THE AUREUM TRIAL: BLOOD OATH

cked the breat

from my throat, but before I could move, before I could even think, a powerful hand seized my wrist, pinning it beside my

't see h

atures cloaked in shadows. But his eyes...his eyes p

mic blue

en storm and calm, like they couldn't decide what shade they wanted to be.

ad saved my life, but this wasn't a

Every nerve in my body screamed in awareness, my wolf spirit instinctively shrinking into the depths of m

t everything else, even my own fear. I felt like he was carved into the space around me, and his scent was a paradox of Dark Ember & Winter Smoke – a lingering trace of burnt

dn't b

are of him, from the way his fingers flexed against my wrist to

long moment of silence and his voice was

nd came out. My wolf...my own wolf was suppressing me, smothering my

cted section?" He asks again, eac

oat locked up. My pulse pounded so hard it felt like

nside of my wrist, pressing just hard enough that my knees almost buckled. Not

murmured, "I'll take you

mach t

would be gone. My only chance of staying in Ashwood...of survi

the words past m

ered. "I didn't know th

idn't loosen and his stance didn't change. He just studied me, with his eyes cold, as

And his words hit harder than his grip. I

d, and his tone devoid of

ke me to the Headmaster. If you d

If he took me, I was done, but he didn't care. He exhaled sharply, like this entire conversation was

hrough me. "Stop," I gasped, my feet strugg

d harder, wrenching against his hold, but it was like trying to move a mountain. He barely fl

one floor, but it did nothing to slow him down. He barely

said flatly. "Keep struggling,

ying to twist free. "You'r

uining your life?" His tone was edged with mockery. "Don't be so

was restricted!" My voice ro

e forward, forcing me to stumbl

rated because he wa

care. "If you take me there, I'll lose my scholarship

d, and I nearly cr

ed his head slightly, just enough for me to catch the

mach d

aster this time, and I near

hispered, "I'

stop t

o let them fall. I refused to give him that satis

. I had seconds-seconds-before he pulled me so deep i

my arm and slammed my elbow into his ribs and his grip loosene

I had. And a low, sharp sound escaped his lips, but out of surprise,

ed bursts. The walls blurred around me, the shadows twisting and stretching as I pushed my

y thought was to escape, to find somewhere, anywhere, safe. And then I saw a li

d was replaced by the warm glow of chandeliers, and I turned, chest heaving and t