Chapter 71 The first trial announcement 2

Chapter 71: Chapter 71 The first trial announcement 2

Talia’s POV

"You have proven yourself capable," he said. "The way you handled Vivienne at Mooncrest Hall... it was clever and strategic. You did not panic, and you did not run. You stood without fear, and you fought back."

I said nothing, because I did not know what to say.

"That is why I am giving you this trial first," he continued. "The Trial of the Mind. It will test your intelligence, your strategy, and your ability to think under pressure."

"The Trial of the Mind will begin in one week," Aldric said.

My heart stopped.

I looked at Kaelen, but his gray eyes were fixed on Alpha Aldric. His face was unreadable, and I could not tell what he was thinking.

"What does the trial entail?" I asked, and my voice came out steadier than I felt.

Alpha Aldric leaned back in his chair. "You must negotiate a peace treaty with the rival Stoneclaw Pack."

My blood ran cold. "The Stoneclaw Pack?"

"They have been hostile to Shadowfang for years, and no one has been able to make peace with them." Aldric’s voice was hard. "Their Alpha is stubborn, and their warriors are fierce. They do not trust us, and they have attacked our borders, stolen our supplies, and killed our wolves."

"Then how am I supposed to negotiate with them?" I asked.

Aldric looked at me. "That is for you to figure out."

He leaned forward, and his voice grew harder. "The Stoneclaw Pack is dangerous. Their Alpha is old and bitter, and he does not trust outsiders."

"Then why would he agree to meet with me?" I asked.

"Because he is desperate," Aldric said. "His pack is struggling, and their territory is failing. They need allies, and we are the only pack willing to talk to them."

I pressed my hands flat against my thighs, but they would not stop shaking.

"You can have help," Aldric continued. "You can ask for advice, and you can listen to counsel. But when the moment comes, you are the one who must speak, and you are the one who must convince them. Because the negotiation is yours alone."

I nodded. "I understand."

Kaelen’s hand brushed mine under the table just for a second, and just enough to let me know he was there. But I did not look at him, and I kept my eyes on Aldric.

"The Shadowfang Pack will send representatives to the Stoneclaw Pack in one week," he said. "You will meet with them in their land, and you will present your terms. Then you will convince them to agree to a treaty."

"What if I cannot convince them?" I asked.

Alpha Aldric was quiet for a moment. "Then you fail the trial, and the pack will have no choice but to question whether you are fit to be Luna."

The room was silent again, and I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. Jax was watching me with something like curiosity, and Silas had a neutral expression that gave nothing away. Even Cain had looked up from his dazed staring, and his dark eyes were fixed on my face.

I took a deep breath, and I held Alpha Aldric’s gaze.

"I will not fail," I said.

Aldric studied my face, and his gray eyes were sharp. Something flickered behind them, but I could not tell what it was.

"We will see," he said.

He stood up, and his chair scraped against the stone floor. "The meeting is over. Get some rest, because you will need it in the coming days."

He walked out of the hall without looking back, and Jax and Silas followed him. Cain disappeared into the shadows near the door, and then he was gone too.

But Kaelen stayed.

He turned to look at me, and his gray eyes were soft.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I am fine," I answered.

"Your hands are shaking," he said.

I pressed them flat against my thighs. "They always shake when I am nervous."

He did not push, and he did not ask anything else. He just stood up and offered me his hand. "Come," he said. "Let us go back to our room."

I took his hand, and his fingers closed around mine. They were warm, comforting and steady.

He led me out of the private gathering hall, and the hallway was empty. The torches flickered around us, and the shadows danced on the walls, as our footsteps echoed in the silence.

"Kaelen," I said.

He glanced at me. "What?"

"You were quiet during dinner," I said.

"I had nothing to say," he answered.

"That’s weird. You always have something to say." I looked at him.

He was quiet for a moment. "I was watching."

"Watching what?" I asked.

"You," he said.

I stopped walking, and he stopped too.

"Why?" I asked.

He looked at me, and his gray eyes were unreadable. "Because I wanted to see how you would react to the news and to the pressure."

"And what did you see?" I folded my arms together.

"And I saw that you did not break," he said. "You sat there with your hands shaking and your heart pounding, but you did not look away, and you did not run. You faced Grandfather Aldric like an equal."

He started walking again, and I followed.

"I told you before," I said. "I do not break."

His lip curled into something almost like a smile, and the warmth in his eyes was enough to make my heart skip.

"I know," he said.