LOGIN"This way…" one of the guards spoke respectfully when Isla and I were allowed into the sprawling estate that belonged to the Lycan royals.We followed him judiciously, our steps soft on the paved walkway, our eyes roaming freely, drinking in the sight of the residence—the part of the estate I hadn't visited since coming into the pack as Sage. The air smelled faintly of roses and fresh polish, a scent that screamed maintenance and money. The guards stationed along the path stood straighter when we passed, eyes flicking once to our dresses before jerking back to the front as though staring too long might get them killed.This area was different from the other regions of the estate I'd seen—the part of the great hall where Isla had partied her life away, as she'd so proudly gisted me when she returned home that night, glitter in her hair and the faint scent of ale on her breath. That part had been loud, gilded, and bursting with extravagance. This side, though… quiet. Stoic. Even the ai
Since my fight with the swordsman who had followed the crowd to call me a cheat—and his colleague who had unfortunately been roped into the mess; since my beheading of two men in the contest, I have been feared by the citizens of the Lycan's region. There were no more whispers, well not ones I could hear—neither were there lewd comments made whenever I passed by with Isla, maybe going around, scouting, or just going to buy fruits in the market even though the daily supply of food and its essentials to our quarters was yet to cease.I have also won my last seven fights, which included races and whatever the Lycan Kings deemed worthy of shedding blood. There was even a drinking contest—not exactly official, just a night at the bar which had turned into a betting of some sort. The much-needed crowd was absent, the kings too, but I put down my foot and won, because I knew the news would spread; a woman winning a drinking contest. From the looks and whispers that had gone around the bar
ADAMClaire's perfume lingered long after she was gone — something floral and heavy, the kind that clung to air and skin until it suffocated everything else. I'd hoped her slamming the door meant the argument was over, but the universe rarely gave me such mercy.The door burst open again.She stood there — arms crossed, eyes burning with the same fury that had first attracted me years ago. Back then, I'd mistaken it for passion. Now I knew better."I'm not done talking, Adam," she said sharply.I didn't look up from my papers. "You should be. I said no."Her heels clicked across the floor until she stood right before my desk, blocking the light. "You're protecting her more than necessary," she said, voice trembling with accusation. "That's why you won't let me act.""I'm protecting the rules," I replied flatly, signing a document that I wasn't really reading. "And the money those rules bring in.""Don't you dare pretend this is just business," she hissed, leaning closer. "Is she of in
ADAMThe field smelled of iron. Of wet earth, blood, and a kind of silence that was too aware of itself—the kind that comes after something monstrous has happened, and everyone's still pretending they didn't want to see it.She stood there in the middle of the field smiling. Her hair was matted with blood, her skin shining under the half-light of dusk, her hands still holding those two heads like trophies. "Is this proof enough?"The crowd gasped; others muttered prayers. But she didn't flinch, didn't blink. Her eyes found me again—steady, proud, and almost mocking—as if she was daring me to deny what had just happened.Who was she? Who was this woman that had someone rented a space in my head?I'd asked that question a hundred times since the contest began. I'd sent men to research her origins—to track where she'd come from, who her parents were, if she had any community at all. But they weren't back yet. A week had passed. Nothing. It was like she had appeared out of nowhere.And ye
The shout rose from the stands—sharp, spiteful, the kind of voice that wants a crowd to bend to its anger."She used magic on that sword! And she used it while fighting! That's not fair!" the man yelled, and it spread like dry tinder. Heads turned, lips peeled back in suspicion, insults ricocheted down the rows. The accusation was precise, murderous. They wanted a sin to point at, an excuse to tear me down.I let the laugh roll out of me—short, incredulous, a sound that tasted like whiskey and amused contempt.If I used magic, did they think I would let the cut on my cheek happen?I respected the rules of the sword session, as far as I was concerned.The fellow who spat the claim looked ridiculous by the way, veins standing at his temple, eyes wild with the satisfaction of being heard. His face was flushed, raw with the hunger of the mob. A few men nearby nodded, mouths hard, and others joined him, fingers thrown wide like they had discovered a religion.Let them chant. Let them buil
Sword fight. At last. I mused over the irony of this session as I went to the rack to pick a sword for my next fight. Since the contest started, contestants had never been banned from coming to a fight with weapons—some small pen knives hidden in sleeves, some pencil-thin rods disguised as walking sticks. I could see why this was called the sword fight though: the weapons were honest here, blades you could see and respect. The arena smelled of metal and old blood; standing on the field, even to one side, I could almost taste it in the air. There were caked marks on the soil where bodies had fallen. Eleven contestants dead so far, Isla had briefed me, her voice calm as if reading market results. The brutality matched Rachel's warnings. I picked a sword from the rack, felt its balance, turning it in my hands like one appraises a jewel. Light, yes—but the feel was right. I brushed a fingertip along the fuller, whispered a small charm across the edge. Subtle—a sharpening really. Enou







