Bloodbound to the Witch Heir: Claimed By Four

Celeste’s POV

*****

Murmurs rippled through the Crimson Expanse like a disturbed current—soft at first, then louder and sharper.

Thorne and the Luna Queen drew close to the steps to the high table.

Dean Thorne, unmistakable in his crimson robes, moved with his usual controlled authority. His presence alone was enough to quiet half a field of supernatural students.

But it wasn’t him.

It was the woman beside him.

Luna Queen Janelle wore white and silver robes embroidered with lunar runes so old they seemed to hum faintly even from this distance. Power clung to every fibre of her being.

My chest tightened just staring at her.

Whispers erupted immediately—some reverent, some shocked, some outright stunned.

I’d heard of her my whole life. Everyone had.

Europe’s Luna Queen. One of the fiercest fighters in the century-old war. Founder of White Flame Academy. A woman who rarely attended the Blood Trials in person.

Yet here she was.

I swallowed, fingers curling at my sides as she stepped fully into view. Her gaze swept over the field calmly, assessing everything with a quiet sharpness that made my skin prickle.

Then her eyes found us.

Caelum stiffened beside me and her gaze lingered on him first.

Recognition flickered across her features, followed by a faint, approving smile. Subtle. Controlled. But unmistakable.

Then her eyes shifted to me.

The moment stretched.

I wasn’t sure what I expected—judgment, curiosity, dismissal—but what I saw instead made my breath hitch.

Warmth.

Not indulgent. Not pitying. Just... knowing. As though she was looking at a story she’d already read the opening Chapters of.

Her lips curved slightly as she nodded once.

My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Why did she look like she knew something she wasn’t supposed to?

Dean Thorne cleared his throat just then, stepping forward to the edge of the high table. The murmurs died instantly.

"Students of Bloodoak Academy," his voice carried easily across the field. "And our esteemed guests from White Flame Academy. It is my honour to welcome you to the opening of this year’s Blood Trials."

Polite applause followed.

He gestured smoothly to the woman beside him. "It is also my privilege to formally introduce White Flame Academy’s Dean—and Europe’s Luna Queen—Janelle Whiteflame."

This time, the reaction was louder and deeper.

Luna Queen Janelle inclined her head gracefully, raising a hand to stop the noise. Silence followed at once.

"The Blood Trials exist for a reason," she said, her voice calm but carrying undeniable weight. "To test more than strength. To test clarity, instinct, and restraint. Power without purpose is chaos—and chaos is not victory."

Her eyes swept the competitors again.

I had the strange, unsettling feeling that her words were meant for me.

Dean Thorne resumed. "This year’s Trials will proceed in categories as usual, beginning with the Hunters."

At his signal, the ground near the far end of the Expanse shimmered.

A portal bloomed into existence—oval and rippling, its edges glowing with layered sigils. The air around it warped, thick with magic.

An entrance to a pocket dimension.

My pulse quickened.

"The Hunters’ Trial," Thorne continued, "will take place within a controlled pocket forest. The terrain will shift dynamically throughout the trial."

Controlled.

Right...

"They will be tasked with hunting as many illusion-casted Vein beasts as possible," Luna Queen Janelle added smoothly, "while also locating a singular artefact hidden within the forest."

There was a pause before she added. "The Golden Gauntlet."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

"The Hunter who retrieves it will immediately end the trial for their category," Thorne said. "And secure maximum points for their academy."

The portal pulsed, as if responding. But my attention barely registered it.

Because my mind was already racing ahead.

To what came after.

Dean Thorne’s gaze flicked briefly in our direction—toward Caelum and me—before he spoke again.

"Next will be the witch trials. Then the wolf trials. And finally," he said, "the last trial for today... will belong to the Hybrids."

My stomach dropped.

Yep. Here we go.

"Overall," Luna Queen Janelle’s voice gained a rare softness, her eyes sweeping through the audience. "The beauty of the trials is to express sportsmanship and camaraderie amongst races. Whether witch, wolf, human, hybrid... we should all stand together against the forces hidden in the shadows."

I couldn’t help but scoff silently at those words.

Hmph. Camaraderie.

In an academy where the weak were treated as jokes, that word almost felt like a slap to the face. Yet I couldn’t and didn’t say anything.

"With all said and done..." Thorne cleared his throat, a smirk on his face as he gestured at the portal. "Can the hunters from both sides please make their way to the portal? The rest can wait with the audience until it gets to their category."

As he spoke, we moved. Caelum gave the hunters from our academy thumbs up while all I could offer was a smile. And a mental wish for good luck.

They’ll need it. We all do.

Fortunately, I was able to find a spot to sit beside Willow who immediately swerved her head to me. "Girl, what was that tension between you and Europe’s wolf princess?"

I sighed, eyes following the White Flame people as they sat together several seats away.

"I have no clue," I shook my head. "Caelum said she’s probably trying to size me up anyway."

Turning around, I searched for Silas. I thought he’d be sitting close to Willow—

—Sweet fuck.

My throat tightened when my eyes locked on two people sitting behind us to our far left. Silas. And a man I never thought would look so hot in the academy’s uniform.

You guessed right.

Azrael.

The two seemed to be in the middle of a hushed convo—probably discussing the whole madness involving Miss Benedicta’s dead body and those notes.

As always, Azrael had his sunglasses on. Despite that, I noticed him whipping his head in my direction. And keeping it there, his chin lowered slightly.

Warmth spread across my cheeks, making me twirl my head back to the field below.

The Hunters from both sides had already stepped through the portal gate, shouts and claps rising higher from every corner.

A large screen made with light magic flickered to life above the centre of the field, showing live footage from the pocket forest.

"Let the Blood Trials," Professor Amelia took over commentary, her excitement sharp. "Begin!"