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
VioletChild of my blood?The words sent a shiver through me. I blinked, unsure of what to do—but curiosity got the best of me. I stepped away from Kylan, slowly making my way to the Soothsayer and sank into the chair across from him.Still smirking, the soothsayer leaned forward, and tilted his head, studying me.“Eyes of snow, strength of fire,” he said. Then he began mumbling in a strange tongue, words I didn’t understand. It sounded like an old, ancient language. One I hadn’t heard before, and I was quite familiar with a few.My breath hitched, and my palms got sweaty as I stared at the old man, on the verge of asking him what he was saying—but something held me back. Fear.How old must this soothsayer have been?A hundred years, or maybe even older?Perhaps even a thousand years old?For a split second, I looked behind me, just to check whether Kylan had bailed on me, and luckily, he hadn’t. I stared ahead again, my heart pounding in anticipation as the soothsayer spoke a few mor
VioletHe didn’t want me to get lost?To be honest, it was understandable. He was the one who had taken me outside the gates, so at the moment—he was the one responsible for me.I swallowed hard, my face growing hotter.Wake up, Violet—this was not some romantic outing. The guy isn’t even into you like that, doesn’t even want you as his mate.“Right,” I mumbled softly, automatically squeezing his hand. We started walking again, and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling like an idiot, imagining what it could’ve been like if he didn’t resent the Moon Goddess’ wishes.As we walked further into the market, my eyes darted from one stall to the next. There was so much I wanted to do, that my mind was spinning. When I saw something I couldn’t ignore, I stopped in my steps, pulling Kylan with me.“What?” he mumbled softly.My finger pointed to the small jewelry stand, leading to a shop inside. There was a big sign that read ‘handmade jewelry,’ and I just felt it calling me
VioletThe ride was silent.Kylan’s eyes stayed on the road ahead, not even glancing at my direction while I shifted in my seat, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt as I tried to think of something to say.“So, I’m wondering…” I began. This time Kylan glanced at me briefly, lifting a brow.“How is my little friend doing?” I asked, testing the waters as I often did with him.Was he going to react like the usual Kylan, or the softer version?He chuckled, his lips curling into a small smile. “The squirrel?”I nodded, returning his smile.“She’s made herself pretty comfortable in my room,” he chuckled, the sound of it warming my heart. I guess he was being kind again.“Even more comfortable than me?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, and my cheeks immediately flushed. Why had I said that?Kylan didn’t answer right away, but a smile appeared on his lips. He looked amused by my embarrassment.“So you’ve never gone out before?” he asked, changing the subject.I shook my head. “N
VioletI leaned my chin into my hand, staring at Kylan from a distance. He was standing with some of the guys of the Elite Team, including Dylan as they were laughing about something.Drool nearly escaped from my mouth as Kylan’s lip curled into his signature smirk that always made my stomach flip.My eyes moved to his biceps as I tried to focus on Trinity’s voice, but it was impossible with him standing right there, looking so…him.Fuck, I was sinking deep.It was around afternoon, and we were sitting at one of the tables outside. For a change, the weather actually wasn’t that bad, and the sun even casted a golden glow over the campus.I had finished Elite training in the early morning, but it wasn’t Rochwall’s training that drained my energy.It was him.I hadn’t spoken to Kylan yesterday, and not today either. It killed me. After our night in the woods and our little moment with the squirrel—who I never heard anything about ever again, by the way—I thought he would’ve at least had
VioletMy stomach turned, and I suddenly regretted ever bringing it up. I wasn’t sure what to feel, let alone what to ask—and the words left my mouth before I could think about it.“I-I guess I just wanted to know if…if perhaps I didn’t make you feel good enough last night, or something,” I stammered, cringing at my own awkwardness as the words left my mouth.Kylan’s expression softened, and he let out a laugh, glancing down. I was desperate to look away, but before I could, he stepped closer—closing the distance between us. My heart fluttered as his hand moved to my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze.His eyes locked onto mine, and I felt my knees weaken. Every part of me silently pleaded for him to lean in and kiss me, touch me.Do it, please…But just as I thought he would, he pulled back and turned away.“She did come to my room,” he admitted, his tone casual. “But I sent her away.”Wait, what?Relieved washed over me, but only for a second. He might’ve turned her away this
VioletEach time I heard footsteps, my eyes were automatically fixed on the door, hoping it was him.I had been waiting to see Kylan all day. At first, it was out of excitement, but after Trinity’s words at lunch, I wanted to see how he would react. The idea of him with Chrystal, right after I left his room, made me fear that he regretted everything that happened between us—and I was hoping to be wrong.After keeping me in anticipation, the door cracked open again, and this time it was actually him—Kylan. Nate and Dylan were right beside him. My heart stopped for a moment as Kylan’s eyes found mine, like he’d known I’d be waiting.I wanted to get up, walk straight over to him—but I held myself back. Instead, I gave him a small smile, hoping to test the waters. Was he going to pull away again? Would he just brush me off? To my surprise, Kylan smiled back. A warm, genuine smile.He really had some nerve, smiling at me like that after everything I had heard. It bothered me, yet somehow,
~ That Morning ~KylanAs I got ready for class, I noticed a hair tie on the edge of my bed. I picked it up, chuckling. Puppy had left in such a hurry an hour ago—and it was probably for the best because the last thing I wanted was for someone to see her leaving.If word got around, the next thing you knew, people would assume she was my mate, and once that happened—I’d never hear the end of it. I wasn’t just looking out for myself, but for her as well.My thoughts drifted back to last night, every moment replaying in my mind. I couldn’t shake off how good she felt, the way she had clung to me, the way she tasted, and the soft moans that had escaped her lips as she collapsed in my arms.Yesterday was not like it was with anyone else before—and even though I enjoyed it, it terrified me.My smile faded as I remembered that one horrific thing I had almost done. I had called her beautiful, let myself say things I had never meant to say out loud—and when I felt her neck under my mouth, the
VioletNervously, I bit my lips as Esther stared at me with narrowed eyes. I felt my pulse quicken. Even though I was technically on time, I knew she wasn’t stupid. Getting caught out past curfew was no small thing, and an automatic strike—a permanent one.Doing this while being part of the team that was supposedly the pride of the school was not done, and leaving the male dorm was just simply humiliating. Barely anyone got caught, but of course—it had to be me.Although I tried to keep my face neutral, guilt was written all over it.“Seeing as curfew has barely ended, I’m just going to assume that you’re not coming back from a walk,” Esther said, her gaze sharp and intense.Slowly, her eyes traveled to my neck, and I immediately hid it with my hand. I hadn’t looked in a mirror yet, but after everything Kylan and I had done last night, I had a great feeling of what it would look like.Esther’s sharp eyes softened as she let out a small, disappointed sigh. “I can give you a strike,” sh
VioletI woke up with two strong arms wrapped around me and knew exactly whose arms I was in. Last night was a memory I couldn’t and wouldn’t erase from my mind.My lips curled into a soft smile, and then my cheeks began to heat up as memories from last night returned. The way he touched me, cared for me—and was gentle enough to make me feel comfortable.‘You’re okay, I got you—relax.’ ‘Look at me.’ ‘You’re beautiful.’ All of those were words I had never expected to leave Kylan’s mouth, but somehow he did—and then he kissed my head and held me in his arms for the entire night. It was probably nothing, just some aftercare—but it felt nice.Even after almost marking me, he didn’t pull back, hadn’t kicked me out of his room, or brought it up. It was a good thing he didn’t, because I just wanted it to be normal, but then again—maybe if he did, I wouldn’t have had this crush on him.Yes, crush. After losing my virginity, I did the one thing he told me not to do—catch feelings.