Chapter Seven

Jacky’s POV

My dreams have changed. I woke up with my mate in mind, that mask that hid her identity was the only thing holding me back. However, after years of dreaming about a woman whose face I couldn't see, these dreams stopped the second I met my mystrey mate. Someone else came to my dreams. We were woken up in the pitch dark to the loud clang of a bell. Some of the girls stumbled up, grumbling, trying to shake off the last bits of sleep. I rolled my eyes. This was no different than the bootcamp drills back at military training, except now I wasn’t the one yelling at half-asleep recruits.

Malia, self-proclaimed queen bee and self-righteous taskmaster, strutted up in front of us with a list in hand. She was acting as the announcer, the "class monitor" of this little nightmare, and she seemed to savor every second of it. You could practically see the smugness radiating from her.

I was desperate to understand how Malia had gone from this girl to a murderer. Killing my sister unprovoked on live tv. Everytime I thought about it, I lacked the patience to play this out. However, Anna's face comes to mind. My niece has been left without a mother. I can’t just let Malia suffer an easy death.

"Today’s challenge," she announced, her voice full of false authority, "is simple but effective. We’ll be climbing the Long Hill together in teams. Each group will carry a hundred-pound bag, and everyone must reach the top at the same time to complete the challenge."

She paused for dramatic effect, making sure we were all hanging on her every word. Some of the girls genuinely were, like she was some sort of goddess delivering sacred wisdom. Malia smirked, then continued, "Oh, and Jacky…" She looked right at me, her gaze lingering, "I personally paired you with me. I think we need some quality one-on-one time."

"Looking forward to it honey," I shot back, flashing a smile that I knew would irritate her. She narrowed her eyes, clearly annoyed that I wasn’t intimidated.

Malia’s announcement was barely out of her mouth when Jessy started up, her voice bright and bouncy.

“I’m so excited to be here! I mean, can you imagine—one of us is actually going to be queen! And it’s not just for the throne, you know, it’s so much more than that,” she gushed, her hands moving around as if she were delivering a speech. “I want to make things better for everyone in the kingdom, even the small packs and all the families who don’t get the fair treatment they deserve.”

She paused, looking around, maybe hoping for some supportive nods, but Malia's eyebrow only arched higher. Jessy didn't notice; she plowed on, her voice getting more excited. “My parents back home, they’re so proud. My little brother even drew a picture of me with a crown! Can you believe that? It’s why I want to make things fair, you know?”

I glanced at Malia, who was tapping her foot, her lips pressed together in thin annoyance. It was clear Jessy didn’t get the hint.

“So, yeah, once I win—” Jessy started, her voice rising with the word "win" like she was already envisioning the crown on her head. Didn’t she know that winning meant killing every single person here? Didn’t she understand that these stupid challenges were only meant to build a sense of ‘friendship’, making the kill later more brutal.

That’s when Malia cut in, her tone as sharp as a snapped twig. “Is this a radio station now?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and she gave Jessy a hard, narrow-eyed stare.

Jessy’s mouth snapped shut, and her cheeks turned red. She fidgeted, mumbling an awkward, “Oh… I didn’t mean to go on. Sorry…”

I could feel the tension building between them, but it was hard to watch Jessy shrivel under Malia’s glare. She might have been a talker, but she wasn’t a bad person. Probably just nervous, trying to make friends in a brutal competition.

I stepped in, trying to keep it light. “Hey, Jessy,” I said with a reassuring smile, reaching out to shake her hand, “nice to meet you. And don’t worry—tell me about your family whenever you want.” I shot Malia a sideways glance, but she ignored it, rolling her eyes like she was above the whole thing.

Jessy’s face lit up again, just a hint of a smile creeping back.

Malia turned back to me, sizing me up. "So, Jacky, where are you from? Got any interesting stories to share?"

"One, this isn’t a date, and two," I said, throwing her words back at her, "I thought you didn’t want a radio." I shrugged, turning away from her. Jessy giggled, clearly relieved someone else was willing to stand up to Malia. I shot her a nod, which made her smile as she glanced away nervously.

Malia strutted over, holding out the bag like it was some kind of crown she was bestowing on me. Her lips curled up in that smug way of hers, practically glowing with the chance to assert herself.

“So, Jacky,” she began, her voice oozing with mock sweetness, “Alpha Roman decided on team leaders himself, you know. And he chose me.” She let that sit there, watching for a reaction. “Guess he wanted someone he could trust to, you know, keep things in order. He thinks I have the right… authority.”

I smirked, crossing my arms as I looked her over. “Alpha Roman must be keeping busy if he’s making a point to handpick team leaders for bag-hauling duty,” I replied. “Glad he’s not wasting any precious time or anything.”

Malia’s expression tightened for a second, but she recovered, leaning in with a saccharine smile as she shoved the heavy fifty-pound bag into my arms. “Well, if you think this is ‘just’ bag-hauling duty, I guess that’s why you’re not in charge.” She tilted her head, feigning concern. “But don’t worry, I’ll guide you along. You just need to carry the weight… all on your own.”

She straightened, turning to Jessy, who was practically vibrating with excitement. “Jessy, your job is to make sure Jacky here doesn’t fall flat on her face. Think you can handle that?”

Jessy looked between us, nodding eagerly. “Oh! Yes, definitely! I mean, it’s all about teamwork, right?” She gave me an encouraging smile, completely oblivious to the jab.

“Right,” I said, giving her a reassuring nod. “I’ve got the weight covered. Just watch your step, Jessy. And Malia,” I added, looking back at her with a grin, “you might want to focus on making it up that hill yourself before worrying about us.”

Malia’s eyes narrowed, but she forced a smile. “I’m sure I’ll be just fine,” she said smoothly. “Not everyone needs hand-holding to make it up a hill.”

"No problem, princess," I muttered, hefting the bag over my shoulder. Malia shot me a glare that could peel paint, clearly irritated I wasn’t groveling for mercy under the weight of it. Little did she know, I’d done enough military training and warrior work at the temple to make fifty pounds feel like a breeze.

We started the uphill trek, and right away, Jessy was all over the place, tripping over her own feet and getting distracted by, well, everything. Two steps in, she yelped, “Oh no, did I just fling mud on her?” She glanced back, actually apologizing to a girl three groups over, who looked too preoccupied with her own load to even notice.

I rolled my eyes, but Jessy kept going. “I just don’t want anyone to think I’m being rude. We’re all in this together, you know?” She gave Malia and me a wide-eyed look, like she was expecting some kind of pep talk about unity.

Malia’s smile was anything but friendly. “Jessy,” she snapped, “we’re not here to play nice. Focus on our team, alright? You want Alpha Roman’s approval, don’t you?”

Jessy’s face fell, and she nodded, lips pursed in concentration. “You’re right. It’s just, back home, I was always the one helping out, making sure everyone was okay—”

“Back home?” Malia scoffed. “You’re not home, Jessy. This isn’t storytime at your little family picnic.”

Jessy bit her lip, falling in line for about five seconds. Then she gasped, stopping so suddenly I almost tripped over her. “Wait! Is she okay?” She pointed ahead at a girl who’d dropped to her knees, clutching her ankle.

Malia practically seethed. “Jessy! Are you serious? Focus on *our* team. Let her deal with it, alright?”

Jessy looked at her helplessly but nodded, giving one last glance at the injured girl as we kept going. She was way too trusting, and unfortunately, that was about to bite us both.

About ten minutes later, we hit a narrow part of the hill where the mud was so thick it felt like glue. Jessy struggled with each step, visibly nervous. That’s when one of the girls from another team, Nora, sidled up next to her, huffing and putting on a friendly smile.

“Oh, Jessy! Could you help me? I twisted my ankle back there,” she said, shooting me a quick glance to make sure I wasn’t looking. “Just help me to the side for a second so I can check it. I’d be so grateful.”

Jessy hesitated, glancing at me and Malia. “Um… sure, I guess?”

“Jessy, come on,” I warned, but it was too late. Nora grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the slope.

“Don’t worry,” Nora whispered. “I just need a hand. I won’t keep you long.”

Jessy, ever the sweetheart, didn’t think twice. But the moment she took one step off the path, Nora let go of her, giving her a gentle push with just enough force to make her lose her balance.

“Oops,” Nora said, feigning innocence as Jessy stumbled, her boots slipping against the muddy slope. Jessy’s eyes went wide, and before I could even react, she slid down the hill, arms flailing, her yelp fading as she tumbled down, taking with her half of our progress.