Dad struck a deal, promising we'd keep our magic on the down low. It was a no-brainer, really. Beats the heck out of being out in the cold with no place to call our own. I took a good look around, the soft light through the leaded windows casting a warm glow on our homey setup. The place had character, no doubt. You could practically feel the history in those old wooden beams overhead. The fireplace sat there all quiet, no fire to be found. It was a stark reminder that my magic was off-limits. I couldn't forget that day our old place went up in smoke. My parents played it off as a dumb mistake, but I knew there was more
CRYSTALAs our training wrapped up, we all gathered around the bulletin board to check out the patrol schedule. The new guy, Marcel, Niklaus's right-hand man, wasted no time throwing us into the action.When some girl recruits started to whisper and giggle after their lustful eyes caught Marcel under the sunlight. I too decided to let my eyes wander. Tbh Marcel's a real sight to behold, I tell ya. He's got that South African vibe written all over him, with features that'll make you do a double-take. Picture this: he's built like a tank, all muscle, and no nonsense. And those facial features? They scream strength and resilience, with a jawline you could cut glass on and cheekbones that could rival Mount Kilimanjaro.His skin's got this warm bronze tone, like he's been soaking up the African sun his whole life – which, knowing Marcel, wouldn't surprise me one bit. And his eyes, man, they're like two deep pools of dark brown that seem to see right through you. There's a spark in 'em, th
NIKLAUS"Alright, folks, pair up!" I call out, my voice loud and clear across the training ground. The trainees hustle to find their partners, like kids picking teams for a game. It's early as hell, but I'm pumped to see what these newbies can do."Spread out, people! Today's all about swordsmanship," I announce, watching them scatter like ants, sizing each other up. There's a buzz of excitement in the air like we're gearing up for a showdown.I step back, giving them space to do their thing. Blades out, they start circling each other, eyes locked, looking for an opening. And then bam! They're at it, clashing swords like they're in some epic duel.I'm keeping an eye on them, throwing out tips, and cheering them on. It's a fine line between guiding them and letting them figure it out themselves. But hey, they've put in the work, and now it's time to show what they've got.Watching them go at it, I can't help but feel proud. These rookies might be green, but they've got heart. With ever
NIKLAUS I was lurking in the shadows at the edge of the clearing, like some kind of mysterious ninja. The night wrapped everything in darkness, but the moon was doing its best to spill some light through the trees. And there she was, swinging that sword of hers like she meant business.She moved with such grace, and that sword gleamed in the moonlight. It was like she was in a dance with her own frustration and determination, slashing at the air like it owed her money. Trees didn't fare too well either – they got some deep cuts and bruises as if they were the ones who ticked her off.The sound of that sword cutting through the air was almost poetic, echoing through the quiet forest. I could feel the weight of her emotions in every swing, like she was taking out all her inner struggles on those poor trees.I couldn't help but feel for her. Rejection sucks, and I've seen it in the way those recruits treat her on the training grounds – like she's invisible. But here, under the night sky
CRYSTALStanding alone in the training courtyard, sunlight filtering through the trees, I felt a surge of anticipation. Today was the day Niklaus had tasked me with teaching the recruits sword fighting. But as usual, no one seemed interested in talking to me, let alone learning from me. I glanced at the recruits, their backs turned to me, chatting amongst themselves. They didn't see me as a leader or someone worth listening to. But that didn't matter. I was determined to prove myself, even if no one else believed in me."Um, hey guys," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I guess we're gonna learn sword fighting today."The recruits barely glanced in my direction, their attention focused elsewhere. I felt a pang of loneliness, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand. Taking a deep breath, I raised my sword, trying to project confidence even though I felt anything but. "So, uh, let's start with the basics..."As I began the lesson, I couldn't shake the feeling of bein
NIKLAUSAll right, so there I am, in Skylar's office, supposed to be plotting how to take down Mikael Salvador. But instead of focusing, my eyes keep drifting to Crystal.She's out on the training ground, kicking butt like it's nobody's business. And I'm standing there, watching her, wondering why she's got me so hooked. It's like there's something about her that feels familiar, you know? But it doesn't add up. If we'd met before, I'd remember her scent. Yet, every time I see her face, it's like a déjà vu moment smacking me in the face. I try to shake it off and get back to the whole Mikael situation, but Crystal's presence is like a magnet pulling me in. Is there more to this connection? Forget about Mikael, my mind's stuck on Crystal and the mystery she's stirring up.I came down to chill on the training ground, waiting for everyone to show up like I told them to, at the barracks I assigned. It's all part of my master plan, you know? Gotta keep an eye on Matt Salvadore for things to
CRYSTALMy phone just wouldn't stop buzzing, and it totally woke me up from a deep sleep. Ugh, I was so annoyed! I grabbed it and saw a ton of messages and missed calls from Katherine. When I finally answered, she practically yelled, "Where are you, Crystal?!" I was still half asleep and grumbled back, "Katherine, it's like the crack of dawn. What's going on?" Then she told me Niklaus had called everyone to the ground urgently, and I was the only one missing. She said he was furious and I needed to get there ASAP. Man, I felt this mix of annoyance and panic. How could I have slept through such an important call? I rushed to get dressed and grabbed my stuff. "Okay, okay, I'm coming," I said as I basically ran out the door, with Katherine still chewing me out over the phone. I was cursing myself for not setting more alarms and for being so careless. As I finally made it outside, I promised myself I'd never oversleep again, especially not on a day like this. When I got to the ground
CRYSTALI was standing with all these other students, feeling kinda out of place. The Mayhem School grounds were huge, like the start of some epic adventure.Tried to blend in, you know? But I couldn't shake the feeling that Niklaus Prime Wolfe was watching me. It was intense!I shifted around, pretending to be super interested in the orientation booklet I was clutchin'. Niklaus was like a legend, everyone talked about his training methods like they were straight-up magic.Kept sneaking glances at him though. Those blue eyes and that mysterious smile had me curious as heck.Tried to focus on why I was there. This was my shot to learn from the best, to level up my skills, and really shine. But when Niklaus started talking, it was like he had us all under his spell.This was just the start of something big, and while I was definitely nervous, I was also pumped about what was coming next. Bring it on, Niklaus Prime Wolfe, I'm ready to take on whatever challenges you throw my way!There he
NIKLAUS Chillin' in the tub, prepping for my first day at Mayhem School. I'm all set to take Mikael Salvador down, but can't shake off last night with Crystal. Man, my mind's racing and I gotta admit, things are a bit tense down there too. Last night with Crystal keeps replaying. She was wasted, pouring her heart out about some mate drama. The whole bar was watching her sob, clinging to me like a lifeline. I don't even know why I cared, but those prying eyes on her pissed me off. Tried to get her to call someone to pick her up—it was getting late. My wolf's getting possessive, and her light touch, it's messing with my head. Getting turned on amid her chaos, it's ridiculous. I picked up Crystal because she was having trouble standing. I knew where she lived from a background check, so I took her home, hoping her parents would be there. Turns out, they weren't. I had to get inside, but the door was locked. When I asked about the key, she grabbed my hand and led it to her back pocket.
CRYSTAL I stumbled into our cozy stone cottage, my head pounding like a drumline at a rock concert. The place smelled of herbs and earth, a familiar scent that offered a bit of solace in my skull-splitting headache. Alpha Skylar had given us this place when he took us in, a real solid move on his part. I couldn't help but think back to the day we joined Skylar's pack. Dad struck a deal, promising we'd keep our magic on the down low. It was a no-brainer, really. Beats the heck out of being out in the cold with no place to call our own. I took a good look around, the soft light through the leaded windows casting a warm glow on our homey setup. The place had character, no doubt. You could practically feel the history in those old wooden beams overhead. The fireplace sat there all quiet, no fire to be found. It was a stark reminder that my magic was off-limits. I couldn't forget that day our old place went up in smoke. My parents played it off as a dumb mistake, but I knew there was more