CHAPTER SEVEN: TRIAL OF FIRE

The crowd dispersed soon after the fight,their murmurs filled with fear. Ethan carried Sophie away,but not without giving me a death glare. Some pack members whispered that I was cursed,others feared me as a threat. But I ignored them all.

I stood at the edge of the training ground,trembling as the adrenaline drained from my body. My power hummed just beneath my skin,strange,but comforting. But beneath my victory over Sophie still lies one question gnawing at me. What had I become?.

Alexander watched from afar,his golden eyes unreadable,he hadn't interfered in our fight,but his presence weighed heavily on everyone. As the rest of the pack drifted away,he approached me,his steps deliberate.

“You've stirred the hive,Lea. Do you think they will simply accept what they've just seen? . He said calmly,yet his voice was laced with warning.

I swallowed hard,meeting his gaze. “I don't care what they think. I proved myself already.”

He tilted his head,his smirk faint,but sharp,” You just proved to all that you are a threat. And threats are rarely left unchecked”.

I opened my mouth to respond,but a deep growl cut me off. My body tensed as Ethan emerged from the shadows,his face twisted with rage.

“You don't think this is over,do you?. He spat,his voice low and menacing. “You humiliated my mate. You humiliated me.”

“Don't blame me for her weakness.” I shot back. My voice was steady despite my nerves running haywire.

Ethan shifted right in front of my eyes,his brown form towering over me. His lips curled into a snarl,and the pack members still lingering around gasped in surprise.

“Ethan,” Alexander called him,his voice cold and commanding. “Stand down”.

Ethan's growls faltered,but he didn't shift back. Instead he lunged at me.

I watched in slow motion as Ethan’s wolf closed in. I noticed Alexander trying to intercept his attack. But I was faster. Even though my instincts told me to flee,my wolf rose forward instead,the fire in me roaring to life. I met him head on,our bodies colliding with a force that shook the ground.

Pains shot through my shoulder as Ethan’s claw raked across my fur,but I refused to yield. My wolf growled fiercely,her glow flaring brighter as we pushed against Ethan's brute strength.

He snapped at my neck,but I sucked,my claws slashing across his side. Blood sprayed the ground and Ethan howled with fury.

Ethan lunged again,faster this time,but I side stepped,slashing at his hind leg. He stumbled and I used the opportunity to pin him to the ground,the same way he had pinned me during his mating ritual. My glowing eyes locked into his as my fangs snapped at his throat . Although I knew he can throw my small wolf away from himself easily.

“Enough!.” Alpha Rowan’s voice thundered through the clearing. “Stand down. Both of you.”

Ethan bucked violently and threw me off him before shifting back into his human form.

“This is what she wants,” he shouted,pointing at me accusingly. “She wants to divide the pack,to destroy what we've built.”

“You think I am the one tearing this pack apart?”. I shot back,my voice laced with fury,as I pushed my red hair angrily away from my face .“You and Sophie betrayed me. Framing me for something I didn't do”.

Ethan sneered,”Maybe you are not as innocent as you claimed to be. Lea. After all,look at yourself. Red fur,glowing eyes. You are not like us. You never were.

His words hurt,but I refused to let it show. “No. I'm not like you.” I said,stepping closer to him. And that's why I will survive,while you clung to your lies spitting Luna “.

Ethan growled,and Alpha Rowan glowered at me before leaving the clearing.

I hear Alexander chuckling softly behind me,I turned to see him reclining against the tree. “You are in for a long ride,Lea. A really long one.”

******

The pack was restless that night. Whispers of rebellion and fear spread everywhere. Sophie's wounds will heal,but her pride has been wounded. And her supporters grew louder in their hatred for me.

Alexander called for me as the moon rose.

“You've set something in motion Lea, “ he said when I arrived at his quarters. His eyes bore into mine,a mixture of frustration and pride. “You have shown them strength they don't understand”.

“I didn't ask for any of this” I replied, exhaustion seeping into my voice. “What am I supposed to do?.”

“You need to find out who you are.” He said,his voice softening. “But if you are going to stay here. You'll need allies. And quickly.”

“Where do I start?.” I asked,my voice barely above a whisper.

His golden eyes gleamed. “ The truth. About your wolf. About your bloodline. And about the prophecy they are trying so hard to bury.”

*****

The next morning,I awoke to chaos. I dragged myself outside. Curiosity overshadowed my exhaustion. 

The scene before me left me speechless,the air was thick with smoke,and distant howls echoed across the pack,many wolves were rushing towards the borders.

“What's happening?” I asked a nearby wolf.

“Rogues.” He said breathlessly. “They have breached the eastern perimeter”.

My heart dropped to my foot. Rogues were a rare and dangerous threat. Feral wolves who attack without a reason or prior warning.

I turned towards the forest,my eyes searching for Alexander. As I ran towards the fray,a chilling realization stopped me cold.

The howls weren't random. They were organized. When I reached the border,a wolf caught my attention,his fur was as dark as night,and eyes as crimson as blood.

A voice echoed in my mind,deep and unfamiliar. “Finally. It's time Lea,you can't run anymore.”