Chapter 37 The Message
I woke to voices. Low. Tense. Coming from the living room.
My hands throbbed. My ankle ached. Everything hurt worse than when I’d fallen asleep. The medication had worn off.
Through the bond, I felt Lycian’s stress. Sharp and jagged. He was trying to keep it from me but failing.
I sat up slowly. Winced. My body protested every movement.
The clock said seven PM. I’d slept for six hours.
More voices. I recognized Damien’s. Then Cade’s. Something was definitely wrong.
I got out of bed carefully. Put weight on my good foot. Hopped to the door. Opened it quietly.
“She can’t know yet,” Lycian was saying. “Not until she’s healed. The stress will make recovery harder.”
“She’s going to find out eventually,” Damien said. “Better it comes from you than someone else.”
“Find out what?” I asked. Leaning against the doorframe.
All three men turned. Lycian’s expression went carefully blank. Trying to hide whatever had them worried.
“You should be resting,” he said. Coming toward me.
“I was. Until I felt your panic through the bond.” I looked past him to Damien and Cade. “What’s going on?”
They exchanged glances. Some silent conversation I wasn’t part of.
“Tell me,” I said. Firmer. “Now.”
Lycian sighed. Pulled out his phone. Showed me the screen.
A photo. Me on the obstacle course. Covered in mud and blood. Crawling under barbed wire. The caption read: Future Luna can’t even complete basic training. Valor Pack is doomed.
My stomach twisted. “Where’s this from?”
“Someone posted it online. Pack forum. Public access.” Lycian’s jaw was tight. “It’s been shared two hundred times in the last six hours.”
I scrolled down. More photos. Me falling from the monkey bars. Collapsing after the mud pit. Crying on the balance beam. Each one with cruel commentary.
She’s too weak.
Humans don’t belong in pack leadership.
Thaddeus only passed her out of pity.
Lycian deserves better than this pathetic human.
The words shouldn’t hurt. I knew people doubted me. But seeing it written out. Shared. Laughed at. That cut deeper than the barbed wire had.
“Who took these?” My voice came out steadier than I felt.
“We don’t know yet,” Cade said. “But they were positioned around the course. Multiple angles. Professional quality. This was planned.”
“Can you take them down?”
“We’re trying. But people saved copies. Shared them across platforms.” Damien’s expression was apologetic. “It’s spreading fast.”
I handed the phone back to Lycian. Tried to ignore how my hands shook. “So everyone thinks I’m a failure.”
“No.” Lycian’s hands framed my face. Gentle but firm. “Everyone who matters knows you passed. The rest don’t matter.”
“They matter when they’re pack members. When they’ll be the ones I’m supposed to lead someday.”
“Then we’ll change their minds. Show them who you really are.” He kissed my forehead. “This is just Marcus’s people trying to undermine you. To make your second trial harder.”
“It’s working.” I pulled away. Hopped to the couch. Sat down heavily. “How am I supposed to face the pack now? They’ve all seen me at my lowest.”
“They’ve seen you fighting,” Damien said. Sitting across from me. “That’s different than failing. Anyone watching those photos can see how hard you worked.”
“They see me crying. Falling. Looking weak.”
“They see you getting back up,” Cade added. “Every single time. That matters more than you think.”
I wanted to believe them. But the comments played on repeat in my head. Each cruel word digs deeper.
My phone buzzed. Text from Elena.
Saw the photos. You were amazing. Don’t let the bastards win.
Then Garrett. Anyone who thinks you’re weak is an idiot. You jumped through FIRE.
Maggie sent another GIF. This is one of a phoenix rising from flames. You’re tougher than all of them. Don’t forget it.
Their support helped. A little. But couldn’t erase the sting of public humiliation.
“I need air,” I said. Standing. Forgetting about my ankle.
Pain shot up my leg. I gasped. Started to fall.
Lycian caught me. Always catching me. “You need to stay off that foot.”
“I need to not feel like everyone’s watching me fail.”
“Then we’ll go somewhere private.” He looked at Damien and Cade. “Can you handle the forum situation? Keep trying to remove the posts?”
“On it,” Cade said. They left quietly.
Lycian carried me to the balcony. Set me carefully on the outdoor couch. The city stretched below. Lights twinkling. People living normal lives without pack politics and trials and public shame.
“I’m sorry,” he said. Sitting beside me. “This is my fault. I should have protected you better.”
“How? You can’t control what people post online.”
“I can find out who took those photos. Make sure they regret it.” His eyes flashed gold. Dangerous. “No one humiliates my mate and walks away.”
I felt his rage. His need for revenge. His wolf is demanding blood.
“Don’t,” I said quietly. “It’ll just make things worse. Make me look weak. Like I need you to fight my battles.”
“You shouldn’t have to fight them at all.”
“But I do. Because this is the life I chose.” I leaned against him. Let his warmth seep into my aching body. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I just didn’t expect it to hurt this much.”
“Tell me what you need. Anything. I’ll make it happen.”
“I need you to hold me. And tell me I’m not making a huge mistake.”
He pulled me onto his lap. Careful of my injuries. His arms wrapped around me. Solid. Safe. The bond hummed between us. Steady as a heartbeat.
“You’re not making a mistake,” he said against my hair. “You’re the strongest person I know. Those photos prove it. Anyone who can’t see that isn’t worth your time.”
We sat there while the sun set. While the city lights grew brighter. While my phone kept buzzing with messages. Support mixed with cruelty.
Aunt Clara brought dinner. Soup and bread. Easy to eat with bandaged hands. She didn’t mention the photos. Just kissed my head and left us alone.
“Eat,” Lycian said. Holding the spoon to my lips. “You need strength.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I don’t care. Eat anyway.” He was using his Alpha voice. The one who expected obedience.
I ate. Let him feed me like a child. Too tired to care about pride.
After dinner, we went back inside. I changed into clean pajamas. Lycian helped. His touch is gentle. Careful.
“Two weeks until the next trial,” he said. Getting into bed beside me. “Plenty of time to heal. To prepare.”
“What if the photos make people vote against me? What if they decide I’m not worth the trouble?”
“Then they’re idiots and we’ll prove them wrong.” He pulled me close. His chest against my back. His arm is around my waist. “I believe in you. My father believes in you. Elena. Damien. Cade. All the people who matter.”
“What about everyone else?”
“They’ll come around. Or they won’t. Either way, you’re mine. Nothing changes that.”
I closed my eyes. Let his certainty wash over me through the bond. Let myself believe, just for a moment, that everything would be okay.
My phone buzzed again. Another message. I ignored it.
But Lycian didn’t. I felt his tension spike. Felt an alarm shoot through the bond.
“What now?” I asked. Not opening my eyes. Not sure I could handle more bad news.
“It’s from an unknown number,” he said carefully. “Different from the pack forum poster.”
“What does it say?”
Silence. Long enough I opened my eyes. Looked at him.
His expression was grim. Worried.
“Lycian. What does it say?”
He showed me the screen.
The photos were just the beginning. Drop out now or the second trial will be your last.