MasukHIS SHARP INSTINCTMIRA'S POVI froze.A cold shiver crawled across my skin as every tiny hair on my arms stood upright. Something...didn't feel right. I slowly turned, scanning the empty hallway behind me.Nothing.The passageway was silent.Still...The uneasy feeling refused to leave, after another quick glance around, I hurried back toward our room.The moment I pushed the door open—My breath caught.The room looked as though a storm had swept through it. My bedsheet had been ripped from the mattress and tossed carelessly onto the floor.The flower vase lay shattered, glittering pieces of glass scattered across the room.Kael's letter...My heart lurched.The folded letter was lying behind the center table.Then my gaze landed on Petra. She was kneeling on the floor, her shoulders shaking violently as muffled sobs escaped from behind her hands.Even her hair, which she painstakingly styled every morning, was completely messy.I remained rooted to the doorway."...Why me?" she whisp
A STRANGE FEELINGMIRA'S POV"Oh, baby, I'm sorry." Petra scooted closer across the bed. "I didn't mean it that way.""It's okay.""What I meant is..." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You asked me to help you get ready tomorrow, but neither of us really knows anything about those elegant, rich-girl styles."I couldn't help smiling."I know what you meant."She let out a relieved sigh."But honestly?" I shrugged. "If Kael truly likes me, then he should like me the way I am. I'm not going to become someone else just because a man is paying attention to me."Petra snapped her fingers."That's exactly the spirit."A comfortable silence settled between us before she tilted her head thoughtfully."Still... if he really wanted to impress you, I would've expected a beautiful dress, expensive shoes, maybe a handbag for your outing." She laughed. "It sounds like a proper date."I smiled faintly."For someone like me, that would've made me uncomfortable.""Hmm?""I would've wo
THE COST OF ENVY~MIRA'S POV~Petra and I were still laughing over one of her ridiculous stories when a knock sounded at our door.The room fell silent.We exchanged puzzled looks. Nobody ever came looking for either of us. Not here, not in this hostel."Who is it?" I called.A feminine voice answered from the other side. "I have a letter for Mira Vale."My brows lifted."A letter?"Petra looked just as confused. Normally, students only received handwritten letters from home.My heartbeat quickened.Could it be...The orphanage? Had Mother finally written to me? Or perhaps one of the younger children?Countless thoughts rushed through my mind as I stood and slowly walked toward the door.Maybe...Maybe they regretted everything they had said before I left. Maybe they no longer believed I would fail.Or maybe—I stopped myself before hope could grow too large.Taking a steady breath, I unlocked the door.A brunette girl stood outside, smiling politely. Without saying a word, she placed an
PLAYING DIRTY GAMES~RONAN'S POV~I stared at the service card resting in my palm. Kael's name was printed neatly across the bottom.One signature, one careless act of trust.Exactly what I needed. My fingers tightened around the card until the edges dug into my skin.A bitter laugh almost escaped me.I hated this. I hated every second of it.But if I kept standing still, Kael would claim Mira while Lucien and I spent the rest of our lives suffering from a bond we couldn't escape.No.I refused to become the loser in my own story."It's survival," I muttered to myself.The words sounded hollow.Still, I forced myself to believe them. After leaving Kael's room, I followed the address written on the card and contacted the supplier.Just as Kael had promised, they worked quickly.The Mist powder would arrive no later than Thursday evening.Perfect.That gave me enough time to prepare everything before Friday.Seraphina's birthday.I slipped the card safely into my pocket and walked throu
IS THAT THE REAL FEELING?~MIRA'S POV~Relief settled over me like warm sunlight after days of endless rain. I hadn't realized how badly I needed someone who would simply listen.Someone who didn't sigh whenever I spoke. Someone who didn't look at me as though my existence alone was exhausting.Petra listened.She didn't interrupt. She didn't mock me. She simply sat there, piecing everything together from my scattered words.As she listed everything Kael had done for me, my chest tightened.'Protecting me from Seraphina''Standing against his own father.''Taking me to his room to treat my injuries.''Shielding me from the disciplinary council.''Declaring in front of everyone that I was the one he wanted.'When she laid all those moments side by side, I suddenly saw them differently.None of them had been small, none of them had been accidental. He had been choosing me, again and again.A smile crept onto my face before I even realized it.Maybe...Maybe I really hadn't appreciated ev
TELLING THE ROOMMATE~MIRA'S POV~The word whore echoed through my mind long after Petra said it. It wasn't the first insult I'd ever received.People had called me useless, weak, half-blood, and worthless.But never...Never that.A lump formed in my throat. If the academy started calling me that, would I ever be able to clear my name?Would anyone even care about the truth? Petra wasn't trying to insult me.She was warning me.And somehow...That hurt even more. I lowered my gaze, blinking back the sting in my eyes."Petra..." My voice came out quieter than I intended. "I know what you're trying to say."She looked at me without speaking."But you make it sound like I don't care about another woman's feelings."I swallowed."I could never support someone who plays with a girl's heart." The memory of Seraphina's tear-streaked face flashed through my mind."Even after everything she's done to me..." I sighed heavily. "...I still don't think she deserved to be hurt like that."Petra nodd
THE GIRL THE ALPHAS HATE •••**MIRA**••• "Fresh meat." I heard it before I got to the gates. I did not need to see who said it. I just kept walking with my bag on my shoulder. That's the main rule when you are the weakest thing in a yard full of predators. Don't give them a reason to lo
THE MATE BOND ~Mira's POV~ Nobody moved. The wind stopped as fast as it started. But something it brought stayed between us. It hung in the air, like a song note you can't hear yet. Or like right after lightning, before you hear the thunder. Lucien's words faded into the dark. 'That
THE FOREST TRIAL •••**Mira's POV**••• The list went up at seven a.m. Teams of four, assigned by rank. Everyone paired with their bloodline match, their combat level, and their pack alliance. It was neat, logical, hierarchical — the way everything at Apex Moon was organized. At the bott
THE ALPHA KINGS •••**MIRA**••• "You made eye contact with them." My roommate said it the way someone says 'you touched a live wire'— like the damage was already done and she was just documenting it. Her name was Petra. Small, dark-skinned, natural hair pulled into a puff on top of her hea







