The air in the Sacred Hollow was thick with anticipation.
Above, the moon loomed full and heavy, its pale light falling through the branches like a blessing—or a warning. Torches burned at the edges of the ancient stone arena, their flames swaying in the breeze. The pack had gathered, forming a circle of silence and judgment. No one spoke. No one moved. Even the forest seemed to hold its breath.
In the center stood Olivia.
Clad in black training leathers and a silver crescent moon pendant around her neck, she looked like a shadow forged by light. Her braid swung over one shoulder, and though her heart thundered in her chest, her face was calm. Focused. Determined.
Across from her stood Eunice.
The warrior princess of the Northern Pack. Clad in dark armor, a jagged blade at her side, her posture sharp and coiled. Her pale hair was tied in a high knot, and her blue eyes glittered with a mix of fury and certainty.
Eunice had been born for this.
Olivia had been chosen for it.
"Let the Trial of Blood and Moon begin," called Elder Malric, his voice echoing across the stone. "By ancient law, the bond shall be tested. Should the challenger succeed, the fated Luna shall be unseated. If she fails, the bond shall stand unbroken and eternal."
Alex stood behind the ring of stone, watching—his arms crossed, his jaw clenched. His golden eyes didn't leave Olivia, not for a second.
He wasn't allowed to intervene. No one was.
This was her trial alone.
---
Eunice was the first to move.
She lunged, fast and deadly, slashing forward with her blade. Olivia dodged—barely. She rolled across the stone, drawing her training dagger from her belt, heart pounding.
"You don't belong here," Eunice hissed as their blades clashed. "You were never meant to be Luna. You're weak."
Olivia gritted her teeth, parrying the next blow. "You think strength is measured by the sword? Then you've never known real power."
Their weapons met in a spark of steel. The crowd gasped. Olivia twisted low and struck with her elbow, catching Eunice in the ribs. But Eunice recovered instantly, spinning and kicking Olivia hard across the shoulder. She stumbled, hitting the ground.
Pain shot through her arm—but she got up.
Alex's voice echoed in her mind.
"Get up. Always get up."
She rose.
---
The battle continued—fierce and fast.
Eunice's strikes were brutal, honed by years of training. Olivia's were instinctive, flexible, reactive. She flowed like water, dodging, weaving, countering—not overpowering, but surviving.
"She's holding her own," murmured one of the pack warriors.
But Olivia knew she needed more than survival. She needed to prove herself.
She needed to win.
When Eunice rushed again, Olivia dropped low, swept her leg, and sent her crashing to the ground. For a moment, the crowd went silent.
Eunice snarled and shifted—half-wolf, her eyes glowing, claws lengthening.
The crowd gasped. "She's invoking her wolf!"
Olivia's breath hitched. The trial allowed it—but it was rare. Dangerous. Wild.
"You won't last a minute like this," Eunice growled, her voice distorted and feral.
But something shifted in Olivia too.
Deep within her, her wolf stirred—slow, steady, powerful. For too long it had slumbered, quiet and observing. But now it rose, responding not to fear—but to purpose.
Moonlight touched her skin—and Olivia shifted.
Not fully. Just enough. Her eyes glowed silver. Her nails turned to claws. Her senses sharpened. For the first time, she stood as both girl and wolf—balanced, fierce, and free.
Their final clash came like thunder.
Blades dropped. Fangs bared. Claws struck against claw. Olivia dodged Eunice's wild swings, letting instinct guide her. She ducked, turned, then leapt—pinning Eunice to the ground with a burst of raw power.
Eunice gasped, blood at her lip, Olivia's claw at her throat.
Olivia held her there—not to kill, but to prove.
To the pack.
To the moon.
To herself.
"I didn't steal this bond," she said, voice shaking with truth. "I earned it—by surviving, by rising, by answering the call I never asked for."
Eunice went still.
Then, with a choked breath, she whispered, "Then do it. Finish it."
But Olivia stepped back. "No. I fight to protect, not destroy."
The Elders stepped forward.
"Enough!" Elder Malric's voice rang through the Hollow. "The trial is complete. The challenger has been defeated. The bond stands—unbroken and eternal."
The crowd erupted in shocked silence—then applause. Wolves howled into the sky.
Alex moved fast, crossing the arena in seconds. He reached Olivia just as her knees buckled and caught her in his arms.
"You did it," he whispered, brushing her hair back.
She leaned into him, exhausted, heart pounding with emotion.
"I didn't do it alone," she murmured.
Above them, the moon shone brighter than ever—full, proud, and glowing with approval.
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