The Warlord of Wycliffe: The Dethroning of My False Mate novel · Chapter 11 of 24
Chapter 11: The Challenge Stone
Elowen's POV
The Challenge Stone stood at the top of the ridge, a flat grey slab as wide as a barn floor, ringed by old oaks.
Every wolf in Greyhollow had come to see.
They stood four deep around the edge.
The old stood at the front, the children on their fathers' shoulders.
Dorian and Verity flanked me.
Hester walked half a step behind, with her bottle in her fist.
I wore the green wool dress, and I carried nothing.
At noon exactly, a bell rang.
Roderick stepped into the circle in a plain shirt, with the Ivorymoon sword drawn.
The pack cheered him.
It was not as loud as it should have been.
He looked at the pack, and at the sky, and at the sword.
He did not look at me.
"By the ancient law of the Stone," the old Stone-keeper called, "the challenged drinks first, the challenger second, so the Moon may witness an honest fight."
A girl of ten stepped forward with a tray.
On it sat two wooden cups, filled to the brim with spring water.
The girl was shaking.
I took one step toward the tray.
"Elowen," Hester said, very softly.
"I know."
I lifted the cup, and I held it up in front of the whole pack.
"This water came from the north spring," I said.
Colm Radley, at the Alpha's elbow, went still.
"Where else would it come from?" he said. "It is the Stone's spring."
"It's the one where the wolfsbane grows."
"Nonsense."
"Then drink it."
I held out the cup to him.
The whole ridge went silent.
Colm's face had gone white.
"I don't need to," he said. "I'm not the one who is challenged."
"Then your Alpha can," I said.
I turned and held it out to Roderick.
Roderick took half a step back.
He did not touch the cup.
Keep reading free with an account. Start The Warlord of Wycliffe: The Dethroning of My False Mate from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 10 · All chapters · Chapter 12 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend