CHAPTER 8

Aria POV

"The first trial starts tomorrow at dawn!"

Those words had been stuck in my head all day. Playing over and over like a song I couldn't stop hearing.

Now the sun was almost down. And I was in very big trouble.

The Trial of Strength. A fighting tournament. In wolf form.

There was just one tiny problem with that.

I couldn't shift.

My wolf had only woken up a few days ago. When I first saw the kings. Before that, she was completely silent. My whole life. Twenty-three years of nothing.

I had never shifted into wolf form. Not once. Not ever.

And now I had less than twelve hours to figure out how to do it. Or I would be sent home on the very first day.

My father would love that. He would laugh in my face. Tell me he knew all along I would fail.

"You're going to wear a hole in the ground."

I looked up. Luna was walking toward me, her face full of worry.

"You've been pacing for an hour, Aria. What's wrong?"

"I can't shift." The words came out in a rush. I couldn't hold them back anymore.

"What?"

"My wolf is awake now. I can feel her in there. But I've never actually shifted before. Never. And the trial is tomorrow morning, Luna. Tomorrow!"

Her eyes went huge. "Okay. Okay, don't panic. We can figure this out."

"How?" My voice went high and crazy. "I tried everything! Meditation. Running until I couldn't breathe. I even tried getting really angry on purpose. Nothing works! She won't come out!"

"Did you ask anyone for help? Maybe one of the witches could—"

"And tell everyone I can't even do basic wolf stuff?" I shook my head so hard it hurt. "I can't do that. It would prove my father was right about me. That I'm worthless. That I don't belong here. That I'm a mistake who should never have been born."

"Aria." Luna grabbed my shoulders and made me look at her. "You are not worthless. You are not a mistake. And you belong here just as much as anyone else. Maybe more."

"Then why can't I shift?" My voice cracked. Tears burned my eyes. "Why is my own wolf fighting against me?"

She didn't have an answer. Neither did I.

We tried for hours after that. Luna coached me through breathing exercises. We ran through the woods together, hoping the movement would help. She even threw rocks at me, thinking fear might trigger the change.

Nothing worked. Nothing.

The sun started going down. Orange and pink painted the sky. Luna went back to the castle to find food. She promised to come back soon.

But I couldn't face anyone right now. I couldn't face my own failure.

I walked deeper into the forest. Away from everything. Away from everyone.

I found a small clearing by a stream. The water made soft, peaceful sounds. I sat down on a flat rock and put my head in my hands.

And then I cried.

Stupid tears. Weak tears. Tears my father would mock me for.

All my life, I was told I was nothing. All my life, I tried to prove I was more than that. And now, when it mattered most, I was failing.

Just like my father always said I would.

"Crying won't help you shift."

I jerked my head up. Wiped my face fast with shaking hands.

King Darius stood at the edge of the clearing. His dark blue eyes watched me without blinking.

"What are you doing here?" I tried to sound strong. It came out weak and broken.

"I could ask you the same thing." He walked closer. His steps were silent on the forest floor. Like a ghost. Or a predator. "The trial is in less than twelve hours. You should be resting. Preparing."

"I can't rest. I can't even—" I stopped. I didn't want to admit my weakness to him. To anyone.

"You can't shift." It wasn't a question. He already knew.

I stared at him. "How did you know?"

"I've been watching you. All day." He sat down on a rock across from me. "You move like someone who has never been in wolf form. Your body doesn't know the balance yet. The way you walk, the way you carry yourself... it's obvious if you know what to look for."

"So you came out here to laugh at me? To tell me I'm pathetic?"

"No." His voice was calm. Steady. Like always. "I came to help."

That surprised me so much I forgot to be angry. "Why? Why would you help me?"

"Because whether I like it or not, you are my mate." He said it like a simple fact. Like the sky is blue. Like water is wet. "And I will not watch you fail when I have the power to help you succeed."

He stood and held out his hand toward me. "Come here."

I hesitated. Searched his cold face for any sign he was mocking me. Found nothing but patience.

I took his hand. His grip was cool and firm. He pulled me to my feet.

"The problem," he said, "is that you are fighting yourself. Your wolf is awake now. But you are not letting her out. You are treating her like an enemy instead of a partner."

"I'm trying to let her out—"

"Trying isn't enough. You have to surrender."

"Surrender to what?"

"To her. To yourself." He moved behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Close your eyes."

I did what he said. My heart was beating fast at how close he was.

"Feel your wolf," his voice came from right behind me. Low and steady. "She is inside you. Not separate from you. She IS you. The wild part. The powerful part. The part you have been hiding your entire life."

I reached inside myself. Searching. And I found her. My wolf. Curled up in the back of my mind. Watching me with wary eyes.

"Good," Darius said. "Now don't try to force her. Don't grab at her. Invite her instead. Let her know it's safe to come out."

"Safe? What do you mean?"

"You spent your whole life being told you're not good enough. Being told you're weak. Being told you're worthless. Your wolf felt all of that too. Every cruel word. Every hit. Every time someone made you feel small." His hands tightened slightly on my shoulders. "She's been hiding to protect you. To protect both of you. You need to show her it's okay to come out now. That you're not hiding anymore."

His words hit me like a punch. All those years of making myself small. Of hiding who I was. Of pretending to be less so my father wouldn't notice me. Wouldn't hurt me.

My wolf had been doing the same thing. Hiding to survive.

I reached for her again. Not with force this time. With understanding. With love.

It's okay, I told her silently. I understand now. I'm not hiding anymore. Neither should you. We're safe here. We can be ourselves.

Something shifted inside me. Like a wall crumbling. Like a door opening.

"That's it," Darius said. "Let go."

Heat rushed through my body. My bones started to crack and change. Fur grew on my skin. White fur, spreading everywhere. I dropped to four legs as my body shifted and changed into something new.

And then it was done.

I stood in the clearing on four legs. Seeing the world through wolf eyes. Everything was sharper. Clearer. More alive. I could smell the forest, the water, Darius. I could hear animals moving far away. Could see colors I didn't have names for.

I did it. I actually did it!

I turned to look at Darius, my tail wagging. I expected him to nod. Maybe even smile.

But he wasn't moving. He was frozen completely still. Staring at me with an expression I had never seen on his cold face before.

Horror. Wonder. And deep, terrible fear.

What? What's wrong?

"Your wolf," he breathed. His voice was shaking. King Darius. Shaking. "Aria. Look at yourself."

I padded to the stream on trembling legs. Looked down at my reflection in the dark water.

My wolf was white. Pure, bright white. Like fresh snow glowing in moonlight. Like something out of a fairy tale.

And my eyes. My eyes were silver. Gleaming like tiny moons.

I had never seen a wolf like this. Not in my pack. Not anywhere. Never in my whole life.

I shifted back to human form. It was easier now that I understood how. I stood before Darius in my regular body, my heart racing.

"What does this mean?" I asked. My voice came out small and scared.

He stepped closer. His storm-blue eyes searched my face like he was seeing me for the very first time.

"White wolves have not existed for three hundred years," he said slowly. "Not since the First Luna."

"The First Luna? Who is that?"

"The most powerful wolf in all of history. She was blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. And her bloodline... her descendants... they were supposed to be extinct. Dead and gone for centuries."

"Supposed to be?" My voice was barely a whisper.

He reached out and touched my face. His cool fingers brushed my cheek like he was checking if I was real. Or just a dream.

"Impossible," he whispered. "You're not just our mate, Aria. You're the one the curse was made for."