The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 295

Liora’s POV

The wolf stepped into the clearing, and my stomach dropped.

It was huge. Easily twice my size, with dark fur and eyes that gleamed black in the camera lights. An Alpha, judging by the sheer size of him. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, revealing an upper row of sharp teeth.

This was what Alder expected me to fight?

Maybe before, I could have taken a male like this with ease. But not now that my wolf was gone. And especially not after everything else I had gone through tonight.

“The rules are simple,” Alder said, speaking to the camera. “Miss Belrose has three minutes to subdue her opponent.” He gestured to a circle of rope that had been tied from tree to tree, like a makeshift boxing ring. “If she steps outside of the circle, she fails. If she’s unable to continue, she fails. If the time runs out and she hasn’t subdued the wolf, she fails.”

I stared at him. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m completely serious.” He flashed me a toothy smile. “Do you accept the challenge, or are you forfeiting now? On your final challenge, no less?”

I looked at the wolf again. It was pacing back and forth, growling low in its throat. This wasn’t a fair fight. This wasn’t even close to fair. I was exhausted and dirty and my entire body hurt from that obstacle course.

But if I forfeited now, I would definitely fail the exam. I would have to repeat the semester. Or worse, I would have to go home, and I couldn’t come back.

Maybe, just maybe, there was a small chance I could make it… If I was smart about it, then maybe I could do it.

But how?

“This is insane,” I muttered, scrubbing my mud-covered hands over my face. “I’m wolfless. How am I supposed to fight an Alpha?”

“It never seemed to stop you before.” Alder checked his watch. “Now, you have ten seconds to decide. Nine. Eight. Seven…”

I clenched my jaw. I didn’t have a choice. Not really.

“Fine,” I spat. “I’ll do it.”

One more step and I’d be out. One more step and I would automatically fail.

The wolf stalked toward me, growling. Its eyes were locked onto mine, unblinking.

Suddenly, it hit me.

Its eyes weren’t just black. They were completely black, pupils blown wide, and its scent…

Wolfsbane.

The wolf had been drugged.

My mind raced. If the wolf was under the influence of wolfsbane, that meant it wasn’t in control. It was acting purely on instinct, on the primal urge to hunt and kill. If I got infected, there was a chance my wolf wouldn’t return to protect me like she had before.

But wolfsbane reacted to water. If I could get the wolf wet, it might snap out of it.