Sindy
Time stretched endlessly the day of the trial.
The hours dragged like chains, each moment heavier than the last. The lodge buzzed with anticipation—wolves gathering, training cut short, whispers carried through corridors like sparks in dry grass. Everywhere I turned, I heard it: the proving with the Alpha.
My proving.
My punishment.
My cage.
I shut my chamber door early, locking myself in, pacing the wooden floor until my legs trembled with exhaustion. The bed sat untouched, the food left on the tray growing cold. My body screamed for rest, but my chest burned too hot for stillness.
Because tomorrow was no longer about survival.
Tomorrow, I would stand in the circle beside him.
Not against him. Not alone. But with him.
The thought made my stomach knot and my breath come sha
