Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Lils
Elite Group. Evaluated under direct observation. His Majesty will serve as Primary Judge
Even in ink, it felt like a trap.
This was supposed to be Elena’s strength. She was bred for this kind of thing, literally. Diplomacy, negotiation, and political cunning disguised as grace. Not me. I was built from grit and bad luck, from sharp teeth and survival.
I knew how to fight with fists and silence. But this trial would require something else. Strategy. Leadership. Perception.
Things you couldn’t learn in three nights and a pile of borrowed books.
I stared at the open books spread across the desk in my room, their pages crammed with terms like “Pack Coalition Charter” and “Treaty of the Eastern Packs,” my eyes blurring over with every paragraph.
I couldn’t memorize alliances I didn’t understand, and I couldn’t pretend to be Elena much longer, not like this.
A soft knock interrupted my spiral and Emma poked her head in. “You got a note.”
I stood quickly. “From who?”
She shrugged and held it up. A simple card folded once, no seal, no signature–just two words scrawled in a familiar, arrogant hand:
Ready yet? ~A.
A, for Asher. I stared at it for a long moment, my thoughts churning. He was charming, sure. Dangerous too. But something about his offer still tugged at me. He said is wasn’t forbidden, but I didn’t know enough to know if that was a hard and fast rule.
And maybe I didn’t have the luxury of being cautious right now.
I turned the card over. On the back, he’d scribbled a time and a place: the eastern courtyard, just after midday. No details, no promises. Just a tiny
breadcrumb.
I slipped it into my pocket without answering Emma’s questions and said, “Cover for me if anyone asks.”
She gave me a thumbs up and plopped down on my bed to read,
Al.
–
I took the garden path to the eastern courtyard that was lined with trimmed hedges and climbing vines, all manicured to perfection – like everything in this palace, even nature bent to power.
I waited beneath the shadow of an arched trellis covered in blood–orange blossoms. The scent was distracting. My heart thudded too hard for someone
who was supposed to be calm and composed.
The sound of boots made me stiffen, but when I turned, it wasn’t Asher.
It was Beta Ronan.
He approached slowly, hands behind his back, posture as warrior–professional as always. “Lady Elena.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
“I’m not here to interfere,” he said, voice smooth. “But I saw your name on the elite list. I thought you might be feeling the pressure.”
I swallowed. “Understatement of the century.”
1/3
16:59 Sun 1 Jun – OG
Chapter 40
He gave the faintest smile. “Good. That means you’re paying attention?
I blinked. “You think it’s good that I’m terrified?”
“I think fear sharpens you. Makes you ask questions that others ignore.” His gaze flicked toward the garden. “In this trial, the ones who fail art the who make mistakes. They’re the ones who think the rules don’t bend.”
That pulled me up short.
He studied my face, like he was waiting for
me to
ch up.”
“Don’t chase the obvious answers. Don’t show them what you want. Be clever.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.
“I like watching people surprise the Court,” he said. “Especially the ones no one sees coming.”
Before I could reply, he tipped his head and walked away. Just like that.
I stood frozen for a moment, trying to decipher what kind
I was
being pulled into. Had the trial started early and this was part of the test?
I just couldn’t figure this place out. Still turning it over in my mind, I walked to meet Asher.
He was already waiting by the fountain, legs crossed at the ankle, leaning against the carved edge like he belonged there. A lazy breeze caught his hair just enough to make it infuriatingly picturesque.
“Thought you might stand me up,” he said when I approached.
“Still might,” I replied, folding my arms.
He grinned. “Feisty. You’re either terrified or completely over it.”
“It can be both.”
Asher’s eyes gleamed. “Smart. You’ll need that.”
He gestured toward the edge of the fountain. I didn’t sit. Neither did he
“Trial starts at dawn,” he said. “The test won’t just be about Pack politics. It’s a simulation, roleplay,” his eyebrows waggled at that, “You’ll be in with others, and you’ll have to lead them. Or watch them turn on you.”
My pulse jumped. “How do you know that?”
He gave a half shrug. “Let’s just say I know a few of the moderators. And one of them likes to talk in his sleep.”
I gave him a narrow look.
“I’m offering you a heads–up,” he said. “The scenario will be rigged against you. But it’s not about getting it right–it’s about making choices. Fast. Publicly. If you wait too long, you look weak. If you act too quickly, you look impulsive.”
“And this help you’re offering is free?”
“I said no strings attached,” he corrected. “You didn’t ask what kind of strings.”
I smirked despite myself.
“Do with this what you want,” Asher said, voice softer now. “But don’t play it safe. That’s what they’re expecting from you.”
I exhaled slowly. “Okay. Thank you.”
His smile faded, just a touch. “Don’t thank me yet. They’re going to come for you no matter what. Just make it worth the price.”
2/3
a room
Chapter 40
It was nearly curfew by the time i made it back to my wing. The halls had gone quiet, except for the click of my shines and porched erste wed thus far flicker of torchlight
I wasn’t expecting anyone.
So when I stepped out onto the terrace to clear my thoughts before bed and found Damon there alone, arms braced on the rallin
His back was to me. But I could feel the tension in him, drawn tight and waiting to snap.
“Evening,” I said cautiously.
He didn’t look at me. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“Not yet,” I admitted.
“I’d be surprised if you could,” he said. “Big day tomorrow.”
I stepped closer, not too close. “Is that why you’re here? Couldn’t sleep?”
He turned to face me, slow and deliberate, his expression unreadable in the moonlight. “I wanted to see how you’re holding up,” he said.
I let out a bitter laugh. “Like I’m being marched to a public execution. But politely.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at the edge of his mouth. “That’s politics.”
I leaned my elbows, just far enough from him that I wasn’t in danger of reading too much into his proximity.
“I’m not ready,” I said before I could stop myself.
Damon didn’t mock me. He didn’t soften either. “You’ll be watched for how you lead. Not for what you memorize.”
I turned my head toward him. “So this is another test.”
He didn’t answer.
“Right,” I murmured. “Of course it is.”
His eyes pinned me. “You don’t have to be the best,” he said. “You just have to be more dangerous than the ones pretending to be.”
My breath caught. It wasn’t encouragement. It was a valuable piece of information, and Damon was offering it to me. That was three separate pieces of unsolicited advice. I had no idea what was going on.
He pushed away from the railing. “Get some rest.”
And then he left me standing there, alone in the cold glow of moonlight, wondering which part of me he wanted to see in tomorrow’s trial; the mask, or what lay beneath it.
I didn’t get a wink of sleep.
AP
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