VioletI pushed down the lump in my throat, looking down at Kylan’s hand in mine as we walked through the academy, making our official debut as mates.The halls of Starlight were filled with whispers, curious and shocked gazes—but mostly judgmental.There wasn’t a single person who didn’t stare, and it almost felt as if the entire school had been waiting for this very moment.If it wasn’t obvious by the stares, it was obvious by the clear path they had instantly created for us.Kylan, however, didn’t seem fazed at all. His expression was calm and collected, as if this was just another ordinary day—while I could barely breathe.I hated attention.“You look like you’re about to shit yourself,” he whispered, his voice low enough that only I could hear.A nervous chuckle escaped from my lips. “It’s probably because I am,” I sang softly, not knowing where to look.Kylan smirked faintly. “Maybe try looking a bit more natural, and a bit less like I’m holding you at gunpoint.”His words remin
VioletMy gaze was fixed on the ground as Dad and…Fergus, walked in silence. After stealing me away from the king, he suggested we take a walk instead—while Kylan remained with his dad.Now we were walking through the woods, neither of us saying a word. I knew he would eventually speak because otherwise, he wouldn’t be here—but the only question was when.My thoughts went to Kylan, and not knowing where the king’s head was at the moment was driving me insane. Would he be forcing Kylan to take the ring back? To reject me immediately?Fergus finally cleared his throat, signaling he was about to speak. I raised my head to look at him as he stared straight ahead. “Who would’ve thought,” he said, his tone sounding awfully sarcastic. “The heir to Lyperia, your mate.”I noticed the deep lines on his forehead. He suddenly looked older than he was, and I knew it wasn’t age—it was stress. Fergus had always been tense, but today, it was different.“I guess so,” I said, forcing a small smile.Cou
VioletFergus growled, kicking a broken branch near his feet as he refused to answer my question.“You will pack your things and come home with me at once,” he ordered, his tone making it clear this was not up for debate—for him at least.I took a step forward, even though he was towering over me. “Or what?” I challenged.His expression shifted. For a moment, he looked startled, as if he hadn’t expected me to speak against him—but things were different now. I wasn’t the quiet, scared Violet from back home anymore.I had changed.Kylan telling me to stop feeling sorry for myself and stop crying definitely left an impact.I wasn’t going to back down or show any weakness—not anymore.Fergus’s blue eyes locked onto mine, but I refused to look away. My blood boiled with fury, a hot feeling traveled all the way through my body, and I could feel the veins near my eyes pulsing. My heart hammered in my chest as I felt the ring on my finger tighten, begging me to lose control—but it wasn’t enou
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
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
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
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
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
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
KylanI held Puppy tightly in my arms, feeling her limp body pressed against mine. Her chest rose with each breath, but her glowing eyes were closed. It had been a while now.The back of my fingers brushed her cheek. “Pup,” I whispered, worried. She hummed softly in response, but she didn’t open her eyes.The one responsible, that sick Soothsayer, just sat there and watched me without doing a single thing—like all of this was normal to him.Pissed, I met Aelius’s gaze. “What did you do to her?”Aelius took a breath, looking around the cage. His eyes, which had been white before, had already dimmed to their original color. “Let her be,” he spoke. “She’s fine. She’s dreaming.”“Dreaming?” I spat, narrowing my eyes at him. “You made her like this. She’s not dreaming—what did you do to her?”“She’s in the Veil,” Aelius raised his voice slightly, as if that explanation made things better.The Veil?What the hell was that supposed to mean?“What is that?” I snarled, glaring at him.“Time wi
AdelaideI followed Alaric with my eyes, watching as he walked away, disappearing behind the bush. Not long after, I caught a glimpse of his toned back as he removed his clothes.My cheeks turned red. His back was turned, but it was almost impossible not to notice how strong it looked—the muscles in his broad shoulders, his powerful arms.That guy with the killer smile and killer body could probably really kill someone if he really wanted to. After all, he was the Alpha Prince. I was sure Mom had a purpose for him, one that would make sense eventually.A low growl, followed by the sound of cracking bones, snapped me out of my thoughts. It wasn’t a sound I hadn’t heard before—but it never failed to amaze me.Alaric’s limbs twisted, his breathing deepened, and his body disappeared between the bushes. Then it went silent.My jaw dropped as I stepped forward, anticipating the shift.“Holy shit,” I managed between laughter.A massive black wolf appeared from behind that same bush. The blue
AdelaideIt was already dark when I sat on the grass, leaning against the big oak tree in the woods. Cold shivers ran through my body as I thought about the words Esther had used to describe Alaric.The chosen one…the vessel.What did it mean, and why hadn’t Mom told me about it? The worst part was sticking to the plan and doing as I was told without knowing exactly what she was planning.I only knew one thing. It was for the good of the witches—my people.They were my priority, and all I had to do was follow Mom’s instructions. So what was I so worried about?After a while, I started to feel impatient, wondering if I had pushed things too far. Alaric was timid, careful—and maybe I had overestimated him, thinking he would really sneak out to meet a witch he barely knew.Maybe it was time to consider other options, like waiting out that Elite team that Principal Sterling was planning.At least, that’s what I thought—until I heard faint footsteps rustling through the leaves. I shot my h
AdelaideIt was a simple yes, no—question. One I hoped she would answer.Esther’s lips curled into a small, smile. “What makes you say so?”“For starters, that ridiculous source of power I feel coming from you,” I said, crossing my arms. “That’s not normal for a shifter.”“Incredible,” her breath hitched in surprise. “You are the High Priestess daughter, and a child of blood indeed,” she said. “Not even your fellow witches could sense it, but you can.”She stood straight, opening the door to her office. “Get in,” she gestured with her hands.I waited for a moment. There was still some time left before I would meet Alaric—so why not?As soon as I entered Esther’s office, she closed the door behind me.“So you are a witch?” I tried again, needing a clear answer. “A dark witch I assume?”I scanned the clean and neat office with my eyes. The place one worked said a lot about a person, and I could tell this was a woman who liked control—hence her reaction when I called her out.“I guess th
AdelaideIt was the day I was supposed to meet Alaric in the woods. The sun was starting to set, and I stood in front of the mirror in our dorm, getting ready for the night.This was all I had looked forward to. Classes at Starlight were so easy that I already knew I would fly through those four years without breaking a sweat, so that wasn’t any of my concern.My only focus was Alaric and getting closer to my goal for the good of our people.“Hey,” Claire greeted, shuffling out of her bedroom in a cozy onesie. Her blond hair was tied up in a bun, and her eyes looked tired as she plopped down on the couch.“Going somewhere?”I glanced at her through the mirror. “Sneaking out,” I said casually.“To see James?” she guessed, raising a brow.I just smiled, letting her think whatever she wanted. The less Claire knew, the better.We had grown close quickly, and if I wasn’t with James, I was with her. We shared most of the same classes and spent more time together than I had expected. She was