belle

d to my room, I didn

ura and decorated in dark, opulent luxury, my room felt like a suite in a five-sta

floor to my desk and opened my laptop. The cold glow of the screen illuminated my bloodles

sender was the Lycaeum of Neutral Knowledge-an ancient, sovereign academy nestled in t

your conditional acceptance into our Master's Pr

font shimmered so

ered in the glass-the fearless girl from five years ag

ranking, revered by instructors and peers alike. I was just a quiet recruit specializing in herbalism and runes-fields often dismissed by arrogant young wolves as secondary, almost trivial compared to raw b

ly buried in the dark, and I had never dreamed of t

d rogue trap, meant for Gasper, shattered my leg

ous privileges, and hollow status, yet withheld even a single drop of genuine warmth or affection. He

ared back at me: "To secure your placement, a non-refundabl

gh fortune to buy an entire estate, but I refused t

s wasn't Gasper's. It was money I had quietly earned over five years, locking myself in the archives, transl

ntered the amount and c

tification-[Transaction Successful]-a l

riage had finally begun. I was no longer the discarded Luna waiti

al dawn training alarm, when a notification from the p

as as cruel as

handle rea

night-mere hours before Gasper had loc

by the familiar voices of several young pack warriors shoutin

he VIP lounge, centering o

sp

as near me, was leaning back with a glass of amber whiskey in his hand. His face was flushed with a rare, intoxicating buzz. His lips

is strict rule

could look at someone with su

it on me. And just hours after that toast, when primal Heat took hold of h

burned with unshed tears, then closed

sleep t

door, I heard Gasper's deep, clipped voice instructing the head housekeeper: "I

yself up through the throbbing ache in my leg to lay

ver my shoulders and remain

kely noting the empty valet stand in his dressing

, a soft knock s

f warm oat milk, her face lined with worry. "About last night..

sat up and took the glass, keepin

prepare for dinner tonigh

the Alph

ng years, caught in my throat like a shard of glass

y. "Don't bother taking my preferences in

king unsettled by m

low sip of the milk, "I wil

eft leg, panic flaring in her eyes. "Alone? But the Alpha co

a faint, polite smile touching my lips. "I'm simply mee

od Grill, an examiner from the Lycaeum was waiting to condu

d to pass before walking out