I came back to the pack later that night, exhausted and weak.
My limbs ached like I had been beaten, my head throbbed, and my chest felt unbearably heavy. All I wanted was to crawl into bed, wrap myself in the thin blanket that barely kept the cold out, and sleep until morning—or maybe longer. Long enough for everything to feel less painful.
I didn't think much of what happened in the forest.
I didn't have to.
Whatever that confused werewolf was, whatever strange pull I had felt for a fleeting moment, it was insignificant compared to the weight already crushing my shoulders. I had bigger problems. Real problems.
I stood in the pack's training ground, the torches casting long shadows against the dirt floor. Wooden staffs, discarded weights, torn gloves, and broken targets were scattered everywhere, left behind carelessly by warriors who never had to clean up after themselves.
That job always fell to me.
I bent down slowly, my back protesting as I picked up the equipment one by one. My hands were rough from years of labor, small scars littering my palms—proof of how little value my life held in this pack. I stacked the tools neatly against the wall, sweeping away dirt and dried blood that didn't belong to me.
When I reached for the mop, my arms felt like lead.
I dipped it into the bucket and began scrubbing the floor, my thoughts drifting despite my efforts to keep them still. The TEST lingered at the back of my mind like a shadow I couldn't outrun. The way the elders had whispered about it earlier. The way Kael's face had hardened when it was mentioned.
None of it felt right.
I was scrubbing harder than necessary when I heard the voice that meant everything to me.
The reason I woke each morning stronger.
The reason I endured everything so far without breaking.
The reason I was still breathing.
"Mama!"
Eryx's tiny voice echoed across the training ground as his little feet pounded against the dirt. Before I could turn fully, he crashed into my open arms, nearly knocking the breath out of me.
I laughed softly despite myself, dropping the mop as I wrapped him tightly in my arms.
"My boy," I said, pressing a kiss into his red curls. "You look so happy today."
"I'm happy to see you," he said brightly, pulling back just enough to look at my face. His dimples appeared as he smiled—those same dimples that haunted me every time I saw them.
"I missed you."
My heart squeezed painfully.
"I missed you too," I replied, my voice thick.
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes. Aunty Faye fed me."
"That's good, my love," I said, brushing dirt off his tunic. "Go inside. I'll be there soon, okay?"
He nodded obediently and ran off toward the pack house, his laughter trailing behind him.
I stood there for a moment after he disappeared, my chest aching as I smiled.
He was the only person who made me happy.
The only one who looked at me like I mattered.
And every time I looked at him, the resemblance was impossible to ignore.
He looked so much like Kael.
So much was an understatement.
Eryx was Kael's mirror—his sharp jaw softened by youth, his dark eyes filled with innocence instead of cold authority. Even his habits, the way he tilted his head when thinking or clenched his fists when upset, were exactly like Kael's.
The only thing he got from me was my red hair.
Sometimes I wondered if that was the only proof I had that he was truly mine.
I shook the thought away and went back to mopping. The last thing I needed was someone walking in and finding me lost in my thoughts. That always led to trouble.
Accusations. Harsh words.
Or worse.
I was almost done when Rebecca walked in.
I stiffened but didn't look up.
I had nothing to say to her.
"Arielle?" she called softly.
I ignored her, dragging the mop across the floor.
" I know you're mad at me," she continued, stepping closer. "But I had no other option. You know he's the Alpha, and I can't defy him."
Her words stung, even though I had heard them before.
I knew—deep down—that it wasn't Rebecca's fault.
But knowing didn't stop the pain.
And blaming Kael alone wasn't enough. I needed someone else to carry a piece of my anger, or it would crush me.
"It's fine," I said quietly, not stopping my work. "I understand."
"So… we're cool?" she asked, hope flickering in her eyes.
"Yes," I replied, forcing a small smile.
Rebecca relaxed instantly.
She was the first—and only—friend I had in this pack. Even though I knew where her loyalty truly lay, even though I knew she would always choose Kael if forced, it still meant something to have someone who spoke to me like I mattered.
Someone who didn't treat me like dirt.
Someone who talked to me.
And more importantly, someone who told me things.
We chatted about random matters—training schedules, gossip about the warriors, Faye's new healing herbs—until the weight in my chest grew too heavy to ignore.
The TEST.
"Rebecca," I called suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"Have you heard of the TEST?"
She froze.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
Her lips pressed together as she bit them—a habit she only had when she was uncomfortable or lying.
"No," she said too quickly. "What's that?"
She was lying.
And it was painfully obvious.
Rebecca was many things, but she was terrible at hiding her emotions.
"Rebecca, please," I said, setting the mop aside and finally facing her. "If you know anything, tell me. I'm suddenly hearing about a TEST they want to carry out on Eryx."
Her eyes widened.
Fear flickered across her face before she looked away.
"Arielle, I would love to help you," she said slowly, "but I don't really know what it's about."
She hesitated, then sighed.
"Yes… I've heard of the TEST. But I don't know what it involves."
This time, she wasn't lying.
And that scared me even more.
"Your mum would know," I said quietly.
Rebecca's head snapped back to me.
"What if the Alpha finds out?"
"I'll take the blame," I said without hesitation. "Please, Rebecca. Just help me find out what it is. I have a bad feeling about this."
She studied my face for a long moment, then nodded reluctantly.
"Okay," she whispered. "I'll ask her."
Relief washed over me.
At least I will know what I'm up against