Chapter 61 Assigned

Chapter 61 Assigned
Mia 

I prepared early and left the palace with the remaining chosen she-wolves assigned for the Luna lead hunt.

The morning air outside felt colder than usual, and the forest ahead already looked darker the closer we got to it, like it was swallowing light instead of reflecting it.

The hunt grounds were far from the palace, deep within protected territory where only selected wolves were allowed to enter. It was meant to be controlled, structured, and guided under strict formation, especially because the Luna lead hunt was not just about survival but about leadership under pressure.

I stayed composed as we moved in, keeping my pace steady while observing the group around me.

At first everything looked normal.

They walked in formation, spaced correctly, following the trail markers like they were supposed to.

But as we went deeper into the forest, I began to notice something small at first, something that didn’t immediately feel like rebellion but felt wrong in a way I could not ignore.

The spacing between them and me kept increasing.

I slowed slightly, adjusting my position to close the gap.

“Keep formation tight,” I said calmly, my voice clear enough to carry across the group.

There was no response.

Not even acknowledgment.

I paused, looking at the nearest she-wolf.

“Did you hear me?” I asked again, more firmly this time.

Still nothing.

They continued walking, but not in sync with me anymore.

That was when I fully stopped.

And the entire group stopped too, not because they were following my command, but because they chose to.

I turned slightly, my eyes scanning each of them.

Something in the air shifted.

The silence was no longer neutral.

It felt intentional now.

One of them finally spoke, her tone flat but sharp enough to cut through the forest quietly.

“We are not following you.”

I stared at her for a second, trying to understand the shift.

“What do you mean you are not following me,” I asked, keeping my voice steady even though I could feel the change building.

Another one scoffed immediately.

“You should not be here leading anything,” she said.

That statement alone changed the entire atmosphere.

I turned fully toward them now.

“This is a Luna lead hunt,” I said firmly. “I was assigned to lead it.”

A third voice cut in before I could finish.

“Assigned does not mean deserved.”

I felt my fingers tighten slightly at my side, but I kept my expression calm.

“That is not for you to decide,” I replied.

The first one stepped forward again, her gaze sharper now.

“It is for us to decide who we follow when it comes to survival,” she said.

I exhaled slowly.

“This is not a rogue mission,” I said. “You are chosen she-wolves. You follow structure.”

That made another one laugh.

A short, bitter sound.

“Structure?” she repeated. “You think we are going to follow you when everyone knows Adeline should have been Luna?”

The moment her name was spoken, the group reacted.

Not outwardly chaotic.

But unified.

Like they had all been holding the same thought and just waiting for someone to say it first.

“She would have led this better,” another one added.

“You are only here because of him,” someone else said.

My chest tightened slightly at the shift, but I kept my voice controlled.

“None of this is relevant to the hunt,” I said. “Focus on mission objectives.”

But they were no longer listening.

One of them stepped closer again, her voice lower now.

“You don’t even belong here,” she said. “You are just a replacement they are forcing on us.”

Another voice followed immediately.

“A thief wearing a title that was never yours.”

The words began layering, one after another, no longer individual statements but a collective judgment.

I looked at them carefully now, fully aware that this was no longer confusion or misunderstanding.

It was rejection. I took a slow breath.

“Explain yourselves,” I said.

The silence that followed lasted only a second before everything changed.

One of them tilted her head slightly, and her expression shifted.

“Explain?” she repeated.

And then she stepped back.

That was the signal.

It happened fast after that.

Too fast for it to still be considered hesitation.

Their bodies shifted at once.

Bones cracking under transformation, muscles tightening, skin reshaping as they moved into full wolf form.

One after another.

Until I was standing alone in human form in the center of a half-circle of fully transformed wolves.

The air around us changed instantly. The growl that followed wasn’t random.

It was directed.

Focused entirely on me.

One of them stepped forward, her eyes locked on mine, and even in wolf form I could feel the hostility clearly.

Her voice came through partially shifted, rough and distorted but still understandable.

“Lowly omega,” she growled.

Another wolf circled slightly behind me.

“Let’s see how long you last without protection,” another voice added from the side.

I slowly reached for my bow, not rushing, not panicking, just moving deliberately.

I pulled an arrow out and notched it in place, keeping my stance balanced.

I looked at each of them carefully.

“One step closer,” I said quietly, “and I will not hesitate.”

A wolf on the left shifted slightly, testing distance.

Another growl followed immediately. “She is bluffing,” one of them said.

“I am not,” I replied calmly. The leader wolf took another step forward. “So what will you do?” she asked. “Shoot all of us?”

I raised the arrow slightly, adjusting my aim without breaking eye contact. “If I have to,” I said evenly.

The tension stretched between us, thick and unmoving.

One of them circled again, slower this time.

“She will panic,” another voice said. “They always do when they are exposed.”

I tightened my grip slightly.

“I am not the one who is exposed here,” I replied.

That made them pause for half a second.

Only half.

Then the growling returned again. And I knew, without needing anyone to confirm it, that this was no longer just a failed hunt.

This was a setup that had been waiting for me long before I even entered the forest.