The first hour of the trek was a punishing, chaotic blur of physical discomfort and mounting terror for Lila. Pressed tightly against Adrian's armored back, the world was reduced to the frantic thud of the horse's hooves, the stinging lash of low-hanging branches, and the overwhelming, toxic presence of the True Blood Aura surrounding her.
Lila was forced to ride sidesaddle—the proper Omega seating—which quickly turned from a dignified pose to a torturous balancing act. She clung to the horse's coarse mane with one hand and Adrian's rigid, leather-clad shoulder with the other, her thighs cramping painfully. Adrian, indifferent to her discomfort, was a wall of muscle and control.
His scent—a terrifying, potent mix of ozone, pine, and something ancient and compelling—was everywhere. Her jasmine perfume had been an utter failure, merely mingling with his aura to create a heavy, nauseating cloud.
It's a toxin, she reminded herself, reciting the book's truth like a mantra. It's physical. The dizziness, the paralysis, the tingling in my fingers—that's the Elemental Seizure trying to happen. Breathe the jasmine, not the wolf.
Adrian, fully aware of the chemical war taking place on his saddle, kept his commentary sparse but pointed.
"Your 'remedy' is ineffective, Assistant," he finally murmured, the sound a low vibration against her ear. "The fear scent remains... unique. It is mixed with desperation. An interesting compound. Tell me, is this an Omega defense mechanism or merely a characteristic of the Blackwood lineage?"
"It is characteristic of Blackwoods who prefer not to have their political movements dictated by Alpha whims, Alpha," Lila bit out, then instantly regretted the sharpness of her tone. Rule one: Don't antagonize the True Blood.
"Defiant words from a creature whose hands are white-knuckled on my armor," Adrian observed dryly. He paused the horse at a stream crossing, the rushing water covering the sound of their movement. "Look around you, Lila. You directed us here. Why?"
Lila desperately squinted into the gloom. The faint light of dawn was filtering through the massive, moss-draped pines. She had to sell the lie that her 'lineage' knew the way.
"The Eastern Hunting Grounds," she began, channeling the authoritative tone of the original Lila. "This stream—the Whispering Run—narrows sharply here. We must follow it north. Any experienced hunter knows the terrain rises sharply past this point, leading to the high ridge where the oldest pines grow. The Sentinel Stone is located there, marking a boundary known only to the founding packs."
It was a brilliant lie, entirely sourced from the Academy Tour Guide pamphlet she had skimmed and combined with a detailed description of the environment from her novel's chapter on the First Trial.
Adrian remained silent for a long moment, simply studying the rushing water and the thick woods. The tension built until Lila thought her heart would stop, fearing he would expose her bluff.
"Remarkable memory, Assistant," he finally conceded, his tone utterly unreadable. "It would seem the Blackwood lineage is not entirely useless."
He plunged the horse into the stream, the icy water splashing high, further disrupting Lila's precarious perch.
They rode for another thirty grueling minutes. Lila's hips felt bruised, her head was swimming from the toxic pheromone exposure, and her inner monologue had devolved into a repetitive loop of panic and demands for sugary snacks.
"Left!" she suddenly gasped, pointing to a barely visible trail where the trees thinned slightly. "The trail will be less dense here, a game path. It shortens the ascent to the ridge by nearly a mile."
Adrian followed her direction without comment. As they emerged into a small, shadowed clearing, Lila saw a familiar sight: the back of the Central Stables. The trek was circling back on itself—a loop designed by Adrian to test stamina, not navigation.
And there, leaning against the weathered wooden fence, stood Elara Hawthorne. She was shivering violently, clutching a dark, squat bottle in one hand and a tightly rolled parchment in the other.
Lila's heart leaped with relief, instantly followed by a cold spike of dread. Elara was out in the open. Adrian had led them here deliberately.
Adrian pulled the horse to a halt ten feet from the terrified Beta. His silver gaze was fixed on the squat bottle.
"Well, Assistant Blackwood," Adrian said, his voice slow and heavy. "It seems your 'ancient Blackwood remedy' has been updated. What is that little bottle, Beta?"
Elara was shaking so hard the bottle rattled against her fingers. She glanced frantically at Lila, then back at Adrian, her eyes wide with overwhelming terror. The presence of the True Blood Alpha had rendered her virtually immobile.
"I... I..." Elara stammered, unable to form a coherent word.
Lila had to act. She knew if Adrian took the neutralizer, he would discover exactly what she was trying to hide.
"It is a Beta-grade scent repellent, Alpha," Lila stated firmly, lying with the smooth confidence of a seasoned political operative. "I ordered it. The Blackwood pack is using me for a long-term scent trial for a new perfume line. They required I test its efficacy against... against dominant scents in the field."
Adrian's lips curled into that terrifying, non-humorous smile. "A new perfume line. How fascinating. And this is being conducted in the forested hunting grounds, under the observation of a True Blood Alpha, at dawn."
He slowly dismounted, his movement drawing a gasp of fear from Elara. He walked directly up to the Beta, towering over her slight form.
"Hand it to me, Beta," he commanded. His voice was soft, yet it carried the undeniable, compelling weight of a True Blood order.
Elara's hand, against her will, extended the dark bottle toward him.
"No, Elara! Don't!" Lila cried out, the desperation cracking her voice. The shock broke the paralysis she was fighting. She immediately slid off the horse, landing awkwardly on the forest floor, and stumbled toward Adrian.
Adrian didn't even look at her. He took the bottle from Elara's trembling hand. The Beta immediately crumpled into a terrified heap on the ground.
Adrian examined the bottle. It was labeled in plain, practical script: Pheromone Neutralizer - Field Grade.
"Field grade," Adrian mused, turning the bottle over in his hand. He then looked at the rolled parchment Elara still clutched. He didn't even need to ask; his scent-infused command power was enough. Elara weakly extended the map.
He took both items, his eyes returning to Lila. The cold amusement was gone, replaced by a dangerous, surgical precision.
"My security reports indicated you were seeking this. I knew you would not come to me for it," Adrian said, his voice flat. "But to lie and say this is a perfume trial? When it is clearly designed to neutralize my presence?"
He crushed the small, wooden sleeping wolf figurine he'd given her the night before under the heel of his boot, which Lila had placed on the horse swaddle while they were travelling. The crack was sharp and final.
"My gift was a marker, Lila. It meant that even when you are not on my floor, you are mine. Your deceit is regrettable."
He opened the neutralizer bottle and poured the dark liquid directly onto the ground at Lila's feet. The earthy scent of the Neutralizer instantly hit the air, momentarily dulling the impact of his aura, but the effect was minimal in the presence of a True Blood.
"Your punishment for leaving the Headquarters and for your attempt to conceal your reaction is simple," Adrian said, his voice chilling. "You will complete this trek without a horse, relying on your own strength and your ability to breathe. And you will do it quickly, or your Beta friend will join your consequence."
Lila looked from the destroyed figurine to the distraught Elara on the ground. She was entirely exposed.
Lila straightened, shaking off the fear and letting the anger—the one emotion that seemed to actually counteract the seizure—take over.
"Fine," Lila said, her voice surprisingly steady. "I will walk. And I will complete the trek."
"Good," Adrian replied. He turned, tossed the map to the Beta on the ground, and remounted his horse. "Elara, your consequence is to follow Assistant Blackwood on foot, holding this map. You will chart her progress and ensure she does not deviate from the correct path to the Sentinel Stone."
He was genius. He had separated Lila from her prize, given her a brutal punishment, and forced her frightened ally to serve as her supervisor and witness, further testing Elara's loyalty.
"Now, walk, Lila."
Lila took a deep breath, trying to inhale only the fading scent of the Neutralizer. She started walking, focusing on the ground ahead of her. The rough path was immediately taxing. She wore soft leather boots, not hiking gear.
Adrian rode slowly behind her, his horse's enormous shadow falling over her with every step. Elara, sobbing silently, trailed twenty feet behind, clutching the map and the empty bottle.
The silence was the worst part. Every few minutes, Adrian would offer a quiet, cutting observation.
"Your pace is slowing, Assistant. Your breathing is shallow. Is the Blackwood lineage traditionally frail, or are you simply unfit for the demands of the Trials?"
Lila knew she couldn't show weakness. Her internal monologue went into overdrive.
He thinks I'm frail? I survived twelve years of high school! I survived two months of living in a world without internet! I am a survivor! I will walk!
She pushed her legs harder, ignoring the fiery pain in her lungs. She started talking, not to Adrian, but to the air, for the surveillance reports.
"The physical conditioning of an Omega is rooted in mental fortitude!" she announced loudly to the trees. "My body is merely adjusting to the Alpha-level intensity. I am calibrating! If the True Blood wishes to observe weakness, he shall be disappointed! This is merely a brisk morning jog! My lineage demands a faster pace, Alpha, but I must conserve energy for the intellectual portion of the Trials—the one you are clearly worried about."
This last jab was risky, but effective. Adrian didn't respond for a full minute. She knew she'd hit a nerve. His greatest anxiety was not physical, but the intricate political maneuvering of the Trials.
They finally reached the ridge. The trees here were ancient and massive, their roots forming tangled, impassable mounds. In the center of the ridge stood a monolith of dark, rough stone, easily twenty feet tall: The Sentinel Stone.
Adrian dismounted, his movements effortless. Lila stumbled to a halt, leaning against a rough pine trunk, her lungs burning. She felt close to collapse, but she managed to keep her eyes steady and avoid the blue flash.
"The Sentinel Stone," Adrian announced, his voice echoing slightly in the clearing. "The marker. Now, retrieve the crate."
Lila spotted the crate immediately. It was a metal, utilitarian box chained to the base of the stone.
She walked over and reached for the latch. It was locked.
"It is locked, Alpha," she stated, breathing heavily.
"I am aware," Adrian said, a hint of steel entering his voice. "The key is an object of value to me. It is in the crate you are trying to escape."
Lila frowned. "The one Marcus and his thugs were after?"
"Correct. The True Blood's power is absolute, Lila, but even I cannot simply materialize the contents of the crate. I require a specific catalyst. Now, examine the stone."
Lila ran her hand over the rough, cold surface of the Sentinel Stone. It was covered in ancient, faded script—runes of a language she didn't recognize.
"These are not merely runes, Lila," Adrian said, walking up beside her, his proximity an electric shock of toxicity. "They are a Kinship Spell—a lock activated by the blood and life energy of the correct lineage."
Lila felt a chilling premonition. "The True Blood lineage?"
Adrian's silver eyes fixed on her. "No. The Omega who possesses the lineage to counter the True Blood."
He took a small, specialized Alpha dagger from his boot and held it out to her. The blade glinted menacingly in the morning sun.
"The crate holds a key—a relic of great power necessary for my victory in the Trials," Adrian explained, his tone utterly serious. "To open it, you must prove the existence of your dormant elemental magic."
He pressed the hilt of the dagger into her palm. "Cut your hand, Lila. Your blood must activate the Kinship Spell. Only then can I retrieve the key. This is your second, and final, test of obedience."
Lila looked from the wicked blade to Adrian's cold, commanding eyes, and finally down at the ancient runes on the stone. She was trapped. She could not refuse a direct order that involved the Trials, and her blood was the only thing that could open the lock. If she refused, Adrian would likely take the blood by force, and Elara would suffer the consequences.
He's not trying to kill me, she realized. He's trying to confirm what he smells. He wants proof of the magic.
She closed her eyes, took a ragged breath that tasted of pine and toxic pheromones, and pressed the edge of the blade sharply into her palm.
The pain was immediate and sharp. A single, dark bead of blood welled up. She pressed her bleeding palm flat against the cold, inscribed surface of the Sentinel Stone.
For a terrifying, agonizing moment, nothing happened. Then, the ancient stone glowed. The faded runes pulsed with a brilliant, overwhelming cyan light—the color of the blue flash in her eyes. The energy was electric, vibrating through the ground and into her body.
Lila gasped, pulling her hand back, and staggered. The energy was too intense, too potent. Her eyes flashed an involuntary, terrified cyan blue, confirming every single one of Adrian's suspicions.
The lock on the crate snapped open.
Adrian smiled—a genuine, triumphant smile that was more terrifying than any sneer.
"There it is," he whispered, his eyes fixed on the brilliant blue light fading from her face. "The proof. The magic. Now, we proceed to the Trials, my little Omega Asset. We have everything we need."
He stepped past her, opened the crate, and retrieved a small, tarnished silver key of ancient design. He tucked it securely into his armor.
"The next phase begins tomorrow," he announced. "Go clean your wound, Assistant. You have proven yourself valuable."