A stunned silence fell between Serene and Thane. The playful shrieks of the pups sliding down the vine-slide seemed a world away.
"So, you want to do the Luna's trial?" Thane finally asked, his voice low and serious.
Serene squared her shoulders, her gaze unwavering. "If it will help the Shadow wolves trust me, then yes," she said firmly. "I know I'm not like the other Lunas before me. I probably can't fight the way they did, and I don't even know how to shift yet. But I'm learning. I am strong in my own way."
Thane's face hardened. "Strong? The trial It's a brutal test, a journey that has claimed the lives of many wolves before you. You haven't even mastered your own powers yet! The mountain is unforgiving, the creatures there are deadly, and the climb itself is enough to break even th
