Chapter 14
1338 Words
The day of the Mating Trial arrived.
Lyra woke before dawn. Her heart was pounding. Her hands were shaking. But she was ready.
She bathed. The warm water soothed her tense muscles. She took her time. She needed to be calm. She needed to be strong.
Marta was there when she finished. The older woman had laid out the blue dress on the bed.
"You have thirty minutes," Marta said. "I'll go tell the Alpha you'll be ready."
Lyra nodded. "Thank you, Marta."
Marta left.
Lyra stood in front of the mirror, drying her hair. She was in a towel. The blue dress lay on the bed. Ready. Waiting.
She hummed softly. She thought about the trial. About Ronan. About proving herself.
She didn't hear the door open.
***
Sera moved so fast.
She didn't breathe. She didn't make a sound. She had done this before. Sneaking. Spying. Destroying.
She saw the dress on the bed. It was simple. Blue. Perfect for a trial.
She smiled.
She pulled a small knife from her pocket. She walked to the bed. She picked up the dress.
She didn't look at Lyra. Lyra was in the bathroom. Drying her hair. Humming.
Sera whispered under her breath. "This is how you get dressed so quickly?"
She pressed the knife to the fabric. She sliced. Once. Twice. Three times.
The dress fell apart in her hands. Shredded. Ruined.
She dropped the pieces on the floor. She stepped back. She looked at her work.
She smiled.
Then she walked out. Triumphant.
***
Lyra finished drying her hair.
She walked into the room.
She stopped.
The dress was on the floor. Shredded. Destroyed.
She stared at it. Her heart pounded. Her breath caught.
No. No, no, no.
She picked up the pieces. They fell apart in her hands.
Someone had been in her room. Someone had destroyed the dress.
The trial was in less than thirty minutes. She had nothing to wear.
Tears burned her eyes. She had trained for a week. She had pushed herself harder than ever. And now someone had ruined everything.
She sank onto her bed. She was still in a towel. She had nothing. Nothing.
A knock at her door.
She didn't answer. She couldn't.
The door opened. Ronan entered.
He saw her sitting on the bed in a towel. He saw the shredded fabric on the floor. He looked away immediately, grabbing a blanket from the chair and wrapping it around her shoulders.
"What happened?" His voice was tight.
"I don't know." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I was in the bathroom. Drying my hair. When I came back, it was like this."
His jaw tightened. "Someone came into your room while you were bathing."
She nodded. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Who would do this?"
"I don't know. But I will find out." His jaw tightened. "Right now, we need to get you something to wear."
"But my dress"
"I'll handle it." He stood. "Stay here. Don't move."
He left.
***
Lyra sat on her bed, wrapped in the blanket.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Then the door opened.
Ronan entered. He carried a box. He placed it on the bed and opened it.
Inside was a dress.
It was black. Beautiful. Made of silk that shimmered in the light. It was elegant. Sophisticated. Powerful.
Lyra stared at it. "Where did you get this?"
"It belonged to my mother," he said. "She wore it to her own Mating Trial. She passed."
Lyra looked at him. "Ronan, I can't"
"You can." He lifted the dress from the box. "My mother was strong. Fierce. She proved herself. And so will you."
He held the dress out to her. "Wear it. Show them who you are."
Lyra took the dress. Her hands trembled.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He kissed her forehead. "I'll be waiting outside."
***
Lyra stood before the mirror.
The black dress fit perfectly. It hugged her curves. It flowed when she moved. She looked powerful. Confident.
She looked like an Alpha's mate.
She walked out of her room. Ronan waited in the hallway. His eyes widened when he saw her.
"You're beautiful," he said.
She smiled. "Thank you."
They walked to the clearing together. The pack was gathered. Hundreds of wolves. All watching.
Sera stood at the front. Her smile faded when she saw the dress. Her eyes burned with fury.
Lyra met her gaze. She didn't look away.
Ronan led her to the center of the circle. He squeezed her hand.
"You're ready," he said.
She nodded. "I'm ready."
***
The first challenge was endurance.
Lyra had to run. Around the territory. Three times. Without stopping.
She ran.
Her legs burned. Her lungs screamed. But she didn't stop. She couldn't stop.
The pack watched. Some whispered. Some laughed.
"She won't make it."
"She's too weak."
But Lyra kept running.
She finished the first lap. Then the second. Then the third.
She collapsed at the finish line. Gasping. Shaking. But she had done it.
Ronan's eyes met hers. Pride flickered in his gaze.
***
The second challenge was strength.
Lyra had to move a boulder. It was massive. Heavy. Impossible.
She pushed. She strained. Her muscles screamed.
The pack laughed. "She can't do it."
But Lyra didn't stop. She thought about her parents. About the twelve years of abuse. About every person who had called her worthless.
She thought about the destroyed dress. About the cruelty.
She pushed harder.
The boulder moved.
The pack went silent.
***
The third challenge was courage.
Lyra had to face her greatest fear.
She stood in the center of the circle. The pack watched. Ronan watched.
Then she saw it.
A vision. Her parents. The night they died.
She watched them die again. Watched herself covered in blood. Watched Logan point at her.
"You killed them," he said. "You're a monster."
She fell to her knees. Tears streamed down her face.
But then she heard a voice. Her mother's voice.
You are stronger than you know, my darling.
She looked up.
"I didn't kill them," she whispered.
The vision shattered.
She stood.
The pack was silent.
***
Ronan walked toward her.
He stood in front of her. His silver eyes were bright.
"You passed," he said.
She stared at him. "I passed?"
"You passed."
The pack erupted. Cheers. Howls. They accepted her.
Ronan pulled her into his arms.
"I told you," he whispered. "You are stronger than you know."
She buried her face in his chest. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
She had done it.
She had proven herself.
***
Sera watched from the edge of the crowd.
Her face was twisted with fury. Her hands were clenched. She had failed. Lyra had passed. The pack had accepted her.
She turned and walked away.
No one noticed.
No one cared.
***
That evening, the pack celebrated.
Music played. Wolves danced. Food was shared. Laughter filled the air.
Lyra stood with Ronan. His arm was around her waist. She leaned into him.
"You did it," he said.
"We did it," she corrected.
He smiled. "You're right. We did."
He pulled her closer. His lips brushed her ear.
"I'm proud of you," he whispered.
She shivered. "Thank you. For the dress. For everything."
He kissed her forehead. "You don't have to thank me. You're my mate. I would do anything for you."
She looked up at him. Her heart was full. She wanted to say something. Something big. Something true.
But the words wouldn't come.
Not yet.
He seemed to understand. He always did.
He leaned down and kissed her. Soft. Gentle. Full of promise.
When he pulled away, his silver eyes held hers.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
She smiled. Tears burned her eyes.
"I know," she whispered.
He took her hand. He led her to the dance floor.
The pack cheered.
Lyra laughed as he spun her around. She felt light. Free. Happy.
She had passed the trial. She had proven herself. She had found her place.
She was home.
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