Episode 4

The following days were different. Everyone knew: the Supreme Alpha was around. No one saw him, no one knew who he was… And yet, every young she-wolf dressed better, walked more upright, spoke carefully.

Maya, on the other hand, tried to remain oblivious to all this movement. She avoided the exaggerated comments, the whispers about the possible king hidden among them. She focused on her training, her moments with the children, and the conversations—increasingly frequent—with Darrien, the silent warrior with icy eyes.

He always appeared at the most unexpected moments. Sometimes to help her carry baskets of fruit. Other times, to observe her during training and, discreetly, correct her posture or indicate a more efficient movement. He was reserved, but attentive. He had a way of listening as if every word she said was important. And Maya, without even realizing it, began to look for him with her eyes in the crowd.

On an afternoon of clear skies and cutting winds, the council's call echoed throughout the pack. All the young wolves were summoned to the central clearing. Maya arrived with Josh, not understanding the reason.

The oldest elder stood up with a scroll in his hand.

"The Supreme Alpha orders that all she-wolves between eighteen and twenty-five years old participate in 4 challenges. Those who demonstrate bravery, wisdom, and compassion will be called to the final phase, where the Alpha himself will reveal his identity and choose his future mate."

A silence fell like a stone in the middle of the clearing.

"Four challenges?" Josh whispered. "This seems like a test from the goddess herself."

"Or from the king himself…" Maya murmured, feeling a chill in her stomach.

Nayra smiled smugly from the other side of the clearing. She was ready to shine. “Now we'll see if the pack's darling can handle the pressure,” she thought.

The next morning, the first challenge was announced: a race through the mountains. A course of resistance, speed, and instinct, with natural obstacles and surprises in the terrain. The she-wolf who reached the top before sunset would win.

The participants prepared themselves. Maya, despite not liking to compete, decided she would participate. Not to win… But because Lira, her inner wolf, wanted to run.

"Are you sure?" Josh asked, worried.

"I've never been so sure."

At the beginning of the race, Nayra subtly pushed Maya aside, causing her to fall on the stony ground. Some wolves laughed. Maya got up with a grazed knee and wounded pride. But she didn't give up.

Lira gently took control, and together they ran. They jumped over logs, dodged stones, crossed streams. They felt the wind on their faces and freedom vibrating in their muscles.

When she reached the top of the mountain, Maya wasn't the first… But she was among the first three.

Darrien—or rather, Darian—watched her from a distance, hidden among the guards. His cold eyes shone with a strange emotion. "She fell, she was hurt, but she got up. She doesn't want to win. She wants to be free."

On the way back, she was cheered by many. Nayra just gritted her teeth, furious that Maya had overcome the difficulties without losing her essence.

At the end of the afternoon, while the participants were dismissed to rest, Maya looked for a quieter corner near the woods. She needed to breathe. She felt her body exhausted and her heart racing. The adrenaline from the race still pulsed through her veins.

"Are you proud of yourself?" "asked a deep voice, behind her."

Maya turned around and met the firm, but warm, gaze of Alpha Khalif, her father. He wore a dark tunic, his hair tied back, and his brown eyes—so similar to hers—carried the strength of someone who had led battles and survived deep losses.

"Dad…" she said with a tired, but sincere, smile.

Khalif approached, placing one of his calloused hands on his daughter's shoulder.

"You were amazing. I saw when you fell… And when you got up."

"I didn't do it for pride, nor for glory. Lira wanted to run. I just followed my instinct."

"And that's why you stand out among the others" he replied, serenely. "Many run for vanity. You ran for freedom."

Maya hugged him. A tight hug that brought security and childhood memories. For a few seconds, she allowed herself to be just a daughter.

"I need to remind you that, even if you don't want to, you're attracting attention" said Khalif when they moved away. "Especially from the king himself."

Maya sighed.

"I don't even know if I want that place. I wasn't made for that. I just wanted to live in peace, be free… And maybe, just maybe, understand what's happening with my heart."

"Darrien?" Khalif ventured, raising an eyebrow.

She blushed slightly.

"How do you know?"

Before Khalif could answer, Ava came running down the trail, breathless as always.

"I found you!" she exclaimed, placing her hands on her waist. "Maya, you were wonderful! That race… Heavens, you looked like the wind itself!"

Maya laughed, feeling lighter with her friend's vibrant energy.

"Exaggerated."

"I'm serious! Even the warriors were commenting. And Nayra… Ah, Nayra almost exploded with anger. If she could, she would push you in the middle of the trail."

"She already did that at the start" Maya confessed, showing the graze on her knee.

Ava widened her eyes.

"What? That snake! And you were still among the first three?"

"Lira didn't want to stop. And neither did I."

Khalif smiled, satisfied with his daughter's courage. He touched her shoulder once more.

"I'll leave you alone. But remember, Maya: greatness is not in being chosen. It's in knowing how to choose your own path."

He said goodbye with a slight nod and left back to the center of the village. Maya was silent, watching him walk away.

"Sometimes I forget he's the Alpha…" she commented.

"And sometimes I forget that you're more than my best friend" replied Ava. "You're destined for something great, Maya. Maybe greater than you can still imagine."

"I just want to be happy."

"And maybe that includes that handsome, cold-eyed warrior" Ava teased, with a mischievous smile.

Maya rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile.

"He's… Intriguing."

"And you're enchanted."

"Ava!"

"Okay, okay! But… What if you're the chosen one?"

Before she could give voice to her own thoughts, the sound of a distant howl echoed through the forest. It was the sign of the approaching night—and also the reminder that the second challenge was just ahead.

A challenge that would test not only her strength or wisdom… But her heart.

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