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Chapter 18: Mind Games
Liana stood in the middle of the Sacred Grove. The thoughts of everyone else around her were making her mind race. Voice of Elder Mira could be heard over the noise. She raised her hands to the moon and said, "The Test of Wisdom begins now."
"Liana, approach the silver pool."
As Liana walked to a small pool of water that sparkled silver in the moonlight, the pack made a circle around her. When she looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes weren't her own anymore; they were filled with ancient knowledge.
Elder Mira told them, "Look into the water and get the first question."
Liana leaned in. Something that sounded like the moon asked, "What is stronger: the wolf that stands alone or the wolf that runs with the pack?"
The water moved. Liana thought it was easy. But as she opened her mouth to answer, a rush of thoughts hit her.
She'll fail this one for sure, came Celeste's voice in her head.
Please get this right, worried Rowan.
Father will use any reason to send her away, thought Kael.
Liana closed her eyes, trying to block out the noise.
"The wolf who knows when to stand alone and when to run with the pack is strongest," she replied finally. "Strength isn't just about power—it's about wisdom to know which path to take."
The water glowed brighter. Elder Mira nodded, hiding her surprise.
"Second question," she said.
The moon-voice spoke again: "If you must choose between saving one you love and saving many you don't know, what is the right choice?"
Liana's heart beat. This wasn't just a test—it was about her situation right now.
There's no right answer, came Jace's thought. It's a trick question.
Choose the pack, always the pack, thought Alpha Thorne from the edge of the crowd.
"There is no choice," Liana said strongly. "I would find a way to save both. The right way often seems impossible until someone is brave enough to take it."
Whispers spread through the crowd. No one had ever answered the questions this way before.
"Final question," Elder Mira announced, her voice shaking slightly. "What secret lies in your heart that you fear most to reveal?"
Liana froze. This wasn't just a question—it was looking into her soul. She looked at the triplets, who watched her with concern. And suddenly, she knew the truth.
"I fear that I'm not strong enough to bear this power," she said, her voice cracking. "That I'll fail those who depend on me. That the evil hunting me will hurt the ones I..." She stopped, looking directly at the brothers. "The ones I love."
The silver pool exploded in light. The crowd gasped.
"The Trial of Wisdom is complete," Elder Mira announced. "The candidate has passed."
As the pack dispersed, murmuring in surprise, Liana found herself surrounded by the triplets.
"That was incredible," Jace said, grinning. "No one's ever answered the third question honestly before."
But Liana wasn't listening. Her new ability was overwhelming her.
Snippets of thoughts pelted her from every direction.
She's more dangerous than we thought...
The rite must happen before the final trial...
If she joins with all three, the prophecy...
She pressed her hands to her temples.
"I need air," she gasped, pushing past them.
Talia found her minutes later, hiding behind the Alpha's house.
"You can hear them, can't you?" Talia asked quietly. "Their thoughts."
Liana looked up in surprise. "How did you know?"
"My visions showed me." Talia sat beside her. "Liana, I need to tell you something. I've seen something terrible."
"What is it?"
"If the triplets stay together around you, they're in trouble. Great danger." Talia's eyes filled with tears. "One of them will die."
Liana felt like she'd been hit.
"No, that can't be right."
"My dreams don't lie. Someone is planning against you—against all of you."
Over the next day, Liana tried to control her new power. She found she could focus it like a spotlight, targeting specific people to hear their thoughts more clearly.
During dinner, she focused on Rowan.
I should tell her about the talks with Elder Mira. We're so close to understanding the curse...
Later, when Jace laughed at one of his own jokes, she dove into his thoughts.
If she knew what really happened that night I found her—how I followed her scent for days before "accidentally" finding her—she'd never trust me again.
Each reveal felt like a small betrayal. Why were they keeping secrets?
That night, she couldn't sleep. Slipping out of her room, she walked the grounds, trying to sort through everything she'd learned.
A light in the library caught her attention. Peering through the window, she saw Alpha Thorne hunched over old scrolls.
The girl must be removed before the final trial. The prophecy cannot be finished. I won't let her ruin everything we've built.
Liana stumbled back, heart racing. Alpha Thorne—the triplets' father—was scheming against her.
As she turned to run, she bumped into someone.
Kael.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, his voice gruff with worry.
Before she could answer, another thought from inside made her blood run cold:
The kidnapping is set for tomorrow night. Once she's gone, my boys will forget this nonsense about a triplet bond.
"Liana?" Kael touched her arm. "You're pale."
She forced herself to smile. "Just needed some fresh air."
That night, Liana made the hardest choice of her life.
As dawn approached, she packed a small bag.
"Going somewhere?" Talia stood in her doorway.
"I have to leave," Liana whispered. "It's the only way to protect them."
"I was afraid you'd say that." Talia gave her a small pouch. "Herbs to hide your scent. You'll need it."
"Will you tell them..." Liana started.
"That you love them? They already know." Talia hugged her. "But my goal remains. Separated or together, danger still follows."
"At least they'll be alive," Liana said firmly.
As the pack slept, Liana slipped through the shadows toward the territory border. Every step felt wrong, but she kept going.
Selene's voice whispered in her mind: Sometimes the bravest way is retreat.
At the edge of pack lands, Liana stopped and looked back. The Alpha's house stood proud on the hill, holding everything she'd come to love.
"I'll come back," she promised. "When I'm strong enough to protect you all."
She turned away, tears streaming down her face, and disappeared into the dark bush.
Behind her, hiding in the shadows, a figure watched her go. They pulled out a small communication gadget.
"The Silverblood is running," they whispered. "Exactly as we planned."
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