Poor Orphan Girl Fed An Injured Wolf Pup With Her Last Piece Of Bread… The Next Night, The Alpha King Came With His Pack

Maja scrambled backward, dodging the beast's razor-sharp claws by inches as they shattered the stone floor where she had stood a second before.

The creature hissed, turning quickly to corner her against the dead-end stone wall. There was nowhere to run. No weapons to fight with.

Maja backed against the cold stone, her chest heaving. Panic flared in her mind, but as she looked into the creature's glowing red eyes, she noticed something strange.

Heavy, thick iron chains were wrapped tightly around the beast's front leg, cut deep into its grey flesh, infected and swollen—much like the hunter's snare that had trapped Prince Leo.

The monster wasn't attacking out of evil. It was attacking out of raw, blinding pain and fear.

She saw suffering before she saw fear.

Instead of screaming or pulling out a hidden dagger, Maja slowly dropped her defensive stance. She took a deep breath, letting Kael’s silver pendant glow brightly against her chest, letting its soothing, safe aura fill the space between them.

"You're hurt," Maja said softly, her voice steady and full of warm empathy. "You're in pain, aren't you?"

The shadow beast paused mid-snarl, tilting its massive head, confused by the lack of fear coming from the small human.

Maja extended her hand slowly, bare and open. "I know what it's like to be trapped in the dark. I know what it feels like to be hurt and forgotten."

The beast let out a low, rumbling whine. Slowly, hesitantly, it lowered its massive head, sniffing Maja’s extended hand. The scent of Kael's alpha energy on her necklace, combined with her pure, gentle intent, calmed the creature’s ancient fury.

Carefully, Maja reached out and inspected the rusty iron chain. Using a sharp piece of broken stone from the shattered floor, she worked patiently, leveraging the rusty latch until the heavy chain snapped open and fell away from the creature's leg.

The shadow beast let out a deep, contented sigh. It bowed its massive head low to the ground, stepping aside to give her free access to the central pedestal.

Maja gently touched the creature's head. "Thank you."

She walked over to the pedestal, picked up the shining Moonstone key, and turned back toward the exit.

When Maja emerged from the dark doorway of the Labyrinth into the Great Hall, holding the glowing Moonstone high in her hand, the entire court broke into a stunned silence.

She was uninjured, unbothered, her posture proud and graceful.

Freya's face turned pale as white chalk. "Impossible... how could a human survive the Guardian?"

Kael didn't wait for an answer. He stormed across the hall, ignoring protocol, and gathered Maja into a fierce, breathless embrace in front of the entire kingdom.

"You made it," Kael whispered into her hair, his arms wrapped around her like iron bands. "You incredible, brave woman."

Maja wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest, hearing his heart thumping wildly. "I told you I could handle it."

Kael pulled back slightly, his golden eyes blazing with absolute clarity and undeniable passion. He turned toward the assembled lords of the Northern Kingdom, holding Maja’s hand firmly in his own.

"The trial is complete!" Kael’s voice boomed across the grand hall. "And let it be known to every clan, every lord, and every enemy of this realm: Maja is not a weak human. She possesses a spirit stronger than steel."