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Chapter 26: The Offer
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Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride Chapter 27: Hard Truths
Time flies quickly. Days blend together as one. The nights are better now. I haven't had nightmares in a while...or walking dreams. I've been studying and hanging out more with Maya and Darian and sometimes, just Darian. Darian's been sweet. Getting me things, coming to see me before he goes to bed, bringing me flowers and gifts and small sweet notes that feel very human. It makes me feel warm inside but not enough to want to be his anything. There have been no further incidents since I moved to the hall. Everyone mostly stays away from me now. They don't even point and laugh at me anymore. They don't even look my way. It feels like there has been some order or instruction that has been passed across that I know nothing of. "TAKE ONE LOOK AT ASTRID AND YOUR EYES WILL BE FORFEIT." Yes. It is that bad. I don't let it bother me much. I have been sticking to my space and my business. Being in the same hall with Rune and Ginevra makes it harder to avoid them. T
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride Chapter 28: Orion
"One at a time!" The sentinels yell as they scan our IDs and let us through the doors that lead to the stadium. As I approach the check point, my heart races in anticipation. The stadium is massive, its walls towering above me, casting a shadow over the entire courtyard. The air is thick with excitement and the endless chatter, as well as hoots and bet hashtags. Everyone's wearing green--not me though. I hate green. I step forward and hand over my ID card for scanning, the beep signaling my entry. "Have you seen Darian today? I wanted to wish him before it starts but I can't find him anywhere," Maya says loudly beside me as we walk side by side, making our way inside. Darian is participating in the Games. He didn't tell me when I ask, leaving me hanging with a smirk and "you'll see. Cheer for me, princess." Well. That was before the fight. I shrug, keeping my expression impassive. "He was at the gym this morning. I've not seen him since then." "
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 29. Erasthai
"What?" I ask, taking great pains to wedge between our thrones a little distance as I push mine from his. I should know better. I end up looking stupid. I always do stupid things around Rune. That's the only explanation for trying to move a throne that is fixed to the ground. "You're a clown," he mutters, angling toward me and propping his head against his wrist. The glint in his green eyes is mischievous and a crafty smile teases his lips. "I quite like your aggressive side, Red." I blink. Heat creeps up my neck, spreading further until I'm pretty sure I have a full body flush going on. Does he call me Red to turn me Red? "Piss off," I say, settling in beside him awkwardly. Now I'm all self conscious. Touching my hair, twirling it around my fingers, rubbing my arms, peeling off the coat of my nail polish, all in a bid to ignore the fact that Rune's eyes are trained on me. Why in the three realms is he looking at me? Why is he even talking t
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 30. Will You Cheer Me On?
Chancellor Vesper makes his way to the middle of the field, flanked by sentinels on either sides of him. Behind him is a figure in those dreadful robes that I can never forget. The Grand Mistress. Her hair is styled in a complicated updo that must have taken hours of careful structuring, and her hands are folded in the overflowing sleeves of her robes. Her blank gaze is fixed ahead, but I have a feeling she can see everything. The silence in the stadium as they approach its center is unsettling. Chancellor Vesper waves dismissively at the teams formed below and they immediately clear the area, heading toward their designated seats. I spy Darian behind, moving at his own pace, like he has all the time in the world. My heart squeezes a little as I recall earlier this morning. I don't let myself dwell on it. Thinking on his words will make them real. And they are not. The ground under my feet moves a little and my eye is drawn to the centre where the the earth cle
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 31. Rune's Paintings
"I'm...ah... happy for you," I say, trying to force a smile to my face, but I fail, because I'm not. Even Sapphire sees past it because she gives me a wary look and says, "I'll leave you two to talk." To Thorne she says, "I'll be with the rest." And she kisses the corner of his mouth while her eyes are trained on me. It's a very clear message that I understand all too well. *Back off.* I look away, feeling stupid and angry for reasons that have nothing to do with jealousy. Or maybe it is. I don't know. I'm not angry that he's found his mate. I'm not angry that he has obviously moved on. It's just...it isn't me. I'm not the one. And it stings. There is a long pause in which Thorne stares at me with vulnerable eyes and I stare back at him, heart further sinking. "It happened on the first week." I fold my arms and look down at my boots. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Thorne. I understand." "It wasn't a matter of choice, Astrid."
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 32: He's a liar
I stay in my seat for the rest of the game, numb and nearly dead to the world around me. Chaos is my world inside and watching him has my hackles rising higher and higher. I'm so mad, I've been sitting still for hours. I'm not even in the right frame of mind to watch the games anymore. All I hear is a roaring in my head. If it is from me or Sloan, I cannot tell. I want to scream, I want to cry, I want to vent. My skin feels too tight for me right now. Too hot. I consider peeling off my jacket, but I know it won't get rid of the crawling under my skin. I've been here before. It doesn't ever go away. I clutch the book so tight, I no longer feel it. I channel most of my strength into keeping my breathing steady and halfheartedly answering questions from my parents without revealing how lost I am. As if sensing my agitation...like he knows something is wrong, he suddenly looks up at the podium from where he stands on the field, and all the way from here, I se
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 33. The Hunt
My claws jut out, biting into my closed fists, tearing into the skin of my palms. The skin heals only a second later, but the wound in my heart is deeper. The skies have a tinge of orange in it as the sun disappears behind pinkish clouds. Dusk approaches and there are three more games to name a winner. Already, the scoreboards have figures that have wide contrasts against the other. LS has sixty points and WA has twenty. Not surprising, since we all knew it was never really going to be a fair game. I sit, watching the players for the 'Pack Hunt' form lines, each team facing off. My brows furrow when I see Maya at the end of the line, head bowed low and a ferocious grin on her face as she faces off a figure that seems oddly familiar... I start in my seat. Trinity? Not good. Not good at all. I am happy to see Tri, but seeing her stand against Maya, looking every bit as menacing as I know she is, I can't help but feel a sense of dread. For Maya, of cours
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 34. Untouched
"Rune?" I whisper faintly, even if I know there is nothing of him in the man I am staring at. Nothing of this situation makes sense and I can't put into words how this entity, this being, can be in the body of a man I have known since I was a child. He takes a step toward me and even if everything in me says to flee, I ignore it and take one forward. My hair whips around me at the force coming from and around him. I edge one step closer, eyes trained on him as he watches me with mock amusement on his hard beautiful face. "Why?" I ask, knowing how well he understands my question. The weight of it. His lips tip into a smile that belongs to Rune and it makes me wonder just how much of Rune he is. He extends an arm for me, pale elegant fingers reaching out. "Come home with me, princess. There is much else you don't know." My fists curl by my side as I suffer the desire of placing my hand in his. "Where is home? The Void?" "No. I will take back my castle in
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Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 78. Bye, For Now.
*Rune*Father holds up two bottles in front of me, stopping me in my pacing. "Come drink with me."I wish to refuse, but panicking and pacing frantically outside the room does nothing to reduce Astrid's screams.It is all I can do to not lose my mind."Make that three," Ronan Blackwood chimes in, snatching my bottle before my fingers can even grip it. "Four, perhaps."I let out a ragged sigh. "Astrid--""Will have your head for drinking while she delivers your child, but I assure you, you do not want to be in that room with her right now." Ronan pulls down the collar of his regal jacket, revealing an old scar across his neck. "This was her mother's gift to me when I thought to ease her of *the pain* by staying by her side."Father snickers, leading us to his receiving chambers. "Zephyr..." He shakes his head, voice trailing off into silent laughter.Minutes span out into hours, and the slow burn of the alcohol in my throat has become somewhat soothing, lulling me and hazing my thoughts
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 78. After
*Hekate*I had always pondered on the possibility of Astrid taking after Lorna in appearances. The Goddess must have a cruel sense of humour. I brush back the silky strands of hair that cover her profile and Astrid stirs, murmuring something in her sleep.It is one of the many things I enjoy--watching her sleep. The lack of tension in her body, the unguarded look about her, her slightly parted lips and the rare smile that graces her face when she dreams—perhaps of me.The bandage around her head starts to slip off and I reach for her, putting it back in place. Her brows furrow and her eyes flutter open.Her blue gaze meets mine, a little unfocused, and it takes a few moments for recognition to register. "Hekate.""Why, you don't seem pleased to see me, princess," I purr, a smirk forming on my lips as she blinks rapidly and licks her own lips, trying to hide her flush."I'm not. Considering you bailed on me and--" She suddenly groans, her head sinking into the pillows as she tries, un
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 77. Suicide Note
Hekate"Going somewhere?" I ask, gaze dropping to the packed luggage.The woman jumps at my voice, turning immediately to find me leaning against the door. Her eyes widen with fear and surprise. "Prince Rune--""Atlas."One word. One name. Stories untold, secrets buried. A friend. A foe. I have never been able to decide which of them Atlas Moonburn was. The staff in her grasp clatters to the ground and her complexion turns blotchy. Pale. She looks much older now, her allure as a maiden nearly gone. Her grey eyes widen to the side of saucers and she stumbles a step back, reaching behind her for the candle stand.She hurls it at me, trembling with fear. "Oh, Goddess."Displeasure curls my lips and I catch the golden stand, squeezing it hard in my grasp. "That is no way to treat an old friend.""You are no friend of mine!" she scream, hurling a book at me next.My lips kick up as I cross the distance between us. "That isn't what you said when you begged me to kill your sisters.
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 75. Rune
*Rune*She jumped, if I am to believe what I have been told.I stand motionless outside the infirmary, listening to Priestess recall what lead to her jumping off the railing for what seems like the umpteenth time."For the past few days, I noticed the dark aura about her. Her sadness and growing anger. I tried to help her. I tried to make her comfortable enough to confide in me. She finally opened up today. She told me she hated being here. She hated him and couldn't stand being married to a monster and sharing his bed." The Priestess' voice breaks and sadness overwhelms her features. "She said she couldn't take anymore of it. I tried to stop her, but she was too fast for me."It doesn't sound like Astrid. I know that all of it has been weighing down on her. I could see the depression and helplessness, and often times than not, I had made sure to convince her otherwise.None of what the woman speaks sounds like my mate.But it was she who had spoken to her last and called for help whe
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 74. The Fall
The next days were hectic. The news spread like wild fire and all of Lycanthia wanted to see the 'pregnant wife' of the prince.More than half of my day was spent in the throne room, listening to the people talk about how radiant I looked and how much better it might have been if I was fully Lycan now.Apparently, the reason I haven't shifted completely is because of the child. My body's defense mechanism to protect it. There will be complications from a shift at this stage.There are gifts, tons of them that I have absolutely no use for and end up giving out to the maids once the revelries are over. I see very little of Rune. He spends most of his time in the villages, helping in whatever way he can.At night, he returns covered in gore and soot. He heads straight to my room, jarring me from sleep as he slips in bed beside me, shaking and holding me tightly, like he fears he might lose me.Sometimes, he spends the night, other nights, I wake up alone.The latter hurts, but I understa
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 73. Yearnings and Cravings
My lips are swollen and tingling when Rune pulls back, and I am left breathless and stunned. His hands rest on either sides of me, and he remains suspended above me, peering down at me with barely leashed desire. “You are unbelievable,” he tells me, laughter evident in his voice. “You’re welcome,” I reply, trying to shake off the lingering heat. "Are we going to address the issue or pretend it didn't happen?" His brows rise. “I never asked Gin to spend the night with me. These grounds are not suitable for women. I sent her home.” A weight I hadn't realized was there lifts from my chest, but I maintain a narrowed gaze. “She sure seemed to have a different idea.” I pout. “You have a thing for lingerie?” A mischievous smile plays on his lips. “Only if you’re wearing it.” I shrug, fighting the upward tugging of my lips. “I’ll consider it. Not for you, of course. Might take a stroll around your gardens in it, just because I can.” He leans f
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 72. It Hurts
The atmosphere is grim, and halfway through to the town, my anger dissipates. The captain of Rune’s guard—Queen Zephyr wouldn’t let me head out alone, since I am carrying the ‘royal baby’—leads us through the towns and we go from bedazzling buildings high enough to touch the skies to the ruins left behind by the Void. There is darkness, smoke and rot and I wheeze at the putrid stench of it all. A few onlookers notice my group as we pass by—myself, Boris and a maid who holds all of our supplies—and they watch with bleak, fatigued gazes. I have seen this before, and it takes me back to the plague. Shivers run down my spine as I see uniformed guards lifting the wailing children into carriages. There are burning piles and the stench of incinerated flesh greets me as we ride deeper into the village. The situation worsens, and I can't help but gag, hurriedly covering my mouth to stifle the urge to vomit. “We could turn around, Your Grace. You should not h
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 71. Closure
"I had no choice," I sigh, my voice filled with weariness and regret. "Tell me you believe me at least, Boris."Boris remains silent, his gaze fixed on something beyond the railing. Lost in his thoughts, he seems distant, oblivious to my presence. I follow his line of sight, drawn to the crowd of maids in the gardens, their chatter blending with the sound of flowing water. He looks positively lost, staring at one in particular. Brown hair, meek and pleasant faced."Like her?" He blinks, returning to the present, and a blush spreads across his face. "No," he stammers, his embarrassment evident.I give him a knowing look before releasing an exasperated sigh and turning my gaze back to the castle gates. Rune has been absent all day, and uncertainty gnaws at me. Guilt is eating me up from inside, even if I know I had every right to keep the truth from him.Today, for the first time, I attempted to reach out through our bond, seeking connection, but only silence greeted me. Not anger, jus
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 70. Cat Outta The Bag
Rune loves me.I spent the better part of my night pacing my room and scolding myself. I shouldn't have reacted that way. But then...what was I supposed to do? Smile, tell him I love him too and move my things to his room?*Yes,* Sloan chides. She's mad at me, has been since last night. I scowl as I take the staircases down to the dinning hall. After my epic flop last night, I thought I'd honour Rune's invitation for breakfast with his family.I'm not ready to be all lovey dovey with them--though, I doubt they would be welcoming as well, but...this isn't for them.I feel the tug on the bond as I draw closer to the hall, and my insides twist in complicated knots. I suck in my bottom lip, biting lightly on it nervously.And when the guards let me through the door, heads turn in my direction. King Fenrir, Queen Zephyr, Rune, Gin...my heart slams into my chest when I see a familiar dark haired male, seated next to Gin. Darian's here.Why is Darian here?My steps falter and my palms go cl
