The courtyard was alive with fire and frenzy. Wolves howled, fangs glinted in the torchlight, and every student leaned forward, hungry to see the impossible;Elara Vale face the Alpha himself.
Darius stood across from her, still as carved obsidian. His presence filled the circle until Elara felt crushed by the weight of it. Unlike Kael's taunts or Valen's rage, Darius needed no theatrics. He was dominance embodied, and every wolf here knew it.
"Last trial," he said, voice carrying easily over the chaos. "Survive me."
The crowd roared, stamping their feet in unison. Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!
Elara's chest heaved. Her body ached from Kael's relentless blows, from Valen's fury. But this was different. This was not about strength. This was about exposure. About her secret....the shadows that should not exist within a wolf's blood.
She couldn't unleash it. Not against him.
And yet, if she didn't, she would die.
Darius moved first. Not fast, not aggressive. A single step, but the air itself seemed to bow. "Come," he said simply.
Elara swallowed hard. Her fists clenched. She forced herself forward, swinging quick, desperate. Her fist cut through air. Darius sidestepped with effortless grace.
Another strike;blocked. A kick....caught in his hand like a child's blow.
The crowd jeered, laughter rising like a storm.
"She's nothing without her tricks!"
"Pathetic!"
"Bleed her!"
Darius's golden gaze never left hers. "Is that all, little wolf?" he murmured, low enough for her alone.
Something inside her cracked. Rage surged. Fear bled into fury. She struck again, harder, faster, throwing everything into her attacks. Punches, claws, a scream that ripped from her throat.
Darius deflected them all. Effortless. His expression calm, almost bored.
And then.....he struck.
A blur of motion. His hand clamped around her throat, lifting her off the ground as if she weighed nothing. Gasps erupted from the crowd. Her feet kicked uselessly in the air.
"You don't belong here," he said softly, voice dark silk. "But you intrigue me."
Her vision blurred. Air burned in her lungs. Her hands clawed at his grip. The shadows inside her writhed, screaming to be free.
Use me, they whispered. Or die.
Her pulse thundered. Her vision dimmed.
And then....her power exploded.
Black veins surged along her skin. Darkness burst from her chest in a shockwave, throwing Darius back a full step. His grip loosened, just enough for her to drop to the ground, gasping.
The courtyard erupted.
"What is she?"
"That's no wolf power...."
"Monster!"
Elara staggered to her feet, chest heaving. Shadows still curled around her like smoke, alive, hungry.
Darius straightened slowly, golden eyes locked on her. For the first time, he wasn't smirking. His gaze burned with something sharper.....fascination.
He touched his jaw where her power had struck him, as if testing the ache. Then he laughed. Low, dangerous, thrilled.
"Interesting."
The crowd stilled, caught off guard.
Darius raised a hand for silence. "She survives." His voice cut like steel. "By strength… or by something else. It doesn't matter. She is under my protection now."
Shock rippled through the students. Gasps. Protests. But no one dared oppose him.
Elara froze. Protection? What game was he playing?
Darius's gaze returned to her, molten and sharp. "But understand this, Elara Vale," he said, his voice low enough that only she caught it. "You belong to me now."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. His words were not a promise. They were a claim.
---
Later, in the quiet of the dorm halls, Elara's body trembled with exhaustion. Her reflection in the cracked mirror showed the truth she feared: black veins faintly pulsing beneath her skin, fading slowly back into nothing.
She gripped the sink, whispering to herself. "I can't let them know. If they find out…"
A sound behind her made her spin.
Cassian leaned against the doorway, eyes shadowed, unreadable. He had followed her.
"You should be careful," he said softly.
Elara's breath caught. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough." His gaze lingered on her fading veins, and for the first time, his calm broke. Something like concern flickered there. "You're playing a dangerous game, Elara."
Her throat tightened. "What did you see?"
Cassian didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Darius isn't the only one watching you. If you lose control again…" His eyes darkened. "They'll tear you apart."
Then he was gone, leaving her in silence, her secret heavier than ever.
Elara gripped the sink harder, her reflection staring back with haunted eyes.
The Blood Oath Game had ended. But something far more dangerous had begun.