Danger

Danger
The arena remained quiet while the selected judges continue to whimper among themselves.

At their center, the oldest elder, Elder Hagan, stepped forward. His voice, though aged, carried across the entire arena with the strength of a battle horn..“After reviewing all tests—strength, skills, agility, and combat…”

The crowd leaned forward while Elina and Damon stood side by side, eager to know the outcome.

Elder Hagan raised his hand. “…the results have been tallied.”

A heartbeat of silence.

Then— “With honor, pride, and certainty…
THE FINAL RESULT… IS A TIE.”

The arena exploded in cheers. Wolves howled. Warriors roared. Children jumped up and down. Guests applauded with genuine admiration.

Elina’s mouth parted in surprise before a wide, bright smile stretched across her face, while Damon threw his head back and let out a deep, relieved laugh.

They both nodded at the judges—satisfied, proud, and felt honored.

Damian slowly stood, Immediately, the roar softened into respectful silence.

His presence carried weight as an Alpha, father, ruler, and living legend.

He moved toward the small stage at the front, each step steady, controlled, commanding. “Today,” Damian began, voice deep and resonant, “you have all witnessed the future of ShadowFang.”

He looked at Damon, and then at Elina.

“Two wolves... Two warriors… equally worthy.” Elina’s breath hitched while Damon looked up at his father with wide eyes.

Damian continued, “I am proud. Not only as a father… only but as an Alpha who sees strength, loyalty, and honor standing before him today.”

Elina couldn’t hold back any longer.

She ran straight into Damian’s arms, hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest as tears slipped down her cheeks.

The crowd softened, murmuring, moved by the sincerity of the moment while Damon walked toward them with a calm smile, happiness radiating off him like sunlight.

Damian placed one large hand on Elina’s shoulder, the other on Damon’s, then lifted both their hands high above their heads.

His voice thundered, “From this day forward, BOTH SHALL BE THE NEXT ALPHAS AFTER ME! SHADOWFANG WILL BE RULED BY TWO—EQUAL IN POWER AND HONOR!”

The arena shook with applause and shouts of joy.

Elina choked on a sob of disbelief and happiness, staring up at Damian with shining eyes. “Me…?” she whispered.

Damian smiled. “Both of you.”

Damon’s heart soared. He couldn’t remember ever feeling such pure joy. Side by side with Elina? His has wish granted without him ever voicing it.

On hearing her mate’s announcement, Ella pressed a hand to her mouth, tears of joy slipping down her cheeks as pride swelled in her heart.

But Theo felt… something crack open inside him. A strange ache he didn’t fully understand.

Elina shined on that stage… Just like Rina once did. His chest tightened painfully. But why, is what he still don't understand but plans to find out before going back home.

"Stop looking at her like a the shameless after you are" Mina’s expression darkened instantly. Her eyes sharpened with jealous fury. “I hate it when you don't pay attention to me but others" she muttered under her breath. Theo shot her a glare, but she ignored him completely.

But her son's word only added more salt to her injury.

“She’s… beautiful.” Lambert’s face flushed red as he said ot loudly. Mina heard it, and nearly choked on her anger.

"Kept quiet, you fool! What do you know about real beauty?" She scroll at Lambert who went mute.

Then Damian lifted his hand once more, commanding silence. “To celebrate this day… A banquet awaits in the grand hall.
All guests and pack members—join us!” Cheers followed again.

He lowered his children’s hands gently, placing one warm palm on each of their backs.

“Go on,” he murmured to Damon and Elina.
“Enjoy the honor you’ve earned.”

Together, the crowd began to move toward the decorated banquet hall.

\----
The banquet hall buzzed with excitement as everyone streamed inside—pack members, guests, warriors, foreign dignitaries. Elina walked a little behind Damian and Damon, laughing at something Damon had said about how he almost slipped on a moss-covered stone during the combat test.

But midsmile, her hand brushed her neck, and she stopped.

Out of habits, her fingers touched bare skin and something felt odd. Suddenly she knew why.. Her necklace…

Damian’s fifteenth-birthday gift.
The only piece of jewelry she had ever cherished so deeply. Her face drained of color.

Damon noticed immediately. “Elina? What happened?”

She swallowed hard. “My necklace… I—I lost it.”

Damon blinked. “What? When?”

“It must have fallen off while we were fighting. I didn’t even realize…” She turned sharply toward the arena. “I need to get it.”

Damon reached for her wrist. “Elina, wait. We can look for it after the banquet. Everyone is waiting, and father—”

“No.” She shook her head stubbornly. “It’s important to me. I can’t leave it lying out there. I won’t take long, I promise.”

“Elina—" But she had already slipped away from him and darted back through the courtyard.

Damon dragged a hand down his face. “This girl…” He sighed. “She will be the end of me.”

He took two steps toward the banquet hall… stopped… then groaned and turned around.
“Fine. I’ll go after her before she gets herself into trouble.”

With that, he jogged back toward the arena.

Meanwhile… At the far side of the field, Mina watched everything—Elina’s sudden panic, her sprint back to the arena, Damon still walking toward the hall.

A slow, poisonous smile crept across Mina’s face..“Perfect opportunity.”

She slipped away from the crowd like a shadow.

Her heels clicked once—then she removed them to move faster. Her eyes gleamed with malice. “If I can’t ruin her publicly… I’ll ruin her privately.” And she ran.

The arena was silent when Elina returned.

The training grounds, still strewn with the remnants of the obstacle courses, looked eerie without the cheering crowd. Dust swirled in the slight breeze. Broken weapons lay scattered. The ground still bore the imprint of wolf claws and heavy boots.

Elina walked across it, scanning the dirt, the stones, and patches of grass.

“Where is it…? Come on, come on…” Her voice trembled.

She checked between the broken logs.
Nothing, searched the practice dummies.
Nothing. A sinking dread coiled inside her chest.

She was about to give up when a faint glimmer caught her eye—from the far edge, near the obstacle maze.

Her heart leapt. “There you are!”

She ran toward it, kneeling to pick it up. The pendant was dusty but intact. Relief washed over her, warm and overwhelming. She closed her hand around it and stood with a grateful smile.

“Who are you?” Elina blinked. “And why are you here?”

“Oh, don’t mind me.” Mina stepped forward slowly, each step calculated, delicate, venomous. “I saw you run off so hurriedly. Thought you might need help.”

Elina smile at her, . “Oh! thank you for your concern. I’m fine. I found what i came looking for .”

“Well,” Mina said with a sugary tone, “I can see that.”

Her eyes flicked to the necklace in Elina’s hand. A strange, hungry expression passed over her face.

Elina felt her heartbeat pick up, and she frowned.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.