Chapter#19

Selene’s POV

Liam sat nearby, wincing as he adjusted his posture against a rock. The salve on his wounds was doing its work but it wasn’t enough to erase the pain. “You okay?” I asked, stepping closer.

He looked up. A small, strained smile tugged at his lips, “I’ve been through worse,” he said lightly. He reached out, brushing his fingers against mine. His vulnerability pulled at me. How much of this could I have prevented if I’d been stronger, if I’d fought harder?

But before I could dwell on it, Varian’s voice cut through the quiet, “Kaelen.” It steadied me, pulling me back from my spiraling thoughts. He stepped closer, “I see this trial has made you tougher,” he muttered.

“Thanks,” I said, forcing a casual tone, though my heart raced under his gaze.

“Don’t thank me,” he replied curtly, stepping back, “You’ll need strength and the same devotion if you want to survive the next trials.”

Rowan wiped his blade clean, “I think we should catch our breath,” he suggested, “Then we can figure out our next steps to the end point.”

We all nodded, too drained to argue. Varian sat on a nearby rock. Liam lowered himself further to the ground with a wince, and I instinctively reached out to steady him, “Still playing the hero, huh?” I teased lightly, trying to cut through the tension.

Liam gave me a faint smile, though his pain was clear in the tightness of his jaw. “Someone has to,” he replied, “But it’s nice to know you’ve got my back.”

“Always,” I smiled.

Caden rummaged through his pack, pulling out a small flask of water, “Drink,” he said, handing it to Liam, “You’re no good to us if you collapse halfway there.”

Liam chuckled weakly, “Thanks, Doc,” he said, taking a sip.

Rowan, who’d been silent, glanced at me, “Kaelen, you good?” he asked.

I nodded, though my mind was far from calm, “Yeah, just tired,” I said, brushing a hand through my hair.

As they bantered, I tried to focus on their voices, but my thoughts drifted to the dream I had earlier. “Kaelen?” Rowan’s voice snapped me back.

“Hmm?” I blinked, realizing he’d been speaking.

“I said we should keep moving soon. Are you sure you’re okay?” he pressed.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a small smile, though my heart raced under Varian’s narrowed gaze.

“If you’ve got something on your mind, spill it,” Varian growled, “We don’t need distractions.”

“It’s nothing,” I said quickly, “Just thinking about… everything.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Liam said gently, “We’ve made it so far. We’ll get through this.”

“We should figure out the best path forward,” Caden added, “The sooner we move, the closer we are to the end point.”

“I agree,” Liam’s voice was strained as he glanced at his bandaged side, then at me. “But we can’t rush. I’ll only slow you down.”

Caden shifted uncomfortably, “Honestly, we only came back because of Kaelen…” He stopped short.

Varian’s head snapped up, “Came back for Kaelen?” he repeated as he stood, crossing his arms.

Rowan straightened, “Caden…”

“No,” Varian cut him off, “You mean to tell me you came back for him? Isn’t that against the rules? Disqualifies you, doesn’t it?”

Caden opened his mouth to explain, but Liam beat him to it, “Does it matter?” he asked as his hazel eyes met Varian’s. “Rules or not, we’re alive because of them. Isn’t that what matters in the end?”

Varian let out a sharp, humorless chuckle, “Help? Kaelen, the mighty big brother of the great alpha, needed protection from his younger brothers? That’s rich.” His words dripped with mockery, cutting deep.

“Varian,” I snapped, but he cut me off.

“You should’ve let him fend for himself,” he added, “After all, isn’t he supposed to be the strongest among us?”

Something inside me snapped, as I shot to my feet, “Enough!” I barked. My voice echoed in the clearing, and all eyes turned to me. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to steady the rush of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. My hands trembled at my sides. “It’s time to move on,” I said firmly, meeting each of their gazes in turn, “We’ve wasted enough time here.”

Varian raised an eyebrow, but for once, he didn’t argue. “Fine,” he said, “Lead the way, little Kaelen.” His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw the golden wolf from my dream in his eyes.

We moved through the valley in silence. Rowan walked beside me, “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said softly, “When I saw you under that beast, I thought…” He trailed off, shaking his head.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, “Thanks to you and Caden.”

He nodded. His gaze flicked ahead to where Varian led the group, Liam close behind. “Things seem… complicated,” he murmured.

“That’s one way to put it,” I muttered, keeping my eyes on the path.

As we pressed forward, I became acutely aware of every sound, every scent, every movement around us; my senses became sharper than ever. Was this my Silverthorn gifts awakening, stirred by the trial’s intensity, by the mate bond’s pull?

And then there was the pull; a subtle thread at first, tugging at the edge of my consciousness, but growing stronger the deeper we moved into the valley. ‘Danger,’ my wolf whispered, but there was no fear, only an urge to find its source.

Liam stumbled slightly on the uneven terrain, and Varian was there in an instant, steadying him with a firm grip. “Careful,” he gruffed.

“I’m fine,” Liam muttered, brushing him off.

“Let’s keep moving,” Varian commanded.

Rowan glanced at me again, but he said nothing. The pull grew stronger, a force I couldn’t ignore. My senses hummed with a power I didn’t fully understand.

And then I heard it call my name.