ARIA'S POV
I was going to throw up.
The hood of my cloak hid my face, but it couldn't hide the trembling in my hands. Around me, hundreds of wolves filled the massive arena, their excited energy crackling through the air like electricity.
The Bloodmoon Pack's territory was even more intimidating than I'd imagined. Stone walls that looked ancient. Guards everywhere. And the arena—gods, the arena was built for violence.
"Silver Moonborn!" A guard called my fake name from the entrance. "You're up next!"
My wolf Luna snarled inside my head. We shouldn't be here. This is a trap.
It's not a trap, I told her. It's justice.
But my legs felt like jelly as I joined the line of competitors waiting to present themselves to the Alpha.
To Kade Blackthorn.
To the monster from my nightmares.
Maya had wanted to come with me, but rogues weren't allowed in the arena during the opening ceremony. I was completely alone, surrounded by wolves who'd rip me apart if they knew who I really was.
Keep your head down, I reminded myself. Don't let anyone see your face until the right moment.
The competitor ahead of me—a massive male wolf with scars covering his arms—stepped forward and bowed. "Alpha Blackthorn, I am Erik Stoneclaw of the Northern Peaks. I seek to prove my strength and join your pack."
From my position, I couldn't see Kade's face. But I heard his voice—deep, commanding, exactly like it had been in my nightmares.
"Accepted. Take your place with the other competitors."
Simple. Cold. No emotion.
The guard nudged me forward. "Your turn."
My heart was trying to beat out of my chest.
This was it. Five years of planning. Five years of training. Five years of becoming someone strong enough to stand in front of my father's killer and not collapse.
I stepped into the center of the arena.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward me. The hooded cloak made me stand out—most competitors wanted to show off their strength, not hide it.
But I needed the element of surprise.
I kept my head down as I approached the raised platform where Kade sat on his throne. Even without looking up, I could feel his presence—powerful, dominant, suffocating.
My father's silver blade pressed against my ribs under the cloak, a reminder of why I was here.
"State your name and purpose." Kade's voice was closer now. Bored, like he'd said the same thing a hundred times today.
My hands clenched into fists.
This was the moment. The moment I'd dreamed about for five years.
I reached up and threw back my hood.
The reaction was instant.
Gasps echoed through the arena. Wolves started whispering. Some of the older ones stumbled backward like they'd seen a ghost.
Because in a way, they had.
My silver-blonde hair caught the sunlight. My violet eyes—the unmistakable mark of Silverpaw bloodline—stared straight ahead.
At Kade Blackthorn.
For the first time in five years, I looked at him face-to-face.
He'd changed. Aged. His face was harder, his jaw sharper, his presence even more terrifying than I remembered. But those eyes—burning red like hellfire—were exactly the same.
The eyes that haunted every nightmare.
The eyes that had watched my father die.
Time seemed to stop.
I watched recognition slam into him like a physical blow. His entire body went rigid. His knuckles turned white where he gripped the throne's armrests.
He knew.
He knew exactly who I was.
"Aria Silverpaw," someone whispered in the crowd. The name spread like wildfire. "She's alive. The Silverpaw girl is alive."
The arena erupted in chaos. Wolves shouting. Guards moving forward. An older woman near the front actually screamed.
But I only saw Kade.
Shock flashed across his face, then something darker. Something that looked almost like... pain?
No. Monsters didn't feel pain.
I forced myself to bow—mockingly formal, the way a subject would bow to a king they planned to kill.
"Alpha Blackthorn." My voice didn't shake. Five years of fighting had taught me how to hide fear. "I am Silver Moonborn, rogue wolf. I've come to compete for the honor of joining your pack."
The lie tasted bitter. The only thing I wanted to join was his funeral.
Kade stood slowly from his throne. Every wolf in the arena fell silent, watching.
He was taller than I remembered. Broader. When he moved down the platform steps toward me, power radiated from him in waves that made weaker wolves back away.
But I didn't move.
I'd spent five years preparing for this moment. I wouldn't show weakness now.
Kade stopped three feet away, close enough that I could see the muscles in his jaw working. Close enough to feel the dangerous energy rolling off him.
"You're dead," he said quietly. Too quietly. "You died five years ago."
"Disappointed?" I smiled, sharp and bitter. "Sorry to ruin your perfect massacre, but I survived. Surprise."
Something flashed in his eyes—was that guilt? Impossible.
"You know the trial rules?" His voice was ice. "Competitors can die in the arena."
"I'm counting on it." I met his gaze without flinching.
The air between us felt electric. Dangerous. Every wolf in the arena could sense it.
A beautiful woman with dark hair pushed through the crowd—Selene Nightshade, I recognized her from the research Ryker had given me. Kade's would-be Luna.
"This is insane!" she shouted. "She's a Silverpaw! She shouldn't even be allowed on our territory, let alone in the trials!"
An older man with gray hair stepped forward. "The girl's pack was destroyed for treason. Alpha Blackthorn, surely you can't accept her application—"
"Treason?" The word exploded from me before I could stop it. "My father was murdered on false charges! Everyone knows it was a setup!"
The arena erupted again. Wolves arguing. Some defending Kade's actions. Others looking uncertain.
Kade raised one hand, and instant silence fell.
His eyes never left mine. "You believe your father was innocent?"
"I know he was innocent." My hands trembled with rage. "And I know you didn't care. You just followed orders like a good little attack dog."
Gasps. Insulting an Alpha like that was a death sentence.
Kade's wolf flashed in his eyes—red burning brighter for just a moment. His hands clenched at his sides.
Then, impossibly, he smiled. Cold. Sharp. Terrifying.
"Accepted."
The crowd exploded in protest.
"Alpha, this is madness!" the gray-haired elder shouted.
"She'll try to kill you during the trials!" Selene shrieked.
Kade ignored them all. He stepped closer to me—close enough that I could smell pine and winter and something uniquely him that made my wolf go crazy.
"Let's see if you've inherited your father's strength," he said softly, just for me. "Or just his foolishness."
It was a public insult. A challenge.
Perfect.
I smiled back, just as cold, just as sharp. "I guess we'll find out when I'm standing over your corpse."
The arena went dead silent.
Challenging an Alpha was suicide. Everyone knew it.
But I didn't care.
Kade's eyes flashed pure red. His wolf was right at the surface, barely controlled.
For one breathless moment, I thought he might shift right there. Might end this before it even began.
Instead, he leaned in close enough that only I could hear his next words:
"You should have stayed dead, little Silverpaw."
Then he turned and walked back to his throne, dismissing me like I was nothing.
Rage burned through my veins as guards escorted me to the competitors' area. Around me, wolves stared like I was a bomb about to explode.
Maybe I was.
But as I took my place among the competitors, my hand pressed against the silver blade hidden under my cloak, something strange happened.
Through the crowd, I caught Kade's eye one more time.
And the look on his face wasn't what I expected.
It wasn't anger. Wasn't hatred.
It was something far more complicated.
Something that looked almost like... relief?
My wolf Luna growled: Something's wrong. He knew we were coming. He's been waiting for us.
Ice flooded my veins.
How could he have known?
Unless—
No. That was impossible.
But as the opening ceremony continued and I watched Kade watch me from his throne, a terrifying possibility crept into my mind:
What if walking into these trials wasn't my plan?
What if I'd walked straight into his?