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This was for the best.

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"FOR SOME OF you, it is your first blood moon," Miss Amir continued, her dark luscious hair blowing slightly in the light gentle breeze.

"And it is for your sake that we hold this assembly. For wolf-shifters, you may be familiar with this event, but for non-shifters, this is an event that occurs a total of five times a year. However, the first is the most dangerous."

My heartbeat ramped inside me as I thought about why it was the most dangerous. Because Lucas Bowne would be unhinged, completely taken out by his shifter beasts.

The Gigan and the Amaroq.

"The event affects the most powerful, as is the case for the prime of everything, and therefore we regard this particular one as the Crimson Blood Moon," She trailed off letting the silence hang in the air, as my gaze hesitantly traveled slightly up to Lucas Bowne, unable to hold my curiosity.

I spotted him standing at the far side of the fountain, his hands tucked into the large hoody he was wearing, the hood up bridging his dark sullen eyes from straying eyes, the clothing fitted his large frame perfectly.

He still looked very tired despite his efforts to hide it, taking a deep breath.

His eyes looked as if they were hunting, but just as I realized what he was doing, his gaze found mine, holding it in place firmly, my heart skipped a bit, ears tingling as we held eye contact.

I could see a small spark in his eyes, a slight smile forming at the corner of his lips, but I quickly looked away, eyes finding the ground before I could see anything more.

My jaw clenched, swallowing the saliva down my dry throat, hands tightening around my bag straps, despite feeling his hot gaze on me, only allowing my ears to tingle at the sound of Miss Amir's voice as she began giving instructions.

"During this week, all affected shifters will be separated from the normal classes, as the blood moon takes effect over the week. For the rest of you, your prime, or you're secondary in their perspective classes will be there to answer all your questions over the blood moon.

The Originals will be sent to go from class to class harvesting the best fire oranges as well as the best reds in preparation for the night and the firewall that will be erected on the night of the blood moon.

Despite the Blood Moon, there will be a practice field day for your Inter Color Games on Thursday.

Each Alpha of every team will be expected to guide you as you prepare for this event, before the Annual Inter Color Games that will cater for the whole of next week."

My eyes trailed around the crest grounds in surprise at the sounds of students cheering at her statement, my eyebrows arching, glancing momentarily at Claire who seemed surprised too but David seemed more upset than confused.

"A week of games," he muttered under his breath shaking his head.

Lira seemed to catch this too, but her grin was wider.

"You're going to love the wild, nerd- because the wild certainly loves you," she told him, her tone dripping with sarcasm, chuckling when he looked at her both suspiciously and now confused.

I turned back to look at Miss Amir when the student's murmurs had suddenly died down as quickly as blowing out a candle, noticing that Miss Amir had merely raised a finger, and that was enough to take the crowd of students back into their earlier silence.

I could still feel Lucas' tired eyes on me, and whilst they were not as painfully obvious' as Harvests, I struggled to keep my face void of all emotion as well as risking a glance at him. staring instead at the ground momentarily.

I was not going to entertain either one of them anymore.

This was for the best.

"However," Miss Amir Continued, "There will be the first qualifying games for the First Level of Inter Colors Match In the King's Trials. The day set aside for it, is Thursday, before the end of the Games," she stated and silence trailed among us.

"The trials are beginning early this year to further accommodate the other events that are to follow, as we do wish to end the first Level of the King's Trails before the King's Visit."

Freezing at the sound of this, my eyes widened, eyebrows furrowing taking a step forward, staring straight at her, my heart pounding from within me as gasps and whispers spun all around us.

But I thought Dad, AKA the King, only Visited Kingsland at the beginning of the year.

Why was he coming, then? I was ecstatic at the news and yet, still frozen with surprise and disbelief.

It seemed way too hard to believe that I would see Dad again soon. I felt both relief and worry, as well as a feeling of wanting to get more information-

"The King is coming?" Claire whispered lowly to Lira who seemed to be frozen too, her eyebrows drawn together as if she was in deep thought, the body looked as numb as I felt, listening as she answered mindlessly.

"Apparently," she replied, her tone stale, eyes trailing to the ground for a moment as she folded her arms, whilst my gaze traveled back to Miss Amir as the noise died down, her hand in the air again.

"I understand your excitement children, as a second visit from the King is incredibly rare-'

"The probability of that happening was 1 in a thousand,' Lira replied, her tone sharp and yet still looking out of it, her eyes narrowing down on Miss Amir.

"However, as it is on his first, we shall all maintain what has been taught. Upon his arrival, we shall gather where we have before, and he will address you as protocol," she paused, her shoulders relaxing.

"There will be much to do these next two weeks, but we will get through this with both the order as well as the dignity that each student of Kingsland upholds. Thank you and have a productive day," she replied turning around again, without further adieu, and I marveled at her perfect posture almost as if she was ex-military even though I had read all that there ever was on the mysterious Miss Amir, but there was nothing but her long list of intellectual accomplishments as well as an impressive resume of fluency in many forms of martial arts.

I guessed this was where she had gotten the perfect posture from.

A few other primes followed her, Mr. Ogutsus included, leaving Gravis, a few secondaries, the Originals, and Daya.

My eyes trailed onto Gravis as he took center stage, "Through the course of today and tomorrow, Your Alphas will pass by each class recruiting the firewall watchers. Once you're selected you will be given a pass off of all school classes in exchange for training, for the week until the Bloodmoon. You will however be required to participate in the field day practice Inter Color Game, later this week. You may all get back to your classes immediately."

The water in the fountain began falling at normal speed after he said this.

It took a while to get back to reality after that short speech and the shock that Dad would be coming in less than 3 weeks.

That had sparked some kind of hope in me, and I couldn't help the gentle smile lining my lips, happiness flooding through me.

I needed this.

I needed a win.

My smile grew larger, hearing Claire's faint voice gesturing to me, that we head back to classes, slipping in line with Lira and David slightly ahead as the students pushed past us in an attempt to reach classes, but I could hardly register what was happening around me.

I was in my high.

Happiness enveloped me like a bubble, my eyes glossy with the memories of my father.

There was just so much I wanted to ask him, so much I knew one conversation with him would fix.

And I knew he wouldn't lie to my face. Not if I asked the right questions. I could hear someone calling my name but I was too wrapped in my world to think too much of it before a hand pulled me back to reality,

My eyes widened when I came face to face with Lucas Bowne, who seemed to be breathing heavily.

"Talanda," he repeated, my eyebrows furrowing glancing at where he had been standing by the fountain a foot away from me, startling me, my heart thudding, a frown growing on my face, my breathing increasing and my head spinning when I saw him that close.

I knew that I had nothing to say to him and that I didn't want to be near him anymore.

"A-are you okay?" he asked, softly, hands that I spotted had whispers of dark veins around them now, tucked once again in his hoody pouch almost immediately, though his eyes were doused in concern, so much so that I almost believed he did care.

I took a step back, my eyes shifting away from his, nodding a little.

I could feel his eyes study my movement but luckily for me he didn't do anything, his tone reduced to a softer playful banter, "All alright, it's just back there," he began when I glanced back at him, "You looked away, " he paused for a second and my eyes found a way back to the ground.

"I must be overthinking things, it was almost like you were avoiding me," he chuckled lowly, shaking his head.

I bit my lip for a second. Breathing out lowly, before looking back up at him slowly, unable to hide the glass pools gathering behind my eyelashes, releasing a short shaky breath as his eyebrows furrowed.

The smile he had on his face instantly disappeared, his breathing increasing- concern etched in his eyes when he reached out for me,

"Talanda?"

I shook my head, stepping back, blinking the tears away as I looked at the ground for both comfort and a moment of collecting myself, wiping the tears just below my eyes before they could run down my face.

My eyes trailed sideways catching sight of Harvest who still stood right beside the fountain, but his eyes were set on me, an unreadable expression on his face, hands in his coat, but I looked away before he could start his usual read on me, ending at Daya who stood with her arms folded a little way.

I looked back at Lucas, the utmost concern in his eyes, despite his condition, seemingly trying hard to read what was wrong with me, moving to touch me but I stumbled back awkwardly shaking my head once more, before capturing his gaze,

'I-I can't anymore,' I signed, to which his eyebrows dipped in further confusion though this time I could see the wheels turning in his head.

He looked back in the direction of both Harvest and Daya and I took this opportunity to slip away, ignoring his calls for me, running back into the safety of the King's Halls.

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Well... That was nice...

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