My best friend Anna and I had spent the past decade helping two troubled Lycan Princes navigate their darkest times. We thought we’d succeeded, until their long-lost mate suddenly returned from the dead.

It turned out that Nellie Wilson, the Lycan Princess they’d mourned for years, had been moved by their devotion and decided to return to the mortal realm.

“Since they’ve gone through so much for me, I owe it to them to help them complete their journey,” Nellie declared, her voice dripping with condescension. “And you two Omegas—how dare you even think you could replace me?”

Heartbroken, we reported our failure to Elder Idris, only to be told that the only way to return to our original duties was through death. In the end, Anna and I became sacrifices on the altar for Nellie, our deaths propelling us into ascension as divine judges.

Elder Idris looked at us with a puzzled expression. “How strange. It seems you two were the ones who truly went through the trial.”

“Now go and bring those rogue Lycans back,” he commanded.

---

Anna and I had been assistants to Elder Idris in the Moonlight Pack. Hoping to ascend in rank, we accepted the task of helping two Lycan Princes overcome their emotional turmoil. According to Harry Silva, the Record Keeper, my role was to guide the fierce Gamma Alijah Rose, while Anna was to support the cold and detached Alpha Samson Rose. The plan was simple: help them move on from the grief of losing their mate, Nellie, and restore them to their rightful positions.

For ten years, Anna and I worked tirelessly, slowly breaking down the walls they’d built around themselves. We thought we’d succeeded, that we’d finally earned their trust and companionship. But then, Nellie returned.

The day we heard the news, Anna and I were catching up at the Crimson Pack’s headquarters. When Samson and Alijah walked in, Anna’s face lit up with joy. She started toward them, but Alijah stepped back, revealing the woman behind him.

Anna froze. I recognized her instantly—Nellie Wilson. I quickly moved to Anna’s side, gripping her trembling hand, and turned to Samson. But he didn’t even notice me. His attention was entirely focused on Nellie.

I forced myself to remain composed and bowed respectfully. “Your Highness.”

Anna, still in shock, followed suit. Nellie’s expression suddenly darkened. “I heard rumors that you two had found new mates, but I didn’t want to believe it. And yet, here you are.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, her voice trembling with despair. “I’m tainted now. You’ve both moved on without me!”

Samson and Alijah reacted immediately, rushing to comfort her. “No, Nellie,” Samson said softly, his voice warm and tender in a way I’d never heard before. “I’ll always be by your side.”

I’d never heard Samson speak like that. He was the Alpha, always cold and distant, his emotions buried deep. It had taken me fifteen years just to chip away at the surface of his defenses. I’d once joked to Anna, “Maybe Samson’s like those characters in the stories—his mate’s death took all the warmth out of him.” Little did I know how true that would become.

Nellie’s return had transformed Samson into someone I barely recognized. Anna and I stood there, stunned, as Alijah scooped Nellie into his arms and carried her away, Samson close behind. Before they left, both men shot us a cold, reproachful look, as if our presence alone was an insult to Nellie.

The courtyard fell silent once more.

Anna looked at me with a bitter smile. "I used to think Alijah had been away for so long, fighting so many battles, that he no longer cared for matters of the heart. But now I see it wasn’t that he didn’t care—it was just that he didn’t care for *me*."

"I truly believed I had won his heart."

My thoughts drifted back to two years ago. Alijah had defended the pack against rogue attacks, earning the admiration of many. The new Alpha, wary of his influence, sought to strip him of his authority and often summoned Anna to the pack house. But this move stirred the jealousy of the Luna, Adelyn.

Adelyn had heard that Anna once performed on the streets before joining the pack, and she demanded a performance. A towering structure of hollow copper rods and sharp edges was erected—a cruel imitation of a climbing tree. Beneath it, a fire was lit. The heat would make the copper unbearable to stand on, forcing the climber to either endure the searing pain or leap into the flames below.

Adelyn called it "the trial of strength."

She invited us all to watch.

I still remember Anna standing at the top of that structure, giving me a reassuring smile. Before she climbed, she had whispered to me, "We’ve been through worse. A little fire won’t break us." But her trembling body and pale face told a different story.

Alijah had held his silence for what felt like an eternity. Just as I was about to rush forward to save her, he finally surrendered his position as Gamma to the Alpha in exchange for Anna’s safety.

Later, as I tended to the burns on her skin, I couldn’t stop my tears. She comforted me instead, saying, "We came into this with a purpose. If we didn’t give our hearts, wouldn’t that make us liars?"

"And he gave up his position as Gamma to save me. These wounds are worth it."

Back then, her face had been filled with the joy of finally breaking through to him.