Chapter 4 : How Will I Prove Myself

My lips thinned as Jared continued to circle me as if I was prey that he was going to play with before eating.

I felt myself bristling when he looked at me and smirked. I had been silent long enough. 

“And how will I prove myself?” I demanded, gritting my teeth.

He ignored me and took his time making his way back to his throne. Once he sat down, he looked at his pack and answered, speaking more to them than to me.

“As we all know, water has been scarce over the past several weeks,” he said, his deep voice ringing in my ears. “If this rogue is able to solve the issue, not only will I spare her life, but she will also be allowed to remain in our pack.”

Jared grinned wickedly down at me right as I felt the grimace form across my face. His look made it obvious that this would be no easy feat, in fact, it was likely going to be impossible.

I was tempted to yell right in his face that I had no interest in helping the likes of him. He was setting me up to fail anyway. So I opened my mouth to spit out something along those lines, but then Uncle’s last words echoed in my head.

Stay alive and you must find him!

Suddenly feeling resigned, I lowered my head. 

There was little choice for me in the matter. No matter how likely I was to fail this challenge, I had to try. As much as I wanted to turn my back on this arrogant alpha, the number of rogues in the area seemed to be rising exponentially, making it more difficult to survive on my own. And without my wolf, it was just a matter of time before they would eventually get to me. 

Not only that, but I also wouldn’t put it past this jerk to kill me if I refused his challenge, and I promised Uncle that I would do whatever it took to survive. I owed that much to my loved ones. They had placed all their hope in me.

Jared stared down at me as if I was a bug crawling beneath his feet, which made my face grow hot with fury. My fists clenched, trembling and I felt like finding a mountain peak to stand on so I could scream at the top of my lungs. 

I couldn’t even remember the last time I was this angry.

It wasn’t just rage that I was feeling, however. This man was able to wriggle his way beneath the thick skin that I had developed over the last eight years. How was that possible when we had only just met?

I swallowed thickly and held my head up high. “I accept.”

Nobody moved as my voice echoed through the chamber.

Jared smirked in a low voice, “A wise choice.” 

He faced his pack again. “The rogue will have twenty-four hours to complete the task.”

My jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Alpha, please!” Avery pleaded, stepping forward slightly. “Surely you don’t think that’s nearly enough time. We’ve been trying to solve this issue for weeks now.”

The redhead whirled her head around so she could glare at Avery. "Shut up! He’s made up his mind. You've shown enough disrespect for one day!"

Avery's green eyes glinted as she spoke to the other woman for the first time. "And what gives you the authority to speak out of turn in front of our Alpha?"

The woman's face turned just as red as her hair as she glared wordlessly at Avery.

Jared narrowed his eyes down at the two. They immediately stepped away from each other and bowed their heads respectfully. He then waved a hand at me. “You’d best get going if you even want a chance at succeeding.”

Without saying any more words, Avery grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd toward the doors. She ignored the hostile looks from the rest of the pack as we crossed the large room.

“Alpha Jared, don’t you think that Avery was way out of line? She shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. And to defend a rogue of all things?”

Avery gritted her teeth but didn’t turn toward the annoying voice of the girl. 

“Who does that bitch think she is?” she mumbled. “She has no right to act like the Luna of the pack!”

Something in Avery’s tone gave me the feeling that this wasn’t the first time the two have been at each other's throats.

Avery squeezed my hand once we stepped outside. The nighttime breeze was cool, causing little bumps to appear on my skin. “We must make haste. I’ll show you to the river.”

“Thank you,” I said softly. I meant it, from the bottom of my heart. “You didn’t have to stand up for me, but you did and I’m forever grateful for it.”

Avery’s green eyes shone. “I haven’t known you long, but somehow, I know that you would have done the same for me.”

When we finally arrived at the river, it was immediately clear that something was very wrong. It was a wide river, however, the water level was low, probably only to my knees if I stood in it.

Avery explained, “The weather has been normal, nothing dramatic happened as far as we know, but starting about three months ago, we started to notice that the water level has been decreasing drastically.”

I listened to her as I inspected the water from the shore. The bottom was clearly visible even in the dark.

Avery sighed, “I’m sorry, Claire, I shouldn’t have pulled you into all this—”

“Avery,” I interrupted her, “you have nothing to apologize for. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have escaped the rogue. You’ve given me a chance to live.”

Avery didn’t seem convinced. She dropped her head, much like she had in front of her Alpha. “I’d hardly call it a chance. It’s not fair! How can he expect you to resolve something in a day when an entire pack was unable to in weeks?”

My affection for the young healer was steadily growing. I assured her, “I’ll figure it out, I promise.”

If I was being honest, had the task been anything else, I would have been devastated now. But this specific assignment Jared gave me… 

I couldn’t hide the hope rising in my heart, because I actually did feel a decent level of certainty. Perhaps I did have a chance. Hopefully, the Goddess was on my side this time. 

I needed to confirm my intuition, and I had to do it alone.

“I haven’t eaten in some time,” I said to Avery, “Would it be possible for me to have some food? Perhaps the extra strength will aid me in this task.”

Avery nodded seriously, already turning to go. “Of course,” she said at once. “I’ll be back soon with some food.”

I nodded gratefully and waited until she was gone before turning to face the river.

Staring at the shining surface, I felt the tiniest tug inside of me, urging me forward. I took a few steps until the water was around my ankles.

A sudden sensation emerged. It was as if I could feel the water flowing through the river like it was in my own bloodstream. My eyelids fluttered shut and let the gentle waves brush against me. 

I moved forward toward the center of the river. Though I was now only knee-deep and upright, I felt weightless, as if I were on my back, floating in some calming depths. Something I had often done as a child.

The peace I was enjoying was interrupted when a sudden resistance appeared deep inside my body, and I felt like my own blood could no longer flow. It made me frustrated for no reason, causing me to open my eyes and my breath to hitch.

“Claire?”

I whirled around at Avery’s voice. She was standing on the shore, her eyes wide with confusion.

I hurried out of the water to join her.

“What were you doing?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

I swallowed. I couldn’t tell her the truth, even though I trusted her more than I had anyone else since Uncle’s passing. My instinct told me to keep the strange occurrence to myself, especially since I had no idea what was happening.

“I was trying to get a better view of the river,” I explained.

Thankfully, Avery seemed to trust me a great deal as well so she accepted my explanation. She smiled and held up a box to reveal a few bread rolls and smoked meat.

“These are just some snacks. I can cook a full meal once we are done here, but it should give you some energy now,” she explained.

My stomach growled in anticipation and we sat together on the shore of the river.

“Did you make these?” I asked in amazement. I was eating ravenously as I bit into the soft roll and tore into the meat. 

Avery grinned with a nod, seeming pleased that I was obviously enjoying the food.

“Wow, had you not told me you are the healer, I would totally think you are the pack chef!”

“I like my food better than our chef’s, to be honest.”

“No doubt!” 

I shoved another piece of meat in my mouth as Avery also took a bite of a bread roll. It was almost strange to eat with a companion, but it felt great. 

Avery looked up from her bread. “May I ask how you became a rogue?” 

At the shocked look on my face, she shook her head hard. “I’m sorry. That was rather forward of me. It’s just that you aren’t the typical rogue, and I can’t imagine how you ended up on your own.”

Of course, my situation would raise questions, and I owed Avery an answer. I took a deep breath. “My entire pack was destroyed.”

Avery sucked in a gasp. “I’m so sorry!”

I tried unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in my throat. It had been a while since I last cried over the loss of my family. Clenching my jaw, I tried my best to prevent the sight of blood and screams of terror from filling my mind.

“We should head back.” I stood suddenly, changing the topic. Avery’s eyes widened. “I think I might have found the cause.”

“But how—”

I tried to sound as casual as possible. “Bonus of being a rogue, I guess. I’m quite familiar with water and developed some skills to understand how water flows. It really comes in handy when I need to dive into the water to save myself from other rogues.”

Her jaw almost dropped, but immediately, she bounced up. “Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go tell the Alpha!”

I felt a bit guilty—she didn’t question me, not a single bit. She placed all her trust in me, but I wasn’t one hundred percent honest with her. 

She looked so happy and hopeful that I sent a quick prayer up to the Goddess, pleading with her that I was correct. If I were to pass the trial this time and survive, I would do whatever I could to repay her kindness and trust.

“This is the quickest way back to town!” She took a shortcut through some buildings. 

“Avery, wait for—” The rest of my sentence cut short as I bumped into something firm and warm, causing a powerful jolt to surge through me.

I stumbled back and looked up into a pair of intense eyes—warm, amber-colored but with no feeling. They narrowed at the sight of me, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight. 

But, I couldn’t look away.

Jared’s massive shadow enveloped me, making him more intimidating, but there was that strange pull once again, forcing me to lock gazes with him.

Why, though?

Uncle Ben’s words rang in my ears again and a wild idea flashed through my mind. 

Could it be … him?