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
VioletI stood patiently, waiting for my turn at the same information desk where Nate had brought me on my first day at the academy.Today was my first day off—and I was planning to make good use of it.Adelaide was still a question I did not have all the answers to, and I had to know more about her.Who was she, what was she doing with those witches—and what was her connection to Mom?“Next!” The same woman from last time barked out, her face uninterested.“Yes, hi,” I stepped forward, placing my hands on the desk. I offered her a polite smile, one she didn’t return.“How can I help you?” she said, her voice flat.“This question might come off as really nosy—”“Keep it rolling,” the woman waved her hand impatiently. “I don’t have all day. There are people waiting.”I scoffed, caught off guard by her rudeness. “My mom used to go to this school. Her name was Claire Hastings. She had this friend, Adelaide—and I was wondering if you have some information on her, or perhaps still have a f
VioletHis face stiffened, something about the mention of Adelaide clearly bothering him.“Adelaide?” he pursed his lips, thinking.“Yes, Adelaide,” I confirmed. “Was she also on the Elite Team.”“Yes, but I wasn’t close to her,” Rochwall replied.I didn’t know whether to believe him. After the lie about not being close to my mom, I wasn’t sure whether he was telling the truth at all. Something felt off.“I was looking for information about her, but I can’t find anything,” I continued, hoping he might open up. “I thought maybe if you knew something, I could stop my search—”Rochwall’s eyes softened. “Adelaide was complicated...only a few knew how to keep her in check.”The look in his eyes told me he either felt sorry for her or wasn’t her biggest fan. Perhaps he just didn’t want to talk about her.“So, what was she like?”“She was...different. Smart, powerful, maybe too much for her own good.”Powerful?“So, she was one of the best shifters, then?”Rochwall chuckled, shaking his head
Year 3Adelaide‘The Veil, also known as a special portal that can only be created by the eyes of a Seer. Once such a portal is opened…’Before I could read further, I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. A gasp left my mouth before I slammed the book shut.Knowing who the hand belonged to, I quickly turned around, facing Alaric, who stood behind me with a grin on his face.“What’s with the look?” he chuckled, leaning down to kiss the side of my neck. I flinched, feeling his lips on the same spot where he had marked me last year. After making up every reason as to why it wouldn’t be a good idea, I came to the conclusion that there really wasn’t one.Maybe one—and that reason was Mom. An argument with Mom during the semester break had eventually pushed me to do it, and I did not regret my decision.As far as Mom and Esther were concerned, I was still preparing her chosen vessel—feeding him darkness—but that wasn’t true. I mostly spent my days in the library, desperately searching for a way
Adelaide“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Adelaide,” Mom snapped. For some reason, she always seemed to have an extra set of eyes in the back of her head.I sighed, dropping my gaze. “I’m sorry, Mom.”“What did I tell you about looking down?” she said, making me snap my head back up again.Now forced to meet her eyes, I couldn’t do anything else but look at the woman in front of me. The monster who birthed me…People often said we looked alike. We had the same long dark hair, the same brown eyes—but that’s also where the similarity ended. While I wasn’t usually looking for friends, I had the ability to be warm and approachable. But that woman was like a fucking block of ice.There was no heart, no feelings—nothing. It was too odd, even for a witch.“Come here,” she commanded, and I could tell it wasn’t up for debate.I gulped as I stepped out of the bed, wearing nothing but my oversized sweatshirt that barely covered my panties. Even though she told me not to, my eyes dropped to the floor
Adelaide Weeks had passed since Alaric and I had decided to give this mate thing a try, and somehow—he kept surprising me day by day. Even now, as he made me tremble beneath him in his dorm room. The stuttering prince who had rocked my world in more ways than one. “Alaric…” a moan escaped my lips as I threw my head back. My arms wrapped tightly around him as he moved against me, occasionally letting out a grunt. He moved his lips to my jawline, brushing against the spot he had been paying the most attention to. “Let me mark you, Addy,” he murmured, almost pleading. “No,” I breathed. This wasn’t the first time he had asked, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. He had a clear mission, and each time he whispered those words, it became harder to say no. He felt so good filling me up, and his touch had become an addiction to the point I feared one day I would lose control and say yes. But I couldn’t… I couldn’t allow myself to be too connected to him—not without knowing what the fut
AdelaideAlaric stared at me with a calm smile on his face. “If this is the length I have to go to talk to you,” he said, “then no, I don’t get tired of myself, Addy.”I gasped in disbelief as his lips curled even more, and he kept staring at me like I was the only thing that mattered to him in that moment.“No guards—not even one?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I quickly scanned my surroundings. He went from a dozen to two, to none. Quite the achievement.He shook his head. “I got my voice back because of you,” he said, tapping my thigh for a second. “Told the king enough is enough.”I fluttered my eyes, surprised by the confidence in his tone. Even though I had encouraged him to do it, he had done something I had struggled with my entire life—rebel against his overbearing parent.Every time I thought I could see right through the guy, there was something new to unpack.“Why did you follow me?” I asked, crossing my arms. The question came with attitude, but it was only because I did
AdelaideThe next day, I stood outside James’ door. I had decided not to wait any longer and was going to end things with him today. Even though I knew it was the right thing to do, it definitely didn’t make it any easier.I knocked, and within seconds, the door opened. James greeted me with the same big smile as always.“What’s up, Addy?” he said, closing the door behind him. For a moment, I felt bad again. James was always so positive and amazing. How could I do this to someone like him?He leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head just in time, letting his lips land on my cheek instead.“Hey,” I greeted.“Hey?” He pulled back, furrowing his brow for a split second, but just as quickly, he brushed it off like it was nothing.He simply slung his arm over my shoulder as usual, and we began walking.“Take me to the woods,” I instructed.“Whatever you want,” James shrugged, not questioning my words whatsoever.If I was going to end things with him, I at least wanted to do it the proper
Adelaide“I’m here to keep an eye on my mate,” Alaric whispered back, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place. “I need to protect you.”Protect me from what? He was the one who needed the protection.“If you hate me that much, just pretend like I’m not here,” he shot me a bold wink, and that’s when I knew this guy was going to be a big problem.~That night at the dorm, I paced back and forth in the kitchen—thinking about the boy who was messing with my head.What was he on about, talking about how he had to keep his eyes on his mate? He had completely lost it.I bit my nails, trying to come up with the best solution to get rid of my not-so-little problem—but I didn’t know what to do anymore. I was trying to protect him, to keep him safe from me—but he was like a plague. He was unavoidable, always came back.Yet, a part of me was happy to see him, happy to see that he was ready to fight for me.No one ever had.Not even Grandpa Aelius when Mom made me leave our home.A huff
AdelaideJames had his arm wrapped around my waist as we entered the classroom for Elite training. He always held me close, like he was proud to show me off—but at times like this, I hated it.Times when Jane couldn’t stop glaring at me…She always had that same look on her face, like she wanted to burn a hole through me—and I couldn’t blame her for feeling the way she did. She believed in mates, and she believed he was hers. In her eyes, I took what belonged to hers.I glanced at James, who was too calm and didn’t seem to care or notice. At times, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was nothing more than an act.How was he not longing for her? Falling apart? Wasn’t that the way of their Moon Goddess?Before I could try to understand, Elyx appeared out of nowhere and stole me away from James, pulling me into a tight hug.“Addy!” he called out.“Lixie!” I said back, throwing my arms around him.When I pulled away, I kissed his cheek, and he smiled ear to ear. The longer I spent around him
Adelaide“Smile!” the photographer called out.I wrapped my arms around Claire, pulling her closer, and gave my best smile for the camera. It was the best I could do. After all, this group picture would be hanging on the walls of Lunar Hall. The bright flash went off, and for a split second, his face appeared in my mind—Alaric.I blinked, trying to shake the thought away. His personality, his presence…there was something unique about him that I had never seen before in anyone. His glow, his kindness, his innocence—and Mom wanted me to destroy that.It had already been a few weeks since I’d last seen him, and I had been doing everything I could to avoid him. Honestly, it wasn’t that difficult. Alaric was mostly surrounded by guards, and even if he wasn’t—I was sure he’d respectfully just stay out of my way.Maybe I was insane, but I wanted to be around him—and at the same time, I knew I couldn’t because I had to protect him.Every time he was near, I could sense it somehow. It didn’t m
AdelaideIt was early—too early for anyone to be up, but I didn’t care. I found myself knocking on Esther’s office door, waiting for her to open up.I hadn’t closed a single eye. How could I?All I could think about was that vision, and it played in my head over and over again.The way Alaric turned into that thing…I knew we were dark witches, but had Mom completely lost it? Was she actually attempting to bring back Lord Baelor, the same god of the underworld I had called a myth?The chaos that would cause would be impossible to fix, especially if he would have access to Alaric’s wolf on top of all.Even though she took her time, the door eventually creaked open, revealing Esther. She stood there with a calm smile. “Good morning, Adelaide,” she said. “You’re up bright and early.”I didn’t have time for her crap, not today. Just like last night, I forced myself into the office before taking an uninvited seat at her desk.Esther sighed softly, mumbling something under her breath as she