Chapter 17 Meeting Aldric 2

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Meeting Aldric 2

Talia’s POV

The word echoed in my skull. REJECTION. I had heard stories about what it did to wolves, and what followed it. I had heard about the pain, the suffering, and the wolf that is weakened and sometimes never recovered.

I had heard about how it tore through the bond like a blade through flesh, how some never got better, how some lost their minds, and how some died.

I pressed my nails into my palms and focused on the pain, because I needed anything to keep from screaming.

"What happens if he rejects me, sir?" I asked.

Aldric’s face was hard. "You will be sent back to Cresswood. You will no longer be his Luna, and you will no longer be part of this pack."

Back to Cresswood?

Back to Vivienne and Celeste and the storage room and the hunger and the cold.

I saw Celeste’s face in my mind. Her evil smiles, and her cold eyes. She would smile brightly if I came back. She would call me trash and tell me she knew I was never good enough. Vivienne would lock me in the storage room and throw away the key, and they would make sure I never left again.

I would rather burn, than go back there.

I forced my voice to stay steady. "I understand, sir."

"Do you?" Aldric leaned closer. "The pack expects you to fail. They do not want an outsider as their Luna, and they do not want someone they see as weak."

"Then I will prove them wrong, sir," I said, with too much confidence in my voice.

He stared at me for a long moment. Something flickered across his face again, but I could not tell what it was.

"We will see," he said.

He stood up and walked to the window. The sun was higher now, and the light spilled across the floor.

"When the time comes," he said, "more details will be provided to you. For now, know that there will be three trials. Each will test a different part of who you are."

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

He turned to face me. "The Shadowfang Pack expects its Luna to be strong. Prove yourself, or Alpha Kaelen will have no choice but to reject you."

I did not know what prove yourself meant yet. I did not know what the trials would ask of me, or if I was strong enough to pass them.

But I nodded. "I understand, sir."

Aldric studied me for a long moment. Then he walked back to his desk and sat down.

"You have one year to complete the trials," he said. "The first trial begins in one month."

My thoughts kept getting worse as I heard more details. One year to complete the trials? And one month to prepare for it?

I did not know if that was enough time, and I did not know if I was ready.

But I had no choice.

One month. I had survived fifteen years with no warning and no getting ready. Surely I could survive one month with both.

I thought of all the nights I had stayed awake in the dark, waiting for dawn, and I thought of all the mornings I had dragged myself up off the cold floor. After going through all of that, I was still here. That definitely counted for something.

"I will be ready, sir," I said anyway.

Aldric nodded. "I hope so, child. For your sake."

He dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

I stood up and walked to the door. My legs were shaking, but I forced myself to walk straight.

"Talia," he called.

I stopped and turned around.

Aldric was looking at me. His gray eyes were softer now, but his face was still hard.

"Alpha Kaelen did not choose you," he said. "The Moon Goddess did. Remember that."

I bowed my head. "I will, sir."

Then I walked out the door.

The servant was waiting for me in the hallway.

She led me back through the maze of hallways and staircases. Left, then right, then down a flight of stairs, then right again.

I did not speak, because my mind was racing.

Three trials in one year. If I failed, Alpha Kaelen would reject me, and I would be sent back to Cresswood.

I could not go back.

The thought of Cresswood made my stomach turn. Not with fear, but with disgust. That place had taken everything from me: my mother, my childhood, and my hope. I would not let it take my future too, and I would pass these trials or die trying, because there was no third option.

I would rather die than go back.

The servant stopped in front of my door. "Is there anything you need, miss?"

"No, thank you," I said.

She nodded and walked away.

I opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was empty. The fire had been lit again, and the warmth wrapped around me like a blanket.

I walked to the window and looked out at the valley.

The sun was high now, and the light was bright. The mountains stood tall and silent, with their peaks lost in the blue sky.

I touched my necklace, feeling the chain warm against my skin.

I thought about the challenges ahead—one year to pass three trials.

I had survived fifteen years in Cresswood, so I would survive this too.

I pressed my palm against the glass.

It was so cold, but the sun was warm on my face. I closed my eyes and let the light wash over me. Somewhere in this valley, Kaelen was training, somewhere else, Aldric was watching, and somewhere inside me, the girl from Cresswood was still fighting.

She had not given up yet, and neither would I.