"Sleep felt impossible with the weight of tomorrow on my shoulders."
I stared at the ceiling. Counting cracks in the plaster. Trying to focus on anything except the clock ticking toward tomorrow.
High noon. Full arena. First to yield or fall unconscious.
My wolf paced restlessly inside me. Not afraid. Eager. Ready to prove we weren't weak. Weren't unstable. Weren't the liability everyone kept claiming.
But my human side was less confident. More aware of what losing meant. Not just for me. For Darius. For our bond. For everything we'd been building.
I gave up on sleep around eleven. Got out of bed. Changed into comfortable clothes. Sat at my desk.
Three months ago, I'd been the rejected mate. The unwanted girl. The one everyone pitied or ignored.
Now I was about to fight the most dangerous wolf in the academy. In front of everyone. With my entire future hanging in the balance.
How had I gotten here?
The answer was simple. And complicated. And painful.
