The challenge came at dawn.
Lila sensed it before Kael spoke — a sharp tension in the air, like the forest holding its breath. She stood on the cabin porch, wrapped in Kael's jacket, watching mist curl through the trees.
"Rowan's called for a trial," Kael said quietly behind her.
She turned. "A trial for what?"
"For you."
Her stomach dropped. "I thought you said no one would challenge you."
Kael's eyes darkened. "They're not challenging me. They're challenging the bond."
As if summoned by his words, wolves began to gather in the clearing. Some watched Lila with open suspicion, others with awe — and a few with something far more dangerous: hunger for power.
Rowan stepped forward, shifting smoothly into human form. His gaze locked on Lila, sharp and calculating.
"She's unstable," he declared. "Last night proved it. The Alpha's judgment is compromised."
A low growl rippled through the pack.
Kael stepped beside Lila, his presence solid and commanding. "Careful."
Rowan smirked. "Then prove me wrong. Let her stand alone."
Lila's breath caught. "Kael—"
Kael's hand tightened briefly around hers. "I won't let them hurt you."
Selene emerged from the crowd, expression unreadable. "This is pack law," she said. "A lunar trial. If she can control her power without an anchor… she stays. If not—"
"Say it," Lila demanded.
Selene met her gaze. "The bond must be severed."
Silence crashed down.
Lila turned to Kael, panic flashing across her face. "I can't do this alone."
Kael's jaw clenched. "You won't be alone. Even if I can't touch you… I'll be with you."
Rowan stepped back, shifting into his wolf form — massive, dark, eyes gleaming. "Then begin."
The circle cleared.
The moonlight intensified, even though the sun hovered just above the horizon. Lila stepped forward, her legs trembling.
Breathe, she told herself.
The power came anyway.
Heat surged through her veins, sharper than before. Her vision blurred, senses exploding outward — she could hear heartbeats, smell pine and earth, feel the pull of the moon like a living thing inside her chest.
She cried out, dropping to her knees.
"Lila!" Kael shouted.
She looked up — and the world shifted.
Her body burned, not painfully, but unbearably alive. Silver light wrapped around her skin, her hands digging into the dirt as claws threatened to surface. She wasn't shifting fully — but she wasn't human anymore either.
Gasps erupted from the pack.
"She's crossing the line," Rowan snarled.
"No," Selene whispered. "She's balancing on it."
Lila's breath came in ragged bursts. Fear clawed at her — fear of losing herself, fear of becoming something she couldn't come back from.
Her eyes found Kael's.
"Anchor," he said softly. "Remember me."
Memories flooded her — his steady voice, his protection, the way he always stood between her and danger. The warmth of his touch. The bond.
"I choose you," she whispered.
The power snapped into place.
The light dimmed. The burning eased. Lila collapsed forward — only to stop inches from the ground.
Kael had moved.
Pack law shattered as he caught her, pulling her into his arms. The forest erupted with snarls and shouts.
"You broke the trial!" Rowan roared.
Kael didn't look back. His eyes blazed as he held Lila close. "She passed."
Selene studied them, then slowly nodded. "She did."
Rowan's gaze burned with fury. "Then challenge me," he said to Kael. "Alpha to Alpha. Winner decides her fate."
Lila's head snapped up. "No!"
Kael met Rowan's stare without hesitation. "Fine."
Fear ripped through Lila. "Kael, you can't—"
"I already have," he said softly, brushing his thumb over her cheek. "This is the cost of choosing you."
Before she could stop him, Kael stepped into the circle and shifted — bones snapping, fur rippling, power exploding outward. Rowan followed instantly.
Two massive wolves faced each other, dominance crackling through the clearing.
The fight was brutal — teeth, claws, earth torn apart. Lila screamed when Rowan slammed Kael into a tree, blood darkening his fur.
"No," she whispered.
Something inside her snapped.
Silver light surged from her chest, racing toward Kael like a living thing. The bond flared — bright, undeniable.
Rowan froze mid-strike, howling in pain as the power hit him.
Kael turned, stunned.
"Lila," he breathed.
The pack fell silent.
Selene stared in awe. "She shielded him."
Rowan collapsed, defeated.
Kael shifted back, rushing to Lila's side, gripping her shoulders. "You weren't supposed to do that."
She met his gaze, fierce and shaking. "You're not allowed to die for me."
His voice broke. "Then don't make me want to."
The bond burned between them — no longer fragile, no longer accidental.
Selene lowered her head. "The moon has spoken. The bond stands."
Kael pulled Lila into his arms, holding her like he'd never let go.
And for the first time, Lila realized the truth:
She wasn't just chosen by the moon.
She was powerful enough to change the balance of the pack — and dangerous enough to be hunted for it.