The courtyard was trembling with tension. Every eye in the pack was fixed on the circle, where Bella stood battered but unbroken. Lydia prowled opposite her like a predator denied its kill, fury simmering beneath her skin.

Alfred’s command still echoed in the air. His Alpha aura had forced Lydia to pull back from her partial shift, but everyone knew this wasn’t over. The trial had only just begun.

“Fight,” Elder Marcus said hoarsely, his voice carrying less conviction than before. ...