The elder's chambers remained quiet, they sat in there judgment table. Torchlight casting elongated shadows against the stone walls, they had seen everything, they had withnessed everything. The four Alphas stood before the high council, their expressions were unreadable, their bodies tensed with unspoken rivalry.
The elder, an aged man with silver-threaded hair and piercing eyes, sat at the head of the long wooden table. He steepled his fingers, scanning the four young men before him.
"It is time," he finally spoke, his voice carrying the weight of centuries. "You are now four. That means the trials will only grow harder."
Ethan stood relaxed, arms crossed, his golden eyes gleaming with quiet confidence. Maverick shifted slightly, his fists clenching at his sides. Lachlan's gaze was sharp, calculating, while Alexander smirked, as if daring the elder to surprise him.
"But first," the elder continued, "I want a formal introduction. Each of you will state your name, your lineage, and your purpose in this trial."
A tense silence followed. Then, with an exasperated sigh, Alexander stepped forward first.
"Alexander Grey, son of Alpha Kieran Grey of the Dark moon pack." His voice was smooth, practiced. "My purpose? To win, obviously."
Maverick scoffed. "Typical."
The elder said nothing, merely gesturing for the next.
Maverick stepped forward, his stance strong. "Maverick Johnson. Son of Alpha Tobias Johnson of the Midnight Moon Pack. My purpose is simple, to prove that strength alone determines leadership and my linage is born of strong alphas who are capableto the task."
Lachlan was next. "Lachlan Raynolds, son of Alpha Dorian Raynolds of this pack. My purpose? To proove my family's legacy and claim what is rightfully mine."
All eyes turned to Ethan. He smiled faintly before stepping forward. "Ethan Blackwood, son of no one. I came here because fate demanded it."
Silence followed. The other Alphas exchanged glances, suspicion flickering through their gazes. No lineage? That was unheard of. And yet, his presence spoke for itself.
The elder's eyes narrowed, but he did not press. Instead, he moved on. "Your second trial begins now. You are to track and capture a rare beast, one that has eluded even the most skilled hunters. But catching it is not enough. You must also prove you can communicate with it."
"Communicate?" Maverick repeated, his brow furrowing. "With a beast?"
"Yes," the elder affirmed. "An Alpha is not merely a warrior but a leader. If you cannot forge bonds beyond your own kind, you will fail."
Alexander smirked. "Sounds easy enough."
"You will have until dawn to complete the trial. Fail, and your position in this competition will be in question." The elder's gaze was heavy as he looked at each of them in turn. "Do not disappoint."
The forest stretched endlessly, a dark labyrinth of towering trees and dense underbrush. The wind howled through the branches, carrying the distant sounds of nocturnal creatures.
Ethan crouched low, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. He could feel the beast, its presence thrummed in the air, a pulse of raw, untamed energy.
"Splitting up is a mistake," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"Yet here you are, alone," came Lachlan's voice from behind him.
Ethan didn't startle. He simply turned his head, meeting Lachlan's scrutinizing gaze. "Not alone. Just ahead."
Lachlan smirked. "We'll see about that."
Elsewhere, Maverick pressed his ear to the ground, listening for movement. His instincts told him the beast was fast and elusive. But he was faster.
Alexander, on the other hand, relied on strategy. He moved with precision, calculating the creature's likely path, setting up a trap.
Hours passed, the air became thick with tension. Then, the first sighting.
A rustle. A low growl. Ethan saw it first, a massive, shadowy form moving between the trees, its eyes like molten amber. The beast was unlike anything he had seen before, its muscles coiled, its presence commanding.
Then, in an instant, it bolted.
Lachlan cursed. "Damn it!"
And that was when the chase began.
Branches snapped. The ground trembled under pounding footsteps. The four Alphas moved as one, rivals yet bound by the same goal.
Maverick was the first to close in. He lunged, his claws flashing under the moonlight, but the beast dodged with impossible speed, sending him crashing into the dirt.
Alexander used the moment to his advantage. He threw a net laced with silver, aiming for its hind legs. The beast howled, momentarily ensnared.
Then Ethan moved. He didn't strike, neither did he attack.
He simply stood there, eyes locking with the creature's.
The world seemed to still. The beast's growl quieted into a deep, guttural breath. Its amber eyes flared, recognizing something in Ethan that no one else had.
Maverick pushed himself up, eyes widening. "What the hell is he doing?"
Lachlan's gaze darkened. "He's communicating."
Alexander clenched his jaw. "That's impossible."
Ethan stepped forward, slow and deliberate. The beast didn't retreat. Instead, it lowered its head slightly, watching him with cautious interest.
Then, with a sharp twist, the net snapped. The beast lunged, not at Ethan, but at the others.
Lachlan reacted first, dodging out of the way. Alexander barely avoided the razor-sharp claws.
"You lost control!" Maverick shouted.
Ethan remained calm. "No. I set it free."
The beast roared, shaking the very ground beneath them. It turned its gaze towards Ethan once more, then bolted into the night, disappearing into the shadows.
The realization hit all at once as there was silence in the environment.
Had Ethan won? Alexander's hands curled into fists. Maverick's breathing was ragged. Lachlan's expression was unreadable.
But in the flickering torchlight of the fading moon, envy flickered in their eyes.
Ethan turned, his smirk barely visible in the darkness. "Better luck next time."
And with that, he walked away, leaving the other three with nothing but the weight of their own failure and the night was far from over.
Ethan's footsteps barely made a sound as he walked away, his form disappearing into the thick shadows of the forest. Behind him, the three remaining Alphas stood frozen, their pride stinging like an open wound.
Maverick clenched his jaw. "This isn't over."
Alexander scoffed. "No, it's just beginning."
Before anyone could say another word, the air around them thickened. A sudden hush fell over the forest. The trees, once whispering in the night breeze, now stood deathly still. Even the insects and distant howls of other creatures faded into silence.
Then, a sound came, deep, guttural, and echoing from everywhere at once.
Their names.
"Alexander. Maverick. Lachlan."
The voice slithered through the night, ancient and powerful, vibrating in their chests. It wasn't human. It wasn't even entirely animal. It was something else entirely.
Alexander spun around, his senses on high alert. "What the…?"
The shadows in front of them shifted. And there it was. The same beast was there. Not fleeing. Not hiding. But watching.
The glow of its amber eyes cut through the darkness, filled with something more than mere instinct. Intelligence. Amusement.
"You fight for dominance," the beast rumbled, its voice like the crackle of a storm. "But for what?"
The air grew colder, they could all hear him, pressing against their skin. None of them moved. None of them breathed.
The beast's gaze swept across them, then it spoke again.
"You battle over a prize that will choose only one?" A sickening stillness followed.
Alexander's smirk faltered. Lachlan's lips parted, but no words came out. Maverick's fists unclenched.
The beast's eyes flickered, one final, knowing glance. Then, without another sound, it stepped back, fading into the darkness like it had never been there at all. And just like that, it was gone.
The silence stretched long, suffocating, until Ethan finally broke it. "What the hell did that mean?" No one answered.