VioletI paced bank and forth in front of the classroom, my heart pounding uncontrollably. Today was my first trial day on the Elite Team.It was supposed to be a fun experience, but all I could think about was Kylan.My sweaty hands clutched my bag as I took another peak through the window. Students were already sitting inside. They looked like a combination of sophomores, juniors, and seniors—around seven in total.My eyes landed on my brother, Dylan, who was sitting with his friends, strangely enough with a smile plastered on his lips. So he did have another expression other than that cold, distant gaze. It was just not reserved for me.It was still crazy that he had yet to acknowledge me even once.Kylan wasn’t there yet, neither was Nate who was attached to his hip.I still had no idea how I would survived my first day after everything that had happened between us.Through the window, I caught a man heading to my direction, carrying a book in his hand. He was handsome, with thick
VioletI sat back, doing absolutely nothing while the others discussed their plan to get the box to the other side. At this point I couldn’t give two fucks. and would see what the deal was tonight.Kylan said it himself.‘You’re here because of your brother,’He had made it clear he didn’t want me on his team, and since my fate was in his hands, I knew he wasn’t going to accept me into the Elite Team. So, I decided there was no point in breaking a sweat.I had wondered why Dylan vouched for me, and now as we sat around the table, I knew exactly why.There was one leader, Kylan, a combat specialist, Nate, a strategic specialist, Dylan—and me? I was the only healer left. They had no choice but to take me.Apparently if I were to magically make the team, this would be our team for the entire year. Dylan knew what he wanted, and had probably convinced Kylan to take advantage of every role, even if that meant putting up with me.“Violet—focus.” I blinked, startled by Dylan’s voice. It was
VioletWe had been walking for what felt like forever, but truly it had only been about twenty minutes. No one was talking, the silence was killing me, my legs were numb—and I couldn’t see anything. The only thing I could hear was the sound of our footsteps touching the leaves.The box needed to be delivered all the way across the river, and we weren’t allowed to shift unless we were in danger. There were no shortcuts, no tricks—it was just a long, boring path.Kylan and Dylan walked ahead, not giving a damn about anyone but themselves while Nate was kind enough to stay beside me. Still, I struggled to keep up with his pace. Why did I have to do this with three men with ridiculously long legs while I was, well…short.Kylan suddenly looked back at me, his eyes scanning me up and down—and I just knew some rubbish was about to leave his mouth.“Cardio, Four-eyes,” he spoke. “You can’t always rely on your wolf.”Pissed, I waited until he turned his head before mimicking his words. I had
Violet“I don’t know about you, but the only thing that will satisfy me is you accepting my rejection.”It was hard to decline his offer, but somehow I had managed to use every bit of dignity I had left to stand my ground.All that crap about taking me in these woods?It wasn’t Kylan speaking, it was the beast playing mind games—just like Lumia was doing with me.Kylan was disgusted by me, just as much as I was by him. This moment, this tension, wasn’t real—it was forced.A dark chuckle escaped Kylan’s lips as he let go of my body, and I finally released the breath I had been holding back.“We need to get moving,” he said, his tone serious again. He walked away, leaving me standing there against the tree, completely confused and frustrated.My body felt hot, heart almost beat out of my chest, yet here he was—pretending like nothing had happened.Huffing, I kicked a nearby twig and made my way back to the others. How would I survive the rest of the mission if this was what he was going
VioletI began walking, feeling three pair of eyes burning in my back—but I had already made my decision. Whatever was in that box, whatever it had to say, I would deal with it.I was afraid, petrified—but it had to be done. It was only fair.About one hour in, nothing had happened yet. So far so good.I wasn’t completely fine, though. With the others, it took about an hour for the first signs to show, and now that I was past that mark, I felt a tight feeling in my chest. I was mortified of what might come next.The others kept a close eye on me, as if all three of them were ready to jump in if I couldn’t handle it. I tried to stay relaxed, tried to breathe—but every muscle in my body was tensed, waiting for disaster."We're almost halfway," Dylan encouraged. "If we keep up this tempo, we’ll be there in no time."I nodded, my lips feeling way too dry to even form a sentence. The walk reminded me of the beginning of a bad fever. You knew it was coming, you just didn’t know when.Then,
VioletI fumbled with my hands, thinking about my biggest secret.What was my biggest secret?For a second, my mind went to Kylan—but then I realized that he wasn’t it. He was definitely a fear, and a secret, but not my biggest.The voices were talking about my glasses—the thing I had been forced to hide my entire life. They had been my biggest insecurity.A loud laugh broke the tension.It was Kylan.“No, no,” he said, the laughter only growing louder. He buried his head between his head, sighing. “No, I’m not doing this.”He held an uneasy look in his eyes, and so did Nate who shifted beside him. Although Nate had been kind, also he hadn’t opened up about anything. The only thing I knew about him were the basics. Beta dad, noble blood, bitch sister.“If you want to become captain,” Dylan spoke up. “I’m afraid you’ll have to.”Kylan chuckled. “No.”“We can be back before sunrise—but not if that box keeps talking to us,” Dylan didn’t back down.Dylan had always been a serious person.
VioletIt was his turn.However, the defeated look on his face showed that he was nowhere near ready. I could tell that speaking about whatever he was holding back was difficult for him.His jaw clenched, fists tightened, eyes were narrowed. Judging by his reaction, it had to be something far worse than Dylan’s resentment or Nate’s addiction.What could it be?We were on a roll, and I didn’t want to lose it—so I leaned over the fire and grabbed the box from Nate.“I’ll go.”Surprisingly, Kylan’s lips curled into a small, grateful smile. It was so quick that if I hadn’t been looking closely, I might’ve missed it.Compared to holding a knife to your sister’s throat, taking Lunaris multiple times a day, and whatever the hell Kylan had going on—mine didn’t seem as big.I had buried it, pretended like it wasn’t there—but it wasn’t something scandalous."My glasses," I said, tapping on the frame. “They’re not for eyesight. They’re for something else. Dylan knows about it.”“Since I was a ch
VioletThe mood changed instantly. The cheating part was somewhat acceptable, but poisoning your own brother? He might’ve taken the crown from Dylan with that one.“I didn’t mean for it to…I didn’t mean to nearly kill him. The poison was supposed to weaken him, just enough for me to win,” Kylan tried explaining himself. “But…it left him damaged. He can’t walk. Can’t shift. He can’t do anything, he’s bound to a wheelchair.”He closed his eyes after the last part, then looked down. “He was never the same after that.”I could hear the regret in his voice, and I could understand his initial reaction about not wanting to say anything at first.This confession was brutal.“My Mom knows, and she hates me for it. The only parent who ever cared for me calls me a monster, a demon—doesn’t want anything to do with me,” Kylan said. “I did it for her too. I did it for both of us, but she’s so humiliated by the child she’s raised she told me to die soon, and take it to the grave with me.”He kept lo