Sarcasm

Sarcasm
Liam stepped forward again, raising his arm for silence. As soon as the arena quieted, his deep voice rolled across the gathering:

“The second test— PHYSICAL STRENGTH.”

A ripple of excitement moved through the crowd. Warriors leaned forward. Elders whispered among themselves. Even visiting Alphas watched with keen interest.

This was the test that truly measured the raw power of future leaders.

Liam gestured, and several warriors dragged out two enormous moonsteel pillars, each thick, gleaming, and standing nearly twice the height of a grown wolf. Their weight alone made the ground tremble with each heavy thud.

Gasps echoed.

This was a test very few could pass without collapsing. Even seasoned fighters tensed at the challenge.

“These pillars,” Liam announced, “are forged to measure the raw physical capability of those who wish to lead.They weigh three times the weight of a fully-shifted warrior. Each participant must lift, hold, and carry their pillar across the marked distance. The one who reaches the finish point with the pillar still raised wins.”

The physical demand was brutal, even for elite warriors.

Damon’s jaw flexed as he examined the pillar—his eyes cold with determination.
Elina inhaled slowly, her fingers brushing the metal, feeling its weight, grounding herself.

From the stands, Mina snorted loudly.
“Such a barbaric test, who needs this death trap just to prove strength?” she whispered to Theo.

Theo didn’t answer... His gaze was fixed entirely on Elina, his heart pounding harder with each second.

Liam stepped back. “Begin!”

Both Damon and Elina reached and
gripped their respective pillars.

The metal was icy, biting into their palms.

Damon gripped the metal tightly, veins standing out along his arms. With a loud, primal growl, he hefted the pillar off the ground, holding it firmly.

The crowd roared in admiration.

Elina, smaller but incredibly toned, set her stance wide and used her core strength—lifting in one controlled, powerful motion. Her pillar trembled but rose steadily, her expression focused and stern.

The crowd exploded again.

Even Damian’s eye twitched in subtle approval. He continue watching both with a silent, calculating interest.

They began to move. Step by heavy step.
The ground vibrated under their feet.

Warriors hissed in shock—both contestants were holding the impossible weight better than expected.

Sweat dripped down Damon’s temples, his jaw set like stone. He moved with sharp, aggressive strides, more power than grace.

Elina took smaller, controlled steps, keeping her balance and conserving energy—but the weight visibly took a heavier toll on her smaller frame.

Halfway through, Damon increased his pace, suddenly the pillar slipped slightly. He tightened his grip, tendons straining, a low growl ripping from his throat.

The moonsteel pillar pressed down on his shoulders, but he didn’t slow. Each step landed with a resounding thud—his wolf pushing him forward with sheer force of dominance.

Elina’s breathing remained measured, forcing herself onward, sweat rolled down her temples. The pillar wobbled dangerously once—but she corrected her balance quickly, jaw clenched.

The crowd could barely breathe, they continue shouting, urging them both on.

Damon was the first to reach the final stretch.

With a loud, powerful growl, he surged forward and slammed the pillar down onto the finish line. The ground shook with the impact.

The arena erupted in wild cheers.

Damon had won the Physical strength test.

Elina reached the finish shortly after, lowering her pillar with trembling arms but a fierce, unbroken gaze. The crowd clapped respectfully—many impressed she had completed such a brutal test at all.

Liam lifted his voice again, “Winner of the second test is Damon!”

A wave of pride and excitement rolled through the Shadowfang members.

Damon turned sharply to grin at Elina as if saying "Look! I won" Elina smirked back at him which made Ella smiled softly at both of them.

"Yay... Damon won!" Susan said loudly behind Selena who turned to grinned at her.

Damian nodded with open approval and then turned to see Theo ignoring whatsoever his mate was saying because she suddenly rolled her eyes in irritation, and the quiet Lambert looked bored as ever.

Damian leaned back slowly, gaze settling on Elina with a flicker of something unreadable. Approval? or Expectation?. All mixed in his cold red eyes.

Two tests completed. The competition was growing more intense, more unpredictable—and more.

While the participants were told get ready for the next step, Damian rested his elbow on the carved arm of his throne-like seat, his gaze sliding toward Theo, Mina, and Lambert. His voice carried calmly across the row:

“Theo,” he said, almost sounding pleased,
“your son Lambert has shown admirable meekness since arriving. Quiet. Observant. Humble. Traits a future leader should possess.”

A hush fell briefly over the nearby guests.
Mina’s eyes lit up like stars. She immediately patted Lambert’s hair with exaggerated affection, beaming proudly.

“Oh yes, Alpha Damian,” she chirped, almost tripping over her words in eagerness, “Lambert has always been intelligent. Reserved. Deep-thinking. A born alpha. I always say—” Theo sat stiff beside her.

For a second, he looked like the blood had drained from his face.
But he quickly forced a polite smile and leaned forward just enough to show respect.

“Thank you for your kind words, Alpha Damian,” Theo replied. “But… sometimes certain traits are best hidden from public eyes—for their own protection.”

Lambert’s head jerked toward his Theo, face turning pale. He knew exactly what his father meant.

Mina’s lips twitched violently. Her smile dissolved into something stiff, cold, and tremoring with quietly restrained fury. Her eyes flashed red, and her fingers tightened around Lambert’s arm.

“How dare you embarrass my son in front of everyone? I will deal with you, Theo. I swear it.” She said using the mindlink.

Theo didn’t bother hiding his scoff. He turned his head slightly, gaze fixed on the arena as if she were nothing but buzzing air.

This only made Mina’s jaw clenched hard enough to crack a tooth. Her rage simmered so intensely that even guests seated nearby could feel the shift in her aura.

Damian noticed everything. And for the first time all morning, his lips curled into a small, dark, knowing chuckle. He glanced sideways—and caught Lucain watching with raised brows.

Lucain tilted his head just enough to follow Damian’s gaze toward the guests, and the moment he spotted Mina fuming like an angry cat drenched in water, he smirked openly.

St that moment, Liam stepped forward into the center of the arena, raising his hand to signal the crowd.

His voice boomed across the cheering stands:

“The next test—SKILL!”

And just like that, the crowd erupted once more, anticipation rippling through ShadowFang like a roaring wave.