RowenaEric and I sat beside each other at the table. Our mother and father sat across from us; our father leaned on his elbows, pinching the bridge of his nose, and our mother pensively stirred her coffee with a spoon.Everything was silent save for the clinking of the spoon against the mug. It had been quiet like this for some time; none of us even knew where to begin or what to say.
RowenaThe camp was practically brimming with excitement as Eric and I walked through the front doors. It seemed as though everyone had heard about Eric’s miraculous recovery—and it seemed, too, that almost everyone had gathered in the cafeteria to see for themselves.As we strode into the cafeteria side-by-side, we were met with a sea of excited students and warriors alike. Barely even three seconds had passed since we were through the doors before we were swarmed, with abso
RowenaEric pulled his car up to the curb and put it in park. The two of us were silent for a moment, just watching the stream of partygoers trickle into the house, before he turned to me and placed his hand over mine.“You know we don’t have to do this,” he said. “I’m more than happy curling up at my cottage and watching a movie.”
EricI had just gotten through the second round of a game of beer pong when it happened.Over the sounds of raucous laughter and loud music, I picked up something else: a whisper. My name, echoing in the back of my mind like a cold gust of wind slipping through an open window on a hot summer’s day.Eric
Rowena“Stay with me.”Eric’s eyes widened as I pulled him down, my fingers curled into a fist around the front of his shirt. I wanted him close to me, wanted to feel the warmth of his body against mine. But before I could pull him all the way to me, he grabbed my wrist and leaned back just enough to look me in the eyes.“Are you sure this is a good idea, Rowena?” he whispered, his voice low and husky and his breath fanning across my neck as he spoke. “You have drugs in your system. If you wake up in the morning and regret this…”I frowned, pressing my lips into a thin line. “I won’t regret it. I won’t.”“But—”“I won’t,” I insisted.Eric blinked at me in surprise for a few moments, but my gaze remained steady; if anything, I felt mostly fine. A bit shaken up, but my head was surprisingly more clear than it had been all night. Either the drugs that Adrian had given me were weak, or…For a moment, my mind flickered back to that day in the gymnasium—the day when my ankle had miraculousl
RowenaTaking a deep breath, Eric and I pushed our way through the crowd so we could see the results. As we approached, we received curious looks from the other students—no doubt word of what had happened at the party on Friday, or at least what people thought had happened, had spread like wildfire.Or…As I read the names on the list, I knew now why they were really staring.“Eric,” I gasped, gripping his arm with one hand while I pointed at the list with the other. “It’s you!”I couldn’t help but grin as I looked up at him. Even Eric was beaming from ear to ear; he was at the top of the list of the three warriors who would be competing in the tournament. Of course he was—he was the best warrior at this camp, after all. He had earned it, fair and square.“Congrats, Eric!” a nearby student called out. “I can’t wait to see you fight next week!”Eric’s smile grew. “And I can’t wait to win,” he quipped, eliciting giggles from a nearby gaggle of cheerleaders who were smiling and twirling
RowenaEric and I sprang apart at the sound of the doorknob turning, frantically smoothing our clothes down and covering ourselves just as a group of warriors walked into my office. I felt my cheeks flush hot as the apparent leader flicked on the light, blinking in confusion.“Rowena,” the warrior at the forefront said, glancing back and forth between Eric and me for a moment. “I wasn’t sure if you were in here. Why were the lights out?”Before I could answer, Eric stepped in. “I was just helping her change the lightbulb,” he said, gesturing to the light dangling from the ceiling. “You came just in time.”“Oh.” The warrior seemed to buy that, at least. Thank goodness.“What can I do for you?” I asked in a shockingly confident tone despite myself, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear and pushing my glasses up on my nose.“Well, we heard that you both made it on the list and we just wanted to wish you luck,” the lead warrior said easily, shoving his hands into his pockets. “As the
RowenaThe roar of the crowd was deafening as Emma and I made our way through the tunnels toward the main arena. I could feel the vibrations of thousands of stomping feet even from here, and it made my heart pound in anticipation.Inside of me, my wolf was practically roiling with excitement; I had grown used to her presence over the passing days, although it felt completely and utterly natural from the beginning.“Are you ready for this?” Emma asked with a grin, giving my arm an excited squeeze.I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. “As long as I’ve got you by my side,” I replied.When we finally emerged into the bright stadium lights, I had to blink a few times to adjust. The massive arena stretched out like a desert in front of us, the sandy pit already prepped for the combat rounds. Lining the walls were the colorful pavilions and banners for each warrior and manager pair.My gaze immediately found Eric, standing tall and proud beside his pavilion across the way. He caught