Chapter 11 Trial of Obedience

The training grounds reeked of sweat, blood, and dominance.

Aiden stood barefoot in the mud, breath coming in ragged gasps. The morning sun had barely risen, but he had already been beaten to his knees twice.

“Get up, Omega,” snarled Beta Kael, towering over him with a wooden staff. “If you can’t even block, you’ll never survive the next hunt.”

Aiden forced his trembling limbs to move. His palms sank into the dirt, slick with his own blood. His vision swayed, but he stood. Always stood.

Around him, the pack’s warriors snickered.

“He’s hopeless.”

“Maybe if he cries hard enough, the Luna will pet him again.”

“Poor puppy.”

The words dug deep, sharper than claws.

But Aiden didn’t answer.

He didn’t growl.

He didn’t fight back.

He just looked at Kael with those steady, clear eyes that refused to dim.

That quiet defiance enraged the Beta more than rebellion ever could.

“Still not angry?” Kael’s voice dripped with contempt. “You think silence makes you noble? Let’s see how long it lasts.”

He swung the staff. It cracked across Aiden’s shoulder. A cry escaped before Aiden could stop it. The pack laughed.

“On your knees,” Kael barked.

Aiden sank down, heart pounding. His instincts screamed to shift, to protect himself. But he didn’t. Because Selena’s command echoed in his head:

“Do not fight them. Learn to endure. The time will come when strength isn’t measured by teeth.”

He clung to that.

“Again!” Kael slammed the staff into his back. “You are nothing but a servant. You breathe because we let you.”

He tasted blood. “Yes, Beta.”

The words left his lips like ash.

Hours passed. The world narrowed to pain and command. His mind retreated inward, to the rhythm of his heartbeat and the faint, silver warmth pulsing under his ribs—the mark that refused to fade.

By midday, he could barely stand.

Kael raised his staff for the final blow—

“Enough.”

Selena’s voice sliced through the tension. The training ground fell silent.

Kael froze, his staff halfway in the air. He turned, bowing his head. “Luna, this is the obedience trial. The boy needs to—”

“I said enough.” Her tone left no room for argument.

Aiden swayed on his feet, blinking as Selena approached. The warriors quickly stepped back, heads lowered in respect.

Her gaze softened—just a fraction—as she looked at him. “He’s endured enough for today.”

Kael scowled but obeyed.

Selena’s hand brushed Aiden’s arm. “Come.”

He stumbled after her, his breath ragged. They entered the Luna’s hall—a place few dared tread unless summoned. The air was perfumed with moonflowers, the light soft and silver.

She turned to him. “Why didn’t you fight back?”

His voice was barely a whisper. “Because you told me not to.”

Her eyes flickered with something unreadable—guilt, maybe admiration. “You’d let them break you just because I said so?”

He met her gaze steadily. “If breaking keeps you safe… then yes.”

The words hit her like a physical blow. For a moment, she looked away, hiding her expression.

“You fool,” she murmured. “Loyalty like that will get you killed.”

“Then I’ll die loyal,” he said simply.

She stared at him, caught between anger and something softer. Then, with a sigh, she dipped a cloth into cool water and pressed it to his wounds.

The touch was gentle—too gentle for a Luna who ruled with steel.

“Don’t mistake mercy for attachment,” she warned, her voice low. “You’re still mine to command.”

Aiden smiled faintly despite the pain. “I know.”

For a heartbeat, their eyes locked—and something flickered between them. Something dangerous.

But before she could pull away, the door burst open.

A scout rushed in, breathless. “Luna! Beta Kael found something at the southern ridge!”

Selena stood, instantly alert. “What is it?”

The scout hesitated, glancing nervously at Aiden. “A mark… carved into the rocks. It glows like moonlight. And there’s blood—fresh.”

Her expression darkened. “Blood?”

“Yes, Luna. And… it looks like someone wrote a name.”

“What name?”

The scout swallowed. “Yours.”

Aiden’s blood ran cold. Selena’s eyes narrowed, a storm brewing in their depths.

“Who dares…” she hissed.

She turned to Aiden, her voice calm but sharp as ice. “Stay here.”

He shook his head weakly. “I can help—”

“Stay,” she repeated. “This isn’t your trial.”

But as she strode out, Aiden felt a pulse beneath his ribs—the silver mark glowing faintly again, as if in warning.

He touched it, trembling.

The whisper returned.

“Loyal Beast… her blood calls to you.”

The air grew colder.

Aiden looked toward the door, dread and determination warring in his chest.

He knew what that meant.

Selena was in danger.

And if he disobeyed now—he might lose her forever.

Cliffhanger: The Luna walks into a trap, and Aiden must decide whether loyalty means obedience… or defiance.