The Chalice Test

ANYA'S POV

The emeralds around my neck felt frozen against my skin, but nothing compared to Azkarion's staring gaze at me through the reflection of the mirror. Martha's words kept spinning in my head: the matriarchs of the Council demanded that the future Moon prove her loyalty by drinking from the blood chalice before she even sat down at the table.

"I didn't come all the way to back off in a dressing room, Alpha," I said, turning around to look him in the face as I adjusted the dark green silk of my dress. "If that Council wants a test, we will give them something to talk about."

Azkarion smiled: a dark smile, full of danger. He offered me his arm and, without a second's hesitation, we left the room for the Great Hall of the fortress.

The place was an impressive mix of antiquity and modernity. Huge beams of dark wood supported the vaulted ceiling, and through the large windows you could see the forest stretching out into the night, so immense that it seemed to have no end. A solid mahogany table took up almost the entire center, and around it were the most powerful people in the herd. At the main end, on a black velvet lining, rested the famous silver chalice. Next to him was Helga, the eldest matriarch, her eyes sharp as a hawk's and a ritual dagger in her hand.

As soon as we walked through the door, all the murmur in the room suddenly died away. Gideon was standing a few steps away, his arms crossed, and his face showed that satisfaction he was trying to hide. He knew perfectly well what I also knew: if I was just a human, the pure blood of an Alpha mixed in the wine would make me collapse in a matter of seconds.

"Alpha Azkarion," Helga said, her voice raspy over all the silence. "And the female you brought from the south. The pack needs to see that your bond is real before giving you their blessing. The cup is ready."

I felt Azkarion's arm stiffen under my hand, hard as steel. We kept going until we were almost glued to the pedestal.

"The Council seems to forget that the Blackwood traditions are not exhibited like any other spectacle," he said, his deep voice making more than one old man take a step back. "My Moon is not an attraction. If they want to prove their loyalty, it will be done under my rules."

"The rules of the pack are above yours, Alpha," Gideon jumped, stepping forward and lifting his chin. "Custom commands that she who will be our First Lady drink the blood of her companion before us all, so that her soul may be united to the earth. Or is your "supposed" Luna afraid to prove she's worth the Hunters?"

The air became heavy, hard to breathe. The sunscreen on his wrists was doing everything he could, but there was no room for error. I had to get out of that trap intelligently, without seeming to be afraid.

"I'm not afraid of your chalice, Beta Gideon," I said, letting go of Azkarion's arm and stepping forward, raising my voice for all to hear. "What surprises me is that someone with your rank confuses being strong with desperately wanting to get attention."

Gideon's smile suddenly disappeared. Helga narrowed her eyes, now curious.

"What did you say?" he growled.

"I said my blood belongs to my Alpha, not to your doubts," I replied, keeping calm and feigning the wounded pride of a high-born wolf. "If the matriarch Helga wants to make sure of my loyalty, I will drink from the chalice... but first you will have to kneel down, Gideon, and ask forgiveness for doubting your leader's word."

A collective sigh ran through the entire table. Asking the second-in-command to kneel in front of the entire pack was a humiliation he would never accept.

Helga smiled slightly: she had liked the move.

"Enough is enough," he said, raising his hand to impose silence. "The girl has fire on her tongue and dignity in her veins. The ritual of the chalice is left for the eve of the full moon, in the sacred circle of the forest."

Azkarion looked at me for a moment, and in his gray eyes I saw that he approved of what I had done. Then he took a glass from the table and raised it.

"For the herd," he said, and with that he closed the discussion.

The rest of the banquet passed in a tense calm. For two hours I endured the gazes of all noble families, answering each question politely but without giving an inch, while Azkarion did not take his hand off my waist for a second.

When dinner was finally over and people began to come out onto the terraces, he came close to my ear:

"Go out to the west wing balcony for a while, get some air before the smell of sunscreen is too noticeable," he whispered. "I'll be there in five minutes, I just have to close some matters with the elders."

I nodded, grateful to be able to leave that suffocating room. I walked down the stone corridor until I reached the balcony, which looked right out onto the sacred grove. The cold night air hit my face, and I leaned against the railing to close my eyes and try to calm my heartbeat.

Suddenly, a branch was heard breaking in the darkness, just below where I stood.

I opened my eyes open. I didn't even have time to move: a shadow came out of nowhere, moving faster than any human could. A rough, strong hand covered my mouth from behind, dragging me away from the hallway light.

I tried to scream, but the grip was brutal. I got the smell of wet earth and something wild, out of control.

"Not a sound, little human," whispered a voice I didn't know in my ear. "That sunscreen is good... But the fearful smell of your kind cannot be hidden when cornered."

I fought with all my might, but I didn't stand a chance against him. He pulled out a small silver knife and rested it gently on my neck.

"Gideon wants to know if you're bleeding red like us, or gold," he murmured, brushing the cold metal against my wrist. "With a single cut we will know the truth."