Episode 5

The next day, the second challenge arrived like a silent thunder, laden with expectation. The morning cold seemed to want to freeze bones, but it was inside the chest that the ice weighed most heavily. It wasn't enough to be strong anymore—now it was the mind that would be tested. Wisdom. A test of soul, of values, of heart. A trial that not even the sharpest blade could cut.

The young she-wolves were led to the ancestral hall, where the wisdom of the ancients lingered in the air like smoke. The test would be individual, and each would face simulated dilemmas—situations of dubious morality, where right and wrong were confused.

When Maya entered, the silence was profound. The elders watched her with eyes that seemed to see the soul. The chief elder, a wolf with fur as white as snow, spoke with a serene but firm voice.

"If you had to choose between saving your mate or a group of defenseless children, what would you do?"

Maya didn't answer immediately. Her eyes wandered across the stone floor, to the low flames of the fire in the center of the hall. The silence lasted seconds that felt like forever.

"I would save the children," she said finally, her voice firm, but her eyes tearful. "Because a true mate would understand the reason. And if I were to die, I would die proud of my choice."

The hall remained silent. But there was a deep, silent respect there, as if the walls themselves had heard something sacred. Maya stood up, her heart light despite the difficult test. She had spoken the truth—and the truth has weight.

Outside, the sky seemed clearer.

Nayra, on the other hand, crossed the hall with calculated steps. Her eyes didn't linger anywhere for long. When she was asked the questions, she answered with beautiful and articulate, almost theatrical, phrases. But they were empty. Her eyes didn't shine. Her soul didn't tremble.

At the end of the test, she left the hall with her chin held high, trying to maintain her pose. But inside, there was uncertainty. The mask was beginning to weigh heavily.

From the top of a hill, Darian watched. His eyes followed Maya without him even noticing. Her every word marked him. It was as if she had been made to strip away the armor he had spent his life building.

"She is changing me," he thought. And that idea terrified him.

He never intended to fall in love. The throne needed a strategic queen. Someone who understood alliances, power, and politics. But Maya… Maya was storm and spring at the same time. She was a reminder that a heart could also be king.

In the clearing, the conversations bubbled like boiling cauldrons.

"Did you see Maya's answer?" whispered one she-wolf.

"As if she were the goddess's own chosen one…" muttered another.

Nayra snorted.

"Pretty words don't win wars. Let's see how she deals with the next challenge."

"What do you think it will be?" asked another she-wolf.

"It doesn't matter," Nayra replied with disdain. "I've been preparing since I learned to walk. I'm not going to lose to a savage who runs around talking to the wind."

The other she-wolves nodded, but there was something strange in their eyes. Envy, perhaps. Or doubt.

That night, the full moon painted the sky with liquid silver. Maya walked alone to the edge of the lake. She sat on a stone, hugging her knees. The moon's reflection trembled in the water, like her heart.

"You're doing better than you think," said a soft voice behind her.

She turned around. It was Darrien.

He approached slowly, and without saying anything, sat down beside her. For a while, they were just silent, listening to the sounds of the night. The wind blew through the leaves like an ancient song.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm in the right place," she confessed. "If this title… This competition… Is really my path."

"And what do you want?" he asked softly.

Maya sighed.

"I want to be me. Without masks, without competition. Just me."

Darrien turned to her. His face was too close. His eyes, too intense.

"And you being you… Is already more than enough for any throne," he said, his voice low.

Maya smiled, but her eyes were serious.

"You speak as if you know what it is to be king."

"I know kings," he replied finally, with a slight shrug. "Some good, others cruel. And almost all… Lonely."

"Darrien… Who are you really?"

He hesitated. The truth weighed on his tongue like a stone. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to free her from the game of appearances. But… What if she saw him differently?

"I'm someone trying to remember what it's like to love… Without fear," he replied finally.

Maya's eyes sparkled. She reached out, touching his hand lightly.

"Me too."

The world seemed to stop. The breeze ceased, the lake stood still. And their eyes met. It was there, in that silent exchange, that they both knew. It wasn't just attraction. It was love. A love born amidst chaos, doubt, and destiny.

And then, a howl cut through the night.

"The third challenge will be at dawn!" announced a wolf messenger on top of the hill.

Maya stood up, taking a deep breath.

Darrien also stood up, and for a moment, held her hand.

"You are ready."

She nodded. But inside, something had changed.

On the way back, Maya was surprised by the presence of her brother. Josh was waiting for her in front of the pack house, with his arms crossed, and a smile that mixed pride and tenderness.

"I was watching you today," he said.

Maya stopped in front of him, her heart tight with emotion.

"And what did you think?"

"That my little sister has grown up. And that the she-wolf you have become is stronger than I ever dreamed." He pulled her into a tight hug. "You are challenging not only the world, Maya… But destiny. And doing it with truth."

She nestled into the hug, as when she was little.

"I'm just being who I've always been, Josh."

"And that's exactly what makes you special," he said, kissing her forehead. "Tomorrow, don't fight for a title. Fight for what you believe in. That… Is what makes a true queen."

She nodded, her eyes shining.

"Thank you."

*☆♡♡☆°*

Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, Nayra adjusted the blanket around her shoulders arrogantly. She was surrounded by flattering she-wolves, who kept repeating her qualities.

"They have no idea what's coming," said Nayra with a smug smile. "The third challenge will be difficult. And only one will stand out."

"You, of course," said one of the she-wolves.

Nayra raised her chin, her eyes shining with ambition.

"No one will take this from me. Not even Maya."

But deep down, in the innermost part of her being, Nayra felt it. Maya's shine was different. It wasn't about beauty, or strength. It was something that no mask could imitate.

*☆♡♡☆°*

That dawn, the winds howled loudly. The stars seemed closer, as if the sky was about to witness something grand. Inside the tents, the young she-wolves could barely sleep. The weight of the dawn was real.

In the heart of the forest, something ancient awakened. The roots of the earth pulsed with energy. It was as if the gods themselves were watching.

And in Maya's heart… A premonition grew. The third challenge would not only be physical. It would test her soul, her essence, her love.

But what no she-wolf knew… Was that the Supreme Alpha had already made his choice.

In silence, under the moonlight.

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