The day came faster than I thought it would.
Everwatch Hall buzzed with a kind of nervous energy — the halls filled with unfamiliar faces, powerful Alphas and Elders from surrounding packs who had come to witness the official challenge.
The tension was thick, alive.
You could feel it in every whispered conversation, every sideways glance.
I stood at the side of the massive open courtyard, Lucky in my arms, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might crack my ribs.
Jacob was across the courtyard, stripping off his jacket and shirt, standing tall and strong in nothing but black training pants — the muscles of his back rippling like something carved by the gods themselves.
He looked magnificent.
He looked unstoppable.
Tori stood opposite him, his arms crossed, his mouth twisted in
