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An eviction
Last Updated:
2025-04-13 22:45:26
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The Mate Games Another apology
ALTHEAThe garden is quiet tonight.The kind of quiet that makes you feel like the world is holding its breath. Maybe waiting for something. Or maybe just watching. I sit on the stone bench near the hedge of blood-red roses, my legs curled under me, my arms wrapped around my knees. The stars above are scattered like little glass pieces on a black canvas. They’re pretty, but I can’t enjoy them. Not really. My mind is full. My chest even more.It’s strange, how much can change in just a few weeks.I went from planning a future with someone I thought I knew, to standing in a palace filled with strangers, competing for the attention of a cold, sharp-eyed prince who looks at all of us like we’re problems to be solved. Not hearts to be held.If someone had told me this would be my life a month ago, I would’ve laughed. Maybe even gotten angry. But now it’s real. All of it. The challenges, the cameras, the fake smiles, the constant fear of elimination. The weight of being watched. Judged. Pic
Last Updated : 2025-04-14The Mate Games Whispers of the forest
ALTHEASomething’s wrong. In this place, something always is.I can feel it in the way the palace has gone quiet. No new orders. No new tasks. Just silence.Too much silence.The last few days have been calm—too calm. That’s not how the king works. He wouldn’t let us rest without a reason. Which means… he’s planning something. Something worse than before.I sit at the edge of the courtyard fountain, eyes on the cracked stones beneath the water. A cool breeze brushes my skin, but it does nothing to calm the unease twisting in my stomach.Then it happens.A sharp horn blast echoes through the air, loud and long.The moment it ends, a servant rushes into the courtyard. His face is pale. His hands shake as he unrolls a scroll.“All contestants, report to the grand hall. Immediately.”I stand, heart racing. Whatever this is—it’s not going to be simple.***The grand hall is packed. The king stands high above us, a wide smile stretched across his face like a mask. I don’t trust that smile.
Last Updated : 2025-04-15The Mate Games Barely surviving
ALTHEAI yank at the vines choking my legs, the flower still clutched in my fist. My heart pounds so loud I can barely hear anything else, but the forest won’t let me go. It wants me to suffer.The roots tighten. Thorns prick my skin. I scream—raw, frustrated. Then I grab my knife and hack at the vines until they loosen. My arms shake. My lungs burn.Finally, I’m free.I scramble to my feet and run again, holding the Bloodlight Flower like it’s my last breath.The forest is a nightmare. Trees twist into wrong shapes. The path keeps shifting. The whispers are louder now—screaming instead of speaking. I don’t know what’s real anymore. My thoughts feel slippery, like I can’t hold onto them for more than a second.Then I see someone up ahead.Another girl.She stumbles out from between two trees—her cloak torn, blood on her hands. It’s Maria. One of the quiet ones. The smart ones.Her eyes go wide when she sees what I’m holding.“The flower,” she says, voice hoarse. “You found it.”I take
Last Updated : 2025-04-16The Mate Games The white wolf
ALTHEAThe sun is higher now, casting soft gold across the palace walls, but there’s no warmth in it. I sit on the cold stone steps, my breath steady but shallow. My body hurts. My mind even more.One by one, the other girls arrive from the forest. Most of them limping, bleeding, dirty. But alive.I count them. Over and over.Only two never return.Mira and one of the betas.The ache in my chest grows heavy when I realize it’s true. They didn’t make it.Not everyone survived.Unfortunately, Caroline did.She walks in with a smug smile, a scratch on her cheek like it’s some kind of trophy. Her eyes flick to me—quick and sharp—but I look away. If I meet her stare, I might do something I regret.A guard steps forward, clearing his throat. He holds out his hand. I place the Bloodlight Flower in his palm.It’s still warm. Still glowing faintly. Still smells like copper and ash.He turns and brings it to the king, who stands watching from the edge of the courtyard.King Theron doesn’t even
Last Updated : 2025-04-17The Mate Games A juicy secret
ALTHEAI wake up slower than usual. My eyes feel heavy, my body heavier. Every inch of me aches from yesterday—from the hunt, the fear, the cruel discovery in the garden, and the dream that refused to let me go.The memory of it still clings to my skin like frost.Asher. The white wolf.I sit up slowly, pressing my palm against my side where the black wolf bit me in the dream. There’s no wound there, but it still feels sore.I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. The entire idea of the mate games—it’s based on the legend of the white wolf. The perfect mate. The protector. The rare and destined bond. Everyone talks about it like it’s some beautiful fairytale.But I’ve been dreaming about him.And now that I know Asher is the white wolf… I have more questions than answers.Because there were two wolves in the dream.The black one—the one that always attacks. The one I always run from.If Asher is the white wolf, then who’s the other? What does it mean that they always fight? And why do
Last Updated : 2025-04-18The Mate Games A shock
ALTHEA “Noooo!” I wake up gasping for air, my skin damp with sweat. The nightmare, the same dream, yet again, clings to my mind like a fog I can’t shake off. It’s become more frequent ever since I turned twenty one a month ago. I sit up, pushing my damp hair off my forehead. My heart pounds in my chest as I try to catch my breath. The scene replays in my mind, vivid and strange. I’m standing between two wolves, one white, one black. They’re enormous, their eyes locked in a silent challenge. Then, just like always, they lunge at each other, a blur of fur and fangs. And just like every other time, I wake up before I can make sense of it. “ALTHEA!” My stepmother’s voice cuts through the quiet, sharp and demanding. Right on cue. I groan, dragging myself out of bed. My legs feel heavy, like I’ve been running in my sleep. My room is small but cozy, though it does little to shield me from the chaos of my home. “Coming!” I shout back, though I know it won’t stop her from yelling
Last Updated : 2025-03-24The Mate Games Heart Broken
ALTHEAThat night, I sit in my room, staring at the wall. My heart feels heavy, and my mind won’t stop replaying the scene in the grove. It all still seems like a nightmare. How else can I explain it? A sharp knock at the door pulls me out of my thoughts. Madeline peaks into the room. “Your father is back, he wants to see you in his study.” My body feels heavy as I move, every step toward my father’s study a struggle. When I knock on the door and hear his voice call me in, I take a deep breath, trying to steel myself. I push the door open and freeze when I see who else is occupying the room. Lila is already there, sitting primly in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She turns to me with a bright smile. “Good evening , sister,” she says, her tone sweet. But there’s a smugness present in her gaze that I couldn’t miss even I was I blind. I force myself to move, taking the seat my father gestures to. I don’t meet Lila’s gaze. I can’t. My chest fe
Last Updated : 2025-03-24The Mate Games Undone
ALTHEALike a woman on a mission, my feet don’t stop moving. Not when I slip past the pack gates. Not when I weave through the glowing city streets. My steps are relentless, driven by a single goal. And when the bar comes into view, I know I’ve made the right decision tonight. Getting shit-faced. I chose a place far from home, somewhere I’m least likely to run into anyone familiar. The sting of betrayal still burns in my chest, raw and unrelenting. I trusted him. He was the one person who wasn’t supposed to hurt me, and he shattered that trust with effortless cruelty. It still hurts, but at least I’m brave enough to admit it. Fate has the cruelest sense of humor. I’ve tried not to let the grief or the thoughts of my impending doom consume me, but sometimes it hits like a freight train. Tonight, I’ve decided not to fight it. Shrugging off my bitterness, I step into the crowded pub. The room is alive with noise. There’s a lot of shouting, laughter, clinking glasses, but my
Last Updated : 2025-03-24
Latest chapter
The Mate Games A juicy secret
ALTHEAI wake up slower than usual. My eyes feel heavy, my body heavier. Every inch of me aches from yesterday—from the hunt, the fear, the cruel discovery in the garden, and the dream that refused to let me go.The memory of it still clings to my skin like frost.Asher. The white wolf.I sit up slowly, pressing my palm against my side where the black wolf bit me in the dream. There’s no wound there, but it still feels sore.I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. The entire idea of the mate games—it’s based on the legend of the white wolf. The perfect mate. The protector. The rare and destined bond. Everyone talks about it like it’s some beautiful fairytale.But I’ve been dreaming about him.And now that I know Asher is the white wolf… I have more questions than answers.Because there were two wolves in the dream.The black one—the one that always attacks. The one I always run from.If Asher is the white wolf, then who’s the other? What does it mean that they always fight? And why do
The Mate Games The white wolf
ALTHEAThe sun is higher now, casting soft gold across the palace walls, but there’s no warmth in it. I sit on the cold stone steps, my breath steady but shallow. My body hurts. My mind even more.One by one, the other girls arrive from the forest. Most of them limping, bleeding, dirty. But alive.I count them. Over and over.Only two never return.Mira and one of the betas.The ache in my chest grows heavy when I realize it’s true. They didn’t make it.Not everyone survived.Unfortunately, Caroline did.She walks in with a smug smile, a scratch on her cheek like it’s some kind of trophy. Her eyes flick to me—quick and sharp—but I look away. If I meet her stare, I might do something I regret.A guard steps forward, clearing his throat. He holds out his hand. I place the Bloodlight Flower in his palm.It’s still warm. Still glowing faintly. Still smells like copper and ash.He turns and brings it to the king, who stands watching from the edge of the courtyard.King Theron doesn’t even
The Mate Games Barely surviving
ALTHEAI yank at the vines choking my legs, the flower still clutched in my fist. My heart pounds so loud I can barely hear anything else, but the forest won’t let me go. It wants me to suffer.The roots tighten. Thorns prick my skin. I scream—raw, frustrated. Then I grab my knife and hack at the vines until they loosen. My arms shake. My lungs burn.Finally, I’m free.I scramble to my feet and run again, holding the Bloodlight Flower like it’s my last breath.The forest is a nightmare. Trees twist into wrong shapes. The path keeps shifting. The whispers are louder now—screaming instead of speaking. I don’t know what’s real anymore. My thoughts feel slippery, like I can’t hold onto them for more than a second.Then I see someone up ahead.Another girl.She stumbles out from between two trees—her cloak torn, blood on her hands. It’s Maria. One of the quiet ones. The smart ones.Her eyes go wide when she sees what I’m holding.“The flower,” she says, voice hoarse. “You found it.”I take
The Mate Games Whispers of the forest
ALTHEASomething’s wrong. In this place, something always is.I can feel it in the way the palace has gone quiet. No new orders. No new tasks. Just silence.Too much silence.The last few days have been calm—too calm. That’s not how the king works. He wouldn’t let us rest without a reason. Which means… he’s planning something. Something worse than before.I sit at the edge of the courtyard fountain, eyes on the cracked stones beneath the water. A cool breeze brushes my skin, but it does nothing to calm the unease twisting in my stomach.Then it happens.A sharp horn blast echoes through the air, loud and long.The moment it ends, a servant rushes into the courtyard. His face is pale. His hands shake as he unrolls a scroll.“All contestants, report to the grand hall. Immediately.”I stand, heart racing. Whatever this is—it’s not going to be simple.***The grand hall is packed. The king stands high above us, a wide smile stretched across his face like a mask. I don’t trust that smile.
The Mate Games Another apology
ALTHEAThe garden is quiet tonight.The kind of quiet that makes you feel like the world is holding its breath. Maybe waiting for something. Or maybe just watching. I sit on the stone bench near the hedge of blood-red roses, my legs curled under me, my arms wrapped around my knees. The stars above are scattered like little glass pieces on a black canvas. They’re pretty, but I can’t enjoy them. Not really. My mind is full. My chest even more.It’s strange, how much can change in just a few weeks.I went from planning a future with someone I thought I knew, to standing in a palace filled with strangers, competing for the attention of a cold, sharp-eyed prince who looks at all of us like we’re problems to be solved. Not hearts to be held.If someone had told me this would be my life a month ago, I would’ve laughed. Maybe even gotten angry. But now it’s real. All of it. The challenges, the cameras, the fake smiles, the constant fear of elimination. The weight of being watched. Judged. Pic
The Mate Games An eviction
ALTHEA“Fuck,” Asher mutters, bending forward and clutching himself like I just punched him in the thigh.Which, well… I did.Hard.I take a step back, my chest rising and falling as my breath comes too fast. My hands are still clenched in front of me, and my face is burning with embarrassment and anger and confusion.“What was that for?” he groans, glaring at me.“You were about to kiss me,” I cry out, my voice louder than I mean for it to be.“What?” His voice is sharp, confused.“I said, you—”“No, no, you crazy girl, I heard you the first time.” He straightens up slowly, but he’s still bent at an awkward angle. His eyes narrow. “But why would you think that? I just wanted to tuck a strand of hair that had come loose back into place.”I freeze. The heat in my face spreads like wildfire.Oh goddess. I misunderstood.I want the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I feel like the world is laughing at me and I’m the only one who doesn’t get the joke.“I—” I start, but the words cat
The Mate Games A kick to the thigh
ALTHEAI walk out of Asher’s room, my thoughts spinning too fast for me to catch a single one. My heart still beats too hard in my chest, like it’s trying to remind me of what just happened. What I just saw.The scars.They were everywhere. Slashes across his back. Faded burns along his side. I want to scream, How? How did I not notice them that night?Was I that caught up in the heat, the rush, the chaos of it all? Did I not care enough to look? No… I didn’t care. Especially not that night.My hands are shaking. I press them to my sides and walk faster. I don’t want to think anymore. I don’t want to see his face again in my mind—eyes wide with pain, chest heaving, broken whispers I didn’t understand.Back in my room, I sit on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing. The room is quiet, but my mind is anything but.I lay down eventually. My body’s tired, but my brain won’t shut up.I close my eyes tightly. I don’t want to think about scars. Or dreams. Or Asher. Especially not Asher.**
The Mate Games What do you think you’re doing?
ALTHEAIt’s been a few days since the attack.The memory of it is still sharp—screams, the rush of feet, the cold fear sitting heavy in my chest—but the panic has faded. Mostly. Enough for us to act normal again. Or pretend to.The king didn’t even take it seriously. He called it “an unfortunate but minor disturbance.” His words exactly. He didn’t assign extra guards. No announcements. Not even a stern warning. Just brushed it aside like it was a spilled drink. Something that didn’t deserve attention.At the time, we were terrified. Some girls cried through the night. I sat up in bed, clutching the sheets, my ears tuned to every little sound. But now… now we’re calm again. Or maybe we’re just tired of being scared.To ease our families’ worries, Lady Ivanna asked all of us to write letters home. “Assure them you are safe and well,” she said with her usual calm voice. I did as asked. I told my family I was fine. That the attack wasn’t as serious as it sounded. That everything was under
The Mate Games Behind closed doors
ALTHEA“Go to the back of the room, ladies!” the head guard yells, his voice loud and firm. His name tag says Mark and he runs quickly toward a window.That’s when everything changes. A wave of guards rushes into the hall, their boots heavy on the floor, weapons drawn. I see more of them lining up just outside the room, and then the large doors slam shut. There’s the sound of metal scraping as the guards bolt the doors and slide thick bars across them.Everything happens so fast.Most of the other girls are confused. Some gasp. Some look around in fear. I move with them to the back of the room, just like Mark ordered. My heart is pounding.“They’re inside the halls, Your Majesty, but we’re holding them back,” Mark says. His voice is grave and tense.My stomach drops. My heart feels like it’s about to stop.No one here knows who I really am.What I really am.And if they find out—if anyone finds out—I’ll be dead before I can explain.I don’t know how I didn’t expect this. It should’ve
