Athena's povThe students in the chemistry club were energized with excitement, their eyes sparkling and gleaming as they climbed aboard the long white bus heading to Valley Pelt for the annual chemistry competition.Luckily, the death of that abuser was swept under the carpet, and they blamed it on natural causes. He was buried immediately, and I felt a bit sympathetic for his poor wife, who was going to bear the brunt of widowhood and raising kids all by herself. I went down the bus aisle and spotted Cameron, who had reserved a seat for me in the back. I couldn't stop smiling and felt a flutter in my heart. The social night was wild, and I still couldn't believe what I had brought myself to do and the huge risk I was taking. But it's been five days now, and Cameron was fine."Are you always so hyper when you see me?" I joked when we sat together, surrounded by the rustle of bags. The chemistry fair was going to last for three days."Yep, I love being with you," he said shamelessly,
I sat on the floor, surrounded by the familiar comfort of my dorm, while Mia sat on my bed, helping me stretch my hair with a wide-tooth comb and oil. We won the chemistry fair with a landslide victory and returned with joy. Mom had always been the one to take care of my hair, spoiling me with regular treatments and styling, so it would take some time for me to develop my hair care routine. I closed my eyes, loving the sensation of Mia's fingers on my scalp."So tell me, did you fuck Cameron?""Ew! Why would I answer such a personal question? And why would I even do that? That would kill him!" I retorted harshly at her, turning around to face her. She was laughing."It's not funny!""But you love him, and I can tell you've messed around with him. You're unexplainably happy these days." I sighed and turned away, knowing that she was right. “Of course, I love him. He's my mate.”"Ouuu! Love that for you!" Mia clapped."Stop being ironic. You know this is all a bubble that will burst on
CameronI felt light and relieved, and every tension was released from my body when Athena was declared innocent and Jennifer was made to look like the big bully she was. Athena didn’t seem as excited as I was, but I could see the release of all tension on her face and how she briefly closed her eyes and exhaled quietly."Seriously, Marcus, you claim to be my friend, yet you cannot even defend my daughter," Jennifer's father, King Thor, said to my dad with a menacing look on his face. His eyes were filled with hate and accusation. Sometimes, I don't understand why my parents could not call out this man's bullshit and cut him off from our lives; they treated him like he was God, and it irritated me so much.He and his silly wife kept on trying to gaslight my dad and kept hammering about all the good things they had done for us, yet we repaid them by stabbing them in the back. Dad remained calm and gentle, trying to reason with them."You're my friend, Thor, and I have no ill intent towa
AthenaPanic, like no other, took hold of my body. I cringed as the sound of the door banged shut, and my chest felt as if it would burst. I thought my dad would expose my secret when Cameron confronted him. I couldn't bear the thought of it, and I had never seen Cameron so mad. He barged out of the office, and I excused myself and began running after him."Wait up!" I called out, with my boots thumping on the pavement. He was walking fast and had left the administrative building, heading towards a tree. I finally caught up to him and turned him to face me."Cameron, please don't be angry."He threw his hands up in the air. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't be! Why are you and your dad making this more difficult than it should be?"I swallowed hard, and my eyes watered. Indeed, this was harder than I expected. It felt like I was hurting Cameron. Even when I tried to touch him, his body was unnaturally stiff, and he forced himself to maintain eye contact with me. He seemed betrayed.
AthenaI woke up in an unfamiliar room and looked around. Then, when I saw Cameron's hand resting on my body and his face serene and asleep, I smiled. I stared at him, taking in his handsome features. He seemed so calm, and I wished things would remain like this."Oh shit!" I exclaimed. It was 6:30, and I could not leave the boys' dormitory because the staff members would have resumed their duties, and the boys were outside. I didn't want to start any rumors or speculations."Watching me sleep is sexy and creepy," Cameron stirred in his sleep and opened one eye. "I love it.""Why didn't you wake me up to leave last night? How am I going to leave the hostel now?" His hand went over to the nightstand beside him, and he checked his watch, then started laughing."We're stuck. We'll have to wait until the dormitory clears out.""It's all your fault! I wanted to leave last night, but you didn't let me go, and now we can't leave until class begins.""I don't mind," he said, trying to cuddle
AthenaCameron's mom disliked me—no surprise there. I would feel the same way if I were in her shoes. I felt so stupid for coming here. What was I expecting? That she would accept me with open arms when I was her only solution, yet I stubbornly refused to help them. My eyes welled up, and my vision blurred when I saw his dad with an eye patch sitting on a chair while a doctor applied some ointment to his eye. Cameron had said his father's eye was getting worse because of the weakness of the stone. I never knew how severe the situation was until I got here.Surprisingly, his father remained kind to me, thanking me profusely for coming to his home. His mother seemed to be judging me for not sealing the bond and bringing their family out of this mess. She didn't seem generally bad, but I knew we wouldn't get along. There was something about her that I did not accept, and I had a solid, discerning spirit and could sense her resentment toward me. She would never accept me. To avoid disc
I stared at my mom's face. She looked physically stressed and rubbed her temple while taking periodic deep breaths. She had called me to speak with me about Athena, and all her fears and criticisms about Athena were unfounded. The other time, I caught her hiding behind a pillar, watching me and Athena, and even though I had seen her, I pretended not to notice. She had reservations about Athena. Athena didn't mention it, but I could tell there was an energy shift when she talked with my dad versus when she had to speak with my mom. "I don't have a good feeling about her," Mom told me in a serious tone. "She looks weird, and why would she not want to be marked? What lame excuse has she been feeding you and your father?"I found my mom's dramatics amusing and chuckled. "She's not comfortable with it yet. We should give her time."But Mom wouldn't let up. "I don't like her. She seems like a problematic person who is hiding something big. Wake up, see what's happening, and don't be blind
Athena Cramps and fever attacked my body, making me feel a dry and coppery taste in my mouth. I was glad I was alone; otherwise, I would have been highly short-tempered, all thanks to my time of the month. I wonder why females were punished with this curse of nature. I was glad I'd left Cameron's house, even though I missed him so much. I touched my neck, wincing at my rising fever and fidgeting nervously. I couldn't eat. I tried to get a burger, but it felt like wood in my mouth. I picked up my salad and threw it away because I felt nauseous. Everything was a chore, and I was irritated as hell. Perhaps I should yank out all my fallopian tubes? After all, I wouldn't need them since I would not have children. Maybe I should take them out and free myself from this plague.Needing fresh air to lift my mood, I locked the door and headed out for a run. I ran on the school premises, feeling lighter and loving it. After about 30 minutes of running, I sat on a wooden bench and decided to
Her gaze turned icy, and a dangerous silence filled the space. She raised a hand, and one of the beings beside her started to protest, “This insolent mortal—”But the goddess silenced him with a mere flick of her wrist. She looked down at me, her gaze both fierce and intrigued, as if my words had stung her pride yet piqued her interest. For a moment, I thought she might strike me down right there, but instead, she leaned back and tilted her head.Then, to my utter shock, she softened her tone, almost mockingly, and said, “Come.”I blinked, barely able to believe what I was hearing. But I moved closer, though not daring to get too close to her throne. She extended a pale hand toward the water in front of her, and I felt my chest tighten as an image began to form within its depths. As I peered closer, my breath caught. There, in the water, was Cameron. He was awake, sitting up, though his body looked weak. I watched him clench his fists as if searching, hoping for something. For me.
AthenaFear gripped me as I took in the surroundings. Asking to see the goddess felt like signing up for a death sentence. No matter how dazzling this place looked, I wasn’t prepared to die.Not yet. I couldn't stand the thought of staying here without saying a proper goodbye to everyone who mattered to me. My mom, who had always loved me unconditionally, who did everything to keep me happy and supported me even when my choices went against the grain. If it weren't for my dad, she might have even encouraged me to stay with Cameron, consequences be damned. And then my dad, the fierce protector, who never once made me feel less than for being a hybrid daughter to an alpha. He kept my secret, shielded me, loved me as I was. I couldn’t leave without seeing him one last time.And Caleb, my brother, who I’d grown up with, spending days running wild on wings and horseback. I'd promised I’d be godmother to his future children. Leaving him felt like betraying that vow. But most of all, I
CameronI woke to the scratchy roughness of an old quilt draped over me and confusion clouded my mind. The fabric felt worn against my skin, and when I opened my eyes, I struggled to understand where the hell I was. This place made no sense. It was different from the world I was used to. it was dark, cramped, and unfamiliar, with a ceiling so low it felt like it was closing in on me. Claustrophobia clawed at my chest, and when I tried to sit up, dizziness washed over me. My body screamed in raw, unfiltered pain. Cuts and bruises marked every inch of my arms and hands. How did I end up here? And where exactly was "here"?There was an armless cot pressing uncomfortably against my chest, and my lips tasted like they’d been coated in bitter herbs. The scent of burning sage lingered thick in the air. Just then, the door creaked open, and my dad walked in. At first, he didn’t notice I was awake, but when he saw my eyes open, he let out a startled yelp and rushed over, his look was a mixt
93AthenaWhen I opened my eyes, grogginess clung to me. I couldn't move, but my silence was soon replaced by utter confusion. I couldn’t make sense of where I was. This place was beyond anything words could capture. Unnatural and unsettling silence wrapped around me like a thick blanket, pressing in from all sides. The earth I knew never held silence like this, never without the hum of life, the rustle of leaves, or distant calls of creatures.Here, there wasn’t a trace of an animal or human. Every object around me pulsed, as though it had a soul, especially the light that seemed soft but somehow divine, illuminating without blinding. Colors blazed from every direction, vibrant beyond any spectrum I’d ever seen, and far surpassing the limits of human sight.“What the hell?” I muttered, barely recognizing my own voice.The stillness was overwhelming. My eyes scanned the endless expanse until they landed on a huge mountain ahead that reached toward the sky. Its slopes gleamed with p
Athena I sprinted through the forest. Its twisted shadows closed in, each one feeling like it had a pulse of its own, hungry for terror. The night here was different—dense, suffocating, and as alive as anything I’d ever faced. The first horror to confront me was a banshee. Her ghostly figure rose from the mist, and her shriek pierced the silence like a blade, chilling me to the core. But that was all it did—wail and hover, as if mocking my fear. I clenched my jaw and pushed forward, refusing to let it distract me. I had one mission: to find the hidden power source that might save Cameron. There was no room for fear.The forest seemed determined to test me. The branches snagged at my clothes as if trying to pull me back. Shadows flickered in the corners of my vision, mocking me, but I kept moving and the urgency pushed me past exhaustion. The air grew colder and heavier with each step, and every breath felt like I was swallowing the darkness itself. It was as if the forest was dar
Athena I could hardly call my first attempt a victory. Yes, I’d ripped the snake’s fang free, and Cameron’s eyes had opened. His chest rose and fell as he breathed, bringing me a rush of relief so intense it nearly erased my exhaustion. I darted to his bedside, my heart pounding, ready to pull him back into the world.But just as quickly as hope flared, it burned out. His eyelids fluttered, but instead of finding calm, his body jerked violently, as if he was still fighting some unseen demons. Words tumbled from his lips, slurred and frantic, fragments of terror that didn’t make sense.“No… no, leave me alone!” he shouted, thrashing against the sheets.His face twisted in a fear that cut deeper than any wound. The joy I’d felt twisted into dread, eating at my chest. I reached out and gripped his shoulder. “Cameron, baby, it’s me. You’re safe.”But he looked past me as though I were a stranger. My so-called victory had a bitter edge, leaving him trapped somewhere far away, unreachable.
AthenaThe next morning, every inch of my body begged for rest, muscles throbbing and bones aching, but I refused to leave Cameron’s side. No amount of pain could pull me away. And King Marcus lack of trust was as thick as fog, hanging over us all. He didn’t bother hiding his disgust at being here, surrounded by witches, as if the very air offended him.I had gone out of my way to make things as comfortable as possible, setting him up in one of the best cabins, making sure he had everything he needed. I’d practically begged him to get some sleep, to let go of his stubborn pride for even a second. But his scowl told me everything. He’d rather be anywhere else. He looked at the room like it was cursed, muttering under his breath about “evil forces” and “witchcraft.”Honestly, I wanted to tell him to fuck off but I bit my tongue."I don’t want them putting any dark stuff into him,” he muttered, his tone dripping with distrust. The sting of his words hit hard, and I swear he noticed becau
Athena With nothing else left to try, I swallowed my pride and dragged myself to the coven I had sworn never to approach. If the goddess insisted on punishing me, then I’d find a solution from any source willing to help.Fuck her a million times.I burst through the doors at midnight, and my heart pounded, causing my breaths to be short and sharp. The coven members sat in a circle. Their faces were carved from shadows and candlelight. Each gaze turned on me, dripping with irritation and barely concealed spite.The High Priestess, who was the queen's assistant, locked her eyes on mine.. "Athena, Athena, Athena," she chanted, my name rolling off her tongue like a slow, deliberate insult. "Is this truly a habit of yours—to burst in and throw our rituals into chaos?"My entire body shook and my throat closed up. "Priestess, I need your help. I know I’ve ignored your calls and kept my distance, but my mate is dying. Every second he slips further away.” I felt the words catch in my throat
AthenaSeeing Cameron lying unconscious in that hospital bed felt like someone had yanked the ground from beneath me, ripping my world apart piece by piece. I burst through those cold double doors, screaming his name, "Cameron!"My voice echoed, raw and desperate, down the sterile, quiet hallways. Two stout nurses hurried over, both with annoyed expressions, trying to hold me back. “Ma’am, you need to calm down; this is an emergency ward,” one snapped. I didn’t care. I shrugged them off and rushed to Cameron’s motionless figure.“Please, Cameron, open your eyes.”My voice cracked, and tears spilled down my face, unstoppable, like a dam breaking. Just this morning, he was laughing, alive, and so full of life. Now, he lay there like a stranger—pale, weak, swallowed by a mess of wires and tubes.My legs buckled beneath me as the reality of the scene hit. Doctors and nurses worked tirelessly around him, their movements a blur as they fought to keep him here, keep him with me.“Ma’am, pl