SERAPHINA'S POV
"Full-Moon Games? Is this like some outdoor activity where you guys hunt animals?" I ask, staring at the large flier pinned to the notice board in school.
The glamorous writing and bold colors catch my attention the second I pass by it.
"We're not dogs, Sera. It's bigger than that, and it's a festive period in school where people compete to have the moon's authority for a whole month. They become the sovereign Alpha." Olivia explains while sipping out of her juice box.
Her words leave me even more puzzled that before asking. Again, she answers a question as though I've been a wolf my whole life and should know all this.
"Can you repeat that, but in human terms?"
"The winner basically has supreme authority for a week. They can boss everyone around, including the teachers. There are of course limits, but that's basically it."
I muse over the new information, finding it unbelievable. Surely, it's not just as easy as winning a set of games to own the entire school for a whole month.
"What's the catch?"
"It's almost impossible to win, and the reigning champion is Artemis, so no one even dares to sign up for the fear of getting on his bad side when he eventually wins."
"Ah, makes sense."
The game itself is clearly rigged if it means no one could ever beat him, and it's sad actually that someone like him keeps getting to win with no one to stand up against him.
"What are you shrimps doing here?" Kamila shows up from nowhere and stands right in front of us, blocking our way.
I immediately recall our last encounter, the slap to my face and the taste of toilet water drowning me over and over again until I could barely keep count. Shivers crawl down my spine, recalling the memory that haunts me occasionally, and I take a step away from her on instinct.
Dammit.
Her eyes rake over the both of us, bouncing between Olivia and I occasionally before they fall on the announcement board we've been staring at.
Now, she laughs in that sweet-toned voice of her. "Oh, poor things. I hope you both aren't dreaming of possibly entering. For your own sake, don't even think about it."
"And what if I was?" I butt in.
Olivia grabs the hem of my shirt quietly, trying to reel me in but I ignore the concerned gesture. It won't be wise to piss Kamila off, but to hell with anything concerning Artemis.
"Surely, you can't be that much of a masochist. I don't know if you realize this yet, sweetie, but a tiny human like you couldn't possibly last so long in the game. You'd die in the first round - and honestly, that isn't such a bad idea." She smiles sweetly at her insinuation and I snarl, daring to take another step forward to speak my mind when the bell rings.
The sound cuts right into our conversation, reminding me that we still are in the middle of school and our next class would begin in only 5 minutes.
"C'mon, Sera, we gotta go to class." Olivia urges me, dragging me in the other direction, also in an attempt to save me.
But what's the point? She'll still get me either way. Maybe not now. Maybe when I'm least expecting it, she would strike. So, what's the point in running?
"Go to class, Olive. I'll be right behind you." I say to her, not breaking the staring contest between Kamila and I.
She's reluctant to leave, begging me with her eyes that I don't bother looking at. Finally, she sighs again and turns to leave.
"Well, well, the little human's starting to grow a pair of balls, isn't she?"
"Not as heavy as yours, sadly." I quip back, offering an innocent smile that sets her off immediately.
The look on her face wipes right off and is replaced by a glare, dangerously directed at me. It sends a warning signal through every nerve in my body, begging me to back down but then, my own fucking pride.
"I wonder what makes you think you can take me on right now." She tilts her head, taking a step closer to me. "Did having all of Artemis' attention on yourself for a week make you feel like you've won the entire school?"
"What?"
I don't get to answer before she grabs at my hair, pulling it hard and smacking my face against the wall suddenly and very roughly.
"I remember warning you to stay away from my mate, yet the very next day, I heard a whole lot of shit about you being seen with him around school."
"Hey, why don't you caution that mate of yours to stay away from me? Maybe you'd be a lot less on edge if he focused all that attention on your needs instead."
"You filthy human!" She screams, losing every bit of shit holding her sanity.
My head is slammed against the wall again before she lets go of me and even with my ringing ears, I try to put more distance between us, but I'm grabbed again.
"Where do you think you're going?"
I struggle against her hold on my hair, grabbing her arm and sinking my teeth right into her flesh, aiming to draw blood if that was humanly possible. She lets go with an ear-piercing shriek, and I immediately take the chance to run away from her while she has a mental break down.
That woman is crazy!
I break into a sprint, running down the hallway and pass my actual class that's already begun. Soon enough, I hear her own feet stomping against the tiled floors and gaining on me with a greater speed.
I turn into the nearest hallway and break right into the school's beautiful garden and immediately start looking for the perfect hiding spot, but it's already too late for me at this point.
"Come back here." She yells now, almost a few feet away from me.
I back away from her, watching as her eyes morph into wolf eyes with animalistic malice, feeling my on fear doubling every new second.
There's no way I can hide before she can get to me and rip me apart for good this time. I should have just shut up and followed Olivia to class when I had the chance.
She doesn't even let me regret my actions before she lunges right at me, pushing me to the hard ground with her on top of me.
"I'm going to make you regret pouring all that shit from your mouth, human." She threatens.
Her other hand reaches for the air and her nails extend forward into sharp deadly claws that could potentially harm me on impact.
"Say your last prayers."
I do, closing my eyes I pray to whatever god is out there while my entire body shivers in fear, and my very brief 18 years of life flashes through my eyes.
She strikes at me next, but her blow never reaches me. Instead, a hand falls on her shoulder and the next second, she's flung backward all the way to the other end of the garden and crashing into a neatly arranged bed of flowers.
I stare at her now a good distance away, breathing so hard that I barely feel the oxygen moving in and out, and then back up at my savior.
Blond flowing hair that wisps in the wind.
"Are you out of your mind, Kamila?" He growls at her.
Next, he turns, the frown etched to his forehead melting away the moment he looks at me. His expression morphs into a look of genuine worry.
"Are you okay?" He asks, stretching out his hand to me.
I'm dazed, feeling my heart pound faster but for a different reason now; the same reason the earth pauses for a moment and everything else fades away like a fog.
All while I lose myself in those clear silver eyes that pull me deeper into them like a siren's song.
He tilts his head to the side, staring at me all worried before he chuckles just a bit, enough for me to snap out of it and feel completely foolish for staring.
"I-I'm sorry," I look away from him, taking his hand.
He pulls me up in the next second, so fast that I literally fly off my feet and crash into his hard chest and bask in his scent that rushes into my nostrils.
"Oh, wow. You're very light." He comments, surprised by how easily I lift off the floor.
My cheeks blush even harder, mortified by this moment.
"I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize." He laughs even more, letting go of me and putting more space between us. "The one who should be apologizing is her." He says, turning to Kamila.
It's only now I remember that she's still here and tried to kill me over her equally psychotic boyfriend.
Kamila stands up from the floor with an annoyed scoff, dusting the back of her dress that's already filthy, before looking up to glare at Lucian.
"If it isn't Raven Wood's self-appointed prince charming, yet again poking his nose in matters that don't concern him." Kamila still manages a twisted smile, although her eyes hold a malicious glint.
"As a member of the student body council, and someone that can and will have you penalized for attacking another student on school grounds, I believe it does concern me." He responds simply, unfazed by the wicked look she passes at him.
"Oh, darling Lucian...You can't do anything, not while I am Artemis' mate. One call and its over for you." Her voice is sickenly sweet, slow and as coy as a serpent.
"Really? You want to try and see just how far my influence goes? We both know that it stretches past the confines of school." He reminds her.
Something flashes in her eyes. This cold deadly silence stretches between them, pregnant with bitter tension. I can easily tell just how badly she wants to go against him right now, but being hindered by something.
Which means she's either scared of him or... he could actually get her in trouble.
Finally, she drops her gaze to me and pouts. "Darn. I guess we'd have to finish our little fun later, Sera. Bye..."
The evil woman lingers for a second more, before she turns and leaves, her red hair swaying gently behind. I find myself letting out a breath of relief the moment she leaves and my tensed shoulder relaxes immediately.
"Thank you." I say, holding my now wobbly knees up.
"It's fine. You seem to be in some sort of trouble every time we meet." He jokes.
I laugh awkwardly, immediately beyond my own control. It's like my body is on auto-pilot when he's around me and I do the wildest shit.
"Yeah, well, I'm human. So, it's understandable."
"No." He grabs onto my hand suddenly and fireworks erupt within me almost instantly. "You shouldn't have to take it just because you're a different species. Wolves need to learn to be more accommodating as well." He begins, looking more determined than most people on the matter.
His eyes shine with conviction and strength and a dazzling light.
"If you excuse their behavior, they're just going to always walk all over you."
"Or fight and till be walked over?" I add, not wanting to sound pessimistic, but it is a fact.
Doing anything still hasn't helped.
"What if you're just not using the right means? Maybe you need some kind of higher power to get back at them, you know - a way that they have no choice but to answer for their crimes."
Something like that doesn't possibly exist. Everyone higher all answers to Artemis, or believe that humans don't belong. The entire system is rigged against me and there's no possible way for me.
The supervisor had said to last long enough until the next visit but at this point, would I even last the next month without another person trying to kill me? How could I be strong when I'm always disadvantaged, always the most insignificant student in school-
And then it hits me...
An idea.
The craziest shit I've ever come up with.
"Oh my god, you're a genius!"
"I am?"
"Of course, you're right! I could join the Full Moon Games and become the sovereign Alpha." I announce to him loudly with wide excited eyes that meet his, filled with mortified shock on my behalf.
"Wait, what?"