Chapter 16 Meeting Aldric 1

Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Meeting Aldric 1

Talia’s POV

A servant arrived after breakfast hours.

It was exactly when Alpha Kaelen said I would meet with his grandfather.

She was the same woman from last night who had helped me bring my things up to the room. The one with kind eyes and a face that did not judge. She stood in the doorway with her hands folded in front of her.

I noticed that her hands were rough, like mine used to be before I stopped scrubbing pots. She did not look like a house servant—she looked like she worked outside, in the cold and the dirt. Yet here she was, delivering a message to me in my room like I was someone important. That was a kindness I did not expect.

"The Alpha requests your presence," she said. "I am to take you to him, miss."

I nodded, stood up, and followed her into the hallway.

The stronghold was quieter now than it had been yesterday. The torches still burned, but the sun streamed through the windows, casting pale light across the stone floors. Wolves still watched as I passed, but there were fewer of them.

Some bowed, while some just stared.

I kept my head high and my eyes straight ahead.

But my heart was pounding, because each stare felt like a weight pressing down on my shoulders. I wanted to shrink, to disappear, and to become the invisible girl I had been for fifteen years. But I could not do that here. Not anymore. So I walked, with one foot in front of the other, just like always.

The servant led me through a maze of hallways and staircases. Left, then right, then up a flight of stairs, then left again. I tried to remember the way, but I knew I would get lost if I had to find it on my own.

"She is in here, miss," the servant said, stopping in front of a set of large wooden doors.

She opened one of them and gestured for me to enter.

I stepped inside, but she did not follow.

The door closed behind me with a low thud, and the sound echoed in the quiet room. For a moment, I stood frozen in place. The fire crackled, and the old man behind the desk did not look up. He just kept writing. I wondered if he was testing me already, to see if I would speak first. But I did not, because I had learned patience, so I waited.

The room was a study.

Bookshelves covered the walls, filled with old books and scrolls. A fire burned in the hearth, warming the room. A large desk sat near the window, covered in papers and maps.

And behind the desk sat an old man.

He had gray hair and gray eyes, just like Alpha Kaelen. His face was lined with age, but his eyes were sharp. They studied me the same way Alpha Kaelen did, like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

He stood up. He was tall, even with his age. His shoulders were broad, and his hands were large.

"Talia Ashford," he said.

I bowed my head. "Yes, sir."

He walked around the desk and stopped in front of me. His gray eyes moved across my face, and I felt like he was seeing more than I wanted him to see.

"I am Aldric," he said. "Alpha Kaelen’s grandfather."

I kept my head bowed. "It is nice to meet you, sir."

Something flickered across his face. His eyes softened, just a little.

"I am sure it is," he said. "Sit."

He gestured to a chair near the fire, and I sat down. The warmth felt good against my skin. I had not realized how cold I was until I felt the heat.

Aldric sat across from me in a large chair. He leaned back and studied me for a long moment.

"You are not what I expected," he said.

My heart pounded. "What did you expect, sir?"

"Someone weaker." He tilted his head. "Someone who would cry and beg and plead for mercy."

"I do not beg, sir," I said, my voice carrying more confidence than I could afford.

But inside, my hands were shaking, and I was screaming. But I had learned long ago that showing fear was like showing blood to a shark.

Vivienne had taught me that.

She would circle when I cried, and strike when I flinched. So I stopped crying, and I stopped flinching. And I would not start now.

"I can see that." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Do you know why I asked to see you?"

"No, sir," I answered.

"The Luna Trials," he said. "Alpha Kaelen told you about them?"

"He mentioned them, sir. He did not explain what they are."

Aldric nodded. "The Luna Trials are tests. There are three of them. It is done to see if you are worthy of being Luna of this pack."

I kept my face still. "Worthy of what, sir?"

"If you’re strong enough, smart enough, and loyal enough." His gray eyes locked onto mine. "If you fail any of the trials, Alpha Kaelen will have no choice but to reject you as his mate."

My throat went tight, and my hands pressed flat against my thighs to stop them from shaking.

"Reject me?"