Chapter Ten
The aftermath of the challenge lingered long after the ring emptied.
Lyra felt it as she crossed back through the stronghold gates—the subtle shift in the air, the way wolves avoided her gaze or watched her too closely. Fear, curiosity, resentment. None of it surprised her. Authority never arrived quietly.
Cain noticed it too. His posture remained loose, but his awareness sharpened, every step measured. “They’ll test you again,” he said lowly. “Ironholt won’t be the last.”
“I know,” Lyra replied.
Elias walked a few paces ahead, already thinking several moves ahead. “The difference is that now they’ll be careful. You didn’t just overpower him. You humiliated him.”
Lyra stopped walking.
Both Alphas turned.
“That wasn’t my intention,” she said.
Elias studied her. “Intent
