KylanI sat alone in the cafeteria, pushing every chair around me out of reach so no one would get the idea to sit nearby.It had been a few days since family day, and already, I was hoping the king would skip the next one, sparing me from the same mess all over again. The whole event had been too exhausting.Today was my last day off before Elite training picked up tomorrow, and I needed the rest. Unlike the last session, we would have different commanders this time—and they weren’t as soft as Rochwall.They were trained to see through every flaw, and pushed to make lives miserable—even mine. That was their job, to make everyone strong enough they wouldn’t crack under pressure.My peace was interrupted by a group of three girls at the table in front of me, giggling in an irritating way. They whispered, kicked their feet under the table like a bunch of little kids, and glanced around the cafeteria—but when I heard them murmur about Violet, the freshman healer, my interest suddenly piq
VioletSame as last time, I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I adjusted my training gear one last time. No matter how many times I looked at it, it still felt strange, like it didn’t quite belong on my body. Classes for the day were over, meaning it was time for training.I grabbed the hair tie from my wrist before pulling my hair up in a ponytail. Just as I finished, two girls from the team walked past. They shot me a small smile, then whispered something as they walked out.Today was day two of the whispers, and I didn’t know what in the world made me think that the whispers would stop. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention, and it still left me feeling uneasy.I truly had no idea Nate was that popular.Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the locker room and into the training hall. My heart made a quick jump as I remembered what I’d heard about today’s commander, Jorn. I had overheard the combat girls calling him a living nightmare, and they were tough—so I knew they we
Violet“You!”“Me?”“I’m looking at you, am I not?”“No…sir…commander,” I stumbled over my words, wanting to disappear on the spot.He raised an eyebrow. “Sir or Commander?”The room fell silent as I tried to think of my answer. Which one of the two was it?“S-Sir?” I tried.I bit my bottom lip as his gazed remained on me for a moment. “Do you not wish me a good evening?” So that was the issue.“Good evening, Sir,” I replied quickly, making a mental note not to forget to greet this man ever again.Commander Jorn let out a satisfied chuckle, then walked further, pacing back and forth in the room without saying a single word. His eyes scanned the group, like he was trying to look for more targets.“I see old faces, new faces,” he finally began speaking. “For those of you who do not know me, you will get to know me—my name is Commander Jorn.”His voice carried no warmth, nothing. “I’m not your dad, I’m not your silly commander from back home, I’m not Rochwall,” he spoke the name with a
VioletFor the past week, it felt like my entire body had been on fire. Elite training didn’t get any easier, and while the two new commanders, Alexis and Marco weren’t quite as relentless as Commander Jorn, they had it out for me too.It seemed like no matter what I did, I was always falling short, and somehow always the target.Those two were also kind enough to gift me laps as punishment—and each time, Kylan had the choice to stop it, yet he didn’t.No, he would make me take the punishment, even if it meant him staying by my side to supervise until the late hours.I was sick and tired of running every single day, and I had lost track of how many laps I had done. Nate was right when he said they would try to make the weaker ones quit because I was close to dropping out of the team.It would not only make my life easier but also everyone else’s.The rest of my classes were nothing compared to this, but between the hard training, daily punishment laps, and keeping up with the pile of
VioletI opened my backpack one last time, checking that I had everything I needed. It was 4:50 AM, and I had ten more minutes before Kylan expected me at the gates.My bag was packed with extra clothes, a water bottle, a first-aid kit, towels, and even some muscle rub because I knew he would work me to the bone.Sighing, I zipped my bag and slung it over my shoulder before heading out of my room. As I stepped out, I saw Chrystal sitting on the couch. She had turned around instantly, her gaze sharp as always as she kept her lips pressed together.I truly hated her, and I knew the feeling was likewise.We stared at each other. I couldn’t help but wonder if she knew I was meeting Kylan—then again, if she did, I was pretty sure I’d be dealing with more than just a glare right now.I mean, the bitch threatened to scratch my eyes out.We both rolled our eyes at the same time, and then I finally left the dorm.By the time I reached the gate, Kylan was already there. I glanced down at my wat
Violet“Well, look who’s breathing again!” Trinity spoke as we both left our rooms at the same time. She grinned, eyeing me up and down.I smiled, shyly, running a hand over my long braid. After a day without Commander Jorn’s punishments, I finally felt like myself again.My muscles were still sore, but they were working, and for the first time in days, I didn’t feel like I could drop dead any second.Together, we made our way to the hall. “So, are you stuck with that nightmare of a commander again today?” she asked, scrunching her nose.I laughed, feeling the relief wash over me. “No, thank god!” I exhaled. “Just regular classes, then training with Rochwall, and…extra training with Kylan.”The last part came out hesitantly, mainly because Trinity always managed to make out something it wasn’t suppose to be. Her eyes widened as a grin spread across her face.“Extra training with Kylan?” she gushed. “Look at you, finally making some moves.”I grunted, shaking my head. “It’s not like th
VioletNate shrugged, “We watched a movie and went to bed. I gave her my hoodie because I didn’t want her to freeze to death, but somehow this rumor—”“Good for you two,” Kylan cut him off, his voice cold.I felt a pain in my heart, accepting he had no desire to hear more. He was so confusing. If he really didn’t care, then why were we not allowed to talk about it? And why did I even care?Before I could dwell on it too much, Rochwall entered the room. “My children!” his voice was full of energy. “I missed you!”Several cheered, thrilled to see him back. I could promise that if Commander Jorn had walked through that door, no one would’ve been smiling.Rochwall wasn’t alone. He had brought his wife, Jane, along with him. I watched as she took a seat at the back and greeted her with a smile—but she turned her head away, pretending not to notice.My smile vanished as I tried to think of a reason. Had I done something to upset her?No, of course not. I barely knew the woman.It was proba
VioletKylan’s ‘training’ in the woods was turning out to be more like a torture. Every exercise felt like a punishment, and I now was doubting whether he was really invested in teaching me, or just trying to make my life more miserable.He had me doing lunges, core exercises, running up and down hills, and, after turning my legs into jelly, I was now forced to hang from a tree branch.He yelled louder than Commander Jorn if I even dared to slack off. What bothered me even more was that he looked so handsome while doing it. So handsome, it actually turned me on.What the hell was wrong with me?I breathed, glancing at the branch above. It was a surprise I was still holding on, and somehow this seemed to be the only thing I was good at today.My arms weren’t trembling, and my body was calm and stable. The burn in my muscles was still intense—but I had too much on my mind to focus on it.My mind kept going back to Jane, and the reason why she had changed so suddenly. That look in her ey
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