The morning air was crisp with the scent of pine and damp earth, carrying the musky undertone of wolves marking their territory. Natalie shivered as a herald's trumpet blared through the courtyard, announcing the Alpha's royal hunt. The Alpha himself would lead it, and, much to her dread, she had been summoned to join him as his "guest."
The word "guest" felt hollow. She was no guest here. She was an outsider, placed in a world where power, bloodlines, and dominance decided everything. And refusal was unthinkable,Alpha Damien's commands were law, unyielding and absolute.
The nobles gathered, clad in thick furs and leathers, claws of boots sinking into the soil, their eyes sharp as the daggers at their waists. The murmurs that ran through the crowd carried judgment like a low growl. They were ready to watch, measure, and perhaps devour any weakness they might see in her.
Natalie's eyes met Damien's, the Alpha mounted atop his black stallion, radiating authority that made the ground itself seem to bow. He did not speak, but the weight of his gaze was palpable, like a predator assessing prey.
At the Alpha's signal, the nobles began to shift. One by one, they melted into their wolf forms, fur bristling, eyes gleaming with predatory focus. Natalie felt a shiver run down her spine ,her body responding instinctively. Heart pounding, she closed her eyes and let the energy surge through her, bones and muscles reshaping, senses sharpening. She emerged on all fours, fur soft but strong, eyes bright amber, ears twitching at every rustle of leaf and branch. She was a wolf now, part of the pack,but still acutely aware that she was being watched.
The Alpha's piercing gaze followed her every move. A faint smirk curved his lips as he studied her in wolf form. "Beautiful," he murmured under his breath, "but somehow… weak." Natalie's hackles rose, not from offense, but from the knowledge that in his eyes, every flaw was magnified.
The hunt began. The forest came alive with the sounds of paws against earth, the whisper of leaves, and low growls as the pack moved in silent synchronization. Natalie struggled to keep pace, her newly sharpened limbs still unaccustomed to the agile leaps and bounds the Alpha's wolves made seem effortless. Rocks, roots, and fallen branches challenged her, but she pushed herself, muscles burning, claws gripping the uneven terrain.
The nobles' wolves moved with a predatory grace, circling her sometimes, testing her stamina, measuring her endurance. The hunt was not just a contest of tracking prey,it was a ritual of dominance, a dance of strength and authority, and Natalie could feel every second of it pressing against her chest.
Hours passed. Natalie's lungs burned, her body screamed, yet she could not falter. Every glance at Damien reminded her that he was both judge and predator, observing her every movement with unrelenting intensity. The forest, filled with shadows and dappled sunlight, felt like a labyrinth designed to expose weakness.
At one point, Natalie stumbled over a jagged root, barely catching herself before she tumbled into the underbrush. Damien's wolf growled low in approval not of her stumble, but of her resilience. He closed the distance with effortless strides, side-stepping her flailing legs, fur bristling in anticipation.
The prey was close now,a wild stag, swift and strong, weaving through the trees with desperate intelligence. The pack split, cutting off its escape routes, the Alpha leading the strategy. Natalie moved with the pack, instincts sharpening, heart hammering as claws dug into the earth, yet every misstep reminded her that she was still weaker, slower, less experienced than they were.
Finally, the Alpha cornered the stag, fangs sinking into its flesh with precise efficiency. Though he shifted halfway,still,He stood, powerful and untamed, fur bristling in triumph. Natalie approached cautiously, lungs heaving, muscles trembling. She had survived, but the smirk that curved Damien's lips told her that mere survival was not enough in his eyes.
He lowered his head, eyes locking with hers, voice a low rumble as he shifted back into human form, the commanding presence of the Alpha filling the space. "I thought you were trained to be the best," he murmured, his gaze sharp, measuring, teasing. "Still think you belong here?"
Natalie, still partially trembling from exhaustion and adrenaline, met his eyes steadily. She had pushed herself beyond her limits, transformed fully into a wolf, and kept pace with a pack bred for hunting. Yet Damien's eyes, cold and assessing, reminded her that belonging here required more than endurance. It required strength, cunning, and an understanding of the subtle hierarchy that governed this world.
The forest fell quiet as the pack gathered around the Alpha, their growls and low howls fading into the shadows. The nobles, back in their human forms, exchanged glances, some impressed, others amused. The hunt had been a display of skill, yes, but also a test of character, of resilience under pressure.
Natalie's wolf form felt alive, primal energy thrumming through every limb, yet the fatigue in her muscles reminded her that she was still new to this life. The Alpha's smirk lingered in her mind, a reminder that power here was as much about perception as it was about ability. She had survived, but she had yet to prove herself.
As they began the return journey to the castle, the forest seemed to hum with a silent challenge. Every rustle of leaves, every flick of a tail, carried a lesson she was only beginning to understand. Damien's eyes never left hers, the weight of his scrutiny as constant as the earth beneath her paws. Natalie knew this hunt was only the beginning, the first of many tests designed to measure what she was,and what she could become.
The Alpha's half-wolf form, towering and dark, glided beside her for a moment, and she caught the faintest flicker of approval in his eyes. "Beautiful, but weak," he had said. She would have to grow stronger, faster, smarter, if she hoped to earn even a fraction of his respect. The thought burned in her chest, mingling with exhaustion, fear, and a spark of determination she refused to snuff out.
The hunt had left her body raw and trembling, but her mind was sharper, senses attuned to the forest and its dangers. She had entered a world ruled by the hunt, by dominance, by blood, and she was only just beginning to understand what it meant to survive,and to belong.