Chapter 39: Chapter 39
I didn’t tell Christian about the note.
Probably stupid. Definitely stupid. But I shoved it in my desk drawer and decided future Sophie could handle that particular nightmare.
Present Sophie had enough problems.
Like the formal summons that arrived at dawn, delivered by some stiff-looking pack member who wouldn’t meet my eyes.
"The Elder Council requests your presence at sunrise. Council chamber. Formal attire required."
"Cool, cool, cool." I took the fancy envelope. "Any chance you know what this is about?"
He practically ran away.
Maria found me twenty minutes later, staring at my closet like it held the secrets of the universe.
"They’re calling the Luna trials," she said quietly. "I heard from Jessica, who heard from Connor, who heard from Elder Patricia."
My stomach dropped. "Already? I haven’t even—"
"They’re not giving you time to prepare. That’s the point." Maria pulled out a white dress I’d never seen before. "Traditional Luna candidate attire. White symbolizes a blank slate. You’re supposed to approach the trials without assuming you’ll pass."
"Super encouraging."
"Hey." She grabbed my shoulders. "You solved a three-generation family dispute in three days. You can handle whatever they throw at you."
The white dress felt like a straightjacket. Or maybe that was just my anxiety trying to suffocate me.
The council chamber was older than the pack house—stone walls, narrow windows, and the smell of centuries of werewolf politics. Five elders sat in a semicircle, and I’d never felt more like I was on trial.
Elder Thompson in the center. Elder Sarah on his right, already looking smug. Three others I’d barely spoken to—Elder Marcus with his wire-rimmed glasses, Elder Patricia with kind eyes, and Elder Robert, who looked about a thousand years old.
"Sophie Turner." Elder Thompson’s voice echoed off the stone. "You’ve been summoned to hear the formal requirements for Luna candidacy."
I stood straighter. "I’m ready."
"Three trials," Elder Marcus said, adjusting his glasses. "Wisdom. Strength. Compassion. Pass all three, and your position as Luna will be recognized by the Elder Council."
"And if I fail one?"
Elder Sarah’s smile was sharp. "Then you leave Shadow Ridge. Permanently."
My wolf snarled. I kept my face blank. "Understood."
"The first trial begins immediately." Elder Thompson slid a folder across the table. "The Harrison and Kelly families have disputed ownership of prime hunting territory for three generations. You will hear their cases, review pack records, and render a judgment both families will accept."
I opened the folder. Pages and pages of complaints, property maps, and family trees going back decades.
"How long do I have?"
"Previous Luna candidates received one month." Elder Sarah leaned forward. "You have three days."
"Of course I do."
"Is there a problem?" Elder Sarah’s eyebrow arched.
"Nope. No problem. Three days is plenty of time to solve a century-old territorial dispute." I closed the folder. "Anything else?"
Elder Patricia spoke for the first time, her voice gentle. "The trials are meant to be challenging, dear. But they’re not meant to be impossible. Trust your instincts."
"Thank you, Elder Patricia."
"One more thing." Elder Thompson’s expression hardened. "Alpha Christian cannot assist you in any way. Any help from the Alpha will invalidate your trial. You succeed or fail on your merit."
I left the chamber clutching the folder like a lifeline, my hands shaking.
Christian was waiting in the hallway.
"What did they—" He stopped, taking in my white dress, my expression. "They called the trials."
"Three days to solve the Harrison-Kelly thing. No Alpha assistance allowed. Fail, and I’m permanently banished." I tried to smile. "So, you know, no pressure."
Christian’s hands fisted at his sides, his whole body vibrating with the need to fix this. "Sophie—"
"Don’t." I stepped back before he could touch me, before his scent could cloud my head. "You heard the rules. You can’t help me."
"This is bullsh—"
"This is politics." I met his eyes. "And I can handle it."
His jaw clenched so hard I heard his teeth grind. "I hate this."
"Yeah, well, join the club." I hugged the folder to my chest. "I need to go. Research to do. Families to interview. Miracles to perform."
I walked away before he could argue. Before I could beg him to just command a solution and screw the consequences.
The pack archives smelled like old paper and broken dreams.
I spread maps across the table, cross-referencing property claims with hunting records from the past fifty years. My eyes burned. My head pounded. Nothing made sense.
"Interesting reading?"
I jumped about three feet. Connor stood in the doorway, his scarred face neutral.
"Aren’t you supposed to be training warriors?"
"Lunch break." He walked in, studying the maps over my shoulder. "The Harrison-Kelly dispute. Nasty business."
"You know about it?"
