First day of the challenge
Celine’s POV :
The night was fresh in my mind as I got ready for the first day of the competition. I was still in confusion as to be if I should be happy that my mate was getting possessive for me or the fact that the king knew about my parents and he was the only one who could reveal The Secret to me.
I had pulled my hair into a long French braid and war the armour set which was provided to all of us by the maids early in the morning. In the belt area, there was space for keeping a sword, a dagger and an extra pouch for other stuff.
‘We are ready. ‘ Belinay announced.
We had to get to the pack training building by 7:00 AM and it was already 6:50 so I hurriedly got out of the chamber.
Ava was wearing the same set of armour but in a different shade of green and her eyes looked puffy from lack of sleep and maybe crying all night. But as soon as she saw me, her demeanor changed again and the mean girl look flashed across her face.
“Bi*ch, I am excited to show you your place. I feel bad for Tyrion though because he wouldn’t like to be eliminated in the first round and on the very first day. ” She smirked and made an ugly face.
I shrugged, ” I think you should worry about your strategy rather than keeping an eye on us. ”
This sent her go howling and gritting her teeth, ” I, the only daughter of a powerful Alpha, carrying his blood, and the child of another powerful and dominant Alpha, don’t need any strategy. Even my unborn is more powerful than a trash like you. After all, Tyrion isn’t a weak man… ”
She licked her lips, rubbing her small protruding belly from the armour. I shook my head to not let her vile words go through my head because I needed to concentrate. And whatever happened between them or would happen was a thing out of my hands. Alpha Tyrion had promised me that he was loyal to me for the given time of our bond. Nothing else mattered to me.
“All the best, Ava. ”
“Fu*k off, piece of sh*t. ” She screamed and pushed me a little to walk ahead of me.
I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes. I had to cool down. Anger was going to make me weak. I needed the aggression and determination for the actual competition. I had another reason to give my best. To show Ava that blood wasn’t only factor in deciding who gets to the powerful position.
Outside the ladies’s chamber, our mates were waiting for us. Alpha Tyrion looked so devilishly handsome in his silver blue armour and a huge sword. He took my hand in his and planted a kiss on the back of my palm.Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
“Don’t be nervous. I will always be there for you. Winning today isn’t important. ”
My heart broke again for me. The man who had prepared himself since childhood to get the throne, was giving me hope that it wasn’t important enough.
Belinay took it as an insult and growled in my chest, ” Alpha, winning is important. I know I haven’t prepared myself for it but I will not wait to get eliminated without doing anything. ”
He was proud of me as his eyes changed color, ” Remember, keep that magic of your eyes within yourself. We still don’t know, what it was. ”
I nodded, ” I will try to keep everything in check. ”
We walked together to the centre and joined the couples who were already standing according to their ranks. The Lycan king along with Queen came for announcing the start of the competition.
I could feel my heart speeding up just by a mere look from him. He dared to do that offensive thing yesterday and now I couldn’t trust his any speech or oath. Maybe he was same with every women. He might be like Kain who wanted different girls for himself to make his stupid ego feel better.
“The challenge starts today and all the last finalised couples are present. After thoroughly checking up the eligibility requirements, we passed these 14 couples who joined earlier or later according to their capabilities. The rules are clear and concrete. You need to fight for the throne and win the heir title to the crown after me.” Lycan king Calle announced.
The Queen looked tense to me, her eyes focused on the ground. When she lifted her head up, I could see the purplish grey puffy balls under her beautiful eyes. Maybe she was crying or didn’t get enough sleep. Whatever the reason was, I knew it had to do something with the king.
Her warning flashed through my head, and I grew worried for her well- being. What if she already knew about her mate and his intentions? She had warned me the first day.
“Get ready and discuss with each other. Beta Remy will explain the challenge for today and the points structure. ” He added and got down to the seats. I noticed how the Queen snatched het hand away from him when he tried to hold her.
Beta Remy took his place and gave us a warm smile, ” Lunas come and stand to the right in a queue. Alphas keep standing at your place. ”
I walked to the front of the queue and Alpha Tyrion touched my arm, assuring me he was there. Ava literally bumped into me and forced me to stand behind her.
“Ava, let her come forward. ” Beta Remy told her.
She scoffed, ” I am pregnant not ill. ”
“It’s not about that. Alpha Tyrion’s mate holds more authority than you. ”
She stood froze for a few seconds but with clenched teeth gave me space to stand in the first position. She was murmuring something under her breath against me which I blocked from my mind. I didn’t need her negativity today.
” I know each one of you knows the rules and requirements. But I will still give you a little brief.”He said, “The challenge consists of two parts: the Moon Trial and the Sun Trial. The Moon Trial is a test of strength, speed, and endurance, where the Alphas and Lunas have to race across the land under the full moon, facing various obstacles and enemies along the way. The first ten Alphas to reach the finish line will qualify for the second part of the challenge. ”
” And The Sun Trial is a test of wisdom, courage, and loyalty, where the Lunas have to solve a series of riddles and puzzles under the scorching sun, while protecting their mates from harm. The Lunas have to work together with their Alphas, using their bond and their abilities to overcome the challenges. The first pair to complete the Sun Trial will be crowned as the Alpha king and the Luna queen, and will rule over the twenty kingdoms for the next hundred years.” He told the same thing which Alpha Tyrion had informed me.
“And even to get into the Moon trial, we have a small test. Do, today, all the fourteen couples need to use all their bond and connection to win against the tricky situations. ”
I took a deep breath and turned my head to look at Alpha who was already looking at me. He gave me a thumbs up and a very sweet smile. At this moment, I knew that I could have never asked for anything more than this. Beta Remy gave us a big paper with the Royal stamp which had the challenge description and rules. We were then allowed to go back to our mates and had only 30 minutes to discuss. I immediately ran back to Alpha Tyrion who took us to the quiet corner.
He read everything to me aloud and then even described the points clearly.
The challenge was called **The Hunt**. It was a test of strength, speed, strategy, and teamwork. Each couple had to track down and capture a wild beast in the forest, using only their natural abilities and a pair of silver daggers. The beast could be any creature, from a wolf to a bear, but it had to be alive and unharmed when brought back to the castle. The first 10 couple to return with their prize would win the challenge and earn a point for the heir selection.
Alphas and Lunas had different roles in the challenge. Alphas were the leaders, the hunters, the fighters. They had enhanced senses, reflexes, and agility. Lunas were the supporters, the healers, the planners. We could mind- link each other and talk all the time through the challenge.
The challenge was not easy. The forest was vast, dark, and dangerous. There were other predators lurking in the shadows, ready to attack or steal the prey. There were also traps and obstacles set by the royal guards, to make the challenge more difficult and exciting. We had to work together, trust each other, and use our strengths and weaknesses wisely.
The challenge was a test of our bond, our loyalty, and the love. I wasn’t sure about love but everything else was in my power.
“Another thing, those animals are all shifters. We have to be very careful with that too. ” Alpha Tyrion added and my mouth hung open with shock and fear.
Shifters! How would I fight against those predators?