ログインAurelia.I buried my face in my hands and took in a deep breath."I'm sorry," I whispered, trying hard to keep myself under control. "I just really wanted to make it special for you and I did it all by myself. Stop trying to eat it to make me feel better-"I was interrupted by Kai picking up his fork and knife again, and continuing where he stopped without a word, while Talia looked at both of us. It made me so uncomfortable that I got up and left the dining room and went outside for a calming walk.Outside, it was just starting to get cold and the streets were becoming empty. Kai's bike was parked outside on our front lawn, and I touched it a little bit before I went past, going to a public bench that was outside to sit and calm myself down.How disappointing, I thought.I had hoped to make it special, but the meal was bad and I hated how he was trying to swallow it just for my sake. It might have made someone else smile, but it only made me feel useless.If only I could remember thi
Aurelia.I planned dinner for Kai and forgot one important thing.I had zero memory of remembering how to even cook anything, but somehow wanted to do it with my own hands and all by myself, so that I could tell him that I had done it for him. "So long as you don't burn down the house," Talia said when I told her about it. "Roasted chicken cannot be so difficult, no?"It certainly didn't look difficult on the recipe books that I was reading, and I even changed plans when I got to the supermarket and found a large turkey there, which I added to a cart filled with some juice, wine and vegetables. By evening, I had a big, pink, raw turkey with me in the kitchen without the slightest idea of where exactly to begin or what to start doing first to cook it.My phone buzzed and the caller was Kai."Hello?" He asked."Hey there," I responded, subconsciously shaking my free hand."You said tonight. When exactly will you be expecting me?""At 9 PM.""I'll be there," he said.I put down the phon
Aurelia.I wanted to be shameless, to go low and kiss him on the lips again, but just not in front of everyone. Reluctantly, I let go and stood up, offering him a hand which he took, pulling himself up with the least effort. Now I was sure that he had let me win.Coach Vance's whistle blew again, shaking everyone into order."Now, now, you have had your fun watching them. Everybody back to the final drill of the morning, which involves the use of your senses to discover your opponent. Don't forget that on my whistle, the attacker engages from behind. The defender must adapt, redirect, and neutralize within three seconds. If you fail to neutralize, your pair will be cut."Murmurs rose through the students, but everyone did as he asked."Turn around, Aurelia," Kai said quietly. "This is a hard, high-level drill, and I want you to trust your senses more than anything else, even yourself. Don't try to even look for me, but listen to the wind and smell the air."I turned my back to him, f
Aurelia.I rolled over and spat as more and more saliva flooded my mouth.Then, I raised myself up to my feet as my eyes stung, partly from the sheer exhaustion threatening to overtake my limbs, and partly from the frustrating, looming realization that everyone was watching me lose."Why are you pushing so hard?" I panted in raw frustration, dropping back into a defensive crouch as we began to circle each other again."Because I want you to win the Wolf Competitions, and nobody there will be willing to let you, as I told you before," Kai shot back, his eyes flashing with a dangerous intensity. "They are going to hunt you and stand in your way, which is why I say that if you can't handle me when I'm being intense, you won't even last ten seconds in the competition."More sounds arose from the crowd around us as he drove forward again, dazzling me in a relentless wave of attacking strikes while the students oohed and aahed. He threw a heavy, mid-level forearm smash that I slipped beneat
Aurelia.The following morning, there were fifty-six pairs of us."Interesting," Coach Vance began, his whistle in his mouth when he was done with us. "There are six pairs of you that are not supposed to be here, and I really do not want to have to move about. Do not let me find you if you do not remember me saying a single word to you yesterday."Six pairs of students left.I was amazed, staring at the backs of the students as they walked away when I saw him coming towards us. His face cap hid most of his features, even though whatever was left out that showed was just as terrifying."Miss Thorn," he said, acknowledging me before turning to Kai. "And Mister Arden.""Yes Coach," we said in unison."I am extremely sorry to see that you cannot join in, Mister Arden. I have no doubt that with the level of talent you show in these things, you could get as far as the finals of the Wolf Competitions. Maybe even win it, but the laws do not support you. We already talked about it yesterday."
Aurelia.I couldn't have missed Kai's scent for anything in the world."Kai," I squealed, jumping up to throw my arms around him and kissing him on the face. He embraced me back, laughing, while I almost started crying."Don't worry," he said. "I'll train with you."I caught Talia waving at us from where the students were seated and waved back before returning my attention to Kai."I genuinely hope you know I'm not going to go easy on you," he warned."I didn't expect you to-""Alright," Coach Vance's voice barked, and there came the characteristic silence that usually followed every word he said. "Now, we will practice Low-sweep evasion, and I will give the instructions for it while giving you time to practice. When you are ready, you will call me to come see you.""Ready?" Kai asked."Not quite.""There are as many as three hundred pairs of you by my estimate, which is a big number," Coach Vance continued. "My goal at this point is to diminish that number without any sort of mercy s
Talia's POV The car came to a stop right where I stood. I was still too dazed to do anything when the door opened and out came a man who looked like he was in his thirties, with slight wrinkles on his face to indicate an age advanced past youth, and a tall, powerful figure that alerted me to the
Talia's POV The time after that passed, and everything that happened, happened.Lyra Soren left Zephyron Duskmere. Aurelia fell in love with Zephyron and tried to be the one he would choose as his mate. Blackridge Academy laughed at her efforts and made her into a laughing stock, and Zephyron hims
Talia's POV Everyone froze where they stood. The incoming Nurse looked at me and Headmistress Selene, and then at Aurelia before returning her gaze to the Headmistress, who had been looking at me until Aurelia spoke and she turned to look at her at the same time as me. Aurelia herself, the centr
Talia's POV It was most ironic that Aurelia's unconsciousness breathed some life into the Academy Clinic that was often so unused. Some sympathetic junior students helped me take her in, and the two nurses who worked there seemed truly surprised that they actually had some work on their hands. "







