POV: Elara
When the council announced that I would undergo the Alpha Trials, I could sense the tension ripple through the pack. The trials were tradition—reserved for Alphas whose leadership needed to be proven, whose strength needed to be showcased for the pack to witness and judge. I had hoped to avoid them, to lead through my actions rather than some display of brute strength, but it seemed that my pack’s trust would require more than diplomacy or resilience.
The trial grounds lay deep in the forest, a clearing surrounded by tall, ancient trees whose twisted roots seemed to reach out like claws, trapping us in this space of judgment and tradition. The pack had gathered at dawn, their breath clouding in the cool morning air, anticipation mingling with unease in their eyes. Some looked
