Elowen's POVI ran through the academy halls, my vision blurred by tears that wouldn’t stop falling. My heart was pounding, my chest tight with a mix of fear, anger, and utter helplessness. I could still feel Ranon’s hand on my wrist, still hear his words echoing in my mind. “You don’t have to choose, Elowen. You never did.” How could he say that? How could he act like this was all so simple when my entire world felt like it was crumbling beneath me? I didn’t stop until I reached the dormitory, my hands trembling as I fumbled with the key. Once inside, I slammed the door shut and locked it, my back pressing against the cold wood as I slid to the floor. The sobs came before I could stop them, shaking my entire body as I buried my face in my hands. It was too much. All of it. The bond, the expectations, the constant tug-of-war between them—Alaric, Ranon, Theron. “Elowen?” Lisa’s voice was soft, tentative, as she knocked on the door. I hadn’t even realized she’d followed me.
Elowen's POV The train ride home felt like a death sentence. My stomach churned the closer I got to the house, a place I dreaded more than anything. It wasn’t a home—it was a cage, filled with memories I wanted to escape and people I couldn’t stand. When the taxi pulled up in front of the grand estate, the sight of it only made my chest tighten further. The pristine white walls, the manicured gardens, the towering gates—everything screamed of perfection, but I knew better. Behind those doors was a different story. I dragged my suitcase up the steps, hesitating for a moment before finally ringing the bell. The door opened almost immediately, and there she was—Liora, my stepmother. Her blonde hair was swept into an elegant bun, her sharp blue eyes scanning me from head to toe with thinly veiled disdain. She was dressed impeccably, as always, her fitted dress and diamond earrings screaming wealth and power. "Elowen," she said, her tone clipped and cold. "You're late." I swallowed
Elowen's POVThe chilly evening air nipped at my skin as I sat on the old stone bench at the edge of the garden, trying to find solace in the quiet. The stars above were the only witnesses to my silent tears, each one glimmering in the vast, dark sky. It felt like they were mocking me—so far away, so untouchable.I sniffled and wiped my face, forcing myself to take deep breaths. Being here, trapped in this suffocating house, was worse than anything I’d endured at the academy.Just as I began to lose myself in the stillness, I heard it—a soft crunch of footsteps on the gravel path behind me. My heart jumped, and I stiffened, quickly turning my head toward the sound.And then I saw him.Theron.He stood a few feet away, his tall frame cloaked in the shadows of the trees. His dark eyes gleamed under the faint starlight, and his expression was unreadable.“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, my voice breaking slightly, more out of shock than anger.He didn’t answer right away. Ins
Elowen's POVThe wind whipped at my face as I ran through the woods, my breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. My mind was spinning, tangled with the memories of Theron’s words, his touch, his unrelenting intensity. “Because you’re mine, Elowen.” His voice echoed in my head, and no matter how hard I tried to push it away, it clung to me like a shadow. I hated how my heart had faltered, how his presence had chipped away at the walls I’d tried so desperately to build. I finally stopped when I reached the edge of the forest, my chest heaving as I leaned against a tree to catch my breath. The estate loomed in the distance, cold and unwelcoming. A reminder that there was no peace here, no escape from the chaos that had taken over my life. I didn’t want to go back, didn’t want to face Liora’s smug disdain or the suffocating emptiness of my room. But where else could I go? As I trudged back toward the house, my mind wandered to Alaric. He’d always been the one to catch me when I fel
Elowen's POVThe soft rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. I stirred, blinking slowly as the world came into focus. For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was or why I felt so… at peace.And then I turned my head.Alaric was there, lying beside me. His face was calm, relaxed in sleep, the usual sharp intensity softened into something impossibly tender. My heart skipped a beat as I watched him, the way his dark lashes brushed against his cheeks, the slight curve of his lips as if he was dreaming about something pleasant.I couldn’t help but smile, a small, unguarded moment of joy slipping through the cracks of my guarded heart.I shifted slightly, careful not to wake him, but as I moved, his arm tightened around me. My eyes widened as he pulled me closer, his lips brushing against my hair.“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.I froze, my cheeks flushing. “Good morning,” I whispered back, unsure of what to
Ranon’s POVThe training ground was empty now, the silence suffocating, but it wasn’t nearly as maddening as the storm raging in my mind. Alaric and Elowen. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them together—her teary eyes clinging to him like he was her savior, and him looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered.I growled under my breath, pacing back and forth like a caged beast.“Ranon,” Alisa’s sickly sweet voice broke through my thoughts.I didn’t turn to her, clenching my fists tightly. “What?”She stepped closer, her heels clicking against the stone floor. “You’re worked up again.”“Of course I’m worked up!” I snapped, whirling to face her. “How could Alaric be so blind? So... pathetic?”Alisa smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s not Alaric’s fault,” she said with a shrug. “That little Omega knows how to play the victim. She’s weak, but she’s not stupid.”Her words hit a nerve, and I felt a sharp pang of agreement, followed by a deep-seated anger I couldn
Theron’s POV The training field was empty as I swung my fists against the punching bag, the repetitive thud of impact barely soothing the fire raging inside me. I couldn’t get Elowen out of my head. The way she looked at Alaric, the way her eyes filled with tears when she thought no one was watching—it drove me insane. Every instinct, every part of me screamed to claim her, to make her mine. But the bond, this curse, was a constant reminder of how unreachable she was. She hated me. She had made that abundantly clear. “Theron,” a voice called softly behind me. I didn’t turn around, continuing to punch the bag until my knuckles bled. “Theron!” Her voice was sharper this time, and I finally stopped, letting the bag swing wildly as I turned to face her. Camille stood there, her arms crossed over her chest, her dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail. She was beautiful, as always, her sharp features framed by the setting sun. But the look in her eyes was anything but soft. “What?” I
Elowen’s POVI could feel the tension in the air even before I stepped into the house. The oppressive silence was heavy, punctuated only by the occasional click of Liora’s heels against the marble floor. The sight of her waiting for me in the foyer, arms crossed and an icy glare fixed on me, sent a chill down my spine. "You're late," she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. "I was out," I replied curtly, refusing to meet her eyes as I made my way toward the stairs. "Out? With who? One of those mutts you're bonded to?" she sneered, her words dripping with venom. I froze mid-step, my hands tightening around the banister. "Don't," I warned softly, my voice trembling with suppressed anger. "Don’t what?" she mocked, taking a step closer. "Don’t point out the truth? You’re pathetic, Elowen. Always have been. You think those boys care about you? You're nothing but a weak little Omega dragging them down." Her words hit like a slap, but I refused to let her see the hurt. I
Theron’s POVThe moon, a silent sentinel in the inky sky, cast long, skeletal fingers of light through the heavy velvet curtains of our shared chamber. The silvered illumination painted Elowen’s face in stark relief against the deep shadows of the room. She had finally succumbed to the exhaustion that clung to her like a shroud, her breathing shallow and uneven, each inhale a fragile whisper against the silence. Tucked beneath layers of soft, comforting blankets, she looked unnervingly small, almost childlike, her usually vibrant presence muted, subdued. Her dark hair, usually a riotous tangle, now lay spilled across the white linen pillowcase like a pool of dark ink, framing her pale features.Alaric sat vigil on one side of the bed, a weighty tome resting in his lap, its pages untouched. His gaze remained fixed on Elowen, his intense focus a silent testament to the fear that still lingered in the air. Ranon, ever restless, was sprawled in the large armchair near the dying embers of
Alaric’s POVThe weight of her in my arms was a stark contrast to the vibrant, fiery spirit that usually defined Elowen. She was a whirlwind of motion, a sharp wit, a force of nature barely contained within her slender frame. To feel her so pliant, so utterly still, sent a fresh wave of icy dread washing over me. She barely stirred as I carried her across the worn threshold of our shared sanctuary, the grand doors of the mansion closing silently behind us, shutting out the lingering shadows of the dawn.Her head nestled beneath my chin, her dark, tangled hair brushing softly against my jaw. One arm, usually so quick to gesture or to reach out in affection, lay loosely around my shoulder, offering no real support. The other rested limply in her lap, her fingers pale and still. I hated this. I loathed the sight of her diminished, drained of the incandescent energy that usually crackled around her like summer lightning. ‘Fragile’ was a word that should never be associated with Elowen. Sh
Alaric's pov She was curled in on herself, her bare feet pale against the damp earth. Her head rested against the rough stone armrest, her posture suggesting she had succumbed to exhaustion mid-sob. And then I saw it – the stark crimson stain seeping through the roughly wrapped fabric around her lower leg.Ranon reached her first, dropping to his knees beside her with a strangled cry. “Elowen!” His voice, usually so steady, trembled with undisguised fear.She stirred weakly, her long eyelashes fluttering open like she was fighting her way back from a deep, troubled dream. “Ranon…?” Her voice was barely a whisper, thick with exhaustion.“What the hell are you doing out here?” he breathed, his hands hovering over her, as if afraid to touch her and break her further. His eyes darted over her pale face, her slumped posture, the bloodied bandage.Theron and I reached them seconds later, our breath coming in ragged gasps. The sight of her – so small, so vulnerable, her face ashen and her e
Alaric’s POVDawn bled across the horizon, painting the ancient stone floor of our shared chamber in hues of rose and gold. The light, usually a welcome sight, felt like an intrusion this morning, starkly illuminating the emptiness beside me. My hand, still heavy with the remnants of sleep, instinctively reached for the familiar warmth of Elowen’s presence.It met only the cool, crisp linen of undisturbed sheets.A jolt, sharp and unsettling, shot through me. My eyes snapped fully open, the lingering fog of sleep instantly banished. The blanket she habitually burrowed beneath lay folded with an unnerving tidiness at the foot of the bed, a stark testament to her absence.“Elowen?” The name escaped my lips, a rough whisper in the echoing silence of the room.I pushed myself up, the silk of my sleep shirt clinging uncomfortably. My gaze swept the room, lingering on the small, familiar details – the scattered books on her nightstand, the half-finished sketchpad resting against the wall, t
Elowen’s POVThe midnight air was a cool balm against my fevered skin, heavy with the earthy scent of rain-soaked soil and the sharp, clean fragrance of pine. A gentle breeze whispered through the trees surrounding the training grounds, carrying with it the distant hoot of an owl and the rustling of unseen creatures in the undergrowth. But the peace of the night was a stark contrast to the turmoil that raged within me.I sat hunched against the rough stone of the training pavilion’s outer wall, my injured leg stretched out before me. Each shallow breath sent a fresh wave of throbbing pain radiating from the deep gash that marred my inner thigh. The wound, a testament to my reckless desperation to push beyond my limits, was a dark, angry red against the pale moonlight. It pulsed with a dull ache that mirrored the ache in my heart.I shouldn’t have come out here. The rational part of my mind, the part that still clung to a semblance of self-preservation, screamed at me. It was foolish,
Elowen’s POVDays bled into nights, each one a relentless cycle of training, exhaustion, and the gnawing fear that clung to me like a second skin. Sleep offered little respite, my dreams filled with swirling shadows and the echoing whispers of a past I didn’t remember, yet felt deep within my bones.The Academy, once a sanctuary, now felt like a cage. Every glance, every hushed conversation, seemed to center around me, a constant reminder of the change that had irrevocably altered my place within its walls. The awe in some eyes felt like a judgment, the unease in others a premonition of the fear I myself harbored.Caelum remained a peripheral figure, a silent observer whose presence was a constant, unsettling hum beneath the surface of my awareness. He didn’t approach me, didn’t offer any further cryptic pronouncements. He simply watched, his gaze unnervingly knowing, as if he held the missing pieces of my fractured identity. And that silence was perhaps the most terrifying thing of a
Ranon’s POVShe was really slipping away. The realization was a slow, agonizing unraveling, like a precious tapestry being pulled thread by thread. It wasn’t a conscious decision on her part, not a deliberate act of distancing. Elowen’s heart, when given, was a fierce, unwavering thing. There were no lukewarm affections in her soul. This was something more profound, more elemental. Like a fragile skiff caught in the relentless pull of an unseen current, drawn towards a distant, powerful shore I couldn’t even glimpse. It was as if a stronger moon had begun to govern her tides, an astral influence I was powerless to counteract.Every time she walked past me in the Academy halls, her very presence thrumming with a nascent magic that shimmered just beneath her skin, a faint, ethereal glow that seemed to emanate from her very bones, I felt it. It was a subtle shift in her aura, a deepening of the shadows that lingered in the depths of her usually vibrant eyes, a quiet intensity that separa
Ranon’s POVFrom the shadowed vantage point of the balcony overlooking the training pit, I watched her move. She was a whirlwind of raw power, a dance of untamed energy that both captivated and terrified me. Each strike, each parry, was imbued with a ferocity I hadn’t seen before, a primal strength that seemed to emanate from the very core of her being.Elowen was changing, evolving into something magnificent and terrifying. The girl I had known, the one I had fiercely protected and possessively loved, was fading, replaced by a force of nature I barely recognized. She was shedding the constraints of her past, breaking free from the mold we had unknowingly cast for her.And with every passing day, with every flicker of that burgeoning power in her eyes, I felt her slipping further and further out of my reach. The invisible thread that had bound us together for so long was fraying, threatening to snap entirely.Alaric was a constant presence at her side now, a silent guardian and patien
Elowen’s POVThe silence in the Academy was a suffocating blanket, heavy with unspoken truths and the tremor of impending change. It wasn’t the peaceful hush of a sleeping forest, but the strained stillness before a lightning strike, the air thick with a tension that prickled my skin.Since Caelum’s pronouncements had shattered the carefully constructed reality I’d known, I felt like a fractured mirror, each shard reflecting a distorted version of myself. Something primal had awakened within me, a dormant power stirring from its ancient slumber. It pulsed beneath my veins, a low, insistent hum that vibrated through my bones, a wild and untamed thing that both terrified and intrigued me.The following morning was a blur of avoidance. I skirted the familiar paths where I might encounter Theron’s simmering fury, Alaric’s quiet concern, or even Ranon’s possessive gaze. Their worry would feel like a cage, their need to protect me a suffocating weight. I wasn’t ready to be handled, to be s