Chapter 51: The Test II

Sophia stood frozen, her eyes wide as she stared at the massive sword Orion held out, its sheathed blade glinting ominously in the morning light. The thing was absurdly huge, its leather-wrapped hilt thick enough to dwarf her hands, the scabbard alone nearly as long as her torso. She looked at Orion like he’d sprouted two heads, her mouth parting in disbelief.

"Are you insane?" she blurted, her voice cutting through the grounds’ noise. "That sword’s bigger than me! What kind of test is this?"

Orion, slouched in his wooden chair with a blanket over his lap, smirked, his hazel eyes glinting with mischief. The faded black veins on his neck were barely visible now, but his pallor betrayed his recovery’s fragility. Rita hovered nearby, her herb-stained apron flapping as she shot him a warning glance, clearly unimpressed by his antics.

"It’s a test, Sophia," Orion drawled, his tone infuriatingly calm. "You want to learn to fight? Then unsheathe the sword. If you can’t handle that, you’re not ready for the rest."

Sophia’s hands flew to her hips, her tailored cloak swaying as she leaned forward. "Handle it? I can barely lift it! You’re setting me up to fail, you overgrown oaf!"

His smirk widened, undeterred. "Oaf, huh? Keep talking, but the only way I’m training you is if you draw that blade. Prove you’ve got the grit."

Before Sophia could fire back, Holly stepped forward, her blonde bun tight, and eyes sharp with a mix of curiosity and challenge. Her leather tunic hugged her frame, a dagger strapped to her thigh, and her smile was all confidence, though it carried a hint of something softer, hope, maybe, for Orion’s attention. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"If I unsheathe it, will you train me?" she asked, her voice light but pointed, glancing at Sophia as if sizing her up.

Orion’s gaze flicked to Holly, his expression flat. "The test is for Sophia, not you. Stay out of it, Holly." His tone was firm, no room for argument, and Holly’s smile faltered, her jaw tightening.

Sophia seized the moment, her temper flaring. "See? He’s being unreasonable! Picking on me because he’s got a grudge. Typical ogre behavior." She jabbed a finger at Orion, her voice rising. "That’s why you’ll always be a pig-headed, smug-faced, tyrannical ogre, lording over everyone like some grumpy king!"

Holly’s mouth fell open, her eyes widening as she stared at Sophia. The audacity was shocking. Orion was the alpha, the pack’s anchor, his authority unquestioned by most.

Only a handful, Ronan, Lysander, maybe Brynhild, could speak to him so brazenly and walk away unscathed. Yet here was Sophia, barely a month in the pack, tearing into him like he was just another guy. The warriors nearby slowed their sparring, heads turning, murmurs rippling through the grounds. Gregory, the bear-like warrior with his woven beard and white-and-red feather, let out a low chuckle, his massive arms crossed as he watched the spectacle.

Orion leaned forward, ignoring the pain that flickered across his face, his smirk unshaken. "Big words for a little pest. You going to do it or not? Or are you too much of a coward to even try?" His voice was low, taunting, his eyes locked on hers. "It’s just unsheathing a sword, Sophia. If you really want to fight, this is nothing."

Sophia’s cheeks flushed, her hands clenching into fists. "Coward? Coward?" she snapped, stepping closer, her voice dripping with defiance. "I’ll unsheathe your stupid sword, you insufferable brute, and when I do, you’ll regret ever doubting me!"

Orion’s laugh was short, sharp, and infuriatingly smug. "Prove it, then. Less talking, more doing."

Holly watched, her lips pressed into a thin line, an unsettling feeling curling in her chest. Sophia didn’t look like a warrior. She was slight, pale, with no muscle to speak of. The sword was a beast, forged for someone like Gregory, who’d felled a Skylur by himself. That alone was a feat few have been able to accomplish.

Holly’s eyes flicked to Orion, searching for a hint of his old warmth, the spark they’d shared years ago when they were young and reckless. But his focus was on Sophia, that damn smirk fixed in place, and Holly’s stomach twisted. She stayed silent, though, knowing better than to challenge the alpha in front of the pack.

Sophia stomped further into the clearing, a distance from Orion, her boots kicking up dirt, and grabbed the sheathed sword from Orion’s hands. The weight hit her like a wall, nearly toppling her, the scabbard dragging her arms down.

She grunted, her face reddening as she heaved it up, clutching it like an oversized log. "Gods, this thing’s ridiculous," she muttered, puffing as she staggered a few steps away, the sword’s tip scraping the ground. "Stupid, heavy, useless piece of.."

"Careful," Orion called, his voice laced with amusement. "Insult the sword, and it might not like you."

She shot him a glare over her shoulder, her breath coming in short huffs. "Oh, shut up,it’s a weapon, is it supposed to like me?" She asked him.

Orion shrugged. "Who knows? I can only tell you to treat it with care lest your decisions come to bite you in the butt."

"Fuck you." She growled out. "I know you are messing with me and just so you know, it’s not working."

Rita stifled a laugh, pretending to adjust her satchel, while Gregory’s chuckle rumbled louder, drawing more eyes. The warriors had mostly stopped now, their sparring forgotten as they watched Sophia wrestle with the blade.

Holly’s gaze hardened, her arms crossing tighter, the unsettling feeling growing. Sophia’s defiance, her sheer nerve, was something Holly couldn’t match, not against Orion, not like this. It stung more than she’d care to admit.

Sophia planted her feet, her small frame trembling under the sword’s weight. She gripped the hilt with both hands, her knuckles white, and tugged. The blade shifted slightly, a faint scrape of metal on leather, but it stayed stubbornly sheathed.

She cursed under her breath, words Orion couldn’t quite catch but could guess at, given the fire in her eyes. "Come on." she hissed, pulling harder, her boots slipping in the dirt.

Orion leaned back, his smirk infuriatingly intact. "Need a hand, or are you still pretending you’re strong enough?"

"I’m going to wipe that smirk off your face," Sophia growled, her voice strained as she yanked again. The scabbard wobbled, but the blade held fast, mocking her efforts.

Her arms burned, her breath ragged, but she refused to quit. Not with Orion watching, not with Holly’s silent judgment, not with the pack’s eyes on her.

Holly shifted, her voice cutting through the tension. "Orion, this is unfair. She can’t possibly..." she started, but Orion raised a hand, silencing her without a glance.

"Let her try," he said, his tone firm but not unkind. "She asked for this."

Sophia’s head snapped up, her eyes blazing. "Oh, I’ll do more than try, you smug bastard. When I unsheathe this thing, you’re the first one I’m threatening with it!" She heaved again, the sword lifting slightly before dropping back, her arms shaking.

Orion’s laugh was low, almost warm, his eyes glinting with something like respect. "You can try, little pest. You can try."

The grounds fell quiet, the warriors’ murmurs fading as Sophia’s struggle became the center of attention. Her breaths came in sharp gasps, her face flushed with effort, but her eyes burned with determination. She’d show him. She’d show them all. She wasn’t weak and she’ll make sure he sees that.