The courtyard roared with voices.

By dawn, word had spread like wildfire—Elder Marcus had called for another trial. Not of blood and claws this time, but of loyalty, power, and worth. A trial that could strip Bella of her Luna title before it ever truly settled into her bones.

Bella stood at Alfred’s side as the pack gathered, the morning mist curling like smoke across the stone. Every face was turned toward her. Some eyes held hope. Others burned with suspicion. The weight of their ...