Crowned by Fate Chapter 115

Skye's POV

Elder Selene stepped forward, raising her hands for silence.

"Please," she commanded, her voice carrying across the lakeside. "You must have faith in your Alphas. The trial continues despite our technical difficulties. The oxygen supply in their equipment will last for another twenty minutes. We must give them that time."

"What happened down there?" someone shouted from the crowd.

Elder Selene's expression remained carefully neutral. "We believe there was an underwater rockslide. Such events are not uncommon in ancient structures like the fortress. Our underwater cameras were damaged, but the trial continues."

We fell silent again, watching the lake's surface for any sign of returning competitors. The minutes ticked by with torturous slowness. Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.

A ripple disturbed the water, and a cheer went up as the first Alpha since the explosion surfaced, clutching a golden coin in his triumphant fist. More followed in quick succession, each emergence met with relieved cries from their respective packs.

Then I saw him—Maxwell, Adrian's uncle, cutting through the water with powerful strokes. As he reached the shore, he held up not one but three golden coins, his smile smug as Council members rushed to verify his haul.

My stomach twisted as Maxwell's gaze found mine. He sauntered over, water streaming from his wetsuit, his expression one of mock concern.

"Still waiting for your Alpha?" he asked, making a show of checking the time. "The trial ends in five minutes. Perhaps you should consider your options."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Stormhowl Pack is always looking for fresh talent. A pretty little thing like you would make an excellent housemaid. "

His gaze traveled down my body in a way that made my skin crawl. Before I could respond, Ryder lunged forward, grabbing Maxwell's wetsuit collar.

"What did you do to him?" Ryder growled."If you hurt Alpha Adrian—"

Maxwell's movement was blindingly fast. His fist connected with Ryder's jaw. Lydia rushed to Ryder's side as he struggled to rise, blood trickling from his split lip.

"You should teach your pups better manners," Maxwell said, brushing off his wetsuit as if Ryder's touch had contaminated it. "If Adrian doesn't return, it's because he lacked the strength and cunning necessary for this competition. Natural selection at its finest."

My eyes darted to the massive clock displayed at the edge of the lake. Three minutes remaining.

I kicked off my shoes and stripped off my jacket in one fluid motion.

"Skye, what are you doing?" Lydia gasped, her eyes widening as she realized my intent.

"I'm going after him," I stated, already moving toward the water's edge.

"Are you insane?" Ryder called, scrambling to his feet. "You don't have diving equipment! There are monsters down there!"

"I don't care," I replied.

I didn't wait for further protests. Taking a deep breath, I dove into the icy waters of Silvercrest Lake.

The cold hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. For an instant, I regretted my impulsive decision. But then my wolf stirred within me, lending me strength as I forced my eyes open in the murky depths.

Visibility was poor, but I could make out the looming shape of the underwater fortress below.

Alphas were emerging from various exits, all heading toward the surface with their precious coins.

Where was he?

A shadow moved to my right, and I turned, hope flaring in my chest. But it was just another competitor, a female Alpha I didn't recognize, her expression startled as she saw me swimming without equipment. She gestured upward, clearly suggesting I return to the surface, but I shook my head and continued my search.

The pressure in my lungs became unbearable. I had no choice—I needed to surface or risk drowning. With a final, desperate look around, I kicked upward, my movements becoming sluggish as oxygen deprivation took its toll.

A flicker of movement caught my eye—something large and predatory gliding through a distant corridor. One of the Direwolves, still patrolling its territory. I froze, pressing myself against a wall, hoping my silver hair wouldn't catch its attention in the murky water.

Just as I was about to admit defeat and return to the surface, a flash of midnight blue appeared in my peripheral vision. I turned, hope surging anew, and there he was. Adrian, swimming through a half collapsed corridor, a golden coin clutched in his hand.

Relief hit me so powerfully that I nearly exhaled my precious remaining air. I kicked toward him, my heart pounding with equal parts joy and the desperate need for oxygen. His head turned at my approach, and his eyes widened in shock as he recognized me.

Without hesitation, he pulled the regulator from his mouth and offered it to me. I took a grateful breath of air, the dizziness receding as oxygen flowed into my starving lungs. Adrian's eyes never left mine, a thousand questions in their amber depths.

I returned the regulator to him, pointing urgently toward the surface. We needed to get out of here. Adrian nodded, but before we could move, a massive shape loomed behind him—one of the Direwolves, its blind eyes swiveling as it detected our presence.

Adrian pushed me behind him, his body positioning protectively between me and the creature. The beast lunged forward, jaws snapping. Adrian barely evaded the attack, pulling me with him as we darted through a narrow opening in the stonework.

We swam frantically, Adrian passing me the regulator every few seconds so I could take another breath. The Direwolf pursued us relentlessly, its massive body somehow squeezing through passages that should have been too small for it.

I spotted a ray of light from above, an exit. We kicked hard, racing toward the surface with the last of our strength.

The Direwolf abandoned its chase as we neared the exit, retreating back into the darkness of the fortress.

Relief washed over me, but exhaustion was quickly taking its toll. My limbs felt leaden, my movements growing sluggish despite my best efforts. Adrian noticed immediately, wrapping a strong arm around my waist to help propel me upward.

Underwater, our eyes locked. His were full of worry, thanks, and something more that made my pulse race. He pulled me closer, took out his regulator, and kissed me.

Adrian's kiss gave me a surge of energy, but I suddenly remembered the competition time was almost up. I quickly pulled away. "Hurry! We need to get the gold coin to the Council!"

Adrian nodded, understanding my urgency. As we began swimming toward the surface, I glanced behind us.

When I turned, I saw Leon staring at me with eyes sharp as knives.