a's

ye

cian in the forest-since his eyes widened in disbelief and he sp

ld reach me. Before he could tr

ack. Change

never rec

m brown eyes now glinted with the golden flicker of my wolf, a mark of her awakening. The long, wavy hair that Lucian once used to twist in his

the disguise. And even he looked at me now w

ng the final strap across my for

"That's

ge in a century. A test of strength, wisdom, and strategy. The winner would be declared Royal Enfo

ould nev

r allow him to sit out a public display of dominance. He needed

judges. He didn't know the ghost of h

y the other cloaked judges. There were five of us in tot

astes. Kael forged the identity. The council never questioned it. The name came with a

sands had gathered from every territory to wat

crowd shifted.

n ent

wo years. I thought I'

beneath the sunlight, runes etched deep into the steel. His jaw was sharp, c

He couldn't. Not throu

rt stutter

the small comm link hidden in my collar.

, nodding to no

eers from his pack echoed like thunder. I saw Seraphina in the

day. Neither had s

cian of Bloodfang, Alpha by right

nod, arrogance coat

ed up, just for a s

m

tened around th

t of him was stirring. I could feel his wolf react. The bond-burie

moved on. The

st tria

as b

ngth. The heirs fought in pairs, chosen randomly

just defeat him; he humiliated him. Every strike calculated. Every move was silent and dead

n't loo

watching him reminded me of the storm I

ne on the field. Barely breathing hard. Blood

-his eyes fo

n't f

trying to piece something togethe

s wolf

elt

ild. C

eacting to the bond. Even if his mind do

d. But the pull wa

trial was

scenarios. Fires. Betrayals. Pack po

ut Lu

ificing pawns, exploiting weaknesses, twisting outcom

approval. "Cunning," one sa

d not

bered the way Lucian once played those

im lead, watching the control in his every breath-it

history. Memory. A bond s

er the trials,

. The moon hung low

boots touched the same dirt his had bled into. I star

him before

re you

Close. Just

dn't

pping closer. "Your silence speaks louder than t

ught, but I

d. "But yours... I don't know why,

oftened. "W

, just enough for

st," I

alked

ial would be

in the wild. No allies. No rules. Just instincts an

n would win. Unl

't meant t

s a

ning, I found a note sl

itten in sharp,

mong them. Meet me

ned. It didn'

ad recog

. a part o

as calli