Alpha Temptations

07 | The Test

I can feel them staring at me, probably waiting what will happen once I pass through the gate. For them, I am nothing but a sacrificial lamb. But I don’t really care. If this is the only way for me to escape my hellish life, then I would take the risk. It’s better to try than regret not doing anything in the end. At least, if ever I fail the test and gets sent back to our pack, I will have no regrets because I took my shot on freeing myself.

I stopped on my tracks and turned around one more time to look at Hunter to see what he’s doing, and I was no longer surprised to see him doing just like what the others do—waiting for me to enter the gate and see what will happen.

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at his cowardice. “What a brave man. Truly a worthy heir,” I sarcastically mumbled, rolling my eyes before turning around and taking a deep breath. “Time to go, Maya. This is your only chance,@ I murmured to myself.

I was about to take another step closer to the gate when I felt a tremendous amount of pressure coming from my back. I instantly turned around to check it and saw Prince Blake walking confidently towards the gate. I immediately lowered my head when he passed through me.

“P-Prince, wait!” his companion said, chasing after him. If I can remember it correctly, her name is Kaia. “You can’t just go in there,” she added as soon as she caught up to him.

“Then what do you want me to do?” he coldly responded. “Do you think I wouldn’t pass the test?”

“N-No, that’s not what I mean. I…I am just worried that you might get hurt,” she explained, putting their bags on the ground. “Let me do it first. Let me enter the gate before you.”

“As if you can do anything better than me,” he replied, pushing her out of his way. “Move.”

I don’t know what got into me but I found myself running towards the gate, passing through the prince. It would have been better if I waited for him to enter before me, but something in me pushed me to enter before anyone else does.

And as soon as I passed through the gates, I was welcomed by a forest with towering trees, and that made my instincts take over my system. My senses heightened and my guards went up. I can feel a couple of eyes looking at me from a distance, hiding from the shadows casted by the leaves and trunks.

I looked around and saw a path leading to somewhere, probably the path I had to follow to get to where the camp is. But it could also be a trap to lure me. If only Hunter were here, it wouldn’t be hard to device a plan. But I also doubt he will cooperate with someone like me. He would rather go alone than be with me.

I took a deep breath and looked around, trying to find another path to take but couldn’t find any. There seems to be only one route. Then I guess I just have to pave my own way.

I was about to take a step forward when I felt someone’s presence charging towards me at such a high speed. I immediately dropped the bags to ready myself. And just a few seconds later, an ash-gray wolf appeared and lunged at me. I quickly jumped away to dodge, and while midair, I stretched my leg to land a powerful kick as a counterattack. I released it as soon as I landed on the ground and was able to hit the wolf at the center of its stomach. It let out a whimper before growling at me, showing its canine teeth.

“Is this the test Linton told us about?” I whispered, looking around to find a way to escape this wolf. I don’t think I can take it down with just pure brute force.

The gray wolf started attacking me again, and I did everything I could to dodge its every attack until I decided to climb the tree and jump from branches to branches just so I could distance myself away from it.

It’s only today that I finally managed to see the fruit of all the hellish training I went through. The years of training is now paying off.

I looked down and saw the wolf still chasing after me. I cursed under my breath as I try to search for a way out of this forest. I know I only need to reach the end and I’ll pass the test. I don’t care if Hunter won’t make it. I don’t care if he has to return to our pack. My plans have changed. I will make sure to enter the camp and use it as my escape route to finally free myself and start a new life.

While I was busy avoiding the wolf below me, I didn’t notice that there’s one more wolf waiting for its chance to attack me. It attacked me from my blind spot so I wasn’t able to dodge it.

I let out a groan when it hit my hip, causing me to fall on the ground. I had a bad fall but I ignored it and quickly stood up before the wolves started attacking me again. I looked at them and they’re slowly approaching me while gnarling. Although I don’t feel any bad intent from them, I can’t still just let them attack me. I am sure they would still injure me even if it’s just for the test. The attack earlier from the brown wolf has torn my clothes and left me a few bruises on my hip.

I bit my lower lip in frustration before I grabbed a twig near me to use it as a weapon. I broke it into two pieces and hoped it would be enough to fight these two gnarling beasts.

“I can hurt you, too, right?” I told them, taking a deep breath to calm myself and device a plan to outplay them.

The wolves just growled at me before they started charging towards me.

I took a deep breath and jumped as high as I could to bait them. I grinned when both of them jumped to reach me midair. I immediately grabbed the chance to shift my body in my offensive stance and gripped the twigs as hard as I could before swinging my arms at full strength to stab gray wolf which is the nearest to me. I made sure to avoid any vital spot so I wouldn’t cause any serious injury. Leaving one twig buried on its leg, I kicked the gray wolf before focusing on the brown one who seemed to have seen through my plan.

It’s patiently waited for me to land on the ground before it started charging at me. I had no choice but to run away and think of a new plan to take it down, but it seems like it won’t just let me get away. I can feel it’s intent to take me down. It soon let out a howling cry before growling at me, and that’s when I felt danger radiating from it. It looks like I angered it and is now planning to seriously take me down.

I bit my lower lip when I started panicking a little. I am running out of ways to take it down. And running away is no longer an option. I’m certain that it won’t let me get away. It will hunt me down no matter what!

I tried to climb a tree but I jumped a little shorter so I failed to grab on its branch, falling off the ground. I quickly stood up, getting into position to defend myself. Beads of sweat ate already dripping down my face. My shoulders are aggressively rising up and down as I try to bring my breathing back to normal. I can also feel my legs slightly shaking in exhaustion. If I fail to take this wolf in the next few minutes, it would be me that would be taken down.

And just when I am starting to doubt myself, tbe gray wolf showed up again, aggressively showing its fangs at me. But it’s no longer a serious threat since it’s already limped. The one I should look out for is the brown wolf who seems to be determined to really take me down.

I can feel its piercing gaze boring in my skin, like a predator eyeing for its prey.

I gripped the remaining twig I have. I gripped it as hard as I could since it’s the only weapon I can use to shield myself. I don’t think I can look for another weapon to use because I am sure that if I take my eyes off them, even just for a split second, they will charge at me.

“Come…” I mumbled, biting my lower lip. “Come at me and I will take you down!” I added, shouting as loud as I could to release the tension that is building inside me. “I will never let you stop me from entering the camp! I will never let you stop me from getting the freedom I have been hoping for!”

The wolves growled at me before charging at me altogether. I tried to look for ways to run away from them but I am already cornered. My body is also already tired and I don’t think I can still move as nimble as I was earlier.

“Fùck,” I whispered before taking a deep breath. I guess I just have to give it my all and face them head on. I will never let them take me down without giving a fight. I can at least take down one with me!

But just a second before they reached me, a massive and majestic white wolf appeared and took them down with a single strike. The attack was so powerful that the gray and brown wolves had a hard time getting up.

I couldn’t stop looking at the white wolf who reminded me of the white snow under the silvery moonlight. It was so beautiful and dangerous at the same time.

The pressure, the fear, the aura—everything seems to be familiar. And when it turned around to look at me and I saw how its silvery eyes gazed at me, I was able to confirm who it was, “P-Prince Blake?” I uttered, choking on my own saliva.

He just stared at me before turning around and started heading forward, leaving me completely puzzled. But it wasn’t really the perfect time to wonder. I quickly grabbed the chance to escape the two wolves who are still recovering from that attack, following the way that the prince took.

“Did he save me?” I mumbled while sprinting my life out just so I could reach the end of the forest as soon as possible and avoid any more encounter with wolves or anyone that wants to stop me from passing the test. “No. No. It’s impossible. There’s no way he would do that, especially to someone like me. He has no reason to save me. It’s just purely a coincidence,” I told myself before looking at the path ahead of me.

There’s no need for me to think about things I have no control of. There are more things to focus on, and one of those things is to figure out how to pass this freaking test. Because there’s no way I’m going back to the pack. Not when my freedom is just a few steps away from me!