Page 39

Cassandra’s POV

Winning the first trial should have felt like a victory.

But as I stood at the edge of the training grounds, staring at the dense forest ahead, I knew the real challenge was just beginning.

The Danger Hunt.

“The second trial,” the announcer’s voice boomed across the arena, “is a test of a Luna’s ability to protect her pack.”

The crowd murmured with anticipation. This wasn’t just about skill or leadership anymore. This was about instinct.

I clenched my fists. I won’t fail this.

“The rules are simple,” the announcer continued. “Each participant will enter the forest, where a group of unarmed ‘civilians’—played by younger warriors—have been scattered. The goal? Find them. Protect them. And bring them back safely.”

I scanned the competitors beside me.

Some were seasoned warriors, standing tall and confident. Others, like Elias, looked bored.

I smirked. He wasn’t taking this seriously. Big mistake.

But then, the announcer’s voice dropped lower. “One last thing—”

The crowd hushed.

“This trial comes with a twist. Some of the threats inside the forest are not staged.”

Silence.

Alec tensed beside the announcer. That was not part of the original plan.

I frowned. “What does that mean?”

The announcer hesitated. “Our scouts have reported rogue activity near the borders. While we have guards stationed, it is possible that not all of the ‘threats’ inside the forest will be actors.”

My stomach dropped.

This wasn’t just a trial anymore.

It was real.

Alec’s gaze snapped to me. Don’t go.

“Luna Cassandra,” the announcer called. “Are you ready to begin?”

I exhaled slowly, the weight of my mark burned against my skin, a reminder of what I was fighting for.

I turned toward the trees.

“Let’s begin.”

The forest was silent.

I moved quickly, my senses sharp. The ‘civilians’ were hiding somewhere—and so were the threats.

A twig snapped behind me.

I whirled, claws half-shifting—

Just a warrior in disguise, playing the role of a rogue.

I relaxed. Not yet.

Ten minutes passed.

I found the first ‘civilian’—a younger warrior named Leah, crouched beneath the roots of an old oak tree.

“Stay close,” I murmured, leading her toward the clearing.

Another five minutes—found two more.

So far, so good.

But then—

The scent changed.

The air turned sharp, thick with something feral.

Not staged.

Real.

My pulse quickened. I turned to my group. “Run. Get to the clearing. Now.”

They hesitated.

“GO!” I ordered.

They ran.

I turned, claws extending, as the real threat emerged.

I saw them before they attacked—three figures, their movements too calculated, too efficient for actors.

Rogues.

Shit.

They didn’t hesitate. They lunged.

I dodged the first, spinning low, kicking his legs out from under him.

The second swiped at my throat—I ducked, slashing upward. My claws tore through his shoulder, sending him staggering back.

The third?

He was fast.

Too fast.

I moved to block, but—pain.

His claws raked across my side, sharp and brutal.

I bit back a curse. Not now.

A blur of movement—another attack.

I grabbed his wrist, twisted—snapped it.

He howled, stumbling back.

The first rogue was back on his feet now, eyes blazing.

I wasn’t going to let this drag out.

Within seconds, the rogues were on the ground, unconscious or too broken to fight.

Blood dripped from my claws. My side burned where the rogue had landed his hit, but I stayed on my feet. I had fought worse.

The rogues lay motionless on the forest floor—some unconscious, others groaning in pain.

The younger warriors were safe. I had done my job.

But I wasn’t alone.

I felt his gaze before I even turned.

Elias.

Standing at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, leaning casually against a tree like he had all the time in the world.

He hadn’t helped.

He hadn’t interfered.

He had just… watched.

A slow, mocking clap broke the silence.

“Impressive,” Elias drawled, pushing off the tree and strolling forward. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

I tensed, my claws still extended. My body was ready to fight again if I had to.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

Elias smirked. “Same as you, sweetheart. The trial.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Then why didn’t you help?”

He tilted his head. “You seemed to have it under control.”

Liar.

I knew what this was.

He had been testing me. Watching. Waiting to see if I would fail.

Too bad for him—I didn’t fail.

I took a slow step forward. “Next time, if you see a rogue attacking your Luna, you do more than just stand there.”

Elias chuckled. “Oh, I don’t take orders from you, sweetheart.” His green eyes gleamed with amusement. “And besides… you did fine without me.”

I clenched my jaw. I hated him.

Every instinct in me screamed to put him in his place, to make him kneel and acknowledge who I was.

But I didn’t.

Because another presence had just entered the clearing.

A dangerous one.

Alec.

I had felt it.

The pain.

Cassandra’s wound wasn’t deep, but the mark that connected us had burned the second she was hit.

The moment I sensed it, I moved.

Now, standing at the edge of the clearing, I took in the scene.

Blood.

Rogues—real ones, unconscious on the ground.

Cassandra standing in the center, wounded but still standing.

And Elias.

A slow, burning rage settled in my chest.

I took a step forward, my power rolling through the clearing like a storm.

Elias barely reacted. He didn’t flinch, didn’t back down. He just smirked, like this was all some kind of joke.

I didn’t like him.

I didn’t trust him.

And if he had let Cassandra fight alone when he could have helped, then he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Cassandra turned to me, eyes sharp, but relieved.

A silent message passed between us.

I’m fine.

I exhaled slowly, nodding.

Then I turned my attention back to Elias.

“You were here the whole time?” My voice was calm. Too calm.

Elias shrugged. “She didn’t need me.”

I clenched my jaw.

One second.

That’s all it would take.

One second and I could have him on the ground, teeth bared, reminding him exactly who the hell he was dealing with.

But Cassandra placed a hand on my chest.

A silent message.

Not now.

I forced myself to breathe.

Instead, I turned to the younger warriors who had been hiding. “Get back to the clearing. Now.”

They nodded, hurrying off.

Elias chuckled, shaking his head. “Relax, Your Highness. She won.”

I took a slow step forward. “Let’s get one thing straight, Elias.”

The amusement in his eyes flickered—just for a second.

I lowered my voice, sharp as a blade.

“The next time you stand by and watch instead of protecting what’s mine, you won’t like what happens next.”

For the first time, Elias’s smirk vanished.

He met my gaze, tension thick between us, before finally nodding once.

Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the forest.

Good.

Because if he had stayed a second longer, I wouldn’t have let him walk away.

I exhaled sharply, finally turning back to Cassandra.

Her wound wasn’t bad, but seeing her blood—even just a little—sent a deep, primal fury through me.

I hated it.

“You’re hurt,” I murmured.

She scoffed. “It’s nothing.”

I didn’t care.

Gently, I took her arm, tilting her so I could see the injury better. My fingers brushed against her skin, and she shivered.

I smirked. “Something wrong?”

She glared. “I’m fine.”

I leaned in, voice low. “I know. But that doesn’t mean I won’t make sure of it.”

She swallowed.

The bond between us hummed, thick with heat and unspoken promises.

But before either of us could say another word, the announcer’s voice rang out.

“Luna Cassandra has completed the second trial!”

The crowd in the distance cheered.

I smiled.

She had won. Again.

And something told me that this was just the beginning.