3: THE TEST

As Kaliyah and Allison locked eyes, their gazes narrowed, and tension grew as silence enveloped the arena.

“I, Allison of Kerv Clan, challenge you, Kaliyah Acalia of the Snow Clan.”

“As you please,” Kaliyah said with less confidence than she felt, considering she was already weakened from her previous fights. When she flung her fists toward Allison, Allison dodged easily, jumping back with a smirk painted on her lips.

“I was right,” Allison said. “Your strategy is to fight quickly to prevent your opponent from transforming, isn’t it? Your vulnerability lies in your inability to fight our wolf's form since you lack the power of transformation yourself.”

Kaliyah clenched her teeth, hating that she was correct—mostly. Not all of what she said was true.

Allison shifted into an enormous brown wolf before Kaliyah could attack with the deadly fist blow she had used to defeat the others. And with the moonlight bathing Allison’s fur, she looked even more formidable. The crowd cheered for her in unrestrained excitement.

“You’re right, Allison. I do want a quick fight. But it’s not because I can’t fight your wolf form. It’s because I don’t want to get tired easily.”

Allison lunged toward her, but to her surprise and the surprise of onlookers, Kaliyah sprang forward, meeting her attack head-on with a counter-attack.

Kaliyah targeted her neck and locked Allison between her limbs as tight as she could. Allison was too taken aback to defend. She attempted to wriggle out of Kaliyah’s hold, but Kaliyah clamped down even more tightly. Allison would surely pass out if she couldn’t break free within a minute.

However, the more Kaliyah squeezed the air out of Allison, the more blood flowed from her own wounds. Though Allison was almost defeated, Kaliyah was also losing her strength.

To get free, Allison shifted back into her human form, despite ending up nude. It was a desperate move Kaliyah didn’t expect, but she maintained her hold on Allison, nonetheless.

Allison’s eyes narrowed in anger. Then she gritted her teeth and muttered, “I won’t let you have Fenris. I’ve loved him for years, and I deserve him. But you—you can’t even shift. You don’t deserve him!”

Allison lashed out with her free hand, jutting it toward Kaliyah’s neck. But Kaliyah sensed an attack coming and reacted swiftly, breaking away. Despite her rapid move, she felt a sharp, prickling sensation and instinctively placed her hand over her neck. A sense of terror filled her as her body rapidly weakened, and Allison’s face broke out into a triumphant grin.

“You lose,” Allison said as she threw one powerful punch in her face.

Without the strength to defend herself, Kaliyah flew to the ground. But she wouldn’t, couldn’t, accept defeat. She shook her head to clear her blurred vision. Everything was spinning and swirling. Still, she tried to pull herself together—until she caught a glimpse of Fenris standing beside her, his beautiful gray eyes holding a hint of disappointment.

Then darkness consumed her.

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Kaliyah bolted up from the bed, startling the palace maid, causing her to drop the rag she had been holding.

“You’re awake, Lady Acalia,” she muttered with cheeks blushing.

Kaliyah paid her no mind. Instead, despite her weak, wobbling knees, she rose from the bed. Waves of pain emanated from various parts of her bruised and wounded body. “Where is he? Where is Fenris?” she asked, her tone panicked and desperate.

“He just left a moment ago.”

Kaliyah hurriedly ran to the door.

“Where are you going?” the maid called from behind her, but Kaliyah didn’t slow.

True to the maid’s words, Fenris was just down the corridor, his back to her as he walked away.

“Stop!” she screamed, her voice echoing in the dimly lit hallway.

But scenting her strong, sweet aroma, Fenris had already stopped before she uttered the words.

Kaliyah flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Her chest tightened with pain at his reaction as his body tensed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t win,” she said. “Allison drugged me. As I was about to defeat her, I felt something sink into my neck, and I lost my strength and—”

Fenris turned and shoved her, causing her to tumble to the floor, making her feel like a piece of dirt thrown away with disgust.

“Fenris,” she whispered, her tone filled with pain and her eyes brimming with tears.

However, his beautiful gray eyes met hers with a cold gaze that radiated disappointment and anger. “You lost, and you’re now making foolish excuses. You weren’t able to prove yourself, Acalia. You’re nothing more than—”

Kaliyah held her breath.

“—a pretty face.” He turned on his heel and strode away without a second glance.

Kaliyah lay on the floor, curled into a ball, and hugged herself. She wept silently, endless tears masking the overwhelming numbness that engulfed her. Inside, her heart screamed in agony as if pierced by a multitude of daggers, all caused by a few words uttered by the man who was supposed to love her.

People spoke about mates sharing emotions and feeling each other’s pain. So why couldn’t Fenris sense her love and longing? Why couldn’t he feel the sadness and anguish he inflicted upon her? She hadn’t chosen him as her mate; he had chosen her. Yet she suffered the consequences. Even in her immense pain, she couldn’t help but hope that he would be the one to rescue her.

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Kaliyah woke to liquid being poured slowly into her mouth. Opening her eyes, she saw the same maid she had the first time she woke. Unlike before, though, both of them seemed rather calm.

“Where am I?” Kaliyah asked, noticing she was in a different room. “And what is that?” She pointed to the liquid.

“This is a medicine for your wounds, Lady Acalia. Also, His Majesty brought you here after finding you unconscious on the floor.”

“He ordered you to prepare this medicine then?” she asked and was answered with a nod. With it, her face lit up with a slight blush.

So he was still worried about her, after all. She reached for the bowl of medicine and drank the whole portion.

“Is this his room?” she asked, looking around for the second time. Though she already knew the answer, she wanted to make sure she wasn’t just imagining or dreaming.

“Yes, Lady Acalia. This is His Majesty’s room.”

That explained why she could smell his scent so potently. Her hand delicately caressed the mattress beneath her, and the comforting embrace of the blanket draped over her body.     

“Is this where he sleeps?” she wondered aloud.

The maid smiled, but there was a hint of worry and pity with it.

Kaliyah blushed as she sniffed his lingering scent on the blanket. The addictive aroma overwhelmed her, igniting a sense of excitement within her.     

“Where is he?” she asked.

The maid’s expression shifted noticeably, and a mix of surprise and fear crossed Kaliyah’s face.

She followed the maid’s gaze toward the door. Fenris was out there somewhere. Slowly, without making a sound, she walked toward it. The maid shook her head to stop her, but Kaliyah was stubborn.

Leaning against the door, she could hear Fenris and Allison engaged in conversation.  

 “You want to marry me?” Fenris asked, the question making Kaliyah’s heart shrink. She pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle the gasp that almost escaped her lips. Then her eyes welled once again, and fear filled her that she might succumb to sobs that could betray her presence.

“Who else deserves you? That girl is so useless that she can’t even defeat me or shift. Why would you marry her?”

“She’s my mate.”

“And you can still reject her. I understand it will also be painful for you since you are bonded, but once that bond is broken, you’ll be free from that weak woman.”

A lengthy silence followed, leaving Kaliyah anxious to discover Fenris’ intentions. Would he reject her and break their bond as Allison had suggested?

Driven by intense curiosity, Kaliyah faced the door, gradually and silently turning the knob. As a small gap formed, she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Allison and Fenris in the midst of a kiss. However, his eyes were open, and his gaze locked on hers. Stunned, Kaliyah could do nothing but stare.

Finally, she pulled herself together and shut the door, though hurt and pain engulfed her. She clutched her chest, starting to hyperventilate as her eyes welled once again. She had heard and read about the excruciating pain of a mate’s betrayal, described as surpassing any physical torment, but it was far worse than she could have imagined.  

As she backed away from the door,

Kaliyah tripped and fell. The maid rushed over to offer assistance, but Kaliyah pushed her away, then rose and ran to the balcony. With determination, she forcefully swung the door open, allowing the chilling midnight wind to slam against her skin. Then she raced toward the edge.

The maid screamed, “Lady Acalia! No!”