Page 42 of Shattered and Saved

This was going to be a battle of endurance. His speed and strength against my grit.

Waylon reappeared once more, this time above me, coming down hard like a falling boulder. I braced for impact, but I was ready. With a growl, I slid to the side, just in time to avoid the full force of his weight crashing into me. But his shoulder clipped mine, sending me sprawling across the dirt.

I regained my footing quickly, feeling the adrenaline flooding my system. Waylon's eyes burned with frustration, but there was something more in them now - something darker, something personal. And that’s when I realized: this wasn’t just a test to him. This wasn’t about proving strength. Waylon had entered this ring for a different reason entirely.

Since I was neither an Ashen Wolf nor a member of Waylon’s pack, I couldn’t mindlink him. Yet, his mind spoke clearly to me now, as if I could hear his thoughts in my own head.

Waylon was challenging me for Avril.

The horn sounded again, signaling the end of the match. I was still standing inside the ring, which meant I had won. But I couldn’t feel the sweet taste of victory on my tongue yet.

When the lights flickered on, neither of us moved. The trials might be over, but this challenge was not. With a growl, I lunged forward, my claws out, my jaws snapping at the air between us. Waylon met me halfway, our collision shaking the arena.

There would be no winner today, no end until one of us lay dead.

26

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A V R I L

Koen’s determinationwas nothing short of admirable. He never missed a single training session, often staying late to sharpen his skills as much as possible. When he wasn’t actively training, he was strategizing ways to compensate for the disadvantages he faced against our kind. Not once did his spirit falter - not when he was beaten repeatedly, nor when the disparity in power seemed insurmountable. Day after day, he pushed himself past his limits to achieve his goal.

His motivation was genuinely inspiring, and it filled me with an inexplicable joy to see his hard work pay off. Test after test, he aced them all, revealing his true strength to everyone. When it came time for his final challenge, I had no doubt he would succeed.

Then, Waylon volunteered, and I couldn’t stop the tremor that ran through me.

When I realized what Koen’s illusion in the test of fear was, I nearly leapt from the viewing deck to interrupt the trials. I couldn’t bear the thought of him reliving the pain of losing his pack - especially when he had barely begun to heal from the ordeal. Theo had to hold me back, urging me to trust in Koen’s resilience, and in the end, I was glad I listened.

But letting Waylon fight him in the ring felt far too dangerous. I should have suspected something from how quiethe’d been lately. It was obvious he was up to something, simply waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I hadn’t given much thought to the threat he’d made to Koen the last time we spoke, but as I watched him descend the stairs with malicious intent, it was all I could think about.

“Don’t,” Theo warned me again, stretching his arm out in front of my chest to block me before I could take my first step. “He can do it, Avril.”

As fear gripped me, I warned him with seriousness, “Get out of the way, Theo. I’m calling it off.”

“Didn’t you say you believed in his ability to beat the trials?” Rhea chimed in, always the voice of reason. “He passed your final test. If he beat you, Waylon will be no trouble to him.”

“I wasn’t trying to harm him, Rhea!” I argued, darting my gaze back to the man. “For all I know, Waylon might try to kill him.”

“He’s not that stupid, Avril,” she insisted. “He knows hurting Koen will be his death sentence.”

As I stared thoughtfully at her, Theo placed a hand on my shoulder, stealing my attention. He leaned closer, eyes on mine as he promised, “Waylon won’t be able to harm him. I trained Koen myself, and I know he is up for the challenge.”

At last, I resigned. Although reluctant, I decided to listen to my friends and allowed the trials to continue. The five minutes that followed were the longest of my life. I couldn’t take my eyes off the ring, intensely analyzing every little move, ready to act if Waylon tried to pull something.

The longer I watched, the more impressed I was with Koen’s performance. Despite the disparity in physical and magical power between the two wolves, my former mate barely let his opponent touch him. It was actually amusing to witness Waylon growing more and more irritated by the second. And whenthe horn blared, announcing the end of the test, I couldn’t be prouder of Koen.

But that was when the fun ended for me.

I couldn’t believe it when Col recklessly went for the adversary again, even after the trials were over. Waylon met him head-on, and they soon became a blur of teeth and claws again. It took me a moment to process it, fury bubbling up to my throat. What the hell were they doing?!

“Idiots!”Kea growled in my head.“We need to stop them, Avril!”

I shot a glance at Theo and said simply, “The trials are over.”

This time, he only nodded and stepped aside. Without a second thought, I climbed onto the railing and leapt into the air. By the time I landed, Kea was out, her paws striking the ground firmly.

Waylon’s beast pinned Col, desperate to sink his jaws into him, when the white wolf delivered a powerful kick, throwing his opponent to the other side of the ring. As the dark-coated warrior prepared to lunge back at the alpha, too blinded by rage to notice my presence, Kea intercepted him. She seized him by the scruff of his neck and hurled him backward once more.

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