Damien's POV
The monster dropped from the trees like a boulder, claws tearing the ground open. I braced for the hit—
But then Serena screamed, "Nova!"
My head snapped around.
Nova was falling. The earth split beneath her, roots snapping open like the jaws of a beast. For one heartbeat, I saw her face—wide eyes, lips parted—before the shadows swallowed her.
My chest seized.
I moved—too slow.
Kieran wasn't.
Silver light exploded from his hand. The fae bastard dove, catching her wrist and yanking her against him. He landed hard, his arms locked around her waist like he owned her. His magic flared, pouring into her chest as if the only thing that mattered was her.
And she was limp. Unmoving.
My blood roared.
"Don't you dare die on me, wolf," Kieran whispered, low enough I almost didn't hear it. But I did. Every damn word. His face was inches from hers, his hand glowing over her heart like he had the right to touch her there.
Serena stumbled to his side, pale. "Is—she's not breathing—oh my goddess—"
"She will," Kieran cut in, sharp, calm. He bent lower, his lips almost brushing Nova's. "Wake up, Sinclair… unless you want me to kiss you awake."
Heat spiked through me like a blade.
Serena gasped. My jaw clenched so hard it ached.
And then—Nova stirred. Her chest lifted on a shaky breath. Her lashes fluttered, silver eyes slowly opening.
Relief punched through me so hard it hurt.
But it wasn't me she saw first.
It was him.
Her dazed gaze locked on Kieran like the world had narrowed to just them. He smirked down at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face with a touch that made my claws itch to rip him apart.
"See?" he murmured, voice velvet and smug. "You fall for me every time."
My grip on my sword tightened until my knuckles burned.
"Pathetic," I growled, driving my blade through the monster's leg just to bleed off the rage. But no matter how hard I struck, I couldn't block out the image of her—Nova, lying there, looking at him like that.
Serena glanced between us, her eyes narrowing with something sharp, suspicious.
And then Nova—still pale, still weak—turned her head. Just for a moment.
Our eyes met.
Something flickered there. A question. A pull. Something she couldn't name, and I sure as hell didn't want to.
The monster roared, snapping me out of it. Good. I needed something to kill.
I ripped my blade free, my voice colder than steel. "Enough wasting time. Let's end this."
Kieran's smirk widened, smug bastard. He knew exactly what he'd just done.
But Nova's eyes—
They were still on me.
***
Nova Pov-
The first thing I felt was heat rushing through me.
Then a spark—like lightning in my chest.
I gasped, my eyes flying open, only to find Kieran's face hovering inches above mine, glowing with faint fae light. His hand was pressed to my chest, magic seeping into me, steadying the frantic beat of my heart.
I blinked, trying to gather myself, but my eyes drifted past him.
Damien.
He stood a few feet away, blood and dirt smeared across his jaw from fighting the forest beast. His golden eyes were on me—sharp, burning, unreadable. For one moment, I swore I saw something raw in them. Something that made my chest tighten.
But just as quickly, he looked away. Cold. Detached. As if I was nothing.
That hurt worse than my wounds.
"Don't push yourself," Serena snapped at me, though her voice trembled. She looked shaken. "You nearly died."
I forced myself to sit up, ignoring the sting in my limbs. My gaze landed on the glowing flag in the distance, trapped behind thick, thorny vines that pulsed with enchantment.
"I'm not leaving without it," I said, my voice hoarse but steady.
Kieran chuckled low, like he was amused I even had the strength to argue. "You're insane. I like it."
The fight was still raging—Damien tearing through another monster with pure, brutal strength, Kieran darting in with sharp, precise strikes. Even Serena was fending off an attack, her face twisted with fury.
And me? I was weak. Bloody. Barely standing.
But the flag was right there.
I staggered forward. The vines hissed as I reached out. My hand burned the instant it touched them, searing pain racing up my arm. My body screamed at me to stop.
I didn't.
One more step. One more push.
The thorns tore into my skin, hot blood dripping to the ground. I cried out, but I shoved my arm through anyway, teeth clenched against the agony.
My fingers brushed cloth. Then gripped it.
The flag.
Light exploded around me, a rush of magic slamming into my body like fire and ice at the same time. My knees gave out, and for a second, I thought I'd collapse—but I held on.
When the glow faded, I was on my knees, clutching the flag tight to my chest, shaking.
The clearing had gone silent.
Kieran's low whistle broke it first. "Hell. You actually did it." His grin spread wide, eyes locked on me like I was something he'd never expected to see.
Serena's face twisted in outrage. "This isn't possible! She's weak! She cheated—"
"She bled for it," Kieran cut her off, smirk sharp as a blade. "That's more than you did, princess."
I met his gaze and for the first time I saw something genuine in it.
I shifted my gaze—just once—searching for Damien.
He was watching me, grey eyes unreadable, jaw tight. The storm in his gaze made my breath catch. But then he turned away, like I didn't matter.
The rejection burned deeper than the thorns had.
Before I could say anything, the principal's voice boomed across the forest.
"For the first time in decades, two pairs stand victorious. Damien Blackwood and Serena Sinclair. Kieran Vane and Nova Sinclair Are the winners of the game."
Immediately these words left her lips I fell into darkness.
****
I woke to the faint glow of moonlight spilling through the curtains. My body felt heavy, my throat dry, but I wasn't in the infirmary—I was in my room. My uniform had been changed, tucked neatly on the chair, and I was wrapped in soft sheets.
A low groan escaped me as I sat up. Memories from the forest slammed back into me—falling, Kieran's magic burning through me, Damien's cold eyes cutting me open before I passed out.
"You're awake!"
Tessa nearly jumped out of her seat at the desk. She rushed to my bedside, eyes wide and sparkling. "God, Nova, you scared me half to death. Kieran carried you here after the match—you fainted. No serious injury, just exhaustion."
I sighed, relief mingling with embarrassment.
I glance at the wall clock it's 1am in the morning, I looked around, where's Serena?
Then I noticed Tessa grin. That grin I was already learning to dread.
God! though Serena and I are of the same age, I've always had the responsibility of looking after her because she's always been reckless.
I leaned back on my bed.
"Where's my sister?"
"You'll never guess."
"Humor me where is she?"
"She left with Damien"
Damien!
I sat up my head snapped toward her. "Gone? Where?"
"After-party." Tessa's grin widened. "It's like a club—they turn the student lounge into a club after the official school party ends. Everyone's there. The Four Kings too."
I frowned. "And you let her go alone?"
Tessa rolled her eyes. " I told you already She didn't go alone. She followed Damien."
Right Damien!
Something inside me twisted, sharp and ugly. I ignored it. "I need to bring her back, it's already late who knows what Kind of danger she's in right now."
Tessa's eyes sparkled as she shoved a dress at me. Black silk, short, clinging. "Then you need to look the part. You'll stick out like a sore thumb if you go in your pajamas."
I wanted to argue but there's no time, minutes later, I was walking beside her down the darkened halls, dress clinging to me like a second skin.
When we entered the lounge, the music hit first. Heavy bass vibrated the floor, colored lights flashing over writhing bodies. Heat, laughter, sweat—the air was thick with it.
And then I saw him.
Damien.
Leaning against the bar like sin incarnate, tall and cold, shirt unbuttoned just enough to tease the hard line of his chest. Girls circled him like moths. But one was bold enough to try.
She pressed herself against him, whispering into his ear, her lips brushing his jaw. He didn't move, didn't push her away. At first, he was stone, his gaze cold and empty. But when his eyes flicked up—and landed on me—something shifted. His jaw clenched. His hand came up, resting lazily on the girl's hip.
She smiled, encouraged, and dragged her lips down his throat. He let her. His mouth lowered to hers, slow, deliberate, almost cruel in the way he finally entertained her.
The sight made my chest ache. It was humiliating. It was infuriating. Worst of all—it was hot.
My breath hitched when his lips trailed to the girl's neck, his tongue flicking over her skin in a way that looked designed to ruin. My thighs pressed together instinctively.
Tessa sighed beside me. "God, even the way he licks a girl looks like sin."