Chapter 20
1128words
"What choice did we have? Your father was ready to disown you. The Western Alpha wants to claim me like property. And Ashley's father would see me banished."
"There are other options. We could leave—start over somewhere else."
"And let Lucas become Alpha? Let your father's pack fall into the hands of someone who believes strength comes from fear? You were born to lead. I won't be the reason you lose that birthright."
He catches my hands. "And I won't lose you. Not now that I've found you."
"Then we face the Challenge together. And we win."
A knock interrupts us. Lucas stands there when Kayden opens the door.
"The Elders sent me to explain the trials," Lucas says. "Both of you should hear this."
"The Blood Moon Challenge consists of three trials designed to test both wolf and human aspects of the participant. Strength, cunning, and spirit."
"What specifically will the trials involve?" Kayden asks.
"The first is the Trial of Strength—a physical challenge against a worthy opponent. I've been selected as that opponent."
Kayden tenses. "Of course you have."
"The second is the Trial of Cunning—navigating the Labyrinth of Shadows in the caves beneath the mountain. And the third is the Trial of Spirit—facing the Moon Mirror to reveal your true nature."
"The Moon Mirror?" I ask. "What's that?"
"An ancient artifact," Kayden explains. "It shows what lies within—the truth of who you are."
Lucas nods. "Few face it willingly. Many cannot bear what it reveals."
"When do the trials begin?"
"Tomorrow at moonrise. One more thing. Ashley has been named Witness for the trials."
"What does that mean?" I ask.
"It means she will observe each trial to ensure no outside help is given. And she will report any... irregularities to the council."
After he leaves, Kayden looks grim. "This is worse than I feared. Lucas as your opponent, Ashley as Witness—they've stacked the odds against us."
"Then we prepare as best we can," I say. "Teach me everything I need to know."
We spend the day in intense preparation. By evening, Melissa arrives looking uncomfortable.
"I heard about the Challenge," she says. "I came to warn you. Ashley and Lucas are planning something. I don't know what exactly, but they met with the Western Alpha in secret."
"Why are you telling us this?" Kayden asks.
"Maybe I don't want to see Freya die. Or maybe I just don't like being used by Lucas. He promised me things. But I've seen how he looks at Ashley now. I'm just another pawn to him."
"Thank you for the warning," I say.
At the door, she pauses. "Freya? If you somehow survive this... what happens to me?"
"What do you want to happen?"
"I don't know. I just don't want to be Lucas's plaything anymore."
"Then you won't be. Whatever happens tomorrow, you'll have a place here if you want it."
After she's gone, Kayden looks at me with wonder. "After everything she's done, you still show her kindness."
"She's still my sister, in a way. And everyone deserves a second chance."
He pulls me into his arms. "Your strength isn't just in your wolf blood—it's in your heart."
Morning dawns clear and cold. I stand at the window, watching the sun rise over the mountains. By the time it sets, my fate will be decided.
"Are you ready?" Kayden asks.
"As ready as I can be," I reply, touching the crescent pendant. "What happens if we win?"
"If we win, the council must acknowledge you as my mate. No Alpha can dispute your place here."
"And if we lose?"
"We won't."
A knock announces Elder Selene. "The preparations are complete," she says. "Until moonrise, you are to remain separated. It is tradition."
"Tradition?" Kayden frowns. "That wasn't part of the Challenge rules."
"The rules are what the council decides they are," she replies, though something in her tone suggests she doesn't entirely agree. "Freya will come with me. You, Kayden, will prepare with your father."
"I don't trust this," Kayden says, his hand tightening around mine.
Elder Selene's expression softens slightly. "Not all on the council wish you ill, young Alpha. Some of us remember what it means to honor the Goddess's choice." She turns to me. "Come, child. There is much to do before the trials begin."
With a last reassuring squeeze of Kayden's hand, I follow Elder Selene from the room. She leads me not to the council chamber or any public space, but to a small, secluded garden I've never seen before.
"This was your mother's favorite place," she says, watching my reaction closely. "When she lived among us."
I look around at the peaceful enclosure, filled with late-blooming flowers and a small pond reflecting the morning sky. "You knew my mother?"
"I was her mentor," Selene replies, gesturing for me to sit beside her on a stone bench. "Lyra was exceptional—brilliant, determined, and stronger in spirit than many full-blooded werewolves."
"The Western Alpha said she belonged to his pack."
Selene's expression hardens. "Lyra belonged to no one but herself, a fact Alpha Blackwood never accepted. He saw her as a possession, a rare jewel to display and control."
"Is that why she left?"
"Partly." Selene studies me with those penetrating eyes. "But mostly she left because she fell in love with a human—your father—and knew their child would never be accepted in a pack ruled by Blackwood's prejudice."
"Their child," I repeat. "Me."
She nods. "Lyra knew you would inherit her gifts, though perhaps not her full abilities. She hoped you might live a human life, free from the complications of our world."
"Yet here I am."
"Indeed." Selene smiles slightly. "The Goddess has her own plans, it seems."
We sit in silence for a moment, the gentle splash of the pond's fountain the only sound. Finally, I ask the question that's been burning in my mind since the council meeting.
"Do I have any chance of winning these trials? Truly?"
Selene considers me thoughtfully. "The Trial of Strength will be difficult. Lucas is a formidable opponent, and your wolf abilities are still awakening." She pauses. "The Trial of Cunning tests intelligence and instinct—areas where you may have an advantage, given your mother's gifts."
"And the Trial of Spirit?"
"That," she says, "will depend entirely on you. The Moon Mirror reveals what lies within. Some cannot face their true selves."
"What will it show me?"
"I cannot say. But remember this—the Mirror shows truth, not destiny. What you are, not what you must become." She rises, extending her hand to me. "Come. We must prepare you properly for the trials ahead."
