We left before the moon faded.
The valley was still sleeping—mostly. Quiet… but not peaceful. Wolves sensed things long before the rest of the world did, and Fenr Vale had felt the rift the Beast King tore through the sky.
Owain stayed close to me as we descended the inner den's steps. His hand hovered near my back—not touching, but ready. Protective.
Helion walked ahead, scouting with predator silence.
Yllas followed behind, frost drifting from his shoulders like cold smoke.
Gerrin walked beside him, markings dimmed but alert.
Everything felt sharper today.
The wind.
The shadows.
The weight of the rune beneath my skin.
Even the wolves we passed whispered as we moved:
"The Trials…"
"The Captain's bringing the human…"
"She has no scent…"
"His instincts will break…"
"Or hers will."
Owain stiffened every time someone murmured too loudly.
I tugged gently on his sleeve. "Owain… what exactly are these Trials?"
He hesitated—never a good sign.
Gerrin answered for him. "A ceremonial gauntlet. Three tests."
"Strength?" Helion guessed.
"Strength," Gerrin confirmed. "Then resistance. Then instinct."
"Instinct?" I repeated.
Owain glanced at me, golden eyes steady. "I'll explain when we reach the grove."
Yllas muttered, "He's avoiding the part that will make you run."
"I don't run," I said automatically.
Helion grinned. "You do when a dragon drops from the sky."
"That was one time."
"That was one minute ago," Gerrin corrected.
Owain shot them both a look that very clearly said:
Stop making her anxious or I will throw you.
We continued down a narrow path that cut through thick forest. The deeper we went, the more the landscape changed again. The evergreens thickened. The ground softened with layers of pine and moss. Mist coiled low around our legs.
The air grew colder, then warmer, then colder again.
"Why does the temperature keep changing?" I asked.
Yllas answered without turning. "The Wolf Moon Grove lies on a convergence of three laylines."
"Meaning?"
"Magic," Gerrin explained. "Raw magic. Especially strong during moonrise."
"And dangerous," Helion added.
Owain glanced back at me. "Don't stray from the path."
"Noted."
As if on cue, the path narrowed even more. Overhead, branches twisted into an archway that blocked out most of the sky. Only thin silver lines of moonlight filtered through.
Owain slowed.
"This is the boundary," he said quietly. "After this point, the Trials begin."
I swallowed. "So soon?"
"Yes." He held out a hand. "Ready?"
"Define ready."
He smiled faintly. "Breathing."
"I can do that."
He nodded and stepped through the archway.
I followed.
The Wolf Moon Grove
It was nothing like I expected.
A massive circular clearing opened before us—wide, ancient, carved with runes that glowed faintly, matching the pulse of my own. In the center stood a colossal stone monolith, cracked with age, spiraling with faint blue symbols.
The ground was layered with soft moss and ferns, and faint mist coiled along the edges, shifting like living smoke. Wolves—both in human and beast form—stood in semicircles, each representing different clans.
Some wore furred cloaks.
Some wore armor.
Some wore nothing but beads and markings.
All stared at me.
Not curious anymore.
Assessing.
Instinct humming heavy in the air.
Owain stopped in the center of the grove and turned toward me.
"This place will test your endurance," he said, voice low. "Emotionally and magically."
"What about physically?" I asked.
"That too."
Helion murmured, "Try not to die."
"Helpful," I muttered.
Gerrin stepped toward the nearest runes, placing his hand over them briefly. They pulsed faintly, responding to his mana.
"The grove recognizes her," he said in surprise.
Owain tensed. "Is that bad?"
"It is… unprecedented."
"Never a reassuring word," Helion sighed.
Owain's father entered the grove then, flanked by Fenr Vale's elders. The air shifted as every wolf straightened.
Owain bowed slightly.
We all followed suit—except Yllas, who inclined his head minimally, like he was acknowledging a servant instead of a leader.
Owain's father ignored him.
His attention was fixed on me.
"Kanah," he said in a voice that carried across the grove, "you step into the Wolf Moon Trials under the protection of my son, Owain of Fenr Vale."
A murmur rippled through the wolves.
"She bears no scent," one elder whispered.
"She is unclaimed," said another.
"She is unstable," a third warned.
Owain growled softly. "Watch your tone."
His father lifted a hand. The grove fell silent instantly.
"Three trials," he said. "Trial of Strength. Trial of Resistance. Trial of Instinct."
My pulse quickened. "What does each one mean?"
Owain's father focused on me, eyes sharp.
"The Trial of Strength tests your physical and magical endurance."
"Great," I muttered. "Love that."
"The Trial of Resistance tests your ability to withstand instinctual pressure."
"That sounds worse."
"And the Trial of Instinct…" He paused, voice lowering.
"…tests compatibility."
"Compatibility with what?" I asked.
Owain answered softly. "With me."
My breath caught.
Gerrin exhaled, as if preparing for the fallout.
Helion smirked.
Yllas' frost grew sharper.
Owain stepped closer, voice gentle.
"It's not a mate-test. It's not binding. But the grove will read your aura and mine and decide if the protection bond is possible."
"What happens if it's not?"
Owain didn't answer.
Helion did.
"You faint. He collapses. Wolves panic. Chaos. End of story."
Owain shot him a murderous glare. "Helion."
"What?" the leopard shrugged. "She asked."
Owain turned back to me, expression softening.
"You don't need to be afraid. I'll keep you safe through every trial."
Something warm tugged at my chest.
Gerrin raised a brow. "And what if his instincts react too strongly?"
"That won't happen," Owain snapped.
"Really?" Helion smirked. "You're already vibrating."
Owain glared at him. "Back away from her."
As the two began their usual silent argument, Owain's father clapped once—loud.
It echoed like thunder.
"The Trials begin NOW."
Every wolf howled.
The ground pulsed.
And the runes blazed to life beneath our feet.
Trial of Strength
Pain hit first.
Not sharp.
Not burning.
Just… force.
Like gravity suddenly decided I was too light and yanked me downward.
My knees buckled.
My lungs constricted.
My vision wavered.
Owain caught me instantly. "Easy."
"I—I'm fine," I lied.
"Lie better," Helion murmured from behind him.
Gerrin assessed me with a quick glance. "Her rune is responding. It's synchronizing with the grove."
"Is it supposed to do that?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"No," they all said.
Fantastic.
Owain helped me stand upright. "Kanah. Listen. This test doesn't judge how strong you are. It judges if you break."
"That's comforting."
"It shouldn't be," Helion muttered.
Owain guided me toward a stone circle etched with symbols.
"Step inside," he said.
I stepped in.
And the grove shifted.
A weight pressed on my shoulders.
My spine felt heavy.
My heart pounded.
Sweat formed along my palms.
The wolves watched silently as I fought to stay standing.
Owain knelt in front of me—just outside the circle.
"You can do this," he said softly. "Breathe with me."
Gerrin called out from behind him, "Focus on the rune. Push the pressure away."
Helion added calmly, "Use anger if fear doesn't work."
Yllas instructed, "Imagine the pressure freezing instead of crushing. Solid. Still."
All contradictory advice.
I tried Owain's first—breathing slow, steady.
Didn't help.
I tried Gerrin's—shifting the pressure mentally.
It helped a little.
Helion's suggestion—anger—worked more than I expected.
I was angry.
At being dragged here.
At being hunted.
At being targeted by a monster king.
At being forced into a ceremony I didn't understand.
The weight lifted slightly.
Owain saw it instantly. "Yes. That's it."
Yllas smirked. "She draws power from defiance."
"Like a cat," Helion agreed.
"Or a dragon," Yllas corrected.
Gerrin sighed. "Both of you be quiet."
Owain held out his hand—still not touching.
"Kanah. Look at me."
I lifted my gaze.
He smiled softly.
Warm.
Grounding.
Stubbornly gentle.
"I'm here," he said. "You're not alone."
The pressure eased.
Not gone.
But manageable.
The wolves murmured around us.
"She's standing."
"The human endures."
"Impossible."
Owain straightened proudly. "She passes."
Gerrin nodded. "Her rune stabilized."
Yllas crossed his arms. "Barely."
Helion smirked. "Barely is still passing."
Owain offered me support as I stepped out of the circle.
My legs trembled. "That was terrible."
"Two more," he said apologetically.
"Not helping."
He smiled faintly. "You'll do fine."
The rune pulsed softly.
Recognition.
Trial of Resistance
Owain's father stepped forward. "The second trial begins."
Helion muttered, "This is where wolves get stupid."
Gerrin corrected him. "Instinct-driven."
"Same thing."
Owain stepped close to me. "This test is… different."
"How?" I asked.
"You'll feel the instincts of every wolf in the grove press on you at once."
My stomach dropped. "Press how?"
Owain didn't answer.
Gerrin did. "Like a tide. One that wants to devour, dominate, or embrace."
"That sounds horrifying."
"It is," Yllas said.
"Comforting," I muttered.
Owain touched my arm gently. "Kanah—look at me."
I did.
He held my gaze firmly. "You won't break. I won't let you."
The grove shifted again.
Wolves stepped forward.
Dozens.
Their eyes glowed like molten gold, silver, and amber.
Their auras pressed outward—slow at first, then all at once.
The sensation slammed into me.
Heat.
Cold.
Fear.
Desire.
Instinct.
Command.
Dominance.
All layered together in a wall of raw animal force.
I staggered.
Owain caught me, breath hot against my ear. "Focus on me. Only me."
"I—I can't—"
"Yes, you can."
My head pounded.
My chest ached.
The rune pulsed violently as competing instincts hit me like waves.
Helion stepped forward, eyes sharp. "Wolves, back down!"
"The trial allows it," Owain's father said.
Gerrin snarled—a rare sound from him. "You risk triggering her rune."
Yllas hissed, "Move her now!"
But Owain held me upright.
His voice was low, fierce. "Kanah. Listen to me. You're stronger than this."
The rune responded to him—only him.
Its pain eased.
The pressure shifted.
Owain's father whispered, astonished, "She's syncing with him."
The grove quieted.
Owain's aura surged around me—not crushing, not overwhelming—
shielding.
He whispered, "Push back."
I did.
The rune flared outward—
an invisible shockwave rippling through the clearing.
Wolves staggered.
Some growled in confusion.
Others bowed instinctively.
A few dropped to their knees.
Owain gripped my shoulders tightly. "Stop—stop. Kanah, that's too much!"
I pulled the rune back.
Barely.
Silence.
Then—
"She passes," Owain's father said.
The wolves bowed.
To me.
"Kanah of no scent," they murmured.
"Kanah of the rune."
"Kanah of defiance."
Owain looked shaken and proud all at once.
I sagged into him. "I can't believe that worked."
He smiled into my hair. "I didn't doubt you."
His breath brushed my ear.
Warm.
Intimate.
My heart stuttered.
The rune pulsed—
not painfully this time.
Soft.
Warm.
Helion smirked. "You two need space."
Owain glared. "Shut up, leopard."
Yllas added coldly, "His instincts are showing."
Gerrin exhaled. "The grove recognized their bond."
Owain stiffened. "It's not a bond."
My chest warmed again.
He looked at me like he wanted to take the words back.
I whispered, "But it could be."
Owain froze.
Helion choked.
Gerrin inhaled sharply.
Yllas looked like frost nearly cracked off him.
Owain's father raised a brow.
Owain's voice was a whisper. "Kanah…"
But before he could speak—
Owain's father stepped between us.
"Final trial," he said.
The air thickened.
Instinct prickled across my skin.
"And this," he said solemnly, "is the trial that decides everything."
Owain swallowed hard.
"Trial of Instinct," the elder announced.
"A test of aura. Of compatibility."
Owain whispered, "Kanah… stay behind me."
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
Because the wolves weren't looking at him.
They were looking at me—
and their instincts were shifting.