The Last Luna Standing

chapter 9

Tamara

The next morning, Earth woke me up even earlier than usual. Instead of heading straight to the dirt rings, she led me deep into the quietest part of the woods, and far away from any listening ears.

She stopped near a large, fallen tree and turned to face me. The usual ease in her eyes was completely gone.

"I promised I would explain the Luna Trials," Earth began, crossing her arms. "Listen carefully, because this might be the only time I'll have to explain it properly. The trials last for three days, and they are designed to test every single thing you are made of."

I swallowed hard, my heart speeding up. "What happens on the first day?"

"The first day is the Trial of Hunt and Survival," she said. "The pack throws all the contenders into the deep, uncharted territory of the mountains. You are given no weapons, no clothes, and no help. You have to survive the night against the harsh weather, and wild predators. If you cannot survive the land, you cannot lead the pack."

I nodded slowly, trying to memorize every word.

"The second day is the Trial of the Labyrinth," Earth continued, her voice dropping lower. "It is a massive underground stone maze beneath the pack. It is filled with deadly traps and silver-tipped spikes. But the real danger isn't the maze itself, Tamara. It's the other contenders. In the labyrinth, there are no rules. Attacks from behind are expected."

"And the final day?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

"The Trial of Blood," Earth said grimly. "The remaining survivors are put into the main arena in front of the entire pack. You fight hand-to-hand until only one person is left standing. In our history, many females have died in that arena. Serena will not hesitate to kill you, Tamara. She has been preparing for this her entire life."

Earth stepped closer and grabbed my shoulders, looking straight into my eyes.

"You are making progress, but you cannot match their raw, brutal strength yet. You have to be extremely smart. Use your speed. Use your environment. Let the other females exhaust themselves fighting each other before you make your move. If you try to fight Serena head-on with pure force, you will die."

"I understand," I said, a wave of cold determination washing over me. "I will be smart."

"Good," Earth said, stepping back and raising her fists. "Now, show me your defensive stance. We spar."

We clashed in the small clearing. I moved faster today, ducking under her wild swings and using my smaller frame to slide past her guard. I was finally learning how to use my size as an advantage, just like Earth said.

Later that afternoon, a sudden order came down from the Alpha's office. North had ordered me to join the evening border patrol.

I was shocked, but I didn't complain. I put on my heaviest boots and joined the group of four experienced warriors at the edge of the iron gates.

They didn't smile at me or even try to start up a conversation, they just shifted into their large, gray wolves and took off into the dense forest in a pace.

I shifted into my own wolf, a smaller, creamy-white wolf and bounded after them.

It was an absolute struggle to keep up. The Night Sword warriors moved like shadows through the thick trees, leaping over massive logs and navigating steep, rocky hills without slowing down once.

My lungs burned, and my paws ached as I pushed myself to my absolute limit just to keep their gray tails in my sight.

Suddenly, the lead warrior skidded to a halt. The air instantly turned foul with the sour, metallic scent of a rogue wolf.

Before we could form a line, a massive, rabid rogue wolf burst from the thick bushes. His fur was matted, his jaw dripping with foam, and his eyes completely bloodshot with madness. He didn't look like he wanted to to pass through…he wanted blood.

The experienced warriors immediately engaged, snarling loudly as they tangled with the rogue. But a second, hidden rogue leaped out from a high rock, landing directly in front of the youngest warrior in our patrol, a young male who had been caught off guard.

The rogue snapped its jaws, inches away from the young warrior's throat.

My instincts kicked in. I knew I wasn't heavy enough to fight the rogue head-on in a test of pure strength. Instead, I used my quick thinking.

I shifted to my human form immediately and sprinted toward a large rotting tree branch leaning against a boulder. Charging at full speed, I slammed my shoulder into the base of the branch, dislodging it. The heavy wood came crashing down right between the rogue and the young warrior, blocking the attack and forcing the rogue back.

The young warrior scrambled backward to safety, looking at me with wide, grateful eyes.

But my quick thinking left me completely exposed. The rogue snarled in fury, turning its red eyes entirely on me. It lunged, pinning me to the forest floor before I could run away. I clamped my claws down on its shoulder, but it was too heavy.

I couldn't push it off. Its sharp yellow teeth snapped closer and closer to my face, and I braced myself for the pain. Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the entire forest.

The ground literally vibrated. Before the rogue could bite down, a massive black wolf…the biggest wolf I had ever seen in my entire life came tearing through the brush.

It slammed into the rogue with terrifying power, ripping it completely off my body. With a single snap of its massive jaws, the black wolf broke the rogue’s neck, dropping the lifeless body onto the dirt.

I scrambled back against a tree trunk, breathing heavily. The giant black wolf turned around slowly. His fur was as dark as midnight, and his piercing eyes locked directly onto mine.

It was North.

He didn't move toward me, and he didn't shift back into his human form. He just stood over the dead rogue, his chest heaving, staring at me with a fierce, burning intensity. The power radiating from his wolf form was breathtaking. I was grateful he had saved my life.

UNKNOWN POV

"Wait, please! Don't run away!"

His loud, desperate shout echoed through the dark, twisting corridors of the fortress, but she didn't listen. She couldn't listen. Her heart was hammering violently against her ribs, suffocating her with pure panic.

"Stop running!" the voice cried out again, closer this time, heavy with an agonizing weight.

But she didn't stop. She pushed her legs to move faster, tears blurring her vision as she fled through the shadows.

The air felt thick with a scent that made her inner wolf howl in absolute desperation, but the terror inside her was simply too much to handle.

She couldn't stay. She couldn't face what was coming. With one final, breathless burst of speed, she ran into the deep woods and ran blindly into the freezing night air.

Running as fast as she could.

Away from her destined mate.