Crowned by Fate Chapter 119

Skye's POV

My heart ached for him as I remembered how his mother had chosen Maxwell—had chosen to stand beside the man who had stolen Adrian's birthright. I couldn't imagine the betrayal he must have felt.

"She must have her reasons," I suggested gently, reaching up to touch his cheek. "Reasons we might not understand."

"Maybe," he agreed with a small, sad smile.

Seeing the shadow in his eyes, I decided to change the subject. "We have five days to prepare for the next trial," I said, sitting up straighter. "The Trial of Wisdom is always different each year. We should study the past challenges to prepare."

Adrian's expression cleared, grateful for the shift in conversation. "Good idea. The Council archives should have records of previous trials. I'll ask Garrett to research them remotely from Oasisborn."

"From what I've heard, the Trial of Wisdom is a team competition," I continued, my mind already working through potential scenarios. "We need to make sure our team is fully prepared. Lydia and Ryder will need to be at their best."

Adrian nodded, his eyes warming as he watched me slip into my Beta role so naturally. "Our team is small but strong," he assured me. "Together, there's nothing we can't face."

"I'll ask Garrett to look into past trials," I said, pulling out my phone to send a quick message. "He's excellent at research, and we need as much information as possible."

Half an hour later, I received a call from Garrett.

Garrett's excited voice greeted me as soon as I accepted the call. "Skye! Is Adrian with you? Put me on speaker!"

I pressed the speaker button, exchanging a curious glance with Adrian. "We're both here, Garrett. What's going on?"

"First things first—congratulations on passing the first trial, Alpha!" Garrett's enthusiasm was palpable even through the phone. "Everyone at Oasisborn is celebrating! Venus arranged a feast for tonight, and Marcus has the entire pack involved in security drills. They're determined to have us ready for whatever comes next."

Adrian's expression softened at the mention of our pack members. "Thank them for us, Garrett. Your support means everything."

"Oh, and that's not all," Garrett continued, the sound of rapid typing accompanying his words. "I've sent you both emails with detailed archives of past Trials of Wisdom. It's fascinating stuff—and frankly, a bit terrifying."

My phone pinged with the incoming email notification, and I quickly scanned the massive document Garrett had assembled. It was impressively comprehensive, with detailed accounts of trials dating back decades.

"This is incredible, Garrett," I said, genuinely impressed by his thoroughness. "This must have taken hours to compile."

"Happy to help," he replied, though I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "Oh, and Venus had another brilliant idea. We've set up official Oasisborn social media accounts to build support for Adrian's candidacy. Venus is rallying the western territories, especially appealing to non-werewolf communities who've suffered under the current eastern-dominated leadership."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Social media? That sounds more like something Alpha Xavier would do."

"Exactly!" Garrett exclaimed. "We can't let the eastern packs dominate every arena. Venus says building public support could be crucial, especially for later stages of the competition."

"Thank her for me," Adrian said, his tone warm with appreciation. "You're all doing amazing work back home. We couldn't ask for better support."

There was a brief pause before Garrett's voice returned, now more serious. "One more thing you both should know. Based on my analysis of past competitions, the Trial of Wisdom is significantly more dangerous than it sounds."

"What do you mean?" I asked, an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach.

"It's not just an intelligence test," Garrett explained grimly. "According to my statistical analysis, more wolves die in the Trial of Wisdom than in the Trial of Strength each year. The Council cleverly disguises this fact by classifying these deaths differently—they're recorded as 'strategic casualties' rather than direct trial fatalities."

Adrian and I exchanged concerned glances. "How is that possible?" I asked. "I thought the Wisdom Trial was about strategy and knowledge, not physical danger."

"That's what makes it so insidious," Garrett replied. "Candidates expect physical challenges from the Strength Trial and prepare accordingly. But the Wisdom Trial... it's designed to kill you through your mistakes. Through poor judgment, faulty reasoning, or misplaced trust."

A chill ran down my spine at Garrett's words. Adrian straightened, his expression hardening with resolve.

"We'll be careful," he promised. "Send us every scrap of information you can find. We need to be prepared for anything."

"Already done," Garrett assured us. "Just... watch each other's backs, okay? There's a reason they schedule a full week between the first and second trials. They want you at full strength for what comes next."

After ending the call, Adrian and I spent the remainder of the afternoon huddled over Garrett's documentation, studying video recordings of past trials with Ryder and Lydia. The more we watched, the more sobering our mood became.

In one particularly disturbing trial from twelve years ago, teams were trapped in a labyrinth filled with poisonous gas. The test wasn't simply to find the exit—it was to identify which team members should receive the limited supply of antidote. Several Alphas had sacrificed themselves, believing they were saving their teams, only to discover later that their "poison" had been harmless while their teammates died from the real toxin.

"This is psychological warfare," Lydia observed, her usually melodic voice tight with concern. "They're not just testing knowledge—they're testing character, loyalty, and the ability to make impossible choices."

Ryder, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout our study session, finally spoke up. "Do you think they'll make us turn against each other? Force us to choose who lives and who dies?"

The young warrior's question hung heavy in the air. Adrian placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Whatever they throw at us, we face it together. No competitions, no sacrifices. We survive as a pack or not at all."

I nodded in agreement, though the videos had shaken me more than I wanted to admit. In every recording, I saw the same pattern—Alphas forced to weigh the lives of their pack members against their ambition to become Alpha King. Some chose their teams; others chose the crown. Neither decision guaranteed survival.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling me from these dark thoughts. I glanced at the screen, expecting another message from Garrett with additional information.

Instead, I found myself staring at a text from an unknown number:

Tomorrow afternoon. Silver Spoon Café. Come alone. —Maya