POV: Nova

The summit hall feels like my battlefield as I walk into the open session during the afternoon break, the deep crimson dress I chose clinging to every curve with deliberate elegance. Conversations stutter and die around me. Heads turn. Eyes follow. I feel the weight of their gazes like a caress and a challenge all at once, and I let a small, confident smile play across my lips. I know exactly how magnificent I look. I have spent years perfecting this version of myself—the graceful, poised, devastatingly charming candidate who could stand at an Alpha’s side and elevate any pack. Today, I intend to make Caius see it...