The Alpha's Forbidden Mate.

she walked beside Darius, the weight of his presence beside her almost overwhelming. The wolves had disappeare

re them. The chill of the night air nipped at her skin, and she could feel the bruises on her body, the soreness fr

r wanted to stop, to rest, to take a breath, but she knew that wasn't an option. Not here. Not in t

m. His voice was deep, almost a growl, but there was an edge of approval in i

heart pounding. "What d

is face, casting deep shadows across his features. His amber eyes were u

't enough in this pack. You must prove your worth in battle

her spine. A bat

ontinued. "They will test you. You can't rely on me or an

both alive and terrified at the same time. She had never fought anyone in her life. She ha

her voice steady despite the

ll be someone from the pack. They are all skilled in combat. The fight will be

bout survival anymore. It was about showing them she was wo

thoughts. He spoke with absolute certainty. "If you want

impossible, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized there was no other choice.

silent sentinels. It was almost as if the entire wilderness was hol

open, surrounded by thick trees, their branches reaching up toward the sky like skeletal hand

ith every passing moment. This was it. Tomorrow, she would face a member of

u will face one of my best warriors. His name is Kael. H

. Kael. Darius had chosen one of his best to c

The fear was overwhelming. She had no idea how to fight a wolf, let alone someone trained

eady," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You can either let your f

nded strength, one that left no room for weakness. But she wasn't just fighting for herself. She was fighting for a chanc

w clenched. She looked up at him, meeting his ga

w something flicker in his eyes-maybe approval, maybe a hint of something else

ice hard. "Tomorrow will be you

mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She thought about the battle, about Kael, about the wolves. She had no doubt that they were formidable oppon

ly. What could she do? What skills did she have to def

but her mind kept racing. Her body, however, refused to cooperate. She to

an uneasy sleep. But even in sleep, her mind was restless, filled wit

ering in the clearing, their eyes curious as they watched her. The weight of their gaze press

at the edge of the clearing. His presenc

d, his voice low, a

mmering in her chest. The

with nerves, but she refused to let fear take over. This

shadows. His eyes were sharp, his muscles rippling beneath his skin. He

stand tall, her eyes never leaving Kael. This wasn