Chapter 23: The Third Trial
The silver light inside Liana pulsed, fighting back against the dark power trying to break her bonds. Each breath felt like fire in her lungs. "I won't let go," she whispered, holding her mother's pendant tighter. The metal grew hot against her skin. Across the forest, Elder Mira stood before the Alpha Council, her face grim in the torchlight. "We cannot wait any longer," she revealed. "The Blood Moon rises tomorrow night. If Liana is to be recognized as Luna, she must finish the Third Trial." "But she isn't here," growled one of the council members.
"The Test of Spirit requires the candidate's presence." Mira's eyes gleamed with ancient knowledge. "Not necessarily. There is... a choice." Kael stepped forward, his face weary from lack of sleep. Rowan's screams still echoed in his ears. "What alternative?" "The triplet bond," Mira explained. "If you three face the trial in her place, your shared connection can serve as a tether. It might even strengthen what's being broken." "And if it doesn't work?" asked another council member. "Then we lose everything," Mira said simply. Kael looked at his father, the current Alpha, who nodded once. "Prepare the sacred cave," Kael ordered. "And bring Jace back from Darius's camp—whatever it takes." Jace watched Liana thrash in her sleep, dark sweat beading on her forehead. The attack had passed, but something was still wrong. Her eyes moved rapidly beneath her lids, fighting some invisible war. "What's happening to her?" he asked when Darius entered. "Magic," Darius said, his voice tight. "Someone powerful is targeting her bonds." "Celeste," Jace spat. A howl pierced the night—low and sad. Jace recognized it instantly. "That's the Alpha's call... for me." "Ignore it," Darius said. "You're safer here." But Jace heard what hid beneath the words. Not you're safer here. We're safer with you here. With him as a hostage. "I need to go outside," Jace said, trying his injured leg. "Just for a moment." Darius paused, then nodded. "Five minutes. No more."
The moment Jace limped into the forest, strong arms grabbed him. He didn't fight. "About time," he whispered to his brother's scouts. "Took you long enough." The holy cave glowed with blue crystals embedded in the walls. At its middle, a pool of black water reflected nothing, not even the torches surrounding it. Kael and Rowan waited as the scouts brought Jace in. Rowan looked terrible—his skin pale, dark lines visible beneath the surface. The curse was winning. "How long does he have?" Jace asked Mira. "Hours. Maybe less," she answered. "That's why we must act now." Jace looked at his brothers. Despite everything, they were still blood. "So what's the plan? We take a special bath and save our mate?" "The Test of Spirit isn't a joke," Kael snapped. "We'll face our deepest fears in there." "Sounds fun," Jace said, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Mira put a silver bowl before each brother. "Drink. Then enter the pool." The liquid tasted bitter.
As Kael swallowed his piece, he felt his knees weaken. Together, the three brothers stepped into the black water and lay back, letting it cover them fully. In Darius's camp, Liana sat up with a gasp. Her body felt strange—like she was in three places at once. "Jace?" she called, but he was gone. A wave of dizziness hit her. Suddenly, she wasn't in the tent anymore, but floating in darkness. The Third Trial has begun, mumbled a voice that sounded like Elder Mira. Watch and learn who your mates truly are. Kael found himself standing alone in the pack grounds. Everything was burning. Bodies lay everywhere—wolves he was supposed to guard. In the middle stood a throne of bones, and on it sat a figure with his own face. "This is your future," his double said. "Power corrupts. You'll trade everything for control." Kael's heart pounded as he watched pack members bow before his darker self. "I would never hurt them." "Wouldn't you? For the greater good?" The double laughed. "You've already started. Keeping lies. Making choices for others. Playing god." Kael saw Liana's face mirrored in a pool of blood at his feet. "I only wanted to protect her."
"By controlling her," the double corrected. "Just like your father controlled her mother." The truth hit Kael like a physical blow. "My father... what did he do?" Jace blinked and found himself back at the training grounds. A crowd watched as he fought Kael, just like they had hundreds of times before. But this time, no matter what he did, Jace couldn't land a single hit. "Always second best," the crowd yelled. "Never good enough." Jace fought harder, his muscles burning. "I'm more than just the spare!" "Are you?" asked Liana's voice. He turned to see her watching from the stands, disappointment in her eyes. "You had to trick me with a potion because you knew I'd never choose you otherwise." Shame burned through him. "That's not true. I love you." "You love being first for once," she responded. "I was just your chance to beat Kael at something." The words cut deeper than any knife. "No," Jace whispered. "I made a mistake, but what I feel now is real." His view blurred as tears filled his eyes. When they cleared, he saw the truth of his fear: not that he wasn't good enough, but that he would never be believed even when he was. Rowan's hearing was the most brutal. He stood before a mirror, watching as his image twisted and changed. Black lines spread across his face. His teeth extended into fangs. "This is your destiny," growled his reflection. "The curse will win." Behind him, Rowan saw his brothers backing away in fear. Liana looked at him with fear. "I'm not a monster," Rowan declared.
"Then why can't you control it?" the mirror asked. "The darkness has always been inside you." Rowan felt the familiar burn of the curse rising. "I've fought it my whole life." "And you're losing," the reflection said. "You need Liana to save you. That's the only reason you want her—as a cure." The accusation stung because part of it was true. But not all of it. "I love her for who she is," Rowan said. "Even if she can't save me." Liana felt their pain as if it were her own. She saw their trials, felt their fears. And through their eyes, she began to see herself differently—not as a prize to be won, but as a person they each loved in their own way. But something else was revealing itself too. As Darius slept nearby, guarding her, memories flickered through her mind—not her own, but her mother's, preserved somehow in the pendant. She saw Darius arguing with her mother. Saw him grabbing her arm when she refused to join his rebellion. Saw him threatening the baby—Liana herself—if her mother didn't help him. "He's been lying to me," Liana whispered, her heart breaking. Carefully, she slipped from her bed and out of the tent.
The camp was quiet, most fighters asleep. Perfect time to look for answers. Near Darius's tent stood a small hut watched by two wolves. They bowed their heads when they saw her—a sign of respect for her royal blood. Or so she thought. "I need to check something inside," she told them. They paused, then stepped aside. "The master said you might come. Said you're finally ready to see the truth." A chill ran down Liana's spine as she pushed open the door. A set of stairs led down into darkness. The smell hit her first—fear, pain, and desperation. At the bottom, a flickering torch showed rows of cages. Inside each one was a wolf—some in human form, some shifted. All wore silver collars that stopped them from changing or using their full strength. "Luna, help us," one whispered when he saw her. Liana's hand flew to her mouth.
These weren't enemy wolves—these were packmates. Wolves from Shadowfang who had gone lost over the years. "What is this place?" she gasped. "His collection," said a familiar voice from the dark. Talia stepped forward, her bright red hair now dull, a silver collar around her neck. "Welcome to the truth about your uncle, Liana. He's not saving wolves—he's collecting their power." Behind her, the door to the underground jail slammed shut.