Crowned by Fate Chapter 153

Skye’s POV

We walked in silence for several minutes, the only sound our footsteps echoing against the stone walls of the underground maze.

I kept my fingers twisted in the hem of Leon's shirt, trying to ignore how familiar it felt to follow him this way.

Suddenly, Leon broke the silence. "About that night..." His voice was controlled, careful. "I was drunk, so that kiss was just a mistake."

I nearly stumbled at his unexpected words. The memory of his lips on mine flashed through my mind, unbidden and unwelcome.

"Alcohol barely affects werewolves," I pointed out, "Especially not an Alpha like you."

Leon gave a dismissive laugh.

"You think I actually wanted to kiss you? You're overestimating your appeal." His eyes were cold, distant. "I was in a good mood that night and had some wolf liquor. That's all."

"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear." I exhaled slowly.

Relief washed over me. The kiss had been weighing on my conscience, a betrayal of Adrian even though I hadn't initiated it. Now I could put it behind me where it belonged.

"Look," Leon said suddenly, pointing ahead. "I think I see light."

Sure enough, the narrow tunnel began to brighten. The stale, dusty air gradually freshened as we approached what appeared to be an exit.

The rough stone walls gave way to smoother surfaces, and I could smell grass and open air.

We finally emerged from the underground tunnel into daylight! Though high walls around us served as stark reminders we remained trapped in the maze, at least now sunlight warmed our faces, plants added splashes of green, and birdsong filled the air. These simple elements breathed hope into our weary spirits.

"Finally out!" I released Leon's shirt immediately, putting distance between us.

My first instinct was to reach out to Adrian through our mind-link.

*Adrian? Can you hear me?*

Before I could focus properly, a dark shape burst from the bushes to our right. My reflexes kicked in instantly—I leaped backward, dropping into a defensive crouch, my wolf surging close to the surface.

As the figure staggered into view, I realized it was another werewolf, one of the Alphas competing in the election.

But something was terribly wrong. His eyes were bloodshot, pupils dilated with terror. He was muttering to himself, swinging wildly at invisible enemies.

"Get away... get away from me!" he screamed at nothing, his movements frantic and uncoordinated.

Leon approached him cautiously.

"Hey," he said, waving a hand in front of the Alpha's face.

The man didn't react at all, continuing to fight his invisible tormentors.

"He's trapped in a hallucination," Leon said, turning back to me. "Let's go."

I hesitated, watching as the Alpha dropped to his knees, tearing at his hair with such force that clumps came away in his hands. His face was contorted in agony, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Wait," I said. "Aren't we going to help him?"

Leon looked at me with genuine disbelief.

"Help him? Did I hear you correctly?" He gestured toward the Alpha. "We're in a competition. He's our opponent."

I watched the Alpha slam his head against the ground, blood trickling from a fresh wound on his forehead.

"I know that. But I've heard stories about people who never recover from these hallucinations—they stay trapped in their minds forever."

Leon's expression hardened. "If you want to save lives, become a doctor or a firefighter." His voice was cold, pragmatic. "The fact that I'm not killing him right now is mercy enough. If our positions were reversed, do you think he would help us?"

He stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Don't forget Elder Selene's rules—members of different packs are allowed to attack each other."

I fell silent, knowing Leon's logic was sound. Yet watching the Alpha's suffering made my stomach twist with pity. His agonized whimpers reminded me too much of my own experience with the hallucination, the crushing guilt and terror.

"Come on," Leon grabbed my arm. "We don't have much time left."

Then he closed his eyes briefly, obviously mind-linking with his pack members.

I tried again to reach Adrian.

*Adrian? Are you there?*

Nothing but silence answered me. Worry gnawed at my insides. Where was he? What had happened to him?

I quickly shifted my focus.

*Lydia? Can you hear me?*

*Skye!* Her relieved voice filled my mind immediately. *Thank God! We've been trying to reach you.*

*I'm finally back above ground,* I told her,*Is there any word from Adrian?*

*No,* her voice was tight with concern. *I'm with Ryder now, but we haven't been able to contact Alpha Adrian. We couldn't reach you either. Did you and Alpha Adrian get separated?*

*Yes,* I replied, not wanting to waste time with explanations. *Listen, be careful of traps. This maze is three-dimensional—there are underground levels. You might fall through if you trigger the wrong mechanism.*

*Underground levels?* Lydia's surprise was evident. *No wonder we couldn't contact you. What should we do now? Should we turn back and search for Alpha Adrian?*

I considered our options. Having everyone scramble around like headless chickens searching blindly would only waste precious time. Better to have a clear rendezvous point.

*No, you and Ryder keep moving forward. Try to find the exit. We'll meet there.*

*Understood,* Lydia agreed.

As our mind-link faded, dread settled in my stomach.

Adrian was still unreachable. Where was he? Was he trapped in a hallucination? Or worse?

"Adrian's still missing," I told Leon, unable to keep the worry from my voice. "Now that we're above ground, I should go find him. You go on ahead."

Leon frowned, his brows drawing together. "Do you even know where he is? For all we know, Adrian might have already made his way to the exit. Running back now might just complicate things for him."

He paused, then added, "I just mind-linked with Ethan. He's already at the exit." A smug smile played across his lips. "If even my Beta can complete this trial easily, surely Adrian isn't worse than him."

As much as I hated to admit it, Leon had a point.

Searching blindly through the maze would be foolish. The best strategy was to reach the exit and regroup.

"Fine," I conceded, "Let's keep moving."

I fell into step beside Leon, my thoughts racing with possibilities. Adrian was strong, capable—one of the most powerful Alphas I knew.

He would be fine. He had to be.