Crowned by Fate Chapter 130

Skye’s POV

Lydia's cool fingers worked methodically over my burned skin.

"These burns are deeper than I'd like," Lydia murmured. "I'm not sure if they'll leave permanent scars."

I winced as the medicine stung my raw flesh. "It's just a little injury. I'm more worried about whether we'll advance to the next round."

My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, agitated by both the pain and the uncertainty. She had been unusually quiet during the trial, but now her anxiety matched my own.

"That oven must have been tampered with. How else would the emergency button fail? And if your code was correct..."

"It was," I insisted.

The speakers in the corner of the room crackled to life, interrupting our conversation. Elder Selene's authoritative voice filled the small space.

"The following eleven Alphas have successfully completed the Wisdom Trial and will advance to the next stage of the Alpha King Election."

I held my breath as she listed name after name. Alpha Morgan. Alpha Xavier. Alpha Leon. Alpha Rodrigo. More names followed, each one increasing the pressure in my chest.

When the eleventh name was called and Adrian's wasn't among them, something snapped inside me.

"No!" I leapt from the examination table, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my arm. "This is wrong! We solved the puzzle!"

"Skye, wait!" Lydia called, reaching for my half-bandaged arm. "Let me finish wrapping your burns at least!"

Grudgingly, I allowed her to complete the bandaging, my foot tapping impatiently against the floor as she wrapped both arms in clean white gauze until they resembled plaster casts.

The moment she secured the last bandage, I bolted from the room.

I could hear Elder Selene's voice growing louder as I approached. "We congratulate our finalists and remind all participants that the third trial will—"

"This trial was rigged!" I shouted, bursting through the double doors.

Every head in the auditorium swiveled toward me.

Elder Selene's ancient eyes narrowed as she took in my disheveled appearance. Wolves from every pack stared, some with shock, others with amusement or disdain.

I caught sight of Adrian standing near the front, his face a mixture of surprise and concern. He moved toward me, but I stepped forward before he could reach me.

"Alpha Adrian solved the puzzle correctly," I continued, my voice carrying through the stunned silence. "The emergency button failed to work. Something was deliberately tampered with!"

Elder Selene's voice cut through the murmurs that had begun to rise. "Who are you to interrupt these proceedings?"

I straightened my spine. "I'm Beta Skye of the Oasisborn Pack, and I demand justice for my Alpha."

The murmurs grew louder. From the corner of my eye, I saw Leon leaning forward in his seat, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"Oasisborn Pack?" someone sneered from the back. "Never even heard of it."

Another voice joined in: "Losing is losing. Don't blame the equipment when you fail."

Elder Selene raised her hand, silencing the growing chatter. "This is neither the time nor the place for such accusations. If you have a formal complaint, you may file it with the Council after this session."

Adrian reached me then, his hand warm against my lower back. "Skye," he whispered, "you should be resting."

"No," I hissed back. "This isn't right, and you know it."

Elder Selene studied us for a long moment before addressing the audience. "This session is adjourned. Finalists, please review your information packets for tomorrow's events."

As the crowd began to disperse, many throwing curious glances our way, Elder Selene beckoned us forward. "You two, come with me."

She led us to a private office adorned with ancient wolf artifacts and genealogy charts. Three other Elders waited inside, their expressions grave.

For the next twenty minutes, we explained everything—the delayed message delivery, the correct code confirmed by Ryder, the malfunctioning forfeit button, the oven activating despite reaching zero.

"Do you have any witnesses besides your own pack members?" Elder Selene asked, her fingers steepled beneath her chin.

"Alpha Leon," I said without hesitation. "He was there when Ryder confirmed the code was correct. And you can examine the oven—it clearly malfunctioned."

The Elders exchanged glances before Elder Selene spoke again. "You must understand that we take the integrity of the Alpha King Election very seriously. We will investigate your claims thoroughly and provide a response within three days. However, we'll need a detailed written account from both of you by tomorrow."

As we left the office, my mind raced with frustration and determination. "We need to find Leon," I said. "His testimony could make all the difference."

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Having you anywhere near Leon is the last thing I want right now." His eyes softened as they swept over my bandaged arms. "But you're right. We need him."

---

We found Leon at the hotel bar, lounging in a corner booth with a beer in hand. "How amusing," he drawled as we approached. "Why would I help you?"

I slid into the seat across from him, ignoring Adrian's protective stance beside me. "You should be thrilled, right? One less competitor to worry about."

Leon's eyes flashed. "You think I need Adrian eliminated to win? You're more naive than I thought."

"Then prove it," I challenged. "Tell the truth about what happened today."

Leon took a slow sip of his beer, studying me over the rim. "You know, if I truly didn't want Adrian competing, he wouldn't have made it past the application process."

Adrian stiffened beside me. "What are you saying?"

"The North American Council rejected your application initially," Leon said casually. "Something about illegitimately claiming Gravestone Pack resources. I simply suggested they look more closely at your qualifications."

"It was you?" Adrian's voice had dropped dangerously low. "We thought Maxwell was behind that."

Leon's hand slammed down on the table, beer sloshing over the rim of his glass. "I was protecting the integrity of the election! I didn't want a rule-breaker competing!"

I laughed bitterly. "You're still afraid of losing, just like four years ago."

His eyes burned into mine for a long moment before he stood, towering over our table. "Fine. I'll give you your statement tonight. But when you advance, I'll make sure you lose fair and square in the arena."