Three

MEREDITH

As soon as I burst out of the kitchen, I don’t stop running. I bump into a couple of people who are milling around the courtyard, but I just keep pushing through. I don’t dare look behind me just in case Mom is on my tail either.

The only way is forward, and I’ll be damned if I get caught.

It doesn’t matter what happens after this. The only thing important to me right now is getting away.

Everyone is in masquerade, and I begin to panic when I notice that I’m the only one with a bare face. I get to a corner and luckily, I find a mask lying around on one of the decorative tables. I quickly put it on and follow the path to the ballroom.

From here, I can still hear the music and the laughter coming from the ballroom. It seems that there's a party going on before the actual Ceremony. My heart yearns to be inside, so I wedge myself into the crowd and slip right in.

As soon as I come in, the deep voice of an announcer is making the walls hum. "Let's welcome, the competing Lycan Princes of the cycle, Young Master Zeus and Young Master Atlas!"

The thunder of applause makes the floor rumble. I can feel the excitement in the air. I can't help but stand up and creep towards the open space in the middle.

But all I see is darkness and a bit of golden light from the chandeliers. And a lot of people are blocking my view.

“Excuse me!” I pipe up, standing sideways and crab-walking. “Coming through!”

Even though I hear them complaining, they still stand aside to let me in. So at last, I reach the middle of the ballroom.

And it’s pretty underwhelming.

It's basically just a circular platform plopped on the floor. Behind it is a man and a woman sitting on thrones, who I assume are the Lycan King and Queen of the Raven Solstice Kingdom. They’re both wearing matching black clothes with silver embellishments, looking like statues as they sit gracefully with their eyes on the platform. On the side is another man with a flag, who I think is the mediator.

In the arena are two men, standing on either side, wearing nothing but black linen pants. One of them has black hair and dark eyes, while one has icy blond hair and blue eyes. I can see his face from where I'm standing, and immediately I feel something clenching in my chest.

And it all makes sense when his eyes sweep in my direction.

I can smell him in the air, sweet and musky and perfect. I can feel him. I feel connected to him. I feel like I know him from many lifetimes before. . . .

"Young Master Atlas, are you ready?" the mediator asks the dark-haired man, who nods. Then the mediator turns to the blond, my mate. "Young Master Zeus, are you ready?"

"Yes," I hear him say, and my body responds to his voice.

Zeus. His name is perfect, just like him.

* * *

ZEUS

The lights in the arena are almost blinding me. My heart is pounding so fast that I feel like it's going to give out at any moment. There are so many people around us. Too many, in my opinion. And they're all looking at Atlas and me as we position ourselves on opposite sides of the stadium.

King Maximo and Queen Selena are just beside us. I can feel their eyes on us, and it's making my skin burn.

King Maximo, my father, is mated with Queen Selena, and together they had a child. That child is my brother, Atlas. But three years into their marriage, my father had relations with one of his servants, my mom Amanda. Then they had me.

People often said that my mother practiced dark magic, which was why she was able to lure my dad into an affair despite his strong mate bond with his Queen. It's certainly what King Maximo is claiming. It's the reason why he got involved. He told everyone he got bamboozled, so Queen Selena forgave him and took him back. I don't know if that's true, though. My mom died giving birth to me.

I guess you are thinking that I should consider myself lucky that Queen Selena decided to take me in and not dump me somewhere. And that's true, I do consider myself lucky. But them taking me in doesn't mean they raised me like they raised Atlas.

I was always the afterthought, the side piece, the forgotten member of the family. I always had to act a certain way to gain even an ounce of respect, and after a while it just . . . destroyed me.

Atlas is the only one who ever gave me a single ounce of affection and basic respect, and now I have to fight him for the throne.

All my life, he outshone me in every way imaginable, but not once did he ever rub it in my face. He treated me like a brother, and he's the only reason why life at the mansion has been bearable.

I want to hate him, but how can I? He's a good person.

I honestly don't know why they even bothered to include me in the Ceremony. I know they will favor Atlas.

But winning this won’t hurt my chances of gaining respect either.

The mediator swings the flag, and Atlas and I launch toward each other.

His first move is an elbow to my abdomen, knocking my breath out. I nearly topple to my knees to catch my breath, but I manage to stay on my feet long enough to deliver a punch to his jaw.

The impact of his face against my knuckles sends pain up my hand all the way to my arm, but he doesn't even stumble back.

"That was good," he even says, grinning with a mouthful of blood. "You're getting better."

I don't know why, but that comment is enough to unnerve me. Is he making fun of my skills?

"Focus!" Legacy, my Lycan, barks at me. I can feel his agitation. "Do not let anything distract you!"

I'm trying. I really am. Atlas is giving me blow after blow and it's taking all my focus to duck and dodge. He tries to topple my equilibrium by sweeping his feet under mine, but I manage to jump and avoid it while simultaneously giving him a kick on the leg.

Atlas groans, stumbling back, and I take that as my opportunity to tackle him to the ground and put him on a sleeper hold by wrapping my arms around his neck and blocking his air supply.

If he taps out, I win.

"Yes!" Legacy yells in my head. "Just hang in there!"

It's not easy. Atlas is struggling so hard to buck me off that my grip has loosened a couple of times before I tighten it again. He's reaching out to grab me, but he can't. And for a moment I let myself dream. I let myself think of the possibility of winning.

I can almost feel it. The victory. I can finally redeem myself. . . .

But that's when I catch a certain smell in the air.

Sweet and crisp and floral, but almost primal. It's filling my nose and my entire body. It's slowly wiping my brain clear.

"No!" Legacy is screaming, but his voice is disappearing. "Zeus, that's our. . . ."

"Mate."