Kylan“Ah, that,” Nate grinned. “I wasn’t in training, because I was in Stacey, the science major?”I couldn’t hold back the small laugh that escaped. Unless Stacey had Lunaris up her ass, I suspected he could’ve done both the drugs and his ex. There was more than enough time for that.“So the two of you are back together?”“No,” Nate replied casually. “She was just talking about our breakup last year and how much it messed her up—next thing I knew, she was on top of me.”“Right,” I mumbled, trying to sound as if I gave a damn. “Why did the two of you break up again?”Nate stretched his arms, yawning. “Because I’ve got so much love to share with everyone.”I scoffed slightly, entertained by his answer. Nate wasn’t as innocent as everyone made him out to be. With his ‘good guy’ persona, most people thought he was all charm and kindness, but I knew better.He was nice, too nice to the point it had become annoying, that was not a lie—but he also had a reputation with women that even I co
Violet“Violet…”I blinked my eyes as I looked around, trying to find the male voice whispering my name. Everything was unclear, white, and I didn’t know which way to go.The voice called out to me again. “Violet…”This time I started walking, feeling my bare feet pressing against the cold ground. I spun in every direction, trying to find where the voice was coming from, yet…nothing. I was trapped inside my dream, one I couldn’t escape from.Then, I saw it.A huge black wolf with red eyes staring back at me. Its eyes burned into mine, and my heart pounded in my chest as my legs froze, not sure whether to run or step closer.The wolf didn’t move. It just kept looking at me with those bloody red, piercing eyes.Slowly, I took a step toward it, then another. I swallowed my breath as the wolf let out a soft growl. Not too loud, but one enough to make me hesitate.Yet, something inside me pulled me forward, and before I knew it, I stood in front of the furry creature.“Violet,” the wolf lo
VioletWith a lump in my throat, I stared at the guy who always seemed to walk like he owned the place. His hair was in a bun, his black shirt hugged every line of muscle, and he looked so good in those pants.Too fucking good, and I despised myself for noticing.While Kylan didn’t give me any time of the day, Dylan, who was right beside him, shot me a smile which I had returned.Since when did those two get so close anyway?And where was Nate?I didn’t have to wonder long. The door opened, and Nate walked in, immediately locking his eyes onto mine. He looked handsome as always, with that friendly, approachable smile that never seemed to vanish.My heart skipped a beat, and I wasn’t sure if it was from relief or nerves. After days of no contact, seeing him brought a confusing rush of emotions.What had changed his mind, and how could he casually smile at me as if he hadn’t just agreed to taking my virginity?I gave him a smile in return, although my lips slightly trembled. My expressi
Violet“W-Wha…” I widened my eyes, his words startling me right before I lost my balance. My body dropped sideways, but before I could hit the ground, my hands found his shoulders.Making the situation ten times more embarrassing than it already was, I somehow ended up straddling him, my legs on either side of his torso as I hovered over him.Our faces were close, too close, and I froze, feeling the heat of his body beneath mine.Nate showed his dimple, moving one hand to my waist while the other gently brushed a loose strand from my ponytail.“The text,” he said, casually. “Are we still on, beautiful?”There was no shame, nothing.I gulped, still on top of him. “Yes,” I whispered.“Okay, okay,” he nodded, smirking. My body tensed as his hand rubbing slow circles on my waist. “Do you want to do it here?” he glanced down at the space between us.Shocked, I looked down, realizing I was still on top of him. “I’m so sorry!” I gasped, my face heating up as I quickly scrambled off him and s
Kylan"Fuck, Kylan, just like that," Chrystal panted, her voice breathless with each thrust.I clenched my jaw, gripping her hair in one hand as I slammed into her from behind. Her voice irritated me, and my name leaving her mouth pissed me off even more.It only did something to me when Violet said my name. That night it slipped past her lips, I wanted her so badly—I held back every urge possible not to take her then and there. Fuck!Why was I even thinking about her in this moment.I gritted my teeth, trying to concentrate. Every time I tried to forget about her, she would somehow find her way back inside my head. It made me sick. I had been avoiding her on purpose, keeping my distance, even at Elite Training—but I just couldn’t escape her.Why couldn’t I?"Don’t stop, baby!" Chrystal cried out, her voice breaking through my thoughts. “Fuck, Ky!”I realized how much more aggressively I was moving as her moans grew louder, until she finally reached her peak.My grip tightened as I p
KylanFamily day….Just the thought of it made my chest tighten. It was a day where all families would visit, pretend everything was perfect like all of our lives weren’t filled with secrets and lies.For me, it was even worse. I’d have to see the king again—the man who had never truly forgiven me for what I did to my brother.Shaking the thoughts away, I decided to take a quick shower. Although it didn’t do much to ease the tension, it had at least cleared my mind for a moment. Once I was done, I stepped out of the bathroom, only to see Chrystal still lying on the bed, undressed.“Mind if I shower here and get ready?” she asked, although it sounded more like a statement. “Our dads will be here in an hour.”Without a word, she got up, grabbing her things from her bag like she had planned it all along, and headed straight to the bathroom.“Have you already made up with my brother?” she called out, closing the door behind her. “You know, he never said what happened between you two.”I g
VioletWith fumbling hands, I stood in the grand hall with Dylan and Trinity as we waited for our parents. The room was filled with students everywhere reuniting with their families, receiving warm hugs as laughter filler the air.I didn’t really know what to feel.It was strange to see people have normal bonds with their families, while I had whatever the hell I had going on.Trinity squeezed Dylan’s hand, looking every bit of nervous. “I’m so scared to meet them,” she admitted, biting her lip.Dylan puffed out dramatically, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead. “You’re nervous? I’m the one who should be sweating.”“No, you don’t,” Trinity giggled, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “My parents will love you just as much as I love you.”She wiped off the lipgloss she’d left behind, patting his cheek while Dylan smiled like a fool. They were always so sweet with each other to the point I couldn’t help but smile at their little moments.“Trinity!” A woman’s voice suddenly called out.Tr
VioletMom and Dad shared a glance, probably confused by how close Dylan and I seemed. “Of course are,” Mom said softly, reaching for my hand before pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. “It’s nice to see the two of you getting along for once.”I glanced at Dad, not having any expectations—but to my surprise, a smile appeared on his lips. A real smile.A proud smile.“I heard you made the Elite Team within days,” he looked into my eyes. “As expected from you.”“Really?” Clarence looked impressed. “That’s quite something. You must be really proud of your children,” he added, full of admiration.Dad chuckled softly, glancing down with a smirk. “I’m always proud of my two children.”My heart melted at his words.Two children…For a moment, it felt like I was finally seen, acknowledged. The pride in his voice as those words left his mouth was something I had been craving for so long.Even though I walked into it with no expectations, the day started off great.After some more talking, it was
AdelaideAsking whether someone was okay was just a normal question—but deep down, I had already started panicking.It was just words, and I hadn’t meant anything by it—but the look on Claire’s face sent a cold chill down my spine.What if today was the day our friends would betray us?What if that was the reason why Aelius acted so strangely in the temple?“Everything is perfectly fine,” Claire’s voice trembled as she swallowed. She reached for Violet. “Let me hold her, please?”I hesitated but then gently passed her over. Claire had always been careful with her. She smiled warmly and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead while Violet stared at her. The color of their eyes was nearly identical, both a beautiful shade of blue, and their blonde hair was not that different either.Violet was a carbon copy of Alaric, but one could easily mistake her for Claire’s.My heart ached. It ached because I could tell she genuinely shared a connection with Violet, yet she would go as far as betrayin
AdelaideWhile everyone was inside, talking and catching up, I found myself sitting in the corner, watching Violet as she tried to crawl on a plaid. Even though my focus should’ve been on Violet and Violet only—it wasn’t.It was on Elyx…Not because I wanted to, but because he was staring at me with those dark eyes. Neither of us had to say a word to feel the tension, and I knew what my problem was—but what was his?I couldn’t stop thinking about it. About how he…they…would betray me, and most importantly—why?If he truly didn’t trust me, if he was really against me—then why would he bring his children here?Just like that, my gaze shifted to the two toddlers. Kayden, who still had his arms wrapped around Elyx’s legs, and Kylan, who stood with his arms crossed, mimicking his dad’s gaze.I had to admit, for a two-year-old, he had an attitude that was way too advanced. One could tell he was already trying to be like Elyx, but it was cute.I gave him a small wave to grab his attention, t
AdelaideMy eyes were closed, hands in my lap, as I sat in the temple, trying to concentrate. As always, I didn’t get very far with Violet giggling beside me, interrupting my peace.She was always like this, and it didn’t matter with who—even with my friends who she had only seen a few times. She was just a happy baby.A month had passed since the others started visiting Bloodstone Haven. Every Monday, around the same time, they would come and visit, just like I knew they would today. We would catch up, talk, and they even bonded with Violet. In some ways, it almost felt like old times—even with Elyx, though deep down, I knew better.I just knew he was up to something, and because of that, I lived every day in anxiety—not knowing when all of this happiness would end. One thing I did conclude was that it had something to do with Baelor. Otherwise, there would’ve been no point in Aelius teaching me about the Veil.Some things still did
AdelaideEverything stopped.My breath hitched as I turned to Elyx. Was he serious? My eyes shifted to everyone in the room, but no one dared to say a word—not even James.It had always been like that.Back in the day, he might’ve been the leader of the Elite Team—but even then, no one dared to go against Elyx.Mostly because he was too stubborn and too full of himself.“I don’t know why the two of you fled,” Elyx continued. “I assume it has something to do with your mother, who has been harassing us for years. But Alaric has a duty to his people, and they need him.”I took a small breath.Mom…so she had been looking for me.I wanted to ask about her, about Esther—but now was certainly not the time. Not when he was trying to take Alaric away from me.Alaric let out a soft chuckle. “Then you’ve wasted your years looking for me for nothing because I’m not going anywhere—”“Your father is sick, Alaric!” Elyx snapped.My stomach twisted, watching the shocked look on Alaric’s face. Whateve
AdelaideMy eyes were glued to Claire, my heart pounding in my chest. How could it not when this was the friend I had worried about the most? The one whose validation I had sought the most.Even though she was still breathtakingly beautiful with her golden hair and bright blue eyes—there was something in her gaze that I couldn’t quite place.What did Elyx mean when he said she was right?“Elyx…” Alaric breathed, stepping past me. I followed his movements as he immediately pulled his friend into a tight embrace, still holding Violet in one arm. Surprisingly enough, Elyx reacted instantly.“It’s really good to see you, Addy,” Greg sighed, stepping forward. It was good to see he hadn’t lost his bright smile. His stance was a bit awkward, like he didn’t know whether to hug me, shake my hand, or not do anything at all.From the corner of my eye, I caught Aelius sending the villagers on their way, and since they trusted his word—they all retreated, himself included. Since he had left, I kne
AdelaideLike every morning, I knelt by the creek in the woods, scrubbing the wooden bowls from the temple. It wasn’t because we had to, but because we wanted to.From giving us a place to stay to help me strengthen my powers—Grandpa Aelius had done so much for us, and I guess this was our way of repaying him.Usually, it was just me and Alaric, but for the past five months, it had changed into the three of us.A smile crossed my face, hearing Violet’s soft giggles behind me. I turned my head to see Alaric lying on the grass with Violet on his chest. He was tickling her belly as she squealed in delight.That was one of the best things about her—her laugh.It always brought smiles to many people’s faces as it rang through Bloodstone, and everyone knew it belonged to Violet—the brightest baby around.She rarely fussed, was always happy, babbled too much, always watching the world as if she already had things to say—but most of all, she was so, so loved by her daddy.I let the bowl slip
Adelaide I looked down at Violet, holding her in my arms while lying in bed. She was wide awake, releasing tiny breaths as her big blue eyes scanned the room full of curiosity. She was just a baby, but so observant—something she must have at least gotten from me. That little girl was my world, but each time I looked at her, I just could not stop worrying. Would she grow up safe? Would she have the chance to live a normal life and not feel bear of the consequences of the choices I would have to make? Usually, I had Alaric to break me out of these thoughts, but now it was just me. This was the first time in weeks that Alaric had left our side. He had been extremely attached to Violet since the second she was born, but as kindhearted as he could be, he was back to helping the villagers. Violet made a small sound, shifting slightly, and I immediately held her closer. “It’s okay, princess,” I murmured against her head, rocking her gently. “Mommy’s here.” “Indeed she is,” a voice sp
Two years in Bloodstone Haven…AdelaideIt had been two years since we fled to Bloodstone Haven, and in those years—everything had changed.My days were filled with learning the ways to master the Veil and training my eyes with the help of Aelius, just like we had done when I was younger.Bloodstone Haven had become our home, both mine and Alaric’s, who had adapted well—perhaps even quicker than expected. He no longer looked like the lost prince who had to give up his crown. He seemed like one of us, especially when he would hunt with the men or play with the children of blood like he had known them all his life.Even now, as I watched him carrying one of the children over his shoulder, a smile tugged at my lips. She kicked and screamed in protest while the other children ran after him, trying to save her.Alaric groaned, giving me a pleading look as soon as they started grabbing onto his legs in an attempt to bring him down.“Hey!” He shouted at one of the children tugging at his blo
Adelaide It felt as if the world around me had stopped. I softly clutched my chest, trying to steady my breathing. After sacrificing my position as the next High Priestess, I didn’t have a whole lot to sacrifice, so I didn’t like where this was headed. “The Veil has layers depending on each threat,” Aelius spoke. “The one who creates the Veil is expected to stay inside to keep watch on every layer within the realm.” My heart ached as I realized what he was saying. I would have to give up everything, my freedom, my life…all to keep Alaric, everyone, safe from Baelor. But it would be worth it, I know it would… “If that’s what it takes to keep Alaric safe,” I accept my faith, “then once again—I’ve already decided.” “That’s not all, Adelaide.” There was more? My chest tightened at the mere thought. “Then what is it?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Aelius tilted his head. “Where do you think your strength comes from?” I frowned, trying to think. “From my eyes…from all t