VioletWith a frustrated pout, I sat at the table across from Trinity and Dylan who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.They were in their only little world and only had eyes for each other. It was like I wasn’t even there.The whole time I thought I was doing myself a favor by brining Trinity, but instead, I had basically brought Dylan a plus one.How did we miss this?How did I miss this?I should’ve known it was him when she mentioned her mate’s dinner thing. Trinity had never told me that her mate was on the Elite Team, and I had never told her I was a Hastings. We spoke about every little stupid detail—except for the real important stuff.If we had talked about it, we would’ve figured this out much sooner. Then I wouldn’t have shown up to this dinner at all, and I wouldn’t be stuck sitting beside him—Kylan.Unfortunately it was the only available seat near that annoyingly cute couple. Kylan had no reaction when I sat down next to him, and hadn’t said a single word to me. Tr
VioletHe paused, then turned slowly, raising a brow as if he was wondering why I was stopping him.My legs moved quickly as I moved in front of him.“I just wanted to say...” I awkwardly looked around, trying to come up with anything. What did I even want to say?“T-Thank you. For, you know, saying I’m worthy of being on the team.”Kylan laughed lightly. “We’re not friends, puppy,” he reminded me. “Don’t get it twisted.”He kept walking, but I wasn’t finished—so I hurried after him. “Well, it was still nice of you. Even if you’re just pretending not to care,” I spoke, frustrated.Kylan smirked beside me. “Enlighten me please, why would I care?”I sucked my teeth, bothered by his change of attitude. “So, what? You’re too cool to be nice to people again?”Kylan glanced at me sideways, his smirk never fading. “Nice isn’t really my thing. You should know that by now, Puppy.”“And here I thought we were bonding?”“Bonding? Let’s not get carried away,” Kylan snorted. “And you still haven’t
VioletI stood awkwardly by the door, glancing around Kylan’s room. Even if I wanted to run away, it was too late now.The big clock above his desk already showed it was fifteen minutes past curfew, so that’s how long I’d been standing there.Fifteen minutes.Kylan went on with his life as if me being in his room past curfew was the most casual thing in the world. It was not surprising, I mean—I’d heard of his reputation and knew for a certain that many girls had been here past curfew.He had taken off his shirt, cleaned his empty water bottles—took a shower.All in those fifteen minutes.“Are your legs broken?” he said as he tossed a towel over a chair. “Do I need to come and carry you—““No!” I spoke a little too fast, looking anywhere but his bare chest. Unfortunately, it was just as wet and shiny as that time I had come to his room to reject him.“I can walk!” I took big steps toward his bed and sat down on the edge. Unsure of what to do with my hands, I placed them in my lap befo
Violet“Mom said it was a favor from an old friend,” I replied, sighing as I thought of her. The one who had always supported me, no matter what.Both her, and Dad.I had always been extra careful with my glasses because I did not have a choice. I had replaced the frames many times, but never the glasses. Lyperian stone was rare and not replaceable now that it no longer existed.The glasses were as important as my life. Without them, I had no control over anything.“How does the stone help you with your problem?” Kylan asked, scooting his body a bit closer.A warm smile crept onto my lips at his genuine interest. He had become even more curious now that he knew the materials came from Lyperia.“It helps block out certain energies. Without it, I get overwhelmed by voices or—” I trailed off again, not wanting to get too deep into it. I had already said too much. The last thing I wanted was to go from Puppy to Freak.Luckily, Kylan didn’t push further. When he noticed I was done speaking
VioletWhere am I?I sat up, rubbing my eyes as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Swallowing my throat, I remembered I was in Kylan’s room. The memories from yesterday flooded back, and I snapped my head to the empty space beside me.The same empty space where he had touched me. My cheeks burned, remembering everything from last night. How I laid between his legs, trembling, crying out in pleasure as he touched me like bo one had even done before.Not even I could touch myself like that.Just the memory made my head spin again, and I couldn’t believe it had actually happened. I wasn’t used to this kind of thing—wasn’t used to feeling this way. And the fact that it was Kylan, of all people, made it even more complicated.I was relieved that he wasn’t there. Kylan definitely seemed like the type to wake up early, so it wasn’t a surprise he had left early.Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I read the time. It was only 6 AM.If I left now, there was a good chance I could slip ou
VioletTrinity leaned in, eyes wide with excitement. "So you were doing all that last night with Kylan—you go girl!"We were sitting at a campus café, and I had just finished telling her everything that happened. From how easily we talked, to the way he touched me, and how he made me cry out in pleasure with barely any effort.Although the situation was embarrassing, I had spilled it all out with ease—and now Trinity was sipping her drink, wiggling her brows at me."What?" I asked, already regretting how much I’d shared.“Nothing,” her eyes glinted. “I just didn’t know you were like that.”"Like what?""Open," she said, lifting her shoulders."Open?"Trinity nodded, looking way too amused. "Yeah, you’re usually all shy and awkward, but the way you described it?“I looked away in frustration, feeling my face flush again. "Well, it’s not like I—""So when are you jumping on top of that?" Trinity cut me off, not caring for any explanation. Her face was dead serious."Trin!" I gasped, al
Violet“Fuck!” My heart jumped, and I immediately searched for something to cover my face with. The menu card in front of me seemed like my only option. My fingertips were already near the edge when I heard a voice call out.“Violet!”It was Nate.Shit.I slowly looked up, the sides of my lips hurting as I forced a smile, and waved back. My eyes flicked to Kylan, who was scanning the room with a frustrated look on his face.Maybe he wasn’t a morning person after all.“Vivi!” Nate cheered again, but only one thought raced through my mind.Don’t come over, don’t come over.Don’t come—I swallowed my throat as Nate began walking in my direction, with Kylan dragging his feet behind him.All flashbacks from yesterday appeared, and I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. I blinked at Nate who had now stopped in front of me, his smile was warm, as always.“Hey beautiful,” he spoke. “You’re up early.”I chuckled a bit at the nickname as I tried focusing on him instead of Kylan.What was Kyla
Violet“What about him?” Trinity nudged me, pointing to some guys as we walked through the halls, to our next class. “He looks nice.”I shook my head, biting back a laugh. “Nope.”It had been four days.Four days since I had last seen Kylan, and four days since I told her I wanted my first time to be with Nate, and she had flat-out called me crazy. Even after I explained what had happened with Kylan, she was convinced that provoking him, especially by going after his best friend, was asking for trouble. She’d said it wasn’t just him I’d be messing with—it was the beast inside him and Lumia, my own wolf, too.Since then, she’d been pointing out guy after guy, hoping I’d change my mind. But my mind was already set.Kylan had hurt me, and now I wanted to hurt him.If he thought he could control me, like I was just some toy to mess with, pushing my buttons because of the mate bond—he was dead wrong. That clingy virgin speech he gave, like he held some power over me? I was going to take th
Violet My eyes were wide open as I stared at Aelius, my thoughts spinning out of control. He was my family—my great-grandfather? How could this even be possible? He was a Soothsayer. They weren’t even supposed to have families. “W-We are family?” I finally managed to get out, my voice trembling. Aelius nodded slowly, his expression calm. He was the first real family I had ever met face-to-face, and he had said it like it was nothing. “How?” Kylan demanded. Aelius sighed, reaching for a stick by the fire, then stirred it around. “Adelaide’s father, Aries, was my grandchild,” he said simply. “Although he skipped the eyes. Some have it, some don’t…most don’t.” I tried to piece the information together but didn’t get far. The only thing I was sure of was that Aelius had to be at least over a hundred years old—probably even more. I glanced at Kylan, who looked just as confused as I felt. None of this made sense. “If you’re related,” Kylan asked further, his brow furrowe
VioletKylan and I exchanged a glance. It wasn’t too late to run, and part of me wanted to.He had even called him the foul-mouthed crown prince. Just the thought of this man knowing everything about us, including some details we didn’t know ourselves, terrified me.It was Kylan’s plan to come here, and after the darkness I had felt, I fully stood behind his decision—but now I was unsure.All he had to do was give me the signal, and I would run out of here.“Sit,” The Soothsayer’s voice dominated the cave before Kylan could even think about it.It wasn’t much of an invite—more of an order.I lingered for a moment before deciding to join the Soothsayer at the campfire, dragging Kylan with me, and took a seat on the plaid on the ground. I kept my distance from the Soothsayer while Kylan still had his hand in mine, as if he was ready to spring into action at any moment.He had followed my lead. Even though he had convinced me to come here, he didn’t force me into anything. He let me deci
VioletKylan’s eyes were on the dark road as we drove through the quiet night. All I could see were the bright headlights of the car, but hopefully Kylan could see a bit more than that.We had snuck out just before curfew and were on our way to find the Soothsayer, hoping to get some answers.The silence gave me enough time to think.First, about the darkness I felt when I laid eyes on Chrystal, and second, about Esther and her strange behavior earlier, which had pushed Kylan to immediately fish for answers.Could I really not trust her?And if I couldn’t, what if Kylan had calculated it all wrong and she had seen that we left Starlight?Along with those thoughts, I also had to deal with guilt.Guilt toward Nate, for him not getting to choose his sister, and guilt for Trinity, who had asked me earlier where I would be tonight, and I told her I was staying with Kylan.I really wanted to tell her everything, all of it—and she had the right to know. But now that I knew Dylan was a reckle
VioletKylan squeezed my thigh in response, as if to say, good job.Esther’s face twitched for a moment, but then she quickly masked it with a smile. “So you don’t need me to expel those girls for you?” she asked.“No,” I shook my head, although that solution would make my life a whole lot easier.“Well,” Esther now tapped her desk with her ten fingers, “the suspension will last at least a week, so you will have some time to think about it.”I simply nodded, keeping my lips pressed together.“Very well,” she said, her smile growing tighter. I could tell by the look on her face that she looked anything but pleased, surprised even, that I didn’t take up her offer.As tempting as it sounded, it was much better this way. I wasn’t going to lie, Esther almost had me—but I had already thought this through. Although Chrystal tried to kill me, going after the Beta’s daughter, a noble, would not do me any good as Kylan’s mate.“Can we go now?” Kylan asked in a hurry. “Or did you want to ask any
VioletNervously, I glanced from Kylan, who sat beside me, to Esther, who stood with her back turned, staring out of the window.She had taken us to her office, only to let us sit in silence—and my anxiety shot through the roof as I thought of a thousand reasons why she might’ve wanted to see us.Did I do something wrong?Would she take back the pass for the strike now that she knew who I was with?If it was just to congratulate me on being Kylan’s mate, she could’ve done that at the door, so what was it?Was it about Adelaide?Every now and then, Esther let out a sigh, but just as I expected her to say something, we were met with silence again. Kylan already seemed to be over it, matching her sighs with his own as he sat with his arms crossed.“Have you already made up your mind about what you’re going to say?” he asked impatiently when he couldn’t take it anymore.“Kylan!” I hissed, slapping his knee.“Or can we go now?” he finished. “It’s been a long day, for both of us.”Esther tu
VioletI squeezed my eyes to take a better look as an old, short man shuffled into the hall, supported by a wooden cane. His lips stretched into a smile, his eyes locking on me.“No so fast, Sir,” a woman’s voice called out from behind him, trying to keep up with his steps. She looked like some kind of assistant.“Shut up,” the man said, waving her off as he struggled to walk toward us, his gaze never leaving mine. “I’m perfectly fine.”“Sure, why not,” I heard Kylan mutter under his breath.“Who is that?” I whispered, curious.“Principal Sterling,” Kylan answered.I blinked in surprise, my eyes darting back to the man who clearly needed a hand.Principal Sterling?It was the same man who was always on brochures and pamphlets, but I had never seen him before.“I thought he was too old to walk, and hasn’t left his chambers in ages,” I murmured. “What is he doing here?”“What do you think?” Kylan replied, releasing my hand as Principal Sterling finally reached us.This time I could take
VioletDazed, I stared at the glass window in front of me, watching as Fergus and the king were deep in conversation. Their mouths moved, but the thought of not knowing what was being said was suffocating.Fergus was alone, facing the king and his entourage, who stood behind him like an army. Usually, this was done with more people present—family, the beta, and so on—but he had brought this upon himself the second he came here without thinking it through.I glanced at Kylan, who hadn’t let go of my hand ever since he reached out to me. His grip was strong, but his expression calm.Between the two of us, I was definitely stressing the most—and the whispers coming from the students behind the closed-off glass door on both sides didn’t help. I had no desire to look, knowing it would only add to my nerves.Kylan whispered, breaking the silence. “Did Fergus bring up—”“That thing I am?” I finished, glancing up at him. “No. I could tell he wanted to, but something was holding him back.”Kyl
KylanI looked at the king, waiting for him to speak up as his expression changed about ten times within ten seconds.We both knew he was lying. He didn’t care about her being a werewolf because he knew she was from the royal bloodline, and that wouldn’t be the first in our family. Yes, she was a witch—but only half, and that was not enough to hate her the way he did—which meant all that mattered to the king was that she was half hers…Adelaide.What was it with that woman?“If you’re so determined to keep her,” The king said after a long pause, “she can stay as one of your mistresses.”This time, I froze for a moment, clenching my fists in anger. Mistresses? The audacity of him to make such a statement, especially after he had torn everything apart to make Mom his mate, all while keeping the woman he truly loved by his side.He had only tolerated Mom out of greed because he didn’t want to lose her while he could’ve taken her as his mistress instead of giving her the life she didn’t de
KylanI glanced over my shoulder as Puppy disappeared into the woods with Alpha Fergus. Then I focused ahead, walking the path on the opposite side of the woods with the king right beside me.Behind us, at a respectful distance, was his entourage, including Beta Jack—and the Lyperian guards.The king walked with his head held high, as he usually did, his steps confident, and his air suffocating. His presence always had a way of sucking the life out of everything around him, and at times—I feared people would see me as the same.Truth was, I didn’t want to be anything like that man, but ever since childhood, my entire persona had been built around him. I had always gotten the feeling that I was expected to be like him—cold, cruel, heartless—while all my other brothers at least had the chance to be their own person.Unfortunately, things were different for the son of the Lycan king’s mate, and had been even more complicated after becoming the crown prince.The only one I began feeling l