Vane POVI watch Veyra, I think we’re all a little drawn in by her. We are eager to see how well she does without carrying others who wouldn’t help her. Which is proven right now.For a moment, Veyra says nothing, then she nods, accepting the punishment that should be Riven’s is not hers.See, now I don’t want to give it to her. Sure, it’s the rules, and I have to, but it feels wrong. Stepping toward her, she keeps her chin raised, and my head shakes. “Had you not made an alliance with these people, you would be far stronger right now.”The blade cuts across her arm, and she hisses but doesn’t make any other sound. Sitting back down, I look to Rael. He rubs his hand across his jaw, his expression is unreadable as his gaze settles on Sera.He doesn’t speak right away; instead, he watches her. His silence is far more suffocating than any command that could be given. Sera is already trembling. Her hands are clenched at her sides; it’s like she’s holding herself together by sheer will alo
Dagen POVI admire Veyra. She doesn’t like the idea of others getting hurt or being punished. She wants to help her two little friends, but they aren’t.Right now, I think she realises that. I think she’s noticed how she is just a shield for them; if they can put her in front of them for every task, they will.Tomorrow, I will have her fight one of them, or maybe both? You see, they think giving her their punishment is better than the shame they would feel by doing what they are ordered.It’s not, why would I want to claim and use one of them? They are weak. They can’t even carry their own punishments. Had they been more like Veyra and fought for their chance to survive, fine, but they aren’t.They are merely leeches, sucking Veyra dry at every opportunity they have. She gave them her food, and they can’t even carry the weight of their own orders, or their own punishments.This is why this trial is here. An alpha wouldn’t do this. They would fight to live, and they would play the game
Rael POVI lean forward, keeping my elbows on my knees and just watch. I’m more interested now, this wasn’t how today’s trial was meant to go, but I’m not about to complain. Dagen’s sudden twist adds exactly the sort of tension we need.Fear.Betrayal.Blood.And it is all neatly wrapped up in one moment. Tomorrow's group combat trial is going to be good, but this? This is the kind of preview that makes it better.Sera hesitates, and I can see the panic. She’s trembling, her eyes dart to Dagen as if she is waiting for him to say it’s a joke. He won’t, and she knows it. That’s why she charges.Her scream is shrill and too high-pitched to be convincing. It wouldn’t even scare a cub with her battle cry, and it doesn’t even get a reaction from Veyra.I’m glad, it shouldn’t, not when she’s already bloodied and humiliated and hasn’t dropped from our crap.At first, Veyra doesn’t move. I can see it, the calculating, Sera stumbles forward with the grace of a newborn pup. The moment Sera gets
Rael POVHer back is a mess. It’s covered in lashes and bruising. The blood is dried thick, especially where the whip had split her skin. The silver has left burns that will ache for days. So the ointment is needed as it will heal her quicker.She’s too proud to admit there’s pain. Even now, pressed against the cold wall, she’s hissing through her teeth like she’s not willing to show weakness.She doesn’t scream, she just trembles, staying silent, stubborn and likely seething.I press the ointment deeper into the worst areas across her lower back, and her muscles tighten under my touch. The scent of her hits me again, it’s raw and a mixture of sweat, blood, and something else. It’s that same pull I felt in the arena that coils tight in my gut.I shouldn’t be this close to her, but I don’t stop either.Her body is warm against mine, tense but alive beneath my grip. I don’t even realise what’s happening. I’m so focused on the feel of her that I don’t notice until I’m too far gone. My he
Veyra POVOnce he leaves, I don’t move. I hear the door click behind me, but I stand still. The sound echoes loudly despite how quiet it is. My body is frozen, I stand just inside the threshold and take in the space. It’s too clean, too still.Everything looks untouched. The bed is perfectly made, the lighting is dim but warm, and the air smells faintly of cedar and something else, maybe cloves.Nothing about this place belongs to me, and yet they have given me the room. For how long, though?My fingers twitch at my sides. I slowly walk deeper into the room. Each step across the thick rug feels wrong, like a mistake. I pass the bed and barely glance at the silken sheets. My gaze sweeps around and takes in the rest of the space.The room is lavish and far more beautiful than my own room at the pack. That room was fit for an alpha; this room is like it’s made for royalty. There’s a vanity near the window and a small chair beside the fireplace. A door is cracked open slightly and leads t
VeyraLying back in the bath, and holding in the hiss of pain. The water hits the open wounds and stings, but I ignore it. The water feels amazing; it feels like a lifetime ago when I was able to have hot water and a wash.For nearly an hour, I scrub my body clean, ensuring I’ve rubbed every inch of it. There’s no dirt or blood left now. Stepping out of the bath, I wrap a towel around me. Walking through to the walk-in wardrobe, I look around.I hesitate to pick up a lingerie set. I know the fastening for the bra will hurt where the cuts are. I find a chemise; the back is exposed, which I need. Slipping it on, I dry my hair with the towel.Stepping back into the bedroom, my skin is still warm from the bath, and the towel is wrapped loosely around my damp hair. The chemise clings to me in some places. The fabric is thin enough to make me feel exposed while being soft enough to remind me that I’m no longer in the cells, wearing rags.I don’t expect anyone to be here, so when I step out
Dagen POVAs soon as her mouth touches mine, something inside of me splits. It’s not gentle or even sweet in the slightest. It’s raw, feral and wild. The way her fingers fist into the collar of my shirt, as if I’m the only thing anchoring her to this moment. All of it knocks the air from my lungs. Her body presses into mine, soft skin against my chest, and the thin chemise she’s wearing is barely a barrier. Her scent surrounds me, it’s thick with heat and the stirrings of something deeper.Her wolf is taking control, now that her heat isn’t suppressed.I don’t pull away from her. I don’t want to. Instead, I grip her waist and drive her back into the wall, not worth anger but with need. She makes a sound in the back of her throat. Something between a gasp and a growl. It sounds so fucking amazing, it sends something feral racing through me. My wolf surges forward, not trying to control, but to feel. It wants to feel her. Always her. Even when I fought it.The kiss deepens, messy and to
Dagen POVIt doesn’t take long. One second she’s breathless under my hands, her wolf pulsing against mine, and her mouth on fire, skin flushed, then she isn’t. She cools instantly, and I watch as she steps back, her eyes going cold like it meant nothing. As if, I imagined the entire thing myself, and my mind made it up.“That was nothing,” he says, her voice is sharp, like broken jagged glass. “I was simply bored.”My eyes narrow at her. Bored? Her wolf is still clawing beneath her skin. I can feel the way it lingers, restless and awake. Her scent is still strong and wrapping around me. Then there’s her taste on my tongue. It’s so fucking amazing. She’s lying, it’s a poor attempt to cover the way her heart nearly shattered its rhythm when I kissed her. The way her body leaned in just before she could catch herself.I don’t call her out on it, though. I’ve played this game so many times already, with others.“Sure,” I say quietly, keeping my voice calm. “Let’s go with that.” I move and
Dagen POVNothing much happened throughout the night. It was relatively quiet for Veyra anyway; three other Omegas are dead, two of them to the rogues and one of them to a trap. The others have gone to sleep but I've been watching all night. I don't want to care about her, I don't want to care if she lives or not, but I do. So the moment I laid down and tried to rest, my wolf didn't settle, so instead, I sat here all night and watched her fall apart piece by piece because of the bonds, rejection, everything. The sound of the door has me look up, and I see the maid carrying in the tray. She places it down before walking out. I'm not sure if I'm even hungry, what I do know is my wolf is unsettled. Maddox claiming she has made my wolf eager to be next, despite the fact it's not right. I pick at the food for what feels like forever before the others walk in and sit down. "Anything fun?" Rael looks to me and waits. "No, it was an uneventful night." My shoulders shrug slightly. "I won
Vane POVThe hours pass slow and heavy. None of us speak much after that. The screens glow in front of us, the only light in the darkened observation room. I try to keep my gaze moving between the different Omegas, watching them stumble through the forest, some trying to build shelters, others just curling up under trees and hoping the night spares them.But no matter how much I try to spread my focus, my eyes keep dragging back to her.Veyra.She’s still tucked into the little shelter she built, her body hidden behind the thick wall of branches and thorns she dragged into place. She’s smarter than the others. She chose a place off the main paths, dug in tight against the trees, hidden and protected by the thorns she wove around her.She’s been still for hours now, only moving when she adjusts the branches or shifts slightly to ease the stiffness in her body. I know she’s awake though. There’s a tension in her even when she lies still. A readiness.Dagen tenses suddenly beside me. His
Vane POVMaddox turns back to the screen, his whole body stiff. His hands flex like he doesn’t know whether to punch something or grab something. His wolf is fighting him hard, and it shows. It’s crawling under his skin, tearing at him, trying to drag him toward her.He hates it. Hates her for it. Hates himself for being weak enough to feel it.But I can feel it too. We all can.“She won’t make it,” Maddox mutters, but even he sounds like he doesn’t believe it anymore.Maybe she won’t. Maybe the Heat and the bond and the fucking rejection will tear her apart before the night is over. But looking at her on the screen, seeing the way she still moves even when every step looks like it shreds her open, I know the truth.She’s not giving up. Not even close.I shift in my chair, my jaw tight. The bond inside me pulls again, sharp and constant. It’s worse now, seeing her like this. It’s like a thread buried under my skin, tugging harder every second she keeps breathing.“If she does make it,
Rael POVI can’t help but watch her. She looks amazing, broken, dying, but still fighting.“She’s going to burn herself out before midnight,” Vane mutters beside me, but I don’t answer.Maybe she will. Maybe she’ll push herself so hard she collapses under the weight of it all. But part of me knows that’s not who Veyra is. She doesn’t fall easily, even when everything inside her is tearing itself apart.She straightens slowly, her face pale under the moonlight that’s filtering through the trees. For a second, she sways even more, and my hand tightens into a fist. She doesn’t drop though. She grits her teeth and moves forward again, slipping deeper into the woods, one foot after another.She’s stubborn. She’s dying. And she still refuses to quit.I sit back slightly, letting out a slow breath. If anyone thinks she’s going to crumble without a fight, they’re idiots. Even with the bonds burning her from the inside out, even with the heat shredding her focus and body, she’s still moving, s
Rael POVI watch the screens, and I don’t miss the way Dagen tenses when the guard presses too close to Veyra. His whole body shifts forward slightly, his fists clenching tight enough that I hear his bones crack.“He’s to be moved,” Dagen growls, his voice low and sharp, and I chuckle under my breath.“What next? No guards near her at all?” I ask, keeping my tone light, even though I know this is serious. They’ve done far worse to the other Omegas, yet Veyra is still practically untouched because of Dagen. He is doing everything but carving a sign over her head saying ‘protected.’He doesn’t bother answering. His focus stays locked on the screen like he could kill the guard just by staring hard enough.“We shouldn’t have agreed,” Vane mutters, his arms folding across his chest as Maddox strides back into the room. “She’s going to die,” Vane says, looking straight at him.“Then she dies,” Maddox says with a shrug like it means nothing.“Now she’s gone, you can pretend you don’t care, h
Veyra POVAs I step into the main room, I see the women already. They are standing in a few lines and waiting. The tension is heavy and thicker than it was before.Rael stands in front of them, his voice is raised loud enough for everyone to hear it. "It will last until after the sun sets. Twenty-four hours, minimum. You must survive the entire night and day."My stomach sinks hard. Twenty-four hours? In this condition? I'm going to struggle. Maddox's smug look now makes sense. Refusing to be knotted is setting me up to fail. I won't agree though.Rael's eyes flick toward me briefly before the keeps talking. "You're wolves, which means you should be able to survive in the wild. You can help each other, sure, if you want to. But remember, we are watching, and if you rely on others too much, you'll be thrown out to the rogues."Thrown out, left to be used and killed. Sounds like every other trial right now.Dagen steps forward now, his expression flat. “There are traps set everywhere. Y
Veyra POVI should pull away, but I don’t. My fingers curl against his shirt, clutching hard as if I’m bracing for another wave of Heat. His presence eases the edge of it, but it’s still burning, slow and punishing. I hate how much I need him near to stay upright.Maddox exhales against my throat, long and ragged. “We can’t keep doing this.”“You mean pretending we aren’t breaking?”“No. Pretending we aren’t bonded.”The silence that follows is full of things neither of us will say. I don’t move. Neither does he. We’re trapped in this moment, locked by the bond and the burn and the fact that, even now, I’d rather die in his arms than beg for mercy on my knees.But if he ever thinks that means I’ll forgive him, he’s wrong. This isn’t surrender. It’s survival.His hands move slowly along my body, stroking the curve of my waist, the dip of my spine, tracing lines of heat wherever he touches. It soothes the ache blooming under my skin, dulling the worst of the burn at my mark, but it also
Veyra POVI hate this, I hate how good it feels to be touched and how quickly my body stops trembling as soon as Maddox pulls me closer to him. My wolf is still pressing hard against my ribs, she's whining and pacing, desperate for more than just the comfort of being held.She's clawing at me from the inside, pushing toward him with a hunger I don't want to acknowledge.The burn in the claim mark on my neck is beginning to ease slightly now. It's not vanished completely but it's dull enough that I can breathe again. My skin isn't searing anymore, and my bones no longer feel like they're grinding against each other from the pressure of the bond.I hate that his touch fixes it, I that part of me that needs this, like it's survival.He shifts me slightly in his grip, one arm wrapped firmly around my waist, his hand splayed across my ribs, holding me flush against his chest. His breath ghosts against my throat, warm and steady. Then his lips brush just beneath my ear. It isn’t a kiss. Not
Maddox POV“She’s fighting it, far more than any other omega would be capable of” Dagen says, arms crossed as he watches her from the corner of his eye. “But not for long. Her wolf is already pushing forward. That room’s about to turn feral if we don’t do something.”“She’d never let me close enough,” I repeat.Rael turns toward me, brow furrowed. “Then talk to her. You’re the reason she’s like this. You might be the only one who can stop it now.”I glance across the room again. Her breathing is shallow. Her hands won’t let go of the table. Every line of her body is drawn tight with restraint, and still, she stays silent. That stubborn, defiant streak of hers is the only thing keeping her upright right now, and it’s killing her.“Delay the trial,” Vane says suddenly. “Give her a few hours.”“No,” I say immediately. “We can’t. If we delay it now, we draw attention. We’ll lose the audience. We’ll lose the structure. Everyone will think she’s being favored.”“She is being favored,” Dagen