\u00a0<\/p>\n
< A Fate Written in Fire and Fear\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Fate Written in Fire and Fear\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can fight us, Princess, but it only makes this more fun. In the end, you\u2019ll be exactly where you belong-with us.\u201d \u2013 Rory Caine\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rhea\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t realize how much of the day had slipped away until I glanced at the time on my phone. I had missed nearly all my classes-something the vice principal would not let slide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lila had suggested dropping her brothers\u2019 names to get out of trouble, but I refused. No way in hell was I giving the quads any more leverage over me than they already had. The last thing I needed was for them to think I was using them for favours. And let\u2019s be real-the vice principal would\u00a0<\/p>\n
probably laugh in my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could already picture the conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you\u2019re mated to the Alphas? Sure, and I\u2019m the f*****g Moon Goddess.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought made me scowl as I trudged toward the student center, where my friends-Bree, Nora, Ethan, and Theo-were waiting. Their curiosity was practically a physical presence, thick and\u00a0<\/p>\n
unspoken the whole day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could feel them itching to ask about the quads, but they were doing a terrible job at holding back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The campus speakers crackled to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAll students are to report to the auditorium immediately for a special announcement by the Alphas. Attendance is mandatory.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze mid-step, my stomach plummeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh. f**k. This was it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had begged the quads to wait before making anything public, but clearly, my opinion didn\u2019t mean s**t. My pulse roared in my ears, my skin cold despite the heat creeping up my neck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bree glanced at me, her brows furrowed. \u201cWhat\u2019s that about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shrugged, trying to keep my voice even. \u201cNo idea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bree looked unconvinced, but Nora looped her arm through mine before she could press me. \u201cGuess we\u2019ll find out soon enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yeah. Find out how thoroughly my life was about to implode.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched her from the stage, every subtle movement, every flicker of anxiety in her eyes. She kne\u00a0<\/p>\n
176\u00a0<\/p>\n
< A Fate Written in Fire and Fear\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
w what was coming. I could practically feel her panic from across the room, like a live wire crackling under her skin. She should\u2019ve known there was no stopping this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was ours. And it was time everyone knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth nudged my side, his voice low. \u201cshe looks like she\u2019s gonna bolt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rory smirked, leaning back against the stage. \u201cLet Her try. She won\u2019t get far.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Callum exhaled sharply, his gaze locked onto Rhea as she walked in with Theo. \u201cShe\u2019s scared,\u201d he\u00a0<\/p>\n
muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scared or not, this was happening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The auditorium filled quickly, the excited whispers of students buzzing like static. She-wolves\u00a0<\/p>\n
preened, adjusting their skirts, flipping their hair-desperate for a final chance at our attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Too f*****g bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rhea\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt every stare as I was led down the aisle toward the front. Theo walked beside me, his grip light but unyielding. I could feel Bree and Nora watching like hawks, their curiosity a weight on my back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Callum, Rory, Seth, and Jaxon stood waiting near the stage, their dominance a tangible force in the room. Callum\u2019s expression was impossibly stoic, his stormy gray eyes scanning the auditorium like he was mentally calculating threats. Rory leaned against the stage too casually, a slow smirk playing on his lips-but I knew better. That sharpness in his gaze? Calculating. Watching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth was the wild card, lounging like he was already bored with the entire thing, but his fingers tapped idly against his thigh, betraying his anticipation. And Jaxon\u2026 Jaxon\u2019s eyes latched onto mine immediately, a dark gleam in them that made my stomach flip. Possessive. Unapologetic. Ce rtain. I wanted to turn and run.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, Callum stepped forward and pulled me against him. My body tensed, my breath catching as his face dipped into the crook of my neck. A slow, deep inhale. I shuddered despite myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Rory\u2019s arms wrapped around me from the other side, his warmth sinking into my bones, melting my resistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. I couldn\u2019t melt for them. Not when I still had no clue if they\u2019d break me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPrincess,\u201d Rory murmured against my ear. \u201cAre you ready to make history?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather skip to the part where the Lycandra swallows me whole,\u201d I muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth snorted a low, amused chuckle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToo bad,\u201d Jaxon said, his voice a deep, velvet-coated threat. He reached out, his fingers brushing a strand of silver hair from my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
< A Fate Written in Fire and Fear\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re ours, sunshine,\u201d he murmured. \u201cIt\u2019s time everyone knows it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Callum\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped up to the microphone, waiting for silence\u00a0<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t take long.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRidge Academy,\u201d I began, my voice effortlessly carrying across the room. \u201cWe\u2019ve gathered you\u00a0<\/p>\n
here today to share something that affects not just us but all of you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A ripple of curiosity moved through the crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rory took over smoothly, his tone casual but firm. \u201cFor five years, we\u2019ve waited for the one person\u00a0<\/p>\n
who was made for us. Our mate. Our Luna.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth leaned forward slightly, his usual mischief dimmed, replaced by something deeper,\u00a0<\/p>\n
something reverent. \u201cAnd now, we\u2019ve finally found her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A wave of whispers swept the room. Jaxon\u2019s voice cut through them all, sharp and dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMeet Rhea Morgan. Our mate. Your future, Luna.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The auditorium exploded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gasps. Shock. Some excitement. A lot of jealousy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon smirked at the chaos as if he thrived off it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I extended a hand, waiting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rhea hesitated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, slowly, she placed her hand in mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pulled her onto the stage, standing solidly beside her. Jaxon, Rory and Seth flanked her other side, a united front.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRhea will be treated with the same respect you show us,\u201d I said, my voice leaving no room for argument. \u201cAny hostility or disrespect toward her will not be tolerated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Alpha!\u201d the crowd chorused, but I saw the resentment in their eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt the tension in Rhea\u2019s shoulders, the weight of what this meant pressing down on her. Jaxon leaned in, his lips brushing her ear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re ours now, sunshine. And now everyone will know it, too. Get used to it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rhea\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shoved the last of my clothes into the suitcase, my hands trembling as I yanked the zipper shut. The rhythmic zzzzipechoed through the room, sharp and final, like the closing of a cell door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
376\u00a0<\/p>\n
< A Fate Written in Fire and Fear\u00a0<\/p>\n
things I wasn\u2019t ready to admit I wanted. \u201cOr are you going to fight?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hated how much my body responded to them. Hated the way my n*****s hardened beneath my\u00a0<\/p>\n
shirt, the way my breath hitched at the heat in his gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hated that I wanted to test him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not yours to be good for,\u201d I bit out, keeping my voice firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon laughed, low and wicked, like I had just said something cute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, sunshine,\u201d he crooned, his fingers trailing down my arm, sending sparks through my veins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou already are.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door creaked again, and before I could gather my thoughts, Callum was there. His presence sucked the air from the room. Jaxon was a flame-wild, burning, dangerous. Callum was the fire\u00a0<\/p>\n
itself, controlled, unrelenting, impossible to put out\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPack your things,\u201d he ordered, his voice quiet but absolute. \u201cWe leave in five minutes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not because I didn\u2019t want to, but because Callum had locked eyes with me, his gaze dragging over my body, and f**k if my knees didn\u2019t feel like jelly. He saw too much. Saw the way Jaxon had gotten under my skin. Saw the way my chest rose and fell too fast, the way my legs pressed together just a little too tightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re flustered,\u201d Callum mused, stepping deeper into my space. \u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was deceptively soft. Like he already knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced my chin up, ignoring the way my traitorous body heated at the way they were both looking\u00a0<\/p>\n
at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m annoyed,\u201d I lied. \u201cThat\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon snickered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Callum didn\u2019t smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He just reached forward, his fingers sliding into my hair, his grip firm but not painful, tilting my head just enough so that I had to look up at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLie to yourself all you want, little Luna,\u201d he murmured. \u201cBut don\u2019t lie to us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My pulse skyrocketed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I should\u2019ve pulled away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
5760\u00a0<\/p>\n
< A Fate Written in Fire and Fear\u00a0<\/p>\n
Couldn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Callum\u2019s thumb dragged over my bottom lip*, slow deliberate. My breath hitched, my stomach. tightening as an achebloomed deep inside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood girl,\u201d he murmured again, this time softer and almost reverent, as if the words themselves belonged to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go, Luna,\u201d he said, releasing me with a lingering brush of his fingertips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled shakily, stepping away before I could do something stupid-like lean into his touch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon chuckled low, his eyes shimmering with something dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to be fun,\u201d he murmured, trailing after Callum as they both exited the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I grabbed my suitcase with shaking hands, but before I could pick it up, Jaxon grabbed it. Their touch and presence hummed every inch of my body.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t ready for this. I wasn\u2019t ready for them. Because the worst part wasn\u2019t the way they affected me. The worst part was that I knew they weren\u2019t lying. I felt their sincerity in every possessive touch, growled promise, and hungry, knowing gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They wouldn\u2019t leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They wouldn\u2019t betray me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that terrified me more than anything-because if I let myself believe them if I let myself fall\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
There would be no coming back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had barely survived once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t survive them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not if they ever decided to let me go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the sickest part of all?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Somewhere deep inside, I already knew\u2026 They never would.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shadows Of Passing Time \u2013 Carter Hughes 110 \u00a0 < A Fate Written in Fire and Fear\u00a0 Claim\u00a0 A Fate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-melting-the-ice-princess-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29751\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}