Chapter 364: Under the Examiner’s Watch

Sophia nodded once, then lifted her gaze to the rest of her team. There was an examiner watching them, and if Holly tried to sabotage any of her teammates, then it would be her loss.

"May the Goddess be with you."

Her voice was steady, calm, carrying quiet authority.

"May the Goddess be with you," Bianca replied with a nod.

Uther inclined his head in respect. "And may she guide your steps."

Miles gave a crooked smile. "Try not to get lost, yeah? Or get eaten by the beast before we can even get it."

Joren chuckled. "We wouldn’t be good dinner for them." The others—except Holly—laughed at that too. "The Goddess watches our steps," he said with a nod.

Even Holly muttered, stiff and reluctant, "May the Goddess be with you."

Then they dispersed.

Snow crunched beneath their boots as they turned in different directions, each of them disappearing into separate paths between the trees. The forest swallowed them quickly, branches closing in, shadows stretching and shifting until no one could see anyone else anymore.

Sophia had taken only a few steps when she heard footsteps approaching her.

She stopped and turned just in time to see Joren approaching. She actually knew he would be worried, especially after what Holly had displayed earlier when the rest of them were gathered.

Joren came up beside her, his expression tense, jaw tight like he was holding something back.

"Will you be okay?" he asked quietly.

Sophia turned to face him. "I will be."

His eyes flicked briefly in the direction Holly had gone before returning to her. "You don’t have to pretend this is easy."

"I’m not pretending," she replied. "But I can handle it. You need to focus on your own scouting."

Joren hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her alone.

"Sophia—"

She stepped closer and placed both hands lightly on his chest, pushing him back just enough to make her point. "You, of all people, know I can handle myself. Orion didn’t teach me how to fight just to turn out weak after all. I can do this."

Joren hesitated, and Sophia gave him a smile. "Joren, I can do this. I can handle Holly. Now go," she said, pushing him slightly. "You’re wasting time. And we don’t have much of it."

He exhaled slowly, then nodded. "Be safe."

"You too."

Joren stepped back and shifted.

Bones cracked and reshaped, fur spreading across his skin as his body dropped smoothly into wolf form. A second later, he took off at full speed, vanishing between the trees, snow spraying beneath his powerful strides.

Sophia watched until he was completely gone, then turned and headed in another direction, her expression calm, focused, unreadable.

High above, hidden among thick branches dusted with frost, Ethan observed everything.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

Sophia would fit in far too well as a hunter.

Not just because of her fighting ability—that was obvious—but because of the way she naturally took control of a situation. She didn’t shout, didn’t demand attention. She simply spoke, and the others listened.

All of them. Well, all of them except Holly.

Ethan shook his head slightly.

Of all the trainees, of all the possible teams, why did the Moon Goddess have to place the one person he could barely tolerate under his examination?

Rotten luck.

Pure, undeniable rotten luck.

Still, he had high hopes for the rest of them. Bianca was solid, Uther was disciplined, Miles was clever, and Joren had instincts that couldn’t be taught—add to the fact that, from the file he read, Joren was a prodigy. And Sophia... Sophia was something else entirely.

He lifted his flask, about to take another sip—

Then he froze.

His posture straightened, senses sharpening.

He didn’t need to look.

He already knew.

"You didn’t think I’d just stay behind, did you?"

Genevieve’s voice came from below. She was the healer for the team and apparently his best friend.

Ethan sighed. "I was hoping."

She stepped into view a moment later, carrying a sturdy wooden box in both arms. Her expression was unimpressed, brows raised as she walked to the base of the tree and placed the box down carefully.

"I leave you alone for five minutes," she said, hands going to her hips, "and you immediately disappear without the team healer."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I’m sorry."

That made her pause.

She studied him for a second, then sighed. "You’re forgiven. But that doesn’t mean I’m not annoyed."

"That’s fair."

She followed his gaze into the forest. "How are they?"

"They’re doing well," he replied honestly. "Better than I expected."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And Sophia?"

He chuckled softly. "I knew you’d ask about Orion’s lover."

Genevieve rolled her eyes. "Don’t say it like that."

"Alright, fine," he said. "But yes, she’s impressive. Extremely so."

Genevieve stared at him in surprise. "That’s such high praise coming from you," she told him.

"And that’s because she deserves it. She took charge without forcing it. The others trusted her almost immediately. That kind of presence can’t be taught."

Genevieve hummed quietly. "So she’s a leader."

"Very much so." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"And she can fight too," Genevieve said with a dreamy sigh.

Ethan chuckled. "I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of her blade. She may not be as strong as Micah, but Garron told me not to underestimate her."

"And some pack members still think she’s not suitable for the alpha," she tsked, shaking her head. "What task did you give them?" she asked.

He hesitated for only a moment. "To bring the body of at least one Tidebreaker Korrath."

Her palm slammed against the tree trunk beside him.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

He flinched. "Careful, that tree didn’t do anything to you."

"Ethan, that is not a beginner hunt," she snapped. "That’s not even mid-level."

"It’s just a bit above mid-level, and besides, it was the best I could do," he argued. "Given the area."

"The alpha’s partner is on that team!"

"And she’s more capable than half the trainees I’ve ever seen," he shot back. "All of them are."

Genevieve crossed her arms. "This place is a Tidebreaker nest."

"Yes," he said firmly. "Which means fewer roaming monsters. I’d be an idiot to send them after something random when the environment already tells us what lives here."

She stared at him. "You’re gambling with their lives."

"No," Ethan replied quietly. "I’m trusting them."

Silence stretched between them.

The forest remained still, as if listening.

Finally, Genevieve exhaled. "I just hope you’re right."

"So do I."