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~Spring's POV~

In an instant, Jace was at my side, steadying me with one strong hand at my waist. His grip lingered, his thumb stroking idly against my hip. He bent close, lips brushing the shell of my ear.

"Still trembling, Sunshine?" he whispered, voice silk over steel. "Careful, or you'll make me think you want me to carry you back."

The image—me in his arms, his mouth still wet from me, his voice daring me to fall apart all over again—made a whimper escape before I could stop it.

"Let's just go back."

******

After dinner, everyone from the senior class decided to gather around the bonfire for a game.

The air was cooler now, the night breeze carrying the faint scent of pine and smoke, mixing with the laughter and chatter of students settling around the flames.

I sat on a flat rock a little away from the growing circle, hugging my knees to my chest. I thought keeping my distance might help me breathe easier and keep my thoughts sane, but apparently, I was wrong.

Storm stood up from where he was sitting and approached me. His tall frame blocked some of the firelight, casting his shadow over me.

"Hey, stranger," he said softly, his voice carrying an unfamiliar warmth.

I blinked up at him, caught off guard. My throat felt tight, so I forced a small smile. "Hey," I finally managed, shifting on my seat as if that would hide the guilt clinging to me.

He glanced down, his sharp eyes catching the small space I'd left between us. My teeth sank into my lower lip, and I looked away quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice how tense I was.

Storm surprised me when he scooted closer without hesitation. Before I could react, his hand brushed against mine and then gently clasped it in his warm grip.

"You've been avoiding me," he said as his gaze searched mine.

"Is that a question?" I kept my eyes ahead, refusing to meet his.

"If I ask, would you say yes?" he countered softly.

I stayed silent, but the truth was heavy between us.

Storm exhaled and brushed his thumb lightly over my knuckles. "I've missed you, Spring."

Those words hit deeper than I expected, and for a moment, I almost turned to him. Almost. But then Jace's scent—still clinging faintly to my skin—mocked me, and guilt twisted in my chest.

I couldn't let Storm get close enough to notice. Though who was I kidding, he had a keen nose.

His wolf may have picked it since the second I returned to camp.

Before I could find a way to respond, a voice cut through the tension.

"Alright, seniors! Circle up!" someone called.

Students began shuffling toward the open space near the bonfire, forming a wide circle on the grass.

Storm didn't let go of my hand, though. He tugged gently, standing, and tilted his head toward the group. "Let's play," he said with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

I hesitated but eventually nodded, letting him lead me to the circle.

Across from where I sat, I instantly felt their eyes on me. Tyrion, leaning back on his hands like he owned the ground beneath him, was watching me intently.

Beside him, Kael sat with his usual composed expression, but his sharp gaze never wavered from me either. And then there was Jace.

Jace wasn't pretending to hide it. His stare burned through the crowd straight into me, his jaw tight. I couldn't read his expression, but his eyes said enough.

Storm sat close on my left, his knee brushing mine occasionally, but I could feel Jace's gaze like a phantom touch. It sent shivers skittering across my skin, and my body remembered every moment of it.

Perfect. My life was one giant mating-season soap opera.

The laughter and chatter faded into a hum in my ears as I realised just how tangled this night was about to become.

And then the games began…

After the seniors shuffled closer to form a proper circle, the firelight flickered between us. Yvonne, perched next to Rael and her little clique of giggling shadows, tossed her perfect curls and smiled like a predator.

"So," she began, her voice sweet enough to rot teeth, "since this is our last hike before graduation, we should make it… memorable."

Her tone set my nerves buzzing. I already didn't like where this was going.

Rael leaned forward, his grin lazy but dangerous. "What's the game?"

"Glow Stick Roulette," one of Yvonne's friends announced, holding up a fistful of neon glow sticks. "I bought them when we got to town."

"Liar, you brought them with you," one of the random girls in school announced.

The girl blushed a little. "You caught me. Yes, I planned for this. But what's a field trip without a little game amongst students, huh?"

Several heads nodded in agreement.

And immediately she got her support, she spoke up again. This time, the shyness was gone from her voice.

"Everyone takes one. Green means you pick truth, red means dare, blue means you get to swap dares with someone else, and purple means double dare."

Double dare. Great.

The sticks were passed around, and everyone was to close their eyes as they pulled out a glow stick, and I prayed to every moon goddess I'd never believed in that I'd get green.

I didn't.

When I ope ned my eyes, what stared right back at me was… Red. Dare.

Of course.

"Alright, first dare goes to…" Yvonne's gaze landed on me like a hawk spotting prey. "…Spring."

The circle collectively perked up, every curious, gossip-hungry eye swiveling to me. My stomach dropped.

"You can't just single her out," Isabel said sharply from across the fire.

Yvonne feigned innocence. "It's not personal. She got red."

I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay even. "Fine. What's the dare?"

Yvonne's smile widened sweetly, but I could see the venom they were laced with. "Give Rael a lap dance."

The words slammed into me like a punch.

"What?" I blurted out, eyes wide. Heat crawled up my neck, and I could feel half the circle holding their breath.

Rael smirked slowly, leaning back on his hands against a small cut-down tree stump. "I don't mind," he drawled, his gaze flicking briefly toward Storm, then Kael, then Jace in a deliberately taunting manner.

Storm stiffened beside me, his grip on my hand tightening until it almost hurt. Across the circle,

Jace sat up straighter, his hood falling back just enough for me to catch the storm brewing in his eyes.

Kael, for once, didn't bother to hide his irritation; his jaw clenched so hard I thought I heard his teeth grind.

Tyrion's expression didn't change, but his eyes darkened in a way that made goosebumps rise along my arms.

My pulse thundered in my ears, not just from the sudden attention but from the unwelcome rush of memories.

A lap dance on Rael. My fiancé's lookalike. But that wasn't what pricked me.

What rattled me was the fact that I'd done this before.

In my past life, in my real body at another time, Rael had been mine. I'd danced for him under candlelight in a room that belonged only to us, and he'd looked at me like I was his entire universe.

The memory hit so hard I forgot how to breathe.

Yvonne smirked, clearly expecting me to refuse, to embarrass myself in front of everyone. "What's the matter, Spring?" she cooed. "Scared?"

I forced myself to swallow, and my throat suddenly felt dry. A dozen pairs of eyes bore into me, waiting to see if I'd crack.

Storm leaned closer to speak to me. "You're not doing that," he said, leaving no room for argument.

Jace's voice came from across the circle, smooth but sharp. "If anyone touches her, they'll lose their hand."

Kael didn't say anything, but his golden eyes glinted like molten fire as his gaze locked on Rael. Tyrion simply sipped from his flask, but his attention never left me.

I could feel the tension simmering, thick enough to choke on.

I should've said no. I should've laughed it off and brushed it away like it was nothing. But the moment Rael's name left Yvonne's lips, something in me stirred.

A buried part of me, the one that still remembered his hands on my skin, his lips on mine, his claim on me and how he took me every time to heavenly bliss in another life, jolted awake.

My chest tightened, heat pooling low in my belly, and for one terrifying heartbeat, I wanted to give in. I wanted to cross that circle, climb into his lap, and damn the consequences as I made him hard and wished to have me.

Whether or not he was really Rael, just the thought of making him want what he can't have, was a little revenge for me.

But this wasn't then… and I wasn't her anymore. Not really. Not yet. And everyone was watching.

"What do I do?"

"Simple, tempt your mates with this dare. They expect you to crumble, but if you stand up to them and anyone else. You haven't been claimed."