🌙 Episode 33: The Trial of Loyalty
Lila's POV
The next morning, I woke with bruises painting my arms and legs from the night before. Every muscle ached from fear and fighting, but the sting of Rowan's words weighed heavier than the wounds.
Tomorrow—the Trial of Loyalty.
I didn't know what that meant, not really. But as I followed Rowan into the council hall that afternoon, my stomach twisted with dread.
The pack gathered again, their gazes burning into me. Whispers rippled through the air like snakes slithering through grass.
Rowan stood at the head of the chamber, his expression unreadable. Ethan was at his side, stiff and silent, his eyes fixed on me.
"This trial," Rowan announced, "will determine whether the human's loyalty belongs to this pack—or elsewhere."
A low murmur spread through the wolves. I swallowed hard. Elsewhere?
Marcus, Rowan's right hand, stepped forward. His smirk made my skin crawl. "We've all seen how she clings to Ethan," he said smoothly. "But is that loyalty—or desperation? Is she with him because she chooses him, or because she fears what happens if she doesn't?"
I bristled. "That's not—"
"Silence," Rowan cut in, his gaze sharp. "You will answer only when spoken to."
My fists clenched at my sides.
Marcus produced a thick leather book and laid it on the table. "This," he said, "contains records of the Alpha's mistakes." His eyes gleamed as he flipped the pages. "Would you like to know, Lila, how many humans your beloved Ethan has endangered?"
My breath caught. I darted a glance at Ethan, but his jaw was tight, his eyes hard.
Marcus's voice dropped, low and cruel. "Once, in his youth, he lost control of his wolf during a hunt. Two humans stumbled into the clearing. One nearly didn't make it out alive."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. My heart pounded, a rush of icy fear seizing me. I looked at Ethan, searching his face for denial—for anything.
But he didn't deny it. He just met my gaze, silent, almost…resigned.
"Do you see, human?" Marcus pressed. "He hides his true nature from you. He's dangerous. How can you claim loyalty to a wolf who could tear you apart without meaning to?"
Ethan's POV
Every word Marcus spoke was a dagger to my chest—but I couldn't stop him. Rowan had allowed this.
I could see the fear creeping into Lila's eyes, the way her hands trembled even as she tried to stand tall. My wolf howled inside me, desperate to comfort her, to explain. But I couldn't. This was her trial, not mine.
Rowan's gaze turned to her. "Do you still claim loyalty to Ethan, knowing what you know?"
The chamber fell into silence, every wolf waiting, hungry for her answer.
Lila's POV
I could barely breathe. Ethan's past mistake echoed in my mind—a human nearly didn't make it out alive.
Fear clawed at me. If he'd lost control once, could it happen again? What if next time, it was me?
But then I remembered last night. The way he had thrown himself between me and the rogue. The way his arms had felt around me, desperate and trembling with relief.
I remembered his words: If anything happens to you, I'll lose myself.
Fear and trust battled inside me, ripping me apart. But when I looked at him again—at the pain in his eyes, the silent plea he didn't dare voice—I knew my answer.
I lifted my chin, voice steady despite the storm inside me. "Yes. I still trust him."
Gasps filled the hall. Marcus's smug smile faltered.
Rowan's eyes narrowed. "Even knowing he is dangerous?"
"Yes." My voice didn't waver. "He's dangerous. But so are all of you. The difference is, Ethan has never treated me as prey. He's risked his life to protect me. And I believe he always will."
The hall erupted in whispers. Some approving, others furious.
Rowan raised his hand for silence. His gaze stayed on me, sharp and unreadable. "So be it. Your loyalty has been declared. The Trial of Loyalty is complete."
Relief crashed over me, but before I could move, Marcus stepped closer, his eyes glinting with malice.
"This loyalty of hers…" he said softly, almost too softly. "We'll see how long it lasts when the real danger comes."
A chill ran down my spine.
Ethan's POV
When the trial ended, I finally allowed myself to approach her. She was pale, shaking, but her eyes burned with stubborn fire.
"You didn't have to—" I started.
"Yes, I did," she cut in, her voice fierce. "I'm not going to stand there and let them tell me who you are."
My chest tightened. Spirits, how did I deserve her?
I brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, my fingers lingering. "You don't know what that means to me."
Her lips parted, as if she wanted to say more—but Rowan's voice interrupted, cold and final.
"Tomorrow," he said, "the Trial of Strength."
I felt Lila tense beside me. And I knew that trial would break her—or forge her into someone even stronger.
Either way, I couldn't let her face it alone.
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✨ End of episode 33