"What?"
"If it comes down to a choice between my life and yours?—"
"Stop right there." Jade pulled him to a halt, her dark eyes blazing. "We don't make that choice. We find a third option. That's what partners do."
The intensity of her conviction seemed to steady something deep within him. She felt his anxiety ease through the bond, replaced by the kind of iron determination that had made him a legendary general.
"Partners," he repeated, as if testing the word. "I like the sound of that."
The sacred jungle stones rose before them like ancient sentinels, their purple-veined surfaces carved with symbols that predated written history. Councilor Xylen stood between two towering monoliths, his pale features set in lines of barely concealed disapproval. Two other council members flanked him, their expressions equally skeptical.
They expect us to die.
"General. Miss Moreno." Xylen's voice dripped with formal courtesy that failed to mask his underlying hostility. "I trust you understand the gravity of what you're attempting."
"We understand perfectly." Raikar's response held the weight of authority. "But state the parameters for good measure."
"Twenty miles through the deepest section of the Southern Jungles. You will emerge at Lover's Rock—so named in honor of your great-grandparents, the only pair ever to complete this trial successfully." Xylen's pale eyes fixed on Jade with undisguised disdain. "Seven days maximum. No assistance, no rescue if you fail to appear."
Instead of fear, Jade felt a familiar competitive fire ignite in her chest. This was just another opponent to defeat, another challenge to overcome through skill, determination, and refusing to quit when things got difficult.
"What's the current record?" she asked, hefting her backpack with casual confidence.
Xylen's eyebrows rose slightly. "Seven days?—"
"We're going to break that record," she declared with such absolute certainty that even Raikar shot her a surprised look.
The councilor's face went through several interesting color changes. "Miss Moreno, I don't think you fully comprehend?—"
"I comprehend that you're expecting us to die out there." Jade stepped forward, her voice carrying the kind of quiet menace that had once made grown men reconsider challenging her to sparring matches. "But here's what you've failed to comprehend, Councilor." She smiled, the expression sharp enough to cut. "I didn't survive thirty-five years on Earth by backing down from a challenge. And I sure as hell didn't come to Nova Aurora to lose the best thing that's ever happened to me because some politician thinks I'm not worthy of standing beside him."
Xylen's composure cracked slightly, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "The jungle will test more than your... resolve, Miss Moreno."
"Good." Jade adjusted her pack straps, every movement radiating lethal competence. "I've been looking forward to a real challenge for a long time."
She turned to Raikar, whose eyes blazed with something that caused her pulse to spike despite their audience. "Ready, partner?"
His answering smile was pure predator—dangerous, possessive, and utterly devoted. "Lead the way, my fierce mate."
Together, they stepped past the sacred stones and into the purple shadows of the deep jungle. Behind them, Jade could feel Xylen's frustrated rage, but it no longer mattered. The only thing that mattered was the man beside her, the bond thrumming between them, and twenty miles of wilderness that would either forge them into something unbreakable or destroy them completely.
Seven days to prove we belong together.
The jungle swallowed them whole, and the Trial of Shadow officially began.
Hours later, the jungle had transformed into something primordial around them, purple fronds growing denser with each step and the canopy above weaving tighter until only fragments of the twin suns filtered through. Jade's boots found purchase on the increasingly treacherous ground, her body moving with the fluid precision that had carried her through countless competitions.
Five miles a day. That's what it'll take to shatter his great-grandparents' record.
The calculation burned bright in her mind, fueling each determined stride. She could feel Raikar's growing concern through the partial bond, his alpha instincts demanding they establish territory and secure shelter. But Jade had spent her entire life pushing past the point where others quit, and she wasn't about to start playing it safe now.
"We should stop here." Raikar's voice cut sharply through the humid air, authority threading through every syllable. "Build camp while we have daylight to gather materials."
Jade didn't break stride, her dark eyes scanning the terrain ahead with tactical precision. "We can push further. Another mile, maybe two before we need to stop."
Through the bond, she could feel Raikar's frustration spike—that particular brand of alpha male irritation when his protective instincts were challenged. But underneath it, she caught something else. Grudging respect for her determination.
"Jade." The way he said her name held the weight of command, the tone that had probably sent countless warriors scrambling to obey. "The jungle changes fast. We need time to?—"
