Chapter 90: A True Test
The morning air was heavy with mist, wrapping the training grounds in an eerie, shifting fog.
I rolled my shoulders, breathing in the damp earth and the hint of pine on the breeze. My muscles ached in that bone-deep way that only weeks of training could bring, but beneath the soreness, a restless energy simmered.
Today felt... different.
Liam and Luther were unusually quiet as they led me out onto the field. No teasing smirks. No whispered encouragement. Just grim, unreadable expressions carved into stone.
Even Rowan lingered near the edges, his arms crossed, his brows furrowed in concern.
Something was coming. I could feel it in the way the earth seemed to still beneath my feet.
‘Be ready,’ my wolf whispered from within, pacing anxiously. ‘Something is not right.’
I swallowed hard, forcing down the sliver of fear working its way through my chest. I had trained for this. I *was* ready.
Or at least, I hoped I was.
Liam and Luther stood side by side in front of me, their arms folded across their broad chests.
“There’s something you need to understand, Charlie,” Liam said, his voice low and serious. “Training is one thing.”
“But real battles…” Luther continued, stepping closer, “are dirty. Unforgiving. They don’t care how prepared you are.”
Liam nodded grimly. “Which is why today, you’re going to experience something closer to the real thing.”
I narrowed my eyes, heart thundering. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice low with suspicion.
Neither of them answered with words. Instead, Liam lifted two fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. From the fog beyond the field, shapes began to emerge—wolves. Big, snarling, vicious-looking wolves I didn’t recognize.
My heart seized in my chest.
Not from fear.
From anticipation.
They circled me slowly, lips curled back from gleaming teeth, their growls a rumble that vibrated the ground beneath my feet.
Rowan’s voice rang out from the sidelines. “This is your test, little sister. Fight. Survive.”
My wolf surged to the surface with a roar of excitement, her blood singing in my veins. ‘We can do this!’ she howled. ‘Let’s show them who we are!’
I dropped into a fighting stance, baring my teeth. Let them come.
I was ready.
The first wolf lunged—a blur of gray fur and snapping jaws. I sidestepped swiftly, grabbing its scruff and using its momentum to fling it over my shoulder. It crashed into the dirt with a pained yelp but scrambled back to its feet almost instantly.
No time to celebrate.
Another wolf came at me from the side, teeth aimed at my thigh. I twisted away, barely avoiding the bite, and slammed my fist into the wolf’s temple. Pain jarred up my arm, but the wolf went sprawling, dazed.
*Two down.* Six more to go.
They came at me in pairs now, coordinated, relentless. I ducked, rolled, kicked, fought tooth and nail.
I was faster than them.
Smaller.
Smarter.
My training with Liam and Luther echoed in my mind, guiding my movements.
Don’t hesitate.
Strike hard.
Move fast.
Survive.
Blood pounded in my ears as I spun and slammed my elbow into another wolf’s snout, sending it howling backward.
Another set of jaws clamped down on my forearm. Pain flared bright and hot. I let out a snarl, driving my knee up into its rib cage until it released me.
Adrenaline drowned out the agony.
I pivoted, slamming the weighted band still strapped to my wrist across its jaw, hearing the satisfying crack of bone. It dropped, whimpering.
Five down. Three left.
My vision blurred at the edges, exhaustion clawing at my limbs. They were wearing me down.
That was the point. To see how far I could go. To see if I would *break.*
I gritted my teeth, summoning every ounce of strength left in my battered body.
Not today.
Not *ever.*
With a roar, I launched myself at the nearest wolf, driving us both into the dirt. We grappled, teeth snapping inches from my face, claws raking at my arms. I headbutted it, stunning it long enough to twist its paw behind its back and slam it into the ground.
Another tried to bite my ankle, but I kicked out hard, sending it skidding away.
Only one wolf remained.
It circled me warily, its amber eyes gleaming with cunning intelligence. ‘This one’s different,’ my wolf growled.
Stronger.
Faster.
The real challenge.
I squared my shoulders, meeting its gaze head-on.
It lunged.
I met it halfway.
The clash was brutal. We rolled across the ground, a tangled mess of fur, claws, and blood.
It snapped at my throat. I slammed my elbow into its muzzle.
It tried to pin me.
I slipped out from under it and clawed at its exposed flank. Pain blurred my senses, but I didn’t stop.
Couldn’t stop.
I was fighting for *everything.*
For the pack.
For my mates.
For myself.
Finally, with a roar of fury, I drove my fist into its throat, sending it coughing and gasping to the dirt. I staggered back, chest heaving, blood dripping from dozens of wounds. The wolf struggled for a moment longer before finally going still.
Silence fell over the field, thick and heavy.
I stood alone, battered but unbroken, the mist swirling around me like a cloak.
Rowan let out a sharp whistle from the sidelines.
Liam and Luther jogged toward me, pride and awe burning bright in their eyes.
“You did it, little wolf,” Liam murmured as he caught me against his chest.
“You fought like a true Alpha,” Luther added, his hand cradling the back of my head.
Tears stung my eyes as I buried my face against them, letting the adrenaline crash out of me all at once.
I had survived.
I had *won.*
And deep in my soul, I knew—
*This was only the beginning.*
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