Chapter#08

Selene’s POV

Morning sunlight filtered through the cracks in the barracks’ old wooden slats, but I barely noticed it. My body ached brutally as if I’d gone ten rounds with a wild beast, and my mind was still clouded by everything that happened last night.

I wanted to get up but the pain pinned me to my bed. The aches from the last fight were already bad enough, but the freezing cold from last night seeped into my muscles, making it hard for me to even move.

“Let me see.” Rowan said as he walked towards me.

Before I could protest, he was already kneeling by my cot, his hands gentle but firm as he pulled back the blanket. His brow furrowed as he examined the fading bruises and cuts along my arms. “You’re healing slower than usual.” he said with uncertainty, “Does it still hurt that much?”

“Not much,” I lied.

His frown deepened as he unscrewed the jar of healing salve. He asked me as he applied it to my wounds, “It must’ve been a tough night for you. And you’re burning up Selene. You should’ve woke me or Caden up.”

I winced but didn’t respond. If only I could tell him how last night went.

Caden leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Every so often, his gaze flicked toward me like he was debating whether to say something. And I knew what he wanted to say. I stared at him, silently begging him not to bring it up.

“What’s going on?” I could feel the curiosity in his tone. He must've caught our looks. His eyes kept darting between us waiting impatiently for an answer.

“Nothing,” I said quickly, sitting up. The sudden movement made my ribs protest, but I ignored it. “Caden just—he’s being overprotective again.”

“Why, what happened?” Rowen asked, turning his head to Caden.

“I…” I could feel Caden was on his edge to tell Rowan everything, “Last night…”

“Caden told me not to take a shower,” I interrupted, “But I couldn’t help it. I was stinking.”

Rowan let out a soft chuckle as he closed the lid of the salve, “Don’t worry Caden, she’ll be alright. She’s already faced the worst and still survived.”

I smiled and instantly gave an eye to Caden as soon as Rowan turned. Rowan couldn’t know. He was already dealing with a lot. Even though he was younger than me, he was doing everything to protect me and I couldn’t let him worry because of me.

By the time we went for breakfast, most of the food was gone, leaving scraps and cold leftovers. Rowan and Caden scraped together what they could and insisted I take the lion’s share.

“You need it more than we do,” Rowan said, pushing a half-burnt piece of bread onto my plate.

“I can’t eat all of this,” I protested weakly.

“But you have to…” Caden said rubbing my shoulder, “Your healing process for some reason is already being too slow. You’ll need energy to go through the day in this camp.”

I managed a few bites, but my stomach was tied in knots. The whole day was ahead of me and I had no energy in me. My full body was aching brutally and my wounds were not healing. Also, the weight of those two men hunting for their mate was pinning me down.

Then the dining hall doors slammed open.

The commander strode in. Even without looking, you could feel his dominance. Silence fell as he made his way to the front, his boots echoing on the stone floor.

“Eyes forward,” he barked.

Every head turned as he pointed to a massive black screen on the wall. It flickered to life, displaying rows of names in bright white text.

“From now on,” the commander began in a voice like a cold blade, “your rankings will be displayed here for all to see. Every action you take, every choice you make will affect your standing. At the end of the first month, the bottom thirty percent will be eliminated. Permanently. You don’t want to be one of them.”

I barely breathed as my eyes darted to the screen. My chest tightened as if someone had dropped a stone inside it. I could feel my pulse in my throat as I stared at the ranking. Eliminated. The word hung in my mind like a guillotine.

At the bottom of the barrel, there it was—my name. Last place.

Dead last.

“Five minutes,” the commander barked, shaking my thoughts away, “Finish your breakfast. Then you’ll report to the gym for your next training session. Don’t be late.”

I stared at my plate. My hands trembled as I tried to eat. How was I supposed to eat when the thought of being eliminated made my stomach twirl?

“Selene,” Rowan’s voice broke through the fog.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, pushing the food around with my fork.

“No, you’re not,” Caden said as he narrowed his eyes at the screen. “But I know you’re going to climb the ranks.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I believed it.

The gym was already buzzing with activity when we arrived, the harsh sound of shouting and clashing metal filling the space.

“Line up!” one of the instructors yelled.

We obeyed, falling into rows. My legs felt dead heavy and my heart pounded with dread as I tried to focus.

“Today’s test will determine if you deserve to stay,” the instructor announced.

A test. Just what I needed. And my day couldn’t get any worse.

But before he could explain further, the doors slammed open again.

Two figures strode in. My stomach dropped as I recognized both of them instantly—Varian, the scarred man from last night. His piercing blue eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on me, I swore my heart stopped.

Beside him stood Liam.

“What are they doing here?” Caden whispered to me, “Can they get your scent?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

“We’re here for our mate.” Varian’s voice carried like thunder.

Liam completed the sentence, “And we’ll fight till one of us survives.”

The room erupted into murmurs, but all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat.

His eyes didn’t leave mine.

“You,” he said in a low growl pointing at me. “Come forward.”