LOGINChapter Eighty One – I Wanted to RunTristan’s POVThe voices of the elders slowly faded behind me as I walked away from the training courtyard, yet I could still hear the sound of the stone pillar crashing against the ground. The noise continued echoing inside my head, mixing with the image of Nina standing directly beneath it while every instinct inside me begged me to run to her.My steps remained slow because I could not suddenly forget the role I had been playing over the past few days. Even now, when no one seemed to be paying much attention to me, I forced myself to walk like a man who had not fully recovered. Every movement felt unnatural because my body wanted to move freely, but my mind kept reminding me that one careless mistake could destroy everything.I reached my chambers without saying a single word.The guards standing outside the door immediately stepped aside as I entered the room.A few seconds later, I heard the door open again.I did not need to turn around to kn
Chapter Eighty – The TestNina’s POVThe following morning began more peacefully than I expected, yet the peace never reached my heart because I had spent the entire night worrying about Tristan. Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined him standing inside the sacred arena seven days from now while the entire pack watched to see whether he still possessed the strength to remain their Alpha.His promise continued echoing inside my mind, and although I wanted to believe every word he had spoken, fear refused to leave me because promises could not stop danger, and they certainly could not prevent those who wished him harm.After breakfast, one of the palace servants informed us that several elders wanted to inspect the training courtyard before preparations for the Alpha’s Trial officially began. Tristan accepted the invitation without hesitation, and although I wanted him to remain inside his chambers and continue resting, I knew there was no point arguing because he had already made his
Chapter Seventy Nine – Shadows in the NightNikolai’s POVThe palace had become unusually quiet after sunset, yet I found no comfort in the silence because my thoughts refused to settle. Every passing day brought the Alpha’s Trial closer, and although everything appeared to be moving in my favor, something deep inside me remained restless.Tristan was supposedly growing weaker with each passing day. That was the story spreading throughout the palace, and it was the same story repeated by servants, guards, warriors, and even the healer himself. Everything suggested that my brother would walk into the trial carrying a body that had not fully recovered from the injuries that had nearly claimed his life.Even so, I could not completely silence the voice inside my mind that kept reminding me who Tristan had always been.He had never been a man who surrendered easily.He had never accepted defeat simply because circumstances demanded it.If there was even the smallest chance of standing aga
Chapter Seventy Eight – The Hardest BattleTristan’s POVNight had always been my favorite time to train because darkness had a way of silencing distractions, allowing a warrior to hear nothing except his own breathing and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Tonight, however, the darkness served a different purpose because it was hiding me from the very people I had sworn to protect.The palace had finally fallen asleep. The last patrol had passed through the northern courtyard almost an hour earlier, the servants had retired to their quarters, and only the guards stationed along the walls remained awake beneath the pale moonlight.I pulled the hood of my cloak farther over my head before following the healer through a narrow passage hidden behind the old storage hall. Few people still remembered that the passage existed because it had been built generations ago as an emergency route for the Alpha’s family. Time had buried its entrance beneath climbing vines and cracked stone, making
Chapter Seventy Seven – Exactly What He WantedNikolai’s POVA slow smile remained on my face as I stood beside the window inside my study, watching the warriors complete their morning training across the courtyard. Their movements were as disciplined as always, yet none of them seemed to notice that the future of this pack had already begun changing.They still believed everything depended on the Alpha’s Trial.They still believed Tristan would stand before them in seven days and fight to keep the position he had held for years.I knew better. The battle had already started.The only difference was that Tristan did not even realize he had stepped into it.A gentle knock sounded against my door before one of the palace guards entered the room.He lowered his head respectfully.“My Lord.”I turned toward him without speaking.“The Alpha was expected at the training grounds this morning.”I folded my arms across my chest.“And?”The guard hesitated before answering.“He did not come.”T
Chapter Seventy Six – Trust MeTristan’s POVMorning arrived quietly, yet something about the palace felt different. The corridors outside my room were unusually calm, the servants spoke in lower voices than usual, and even the warriors training in the courtyard sounded farther away than they normally did. Perhaps it was because the entire pack had begun counting the days until the Alpha’s Trial, or perhaps it was because everyone was waiting to see whether I would recover enough to face it.I had no intention of disappointing them.The healer had examined my injuries earlier that morning and confirmed that my body was recovering faster than anyone had expected. My strength had not completely returned, but every day I could feel a little more life returning to my muscles. I knew I still had work to do before the trial, yet for the first time since waking from the coma, I truly believed I would be ready.Nina stood near the window, arranging the herbs the healer had brought earlier. Ev
Chapter Fifty One– Wake UpNina’s POVAfter hearing those words from Nikolai, I could not stop thinking about them no matter how hard I tried.The entire walk back to Tristan’s room felt longer than usual because my mind kept returning to the same questions again and again.Why would he say somethi
Chapter Fifty – What Did I Just HearNina’s POVBy the time everything was over, I felt like my entire body no longer belonged to me.Even standing had become difficult.Every part of me felt drained.The healer had warned me that giving away that much power would affect me, but hearing it and actu
Chapter Forty Six – Still Not EnoughNina’s POVI had completely lost count of how many warriors Tristan had already fought.At the beginning, people were watching with confidence.They thought it would end quickly, they thought he would fall after a few rounds, they thought he would eventually gi
Chapter Forty Five – Please StopNina’s POVI could not believe what I had just heard.For a moment, I thought Tristan was only saying it because he was angry. I thought he was going to change his mind, I thought he would look at the number of warriors standing around us and realize how impossible







