Page 40 of Shattered and Saved

“It does to me,” I insisted, grasping her hand and lowering it gently to intertwine our fingers. Grief struck me as I continued, “I might not have a pack anymore, Avril…” I paused, inhaling a deep breath. “But I’m still an alpha. It’s in my blood and in my heart. I know respect has to be earned. Right now, the pack accepts me because you ordered them to - because they respectyou. I want to be worthy of their respect, too.”

For a moment, all she did was stare back at me. She seemed to understand the importance this challenge held to me just by looking into my eyes.

With a sigh, she gave in. “If it’ll make you feel better.” Disheartenment gradually faded from her voice as she invited, “Come on. I might know a couple of tricks Theo and Elijah haven’t taught you yet.”

A half-smile spread over my lips as I muttered a grateful, “Thank you.”

25

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K O E N

“You’ve had no shortageof excitement in the arena lately, have you, Ashen Wolves?” Avril’s voice echoed through the expansive space, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the shifters on the viewing deck.

She lowered her head momentarily, flashing a quick glance at me as we stood side by side in the center, before addressing the crowd again. “Today’s challenger, however, is anything but ordinary. He’s neither an Ashen Wolf nor a member of our pack. Yet after living among us for over a month, he’s asked to prove that he has no intention of being a freeloader.

"Koen might not share our blood, but I’ve seen in him the same determination that unites us all. I’ve deemed him worthy of participating in this sacred tradition, and I hope today he’ll not only validate my faith in him but also surprise you all by becoming the first regular wolf to beat the trials.”

A weight of expectation settled over me as she finished her speech. Confidence came naturally to me as an alpha, and experience had taught me humility. Ambition often urged me to push my limits, but I knew better than to bite off more than I could chew. I wasn’t afraid of failure - only of disappointing her.

Then her gaze met mine, steady and brimming with unshakable confidence. It immediately eased the tension within me.

“You got this,” she whispered, her hand not-so-accidentally brushing mine as she headed toward the nearest stairs to watch my performance.

As soon as she was gone and I stood alone in the middle of the arena, adrenaline began pumping through my veins. I lifted my head to meet the stares of dozens of Ashen Wolves. Some, who seemed to have grown fonder of me over the past few weeks, exhibited only excitement. Others looked skeptical, mocking smiles plastered on their faces as if they were here solely to enjoy the spectacle of my failure. A few wore more serious expressions, clearly unfazed that an outsider had been allowed to partake in their tradition.

They were the ones I had to please the most. If I failed to prove myself today, it wouldn’t just erase the little progress I had made with the members of Azure Smoke so far, it would also ruin Avril’s reputation. I couldn’t allow that.

“We won’t fail,”Col growled, his hackles raised with aggressive determination inside my head. He was itching to come forth.

And, as soon as the lights shut out, I let him.

I could feel the earth trembling beneath his paws, the harsh screech of metal ringing in his ears. When both stopped and dim lights flickered to life, we stood between towering metal walls. Test number one, The Maze, had begun.

Even if I hadn’t witnessed each individual challenge Oliver faced two days ago, my instincts would have guided me. A single sniff was enough for my wolf to catch the scent of the rabbit hiding inside the maze, and he wasted no time to start navigating through it.

Since I lacked the natural resistance to fire that Ashen Wolves possessed, I had to be extra careful not to set off any traps. A burst of fire could, at best, slow me down, and at worst, leave me badly injured. Thankfully, my training sessions withTheo had not only helped me understand the specific advantages his kind had over me but also taught me where I could outmatch them.

While Ashen Wolves were more prone to being dominated by instinct, I found it easier to keep a clear mind. Even as Col dashed through the metal labyrinth after our target, the thrill of the chase wasn’t strong enough to cloud my thoughts. Staying focused allowed me to spot the traps before I could trigger them. Furthermore, while Avril’s kind was bulkier and taller, my lighter frame made it less likely for me to set off traps by stepping on them.

But I knew these advantages didn’t make the challenge any easier, and my tactics weren’t fail-proof.

As Col picked up the pace to pounce on the prey at last, he moved too close to the sensor of a trap on the wall. Aware of its presence, he managed to pull back in time, rabbit between his teeth, but the flamethrower was still triggered. Even if he was unharmed, it still blocked our path.

The sudden burst of light made it impossible for an Ashen Wolf to blink past the flames, since their ability only worked in shadowy paths. However, since that was never an option for me to begin with, I had already thought of ways to circumvent it.

Col barely let the setback slow him down. He leapt sideways, his paws striking the opposite wall with precision before springing back to the other. With each bound, he climbed closer to the top of the metal walls until he ultimately propelled himself into the air. His body twisted mid-flight, a perfect spin that carried him over the roaring flamethrower blocking our path. Flames licked dangerously close to his fur, but he sailed through with uncanny precision, landing lightly on the other side.

I caught the sounds of amusement and surprise rippling through the crowd, but I couldn’t afford to focus on them. Time was ticking, and I had to find a way out if I wanted to passthe first test. Blinking between the walls to locate the exit faster wasn’t an option, which meant I had to move quickly while staying careful.

After half a minute of trial and error, I was relieved to spot the end of the maze. Col bolted toward the opening, dropping low to dash beneath a final trap. He reached the other side just as the timer hit zero, and green lights flashed to signal our success. Trial one was complete.

Three more to go.

Once again, the ground started shaking as the walls retreated into the earth. Thick smoke billowed through pipes lining the arena, quickly swallowing the space in darkness. The test was designed to assess an Ashen Wolf’s ability to meld with the shadows, using them as an advantage. To me, it only obscured my vision. But I didn’t panic - Theo and Elijah had prepared me for this.

The first burst of bullets fired, the sharp cracks of the shots echoing through the arena. Col darted low, slipping into a roll across the ground to avoid the worst of it. The sand beneath us was fine, almost powdery, and as he scrambled to his feet, he raked his paws through it, kicking up a cloud of dust.

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