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đ Episode 32: The Trial of Courage
Lila's POV
The air in the clearing was cold enough to bite through my clothes, but sweat still dampened the back of my neck. Torches blazed in a circle, their flames snapping in the dawn wind. Around us, the pack gathered in silence, their eyes like watchful embers in the half-light.
Rowan stood at the center, his posture rigid and commanding. "The Trial of Courage," he declared, his voice echoing through the pines. "The human will spend the night in the sacred forest. Alone."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the crowd. Some of the wolves looked eager to see me fail. Others simply lookedâŠhungry.
"Only a torch and her willpower," Rowan continued, his eyes narrowing on me. "She must not run back here until sunrise, or she forfeits the trial."
My pulse thudded so loud I was sure they could hear it.
Alone. In the woods. Where wolves roamed.
I wanted to glance at Ethan, but I forced myself to keep my chin high. If they saw fear, they'd tear me apart.
Rowan's gaze swept the crowd. "Let it begin."
Two wolves shoved a heavy torch into my hands and lit it. The flame sputtered, casting a trembling glow across the clearing.
I turnedâand found Ethan waiting just beyond the circle of firelight.
Ethan's POV
I wasn't supposed to approach her. Rowan had made that clear. But I couldn't let her walk into the dark without a word.
"Lila," I said softly as she reached me.
She looked up, the torchlight flickering in her wide eyes. Brave. Too brave for her own good.
"I'll be fine," she whispered, though I could hear the quiver in her voice.
I leaned closer, lowering my head so only she could hear. "No. You'll be terrified. And that's normal. Just remember thisâfear doesn't mean weakness. It means you're still fighting."
Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but I wasn't finished. "If anything happens to you, I'll lose myself. So fight, Lila. For you. For me."
Her breath caught, and for a heartbeat I thought she might press closer. But Rowan's voice cut across the silence.
"Go."
I forced myself to step back, fists clenched at my sides, as Lila turned and walked into the shadows.
My wolf clawed at my chest, restless, furious. I should be at her side. But all I could do was watch her torchlight vanish between the trees.
Lila's POV
The forest swallowed me whole.
The torch hissed with every step, throwing long, twisted shadows across the undergrowth. The deeper I went, the more it felt like the trees were closing in, whispering secrets to each other.
Every crack of a twig made my heart lurch. Every gust of wind sounded like a growl.
I tried to remember Ethan's words: Fear doesn't mean weakness.
But when a branch snapped sharply behind me, I nearly dropped the torch.
I spun, my breath catching. Nothing. Just trees.
"Pull it together," I muttered under my breath. "It's just a night. You can do this."
I pushed deeper into the woods, forcing my legs to keep moving.
Hours passedâor maybe minutes. Time felt strange in the dark. My torchlight began to dim, the flame weakening. My chest tightened as panic clawed at me.
And then I heard it.
A low, rumbling growl.
This wasn't the wind.
My throat went dry. Slowly, I turnedâand froze.
Eyes glowed from the shadows. Yellow. Hungry.
Ethan's POV
The night stretched on like a blade against my nerves. I paced along the border of the clearing, every instinct screaming at me to follow her.
Rowan's warning replayed in my head: "Interfere, and you both pay the price."
I clenched my jaw. If I broke the rule, I'd lose her anyway. But if I stayed putâ
A howl split the night.
Not a pack howl. Sharper. Wrong.
My blood ran cold. Rogue.
I was moving before Rowan could stop me, shifting so fast my bones cracked, fur bristling as I tore into the forest.
Lila's POV
The rogue wolf stepped into the torchlight, its coat mangy, its teeth glistening. Its growl vibrated through the ground beneath my feet.
My grip on the torch tightened until my knuckles burned. "Stay back," I whispered, though my voice shook.
It lunged.
I swung the torch wildly, flames flaring. The wolf snarled and recoiled, circling. My breath came in sharp gasps, terror and adrenaline crashing together.
I jabbed the torch forward again, sparks flying. "I'm not going to die here!"
But my arms were weakening. The flame was dying.
The wolf crouched, ready to spring againâ
âand a blur of black fur slammed into it, sending both crashing to the ground.
Ethan's POV
The rogue yelped as I pinned it, my fangs sinking deep into its shoulder. Rage tore through meârage at the wolf, at Rowan, at the trial itself.
It thrashed, claws raking across my side, but I didn't relent. I tore into its throat, ending the fight in a spray of blood.
The forest fell silent.
I shifted back, chest heaving, the copper tang of blood still in my mouth.
Lila stood frozen, torch trembling in her hands, her eyes wide with horrorâand relief.
I moved toward her slowly, careful not to frighten her more. "You're safe," I whispered, reaching out.
The torch slipped from her grasp, extinguishing in the dirt. And then she was in my arms, clinging to me like she'd drown without me.
Her body shook against mine, her heartbeat a wild drum. I held her tight, burying my face in her hair.
"You weren't supposed to come," she whispered, her voice breaking.
"I'd rather face exile than lose you," I murmured.
Her head lifted, her tear-streaked face so close my breath mingled with hers. For a moment, nothing existed but her eyes, shining with raw emotion.
I almost kissed her. Spirits, I wanted to. But the crunch of footsteps broke the moment.
Rowan and two others stepped into the clearing.
Rowan's expression was unreadable as his gaze swept from the dead rogue to Lila in my arms.
"The trial was meant to test her courage," he said, his tone sharp. "Not yours."
I tightened my hold on Lila. "The rogue broke your rules, not me."
Rowan's eyes narrowed, but then he turned his gaze on Lila. "You stood your ground against a rogue. Few humans could. You've passed."
Relief flooded me, but it was bitter, edged with the knowledge that more trials awaited.
Lila's hand gripped mine tightly as Rowan added, "Tomorrowâthe Trial of Loyalty."
And just like that, the danger wasn't over.
End of episode 32