The next weeks passed in a blur in the boot camp, each day bleeding into the next in a relentless cycle of drills, endurance tests, and mental fortitude. But everything had changed after that night, the night Raya had told him the truth.
Kaius and Raya had become the center of attention, though not all of it was welcome. After winning the challenge, they were treated as both legends and targets. Some became overly friendly, trying to worm their way into their good graces, hoping to gain favor or become allies. Others, however, were not as subtle with their bitterness, throwing snide remarks and veiled insults whenever they could.
But neither Kaius nor Raya paid them much attention. They had bigger battles to fight, most of them against themselves.
The mate bond between them was a consta
