Chapter 15 The First Trial
INDIE
The purifying spring had been torture disguised as ritual. For hours, I'd been submerged in the steaming pool behind the temple, the water so hot it turned my skin pink.
Steam had curled around me like incense, thick with the scent of sweet-smelling herbs. Eldora and two other attendants had guided me in, their hands gentle but insistent, pressing me down until the water lapped at my collarbones.
"This will cleanse you," Eldora had murmured, pouring golden oil over my shoulders. "It will wash away the touch of the intruder and prepare your body for the worthy one."
I'd almost laughed.
Cleanse me from Zade?
The water had only made it worse.
Every ripple against my skin reminded me of his hands. Every brush of steam carried the ghost of his scent. My body betrayed me again and again, nipples tightening under the surface, my thighs clenching as memories flooded back. The brutal stretch of him inside me. The way he'd filled me until I couldn't breathe. The hot rush of his release sliding out of me.
I was throbbing now, aching low in my belly, even as the attendants dried me with soft linens and began the dressing ritual.
They wrapped me in layers of white silk so fine it felt like mist against my skin. The outer robe was heavier, embroidered with threads of molten gold. An orange sash cinched my waist, the ends trailing long enough to brush the stone floor. They pinned my damp hair into an elaborate knot, weaving thin gold chains through it that dangled against my neck and shoulders.
I hated how much I wanted Zade again.
Even right now.
A deep, rhythmic drumming started somewhere outside. It was slow at first, then it grew insistent and louder.
I straightened, my pulse jumping.
"What is that?" I asked Eldora.
She was fastening the final clasp at my throat—a small golden pendant shaped like a flame. Her fingers paused.
"The drums," she said softly. "The men have arrived."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"Men?"
"For you, Flamekeeper." She met my eyes in the polished bronze mirror. "They have come from every pack and every territory. They heard your awakening. They felt the call. The trials begin today."
Zade.
The name stirred in my mind.
Was he out there?
Had he come back already?
My fingers gripped the silk at my sides. I could feel the new bond humming between us, faint but alive.
I reached for it instinctively. 'Are you here?'
He gave me no answer. Instead, the drums outside grew louder.
Eldora stepped back, surveying me. "You are ready."
She led me through the arched corridors, past the silent attendants who bowed as we passed. The air grew cooler, carrying the scent of pine and fresh flowers. Then we stepped out into the clearing.
A low stone dais had been raised in the center of a white circle, draped in white and gold cloth.
There were dozens of men waiting.
Warriors, alphas, lone wolves, and even pack leaders. Some wore ceremonial furs and bone beads. Others were bare-chested, their scars gleaming in the sunlight. All of them turned as I appeared.
The drumming stopped.
Then, as one, they dropped to one knee.
Every single one. They kept their heads bowed, their fists pressed to the ground, the posture so reverent it stole the air from my lungs.
My heart went wild, hammering so hard I thought it might crack a rib.
I couldn't help but stare at them, stunned.
These weren't just men.
These were predators. And they were kneeling for ME.
Eldora guided me forward with a gentle hand at my elbow. I climbed the three shallow steps to the dais and sank onto the cushioned throne that waited there.
The moment I sat, a low murmur rippled through the clearing.
"Flamekeeper."
"She's mine."
"Such a beauty."
But I didn't care. I only had one person on my mind. So, I desperately scanned the bowed heads, searching for violet eyes and dark hair. And that dangerous, predatory energy.
But I couldn't find him.
He wasn't here.
Disappointment crashed over me like ice water. My fingers dug into the arms of the throne until my knuckles whitened.
But the bond thrummed again.
He was coming.
I knew it the way I knew my own heartbeat.
The Chief Elder—Mara—stepped forward, her crimson robes sweeping the ground. She raised both hands.
"The Flamekeeper has awakened," she announced, her voice carrying over the clearing. "The call has gone out. Today the trials begin. Only the worthy will stand before her. Only the worthy will claim the true bond."
She turned to me, her silver eyes unreadable.
"Flamekeeper, name the first trial."
My mouth went dry.
I hadn't been told I'd have to choose.
Every eye lifted to me, hungry, hopeful, and lethal.
I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. Was this a dream? Goddess, how did my life transform overnight?
Mara moved over to hand me an ebony box. Her expression remained calm. Something told me she hadn't smiled in a long time.
Inside the box lay dozens of small, folded papers. My fingers trembled as I reached in. The papers felt warm, almost alive, as though the trials themselves were breathing.
I pulled one out and unfolded it. The ink was fresh, black and bold.
'Trial of the Burning Touch'
My breath caught in my throat.
The name alone conjured images: skin on skin, fire licking without burning, and bodies pressed together until the line between pleasure and pain dissolved.
What have I become? A filthy slut who only thought of sex? Only a few days ago, I'd been a healer, a Luna and a mother. My hands shook at the memory.
And suddenly, I smelled him.
That intoxicating, dangerous scent that belonged only to Zade.
It flooded my lungs and sank straight to my belly.
He was here.
Somewhere in the ring of kneeling men, hidden among the bowed heads and broad shoulders, he was watching me.
My pulse roared in my ears. The bond snapped taut between us, thrumming with his presence. I could almost feel his violet eyes on me—hungry, possessive, promising ruin the moment he got close enough.
I gripped the paper tighter, my knuckles white.
Everyone waited for my statement, the air thick with silence. Mara's voice pierced through it, thunderous.
"Speak the trial, Flamekeeper!"
I lifted my chin, forcing my voice to stay steady even as my body trembled with need.
"Trial of the Burning Touch."
A low ripple of murmurs spread through the men. It was filled with anticipation, hunger, and challenge.
Mara inclined her head.
"Then let it begin."
My gaze swept over the bowed figures again, searching for that telltale darkness.
And gods help me, the thought of him facing this trial—of him touching me in front of them all, proving he was the only one who could handle my fire—made me ache so fiercely I nearly whimpered.
The drums started again, calling the first contender forward.
But all I could think was one word, over and over, burning hotter than any flame.
Zade.
And as if on cue, I saw him. His violet eyes met mine, sizzling with savage intention. My core clenched hard enough to steal my breath. There was really no going back.