Adrian’s FTV

My legs throbbed here the army had struck, bloed visking. couldnt melek This was unly the beginning

Despite the mementary popolna, !

The gross will

cill return in ten minu

1 announced, m

snice tight with pain. “We need to find a biting before then i

Skye immediately dropped to her knees beside

examining my Injuties

simies with

hands. Her forest green eyes widened with rm as the arced the

“You’ve been hit five times in your lower legs, the said, her voice trembling slightly. “Theres in much blood, Adrian/

oured her, trying to keep my tone steady despite the burning pain. “I’m an Alpha, remember? The woods will heal quickly

I scanned our team, relieved to see that Skye and Lydia had escaped unscathed. Ryder had suffered only the miner war injury. My relief was short- ?nved, however, as my legs suddenly gave out beneath me. If not for Hyder and Skye’s quick reflexes, I would have copsedpletely.

Ryder nced at his watch, his young face grim with determination. That barragested exactly one mice. We’ve got about see minutes before the next wave hits.” His eyes darted around the room. “We need a n, bfast/b.”

I stared at the four wooden shields we’d created, frustration building as I tried to envision a better defense strategy. Our current approach had failed miserably. We couldn’t possibly survive two more arrow hamages.

Lydia reached into her pocket, producing ba /bsmall ornate container. “This salve will belerate /bhealing,” she exined, her voice calm despite the urgency of our siteation. “It contains herbs I gathered specifically for the trials.

Skye didn’t hesitate. With careful precision, she pulled much arrow from my legs, ignoring my stifled grunts of pain. Tearing a strip from Ryder’s already damaged t–shirt, the wiped away the blund before applying Lydia’s olntment.

“The bealing process has already started,” I told her, noting the familiar tingling sensation as my Alpha physiology began repairing the damage. “Useless on me. Ryder needs it for bhis /bear too.”

ian 1 just any healing salve,” Skye replied, her fingers working deftly as she spread the green paste over my wounds. “Lydia and I developed it together. It contains bamboo leaves–not only spends healing but dulls pain toolfneaac N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find·novel/fneaac

“Bamboo leaves…” I repeated slowly, something clicking in my mind.

Despite Skye’s protests, 1 pushed myself to my feet, limping toward our improvised shields. An idea was forming–something so simple we’d overlooked it in

bour /bpanic

“Ryder,” I called out, split these shields again. Make right pieces instead of bfour/b.”

Without question, Ryder obeyed, his ws making quick bwork /bof the wooden panels.

bSkye /bapproached, her eyes bright with excitement. “You ve figured it out,

haven’t

I bnodded/bb, /ba n crystallizing. “Have any of you ever seen newly sprouted bamboo bshoots/b? The way they emerge from the groundb?/b”

Lydia’s eyes lit up with understanding beneath her mask. “Of course!” she eximed. “If we arrange these panels in the formation of bamboo shoots…

“…we create apletely enclosed shelter, I fished, relied that she’d grasped the concept so quickly.

Recognition dawned on bSkye /bband /bRyder’s faces bas /bthey too understood the strategy.

“That’s brilliant!” Ryder eximed, jumping excitedly before wincing as the movement aggravated his injured ear. “Ouch!”

b“/bWe need to work quickly, I warned, chec

Together, we arranged the wooden panels into aical structure, mepping the

from the earth. The design was simple yet effectise the aes theating down firm the

We barely managed in squerre inside mir makeshift fortress before the second were of me whistled through with resounding thuds, but nom prated the ovepping wooden panels. The design held, protecting on from all

When the third and final battage came, one of our panels cracked under the sustained avvnicht, the anima finally stepped.

As silence descended upon the cabin, we coted ents the flow, exhausted but hiumphant.

sir. The projectilen i

That was amazing. Alpha, Ryder grinned, his youthful enthusiasms retaining despite his injured ear. “With thinking this wholepetition.”

m? defini

going to win

This victory belongs to ball /bof us,” I replied, looking around at my small but determined teams. “If Skye and Lydia hadn’t mentioned the bombon leaves. | might never have thought of the solution.”

Skyeughed, the

sound light with relief after our ondeal. “I hereby dere bamboo my new favorite treet” she proimed, earning chuckles from all of on

The wounds on my legs had nearly closed, my Alpha healing elerated by bLydia’s /bsalve. Ryder’s ear would take longer to heal. Skye applied morn nintmmt to his wound, causing his face to flush bright red. Whether from the exertion bof /bour defense or Skye’s proximity, I couldn’t tell.

This wasn’t the time for jealousy, I reminded myself. We had survived the first phase of the trial that was what m

mattered.

The cabin door swung open with a soft click, revealing our path forward. We had passed this part of the challenge. Now, we only needed to ed teampetition toplete the second trial.

“Let’s go,” I said, leading our team toward the doorway. “Stay alert. This trial is far from ver

We had barely stepped into the adjoining room when the floor beneath bus /bbegan to crumble and copse

“What the fuck!?” Ryder shouted as the ground disappeared beneath our feet

Chapter Comments

LIKE

POST COMMENT NOW

SHARE

Crowned by Fate