CHAPTER 94: _ THE MOON-BLESSEDS

Heidi’s tired feet drag across the dew-kissed grass. The cool morning air seeps through the open collar of Amias’s jacket, and the heavy fabric, reeking of him is a comforting, yet suffocating, compensation. She holds her breath, heart pounding, as she approaches the dorms. The windows are still dark and silent, but she knows better. The first glimmers of dawn are here, and with them, a new day of dread.

As she gets closer, the sight that greets her confirms her fears. The front of the Moon-blessed dorm is a hive of activity and a gathering of the damned. They stand in small, frightened clusters, their faces pale and drawn in the pre-dawn gloom. They are all changed from their ceremonial attire. Now everyone wears sweats, joggers, hoodies, and expressions of dread.

They whisper like it’s contagious, like panic could spread if anyone dares to breathe too loud.

"Pfft. Look at them. All huddled together like a flock of terrified little sheep. They’ve already given up. Let them. We’re a lion. We’re a hunter and we’ll eat those bloody demon bones for breakfast," her wolf scoffs smugly.

Heidi almost rolls her eyes. She’s too tired to even argue. She’s starting to understand why her wolf is attracted to those egocentric Alphas. It’s because she’s no better than they.

They are all a bunch of egocentric souls. She shakes her head and steps into the view of her fellow Moon Blessed. That’s when a whisper cuts through the low chatter. A girl in a pink sweatshirt points a finger at Heidi.

"Isn’t that her?"

"The striker girl?" another voice follows.

"Yeah. The one who broke it. Poor thing—she’ll probably die in the labyrinth. They couldn’t even measure her power." A boy tuts his lips with pity.

"Serves her right. Maybe she’s weak."

"Or cursed. Heard the machine doesn’t break for anyone unless they’re cursed."

A more sensible one throws her hands in the air. "Oh, for Goddess’ sake, mind your business. We’re all about to be thrown in there—worry about yourself."

Heidi clenches her jaw, trying not to roll her eyes. She doesn’t know if she’s more annoyed by the pity dripping from their voices or the barely contained glee of the ones hoping she’s weaker than them.

Her wolf growls angrily. "Weak? They wouldn’t last two minutes inside me, and I don’t even mean metaphorically. I mean I’d eat them."

Heidi winces, mentally pinching her wolf like one does a feral toddler in church. "Not helping."

"What? You want me to be polite? Should I send them fruit baskets before I rip out their throats?"

She ignores her wolf, even though the image of delivering little woven baskets filled with apples and teeth is now seared into her mind.

Instead, she keeps walking, pulling her jacket tighter. The whispers change again.

"What is she wearing?"

"Did she... steal that from the janitor?"

"Looks like she got mauled by a raccoon and then lost a bet with the laundry."

Heidi resists the urge to flip them off. If the Goddess herself dropped down from the clouds right now and offered her invisibility powers in exchange for her dignity, Heidi would sign in blood.

"B-borrow it from a janitor?! They think they know? We should walk right up to them and tell them that we were just about to ride Amias Bellamy’s cock, and that’s why we’re in his clothes! It’s a badge of honor! We’re a freaking Queen!" Her wolf declares, now fully unhinged.

Heidi’s mind reels in terror. "For God’s sake, no! We are not telling them anything!"

Her wolf ignores her. "We should also let them know that we got with his brother, Darien, first. Just to show them how we roll. We’re not picky when it comes to our mates!"

A wave of pure nausea washes over Heidi. The idea of the entire pack knowing about her shameful, desperate secret is enough to make her want to crawl into a hole and disappear forever.

Just then, a wave of loud, drunken noise crashes into the quiet morning. A pack of drunk seniors stumbles through the gates. They’re loud, rowdy, and reeking of alcohol and triumph. Their arms are slung over each other’s shoulders like victorious gladiators. One has lipstick smeared down his jaw, another is shirtless, and the third bellows:

"Best. Mate. Ball. EVER!"

They howl with laughter.

"I swear, mine nearly broke the bed."

"Ha! Amateur. Mine did break it."

"You’re both weak. Mine couldn’t even walk after."

The courtyard fills with their crude brags, and Heidi feels second-hand embarrassment burn up her cheeks. Around her, the Moon Blessed newbies shrink back, their faces filled with either envy, disgust, or dread. Because what’s waiting for them isn’t love-struck mating—it’s a death-trap labyrinth.

"Pathetic," Heidi’s wolf sneers. "Drunk on lust and arrogance. Easy prey. They’d squeal like piglets if they stepped into the labyrinth with us."

Argh! Amias did warn her about her unhinged her wolf would be if she didn’t discipline her. Maybe it’s high time she starts to implement that advice.

"Shut up," Heidi mutters under her breath, earning a side-eye from one of the girls who was gossiping about her earlier.

When the seniors finally disappear into the building with a chorus of whoops, the courtyard exhales as though it had been holding its breath. The tension floods back in instantly.

Heidi slips past them and pushes into the dorm building. The fluorescent lights overhead beam faintly, the hallways lined with scuffed bulletin boards and the faint smell of detergent clinging to the tiled floors.

That’s when she sees Junie.

Her friend is crouched low in the hallway, her head buried in her arms, and her entire body shaking with quiet sobs. She looks like a doll someone tossed aside after ripping the strings loose. Around her, two other newbies sit hunched. Their faces are pale and hollow, as though dread itself had sucked the marrow out of them.

Heidi’s heart goes out to them all. The ones outside are the arrogant and overly confident ones. However, these... they were the fear-stricken ones. The ones who are probably wishing they could just return home to their lives before this whole Moon Blessed bullshit.

As much as she hates the ones outside, Heidi can’t bring herself to be as pathetic as these cowering ones, because as sad as it is to admit, these types are usually the first to die in the face of danger.

The poor kids.