The Lycan Prince’s Wolfless Slave (Academy Romance) novel Chapter 269

Chapter 269

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Lyra

“We passed! We’re number 18 on the finish line!” Aloe yells. She’s practically vibrating with excitement.

The heavy door of the virtual reality simulation slides open with a hiss, and the four of us step out, gasping for the fresh, non-simulated air of the Krypton Academy hall. My legs are shaking. My broken knee is throbbing with a persistent, dull ache, but the adrenaline is keeping me upright.

Around us, other teams are emerging, looking just as battered and exhausted as we are. There are seventeen other groups scattered around the hal, some collapsing in exhaust, others hoping they’re part of the top 20.

I look at Clara. She’s quiet, her face still full of shock at what happened. It’s been only minutes since I healed her shoulder. The skin is smooth, not a single scar or bruise remaining where the demon wolf’s teeth had torn through her flesh. She looks like she wants to ask a dozen questions, but she’s holding back.

I lean in, keeping my voice barely above a whisper so only she can hear. “Don’t you dare tell anyone what happened. Especially not your friend Daisy. Act like nothing happened. Understand?”

Clara swallows hard, then nods. She doesn’t argue. She doesn’t snark back. She just looks at me for the first time without malice. “Okay,” she says softly. “I won’t say a word. I promise.”

She turns away and puts on a mask of indifference, but I can see her hand hovering near her shoulder, rubbing the spot where the pain used to be.

Clara turns to glare at the shy boy who is standing a few feet away, eyes glued to his boots. “Well,” she says, in a loud and biting tone, “the only thing that could have disqualified us was that pathetic boy who was nothing but a coward the entire time. He almost got us killed twice.”

I glance at the boy. He looks crushed. He didn’t lift a finger when the wolf had me pinned. He’s clearly terrified of Clara, and frankly, he should be. But I’m exhausted, and I just want this day to be over.

“Ignore him, Clara,” I say, cutting her off before she can start a tirade. “He’s irrelevant. I’m certain we didn’t fail. Let’s just wait for the results.”

We w

ing. The hall remains tense. The silence is heavy, filled only by the sounds of

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Chapter 269

students groaning, drinking water, and murmuring about their tests. About thirty minutes pass as the last of

the twenty teams trickle out of the simulation pods.

Finally, the hall is full. Every level-one student is here. A hush falls over the room as the supervisor steps onto the raised platform. He looks stern, his eyes scanning the crowd with a sharp, judgmental gaze.

“Welcome back, everyone,” he says in a voice amplified by the speakers. “Congratulations on finishing your third wolf assessment test. Now, remember that not everyone will pass. This simply means there is room for improvement. Always remember that at Krypton Academy, we only aim to teach strong shifters how to be better. How to hone their skills and become even stronger. So, if you failed this time, take it as a learning

curve and strive to be better.”

ripple of nervous murmurs breaks through the hall. I can feel the tension radiating off the students ound me. People are terrified. Failing means probation, lost privileges, and for some, the threat of being icked out of the academy altogether. My stomach does a flip. I grip the edge of my shirt, forcing myself to breathe. We have to pass. We just have to.

A wide holographic screen in the center of the hall flickers to life. A list starts to scroll. It’s the ranking of

the top 20 teams.

The numbers appear one by one. Group 4, Group 12, Group 45…

I watch the screen, holding my breath. My heart is hammering against my ribs so hard it hurts. Each number that appears that isn’t ours makes the dread in my chest grow

“Please,” I whisper under my breath.

Group 22 appears. Group 31. Group 59.

“Maybe we didn’t make it,” Sansa whispers, her voice trembling.

“Shut up,” Clara snaps, though her own hands are clenched into fists.

Then, the list flashes in

Group

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Chapter 269

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