Chapter 62

I felt my hands clench, a tightness forming in my chest as I watched the wolves line up. Each of them had been chosen for a reason; they were strong, resilient, and determined to push Elara to her limits. She would be knocked down, she would be hurt, and yet she would have to rise again, over and over, until the last wolf had tried her.

As the first wolf charged at her, my heart pounded harder. Elara braced herself, taking the impact head-on. She staggered but didn’t fall, her body absorbing the force as she pushed back, her eyes fierce. The next wolf struck, harder, and this time, she went down.

A murmur rippled through the crowd, but Elara didn’t stay down for long. She rose to her feet, her expression determined, her breathing heavy but steady. Each time she fell, each time the impact sent her sprawling, she got back up, her gaze fixed, her body tense with the effort but her resolve unshaken.

Watching her was both exhilarating and agonizing. Every fall felt like a blow to my own heart, every bruise she took a reminder of the strength it took to be Alpha. I wanted to reach out, to step forward and stop it, but I knew that would only dishonor her. Elara didn’t need anyone to protect her. This was her battle, her moment.

By the time the last wolf charged, her body was bruised, her movements slower, but she didn’t falter. She met the final strike with a strength that seemed to come from somewhere beyond physical power, a strength that was rooted in her soul. When the wolf fell back, defeated, a hush fell over the clearing. Elara stood alone, battered but unbroken, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath, her gaze unwavering.

Osric stepped forward, his expression filled with a respect I hadn’t seen before.

“Elara has completed the trials,” he announced, his voice carrying over the crowd.