Chapter 4: The Weight of Confidence

Kael's POV 

The Moon Mirror was a wide disc of silver-coated glass, ancient enough that the frame had worn smooth in the places generations of Alphas had gripped it. It sat in the private watch chamber adjacent to the council room, mounted on a stone pedestal, and it showed whatever you asked it to show — as long as what you asked was within pack territory.

And I had asked it to show me Keira.

She was at the tree line now, standing at the edge of the Moonthorn Forest in the dark with nothing but a dagger in her hand.

'Mine!' My wolf growled. 

'Go get her!'

'No, you fool. This is her trial.' I responded, trying to calm him down. But it was to no avail. I ignored him and fixed my attention on Keira. 

She didn't even care to look back at the Pack grounds another glance before she walked into the cover of the trees. There was no hesitation in her steps. Her gait was poised and confident. 

Yes. This was the Keira I knew. 

I turned to the remaining two elders in the room, trying to guage their reactions. Elder Voss was quiet and watching patiently. His expression was unreadable. 

Elder Gromul had a dark expression of expectation, like a man certain he already knew the ending.

I scoffed inwardly. He didn't know who she was. 

Recalling the day I first met Keira, a smile tugged at my lips. She had been on the run, being chased by a werewolf from another Pack. Judging by the condition I found both of them in, I could tell that she had stressed him out with the chase and he had only been able to catch up to her with his overwhelming strength and speed. I had killed him before he could do anything to her. And it was at that moment that the mate bond activated. 

I hadn't even gotten a proper look at her face before the Moon Goddess had made her move, bonding us together. By the time I got a proper look at her, I was anything but disappointed. She had a wild kind of beauty and charm that just drew me in. And in that moment, her status became irrelevant to me. 

But she was still bothered by it though. She wouldn't relax around me until I promised to protect her and keep her safe.

Speaking of which... Maybe that was why she had looked at me the way she did when I had pushed her toward the trial. Like I had broken something.

Could that have been?

If so, she was mistaken. I wasn't abandoning my promise. I was honouring it in the only way the council would allow. It was because I believed in her that I could let her go in there. I could step in if things truly went wrong. But I was confident in her abilities.

"Oh? She moves quite quickly." Elder Voss remarked. 

"She's stronger than she looks." I replied with a smile as I turned my attention back to the mirror. 

"All of that doesn't matter in the forest." Elder Gromul grumbled. "Without the grace of the Moon Goddess, she'll just fail the trial woefully." 

Of course, I let his words fly over my ears. I had never liked Gromul, not even under my father's reign. But there was nothing I could do about his presence in the council. 

"You look tired, Alpha Kael." A familiar voice spoke at my side. I turned my head. 

Lyra. 

I'd known her for years. There was a time I had half expected the Moon Goddess to choose her. She hadn't.

"I'm fine." I said flatly, turning back to the mirror. 

She didn't move away. 

"Are you hungry? There's some food if you want to eat."

At the moment, Keira was still moving through the forest slowly, being careful and observant of her surroundings to not fall into any trap or into the maws of any wild beast. 

I felt something slide against my arm. Lyra was inching closer to me in a weirdly affectionate manner. 

"What is it?"

"It's a long night, Kael. You don't have to sit here all night. She may not even find the flower."

"She will find it."

"Even if she does, it's probably going to take the whole night. She's not finding it anytime soon." 

With that, she tugged on my arm and pulled. 

"Come get some rest and freshen up. You've had a long day."

Her voice was firm and gentle, but also very tempting. 

I drew my attention back to Keira. At the moment, she was also resting as she hid, waiting for a beast to pass her current position. 

The night was still long. And I really could use a break from this council chamber. Just a quick rest and I'd be back to watch Keira complete the trial. 

I rose to my feet, earning the gaze of both elders. 

"I'll be back shortly." 

Lyra followed me closely behind as I stepped out. I waited till I was out under the moon where no one was close before addressing her. 

"Why are you following me?"

"I also need some rest." She said simply.

I kept walking, expecting that she'd go her own way and leave me alone. 

But she didn't.

Lyra kept following me around, through the corridor, through the courtyard, all the way into the main building. Every time I turned to address her, she had a different answer ready. Eventually, I walked into my bed chamber and locked the door behind me. 

But she didn't leave. Her presence and scent stuck to the door like glue. 

I exhaled roughly through my nose, moved to the bed, and lay down. My wolf protested.

'Go back. She's still in there.'

'She's fine. I'd feel it if she wasn't.'

But he didn't accept that answer.

And just like that. I was in my room, while Keira was in the forest undergoing a trial to be my Luna. It felt wrong, but it wasn't like I had a choice. Especially with that girl outside my door. 

I closed my eyes a bit, focusing on the connection between me and Keira. She seemed to be fine, but my wolf wouldn't stop bugging me. So I ignored him and tried to think of something else. 

My mind drifted into stray thoughts. 

***

KNOCK! KNOCK!

My eyes were jolted open by a loud banging on my door. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. 

That had gone too far. Lyra had no business banging on my door like that. Whether she was the daughter of a noble or not. I moved towards the door and opened it. 

"You shouldn't knock—" The words hung on my tongue. 

It wasn't Lyra. 

"Elder Voss?" He stood there, a disapproving frown on his face.

"Have you been sleeping?" 

I frowned in annoyance. 

"What are you talking about? I stepped away for a few minutes."

He stared in disbelief. 

"A few minutes." He repeated it flatly. "Then explain how Keira found the flower and came out of the forest injured just before dawn in those few minutes."

My mind blanked, and my wolf began to erupt. 

"What?"

He turned around and pointed at an high window. The stark darkness of the night was beginning to fade into dawn. 

"She's already leaving the forest." He added and walked away. 

My heart grew cold. I didn't think of anything else before breaking into a sprint. 

My destination? The Moonthorn forest. 

***

I reached the tree line as the first grey light of dawn broke over the pack grounds. People were already moving towards the forest ahead of me. Attendants, a healer... all converging at the tree lines

Towards someone.

I saw her before I reached her. She was on both knees in the dirt, one hand pressed against her side and her clothes were torn. Blood trickled down from a wound I couldn't fully see yet. But she was okay. She was breathing.

And she was still holding the flower.

My chest thudded with an emotion I could not explain. 

I crossed the remaining distance and stopped in front of her. She looked up at me. But her eyes were cold. 

"Keira—" My voice came out rougher than I intended. "You're injured. Are you—"

"Like you didn't know I would be."

The words were gentle and calm, but filled with judgement. That made it worse.

"What?" I stared at her, trying to understand what I was looking at. She had found the flower. She had survived. I had known she would. Why was she—

"I'm done here."

But she was already pushing herself to her feet and trying to walk away. 

"No, wait..." I turned around and raised my voice. "Where's the healer?" 

She needed help first. 

Another lady and the healer, came to support her to her feet. 

Keira's jaw tightened as she tried to hold back the pain. Refusing to look at me anymore as they moved past me. 

I stood there. The guilt of what I'd done piercing deep into my heart.