KAMILA'S POV
It's morning when I finally open my eyes, the sun's rays slipping into the tiny cave.
Now awake, I'm instantly met with intense discomfort in my neck and lower back, a jarring contrast to the plush, high-quality mattress I'm accustomed to.
The light snoring at my side pulls my attention to the human girl.
Somehow, she manages to sleep peacefully despite the hard, roughened floor, which makes her seem even more weird. What has she been sleeping on all her life? Spikes?
It's bewildering, absolutely dumbfounding, how this human - the very one I'd despised and attacked endless times - had summoned the courage to get us out of the most threatening situation. And she does this even after I'd selfishly sold her out, time and time again.
Is she really that weak? That naïve? My weakness was her one chance to ruin me, and yet...
Yet she saved me - her enemy.
She put her own life on the line for my sake.
I...don't get it.
Father never taught me to be selfless. Take what needs to be taken. Always strike first. Show no mercy. That's the law, and clearly, anyone with even a little bit of a survival instinct would stick to these rules.
But not Seraphina.
Coming from a girl who would never let anyone stand in her way, or sacrifice her own skin for any reason, I'm kind of...impressed.
Being selfless takes true bravery, one that demands a great sacrifice. And this girl wields it so effortlessly, without even realizing the power this carries.
I'm envious.
Maybe she might not be as bad as I thought.
Feeling increasingly suffocated in this cramped space, I crawl toward the opening for a breath of fresh air. Inhaling deeply, a wave of relief washes over me.
Something, I realize, I haven't had the luxury of feeling in a long while.
I enjoy the moment so much that a subtle sense of dread starts to creep in at the thought of eventual rescue-returning to the weight of responsibilities and expectations that come with being Artemis' mate.
When was the last time I stood, jobless, staring up at the blue sky, breathing in the freshest air-without worrying about Artemis and his shenanigans, and how to fix them?
Or Father's constant criticism and questioning about when we'll be mated.
Oh, he'd be furious if he saw me now, idly wasting time instead of figuring out ways to get Artemis on my side-especially after years of being mated without receiving his mark.
The biggest disgrace in all family history-that's what he called me the last time I had no good news about the marking issue. Meanwhile, the rest of my family smothers me with strategies, tactics to make myself a little more perfect, a little more worthy, enough to be loved and accepted by my mate.
None of them even consider, not for a moment, that the problem might be from him and not me.
But I'm no better, giving in to them as well, with the hope that someday he'll look only at me and save me once more, just as he had years ago.
Her tussling and groaning pull me from my thoughts as she finally begins to wake up on her own, rubbing her eyes and sitting up with a stretch. Then her eyes open fully, and she surveys her new surroundings-a confusion that gradually morphs into realization.
"What's the time?"
"How would I know?" I answer dryly now.
In an entirely different situation, I would have avoided answering such an obvious and stupid question. But for some reason, she doesn't irritate me as much; her presence actually feels almost bearable right now.
It's just the two of us after all, it's either talking to her or myself.
"Right, forgot that there're no clocks in the bushes."
"It must be common for humans who don't go out into the woods to make such intelligent assumptions."
She rolls her eyes at the statement, and I don't bother glaring at her.
A long moment of comfortable silence stretches between us. I can hear her standing up and doing some stretches. Not that any of them could ever fix her terrible posture or boost her feeble human muscles, but sure, humor yourself.
"So, are we going to start finding our way back to school?"
"No need to. They've already found us," I announce.
After minutes of standing outside and focusing on my hearing, the sound of rushing paws continues to grow closer, probably picking up on our scent.
She looks at me confused, not fully understanding what I mean.
"Oh right, I forgot your perception is worse than that of a one-month-old omega wolf."
"You know, you don't have to be so mean about it." She comments with a deep-set frown, and I hold back the urge to smirk.
"I do, actually; it's my thing."
Minutes later, the group of searching wolves finds us. The moment they stop just outside our cave, they bow at my feet in respect. After briefly introducing themselves as security teams sent by the school to locate us following our sudden disappearance, they lower their backs to us.
We each climb onto separate wolves for the long journey back to school, a trip that makes me realize just how far we've strayed in the heat of being chased.
Finally, the tall school gates loom into view. From a distance, I spot Artemis standing there, his posture rigid with tension. His eyes are like laser beams, pinned on our approaching figures.
Alongside him are the administrator and others, their faces etched with concern, all collectively holding their breath in anticipation of our return.
My wolf prances with excitement at the sight of him, yearning for the comfort of our mate's embrace after such a traumatic event, and filled with hope that we'll be held.
But I don't allow myself to fully believe it, having been disappointed more than a few times by my expectations of him. I've learned that bracing for the worst, cushions the blow to my heart, making each disappointment easier to bear.
As we cross the gate, I'm gently set down on my feet and immediately limp toward Artemis, who is now much closer. His hair is messy, and dark circles under his eyes suggest he hasn't slept all night.
The moment he meets my eyes, I don't miss that hard, brutal scowl of his that rips out my heart. It halts my movement, and my wolf recoils, his reaction hitting her like a whip.
The crowd rushes toward me before I can get any closer to Artemis, bombarding me with countless questions that I can barely answer, all while my eyes remain fixated on my mate.
I watch, paralyzed, as he bolts towards her. With an urgency that rips through me, he yanks her off her wolf and pulls her into a hug-a tight, protective hug. And he does it brazenly, in front of everyone, as if declaring his choice.
My heart doesn't just bleed; it shreds, torn to pieces by an agony that leaves me gasping for air. The crowd encircling me becomes a crushing, claustrophobic force, suffocating me further.
My vision blurs, and it takes a moment for me to realize that the stinging in my eyes are tears.
And yet, no one notices. No one sees the forsaken princess, whose mate is locked in an embrace with another woman even while she herself had almost died.
When they finally let me be, he's in front of me next, towering over with an intimidating stance.
"What happened?" He growls.
There are no comforting words-no 'are you okay,' no 'I'm glad you're fine,' as I had hoped. The absence of his compassion burns, its sting as raw as a fresh wound, yet somehow, I'm not surprised.
"We were attacked by a group of wolves in the garden and were too outnumbered to defend ourselves, so we ran and had to jump off a cliff just to escape." I give a brief run down, skipping other parts that I deem unnecessary.
He scoffs, glaring harder.
"And you expect me to believe all that? That you both just happened to be in the same place, and you chose to run with her? The Kam I know would never have done that."
"What are you trying to insinuate?"
"You know exactly what it is."
Another jab meant to provoke me, probably hoping I'd admit to some scheme. But I'm too drained to argue, so I don't take the bait.
"I'm going to the nurse's office to get my leg looked at." I say.
Finally, his eyes move from me to the gash and bruise on my leg. The hate in his eyes melts away. It's like his doubts and accusations stop because there's no way I'd harm myself just to hurt Sera. I was right; he was wrong.
"Kam, I-"
"No." I stop him before he can bother to apologize and feed me more lies as always. "I only wish you'd look at me with something other than hate."
Without waiting another second, I walk away from him. Despite the sting in my eyes and a breaking heart, I force myself not to look back. I limp forward, ignoring the people who approach, wanting to help with my wound.
What hurts most is that none of them is Artemis.
"Kam."
I pause at the gentle, familiar voice laced with worry, and that nickname reserved only for Artemis.
I slowly turn to face him, meeting brown eyes staring at me.
"Ace... you're not supposed to call me that."
Only Artemis can.
I've told him countless times, yet in moments like this, when it's just us, he easily breaks that rule. He doesn't bother with my words, stepping closer, his eyes raiding every square inch of me.
"Are you okay?" He asks just as his eyes finally falls on my bad leg.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch." I say, taking a step back from him.
"That is clearly not just a scratch, Kam, and you know that." His frown deepens with my denial, taking a step closer to me again. "Let me help you."
"No, I can walk on my own. I'm nothing like the weak she -wolves you're used to fucking." I snap at him, feeling all the annoyance I've worked so hard to wheel back seeping through.
Instead of getting angry at my words and walking away, he smiles at me, softly. The way I wish Artemis would, someday.
"Of course, you aren't. You're far better than each of them. Still, I wish you'd let me help you." He prods again, never letting go of that genuine smile that begs for my acceptance.
Too tired to fight back anymore, close to the brink of my own tears, I give in.
"Fine."