“Alpha Troy! Over here!” I yelled, raising my hand for help. I was under attack by a monster while saving my mates.
The four of them heard me cry out as the creature clawed me and slammed me against the wall.
“Help me!” I gasped, but their attention shifted when a soft cry came from the other side.
It was Oriana, the gentle princess and a warrior, a combination most men lusted after.
But not my mates.
They were in my troupe, my friends, my lovers. We shared a bed, a bond. I knew they would save me.
“Ohhh! I’m going to die,” she whimpered again, though she could have stood up easily. The monster’s focus was on me.
“Yorick!” I screamed, reaching for another of my mates, struggling to escape, my leg tangled in silver chains.
My mates looked at me and then at her—and I saw it. The shine of love in their eyes.
In a heartbeat, they ran to her. My heart slowed. Tears welled up.
Oriana had warned me: when it came down to it, they would choose her. She told me they only used me to pass time in the dorm room because I agreed for gangbang while other she-wolves did not.
And now, right before my eyes, they were leaping into battle—for her.
“We’ll come back for you, don’t worry,” Haiden shouted, as if that erased the betrayal.
At that moment, the monster turned back to me. And I knew there would be no saving me.
So I prayed they’d live long enough to regret their choice.
---
Clementine had spent her life as the insufferable daughter of an alpha—tough, rebellious, and uninterested in love, especially in a world where male wolves were allowed multiple mates. Tired of her attitude, her stepmother forced her into an academy built to train fighters against deadly monsters.
On her first day, Clementine was shocked to find her roommates were the worst people from her past:
-Alpha Yorick, her bitter ex-boyfriend
-Alpha Troy, her ex–best friend who believed she betrayed him
-Alpha Haiden, the bully who had made her life hell
-And Alpha Ian, her former cellmate who thought she manipulated him into punishment
They all seemed to want revenge.
But when they fought side by side on the battlefield, something strange happened–Clementine felt a mate bond with all of them.
At first, things turned steamy. Hatred became desire. Tension turned into passion.
But then, Clementine saw the truth: when it came down to it, they would always choose someone else over her.
To them, she had only ever been a distraction, a toy to share and throw away.

My eyes were constantly searching for Sadie. She must have been introduced before me because now only one Crusader was left to join.


Standing in the corner with her squad, wearing a red shirt and red leather pants. She must have been so uncomfortable in it. I felt angry thinking they made her change out of her comfortable clothes.


But I was hesitant to make eye contact with her. She trusted my words, believed an Alpha would know how things are done, and instead of helping her, I gave her false hope.


Even so, I was glad she didn't make the mistake of trying to cross the wires.


I heard gasps, just a few, but I didn't pay attention until I heard a comment from Yorick that made me snap my head to the front.


"And the ugly duckling was actually a swan." I followed Yorick's gaze to Clementine, and my heart did a little flip inside my chest.


Chapter 22 - 22-The Beautiful Swan