Chapter 5 The Attention of a Poor Student

Noah Foster's POV:

The first round of the Luna Trial kicked off today. Even though I made it clear I didn't want to watch the contestants, the pack members were dead set on finding me a strong Luna. They thought the Silver Pine Pack needed one, and they were not wrong, but still.

I was up on the observation deck, watching the girls file into the Trial area. It didn't take long for some to come back out—some because they nailed it, others because they bombed.

I had got a pretty good memory, so I could remember faces easily. In the crowd, I spotted a new face. She was in a floral dress, no makeup, with brown hair falling over her shoulders. She looked so pure, totally different from the other women.

Wasn't she the one who skipped the meet-and-greet? How interesting. Every girl here was trying to get close to me, but she was a no-show that day.

"Noah, what are you staring at?" My guard, Ethan Moore, leaned in beside me. We were more like buddies than leader and subordinate. He followed my gaze and chuckled, "Got your eye on that poor girl?"

He seemed to know something. I raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

Ethan leaned back, propping his face with one hand. After a moment, he said, "Remember when you asked me to pick someone up from the ClearedMoon Pack? That's her. Her name's Ava. She's an illegitimate child. Her mom made her walk here alone, hundreds of miles, in the dark. Pretty sad, huh?"

Ethan's words piqued my curiosity. A girl walking alone at night, with no carriage?

"She agreed to that?" I asked, my voice tinged with surprise.

"Yeah," Ethan replied, nodding slightly. "I followed her for miles until she passed out, then brought her back. But she doesn't know it was me who helped. She doesn't have her own wolf yet."

Ethan and I met a few years ago during a pack war. I knew he was from another pack, but he took a heavy claw to the chest to save me. Since then, he had been by my side. I never asked about his past, and he never told. We were like brothers.

"Interesting," I muttered to myself.

No wolf? Why did I see something unique in Ava, like my wolf with silver fur and olive-colored eyes?

I looked at Ethan. He told me he was just a beta's kid, but his strength was almost on par with mine. Did he see through Ava's act?

"Do you really think Ava doesn't have her own wolf?" I looked at Ethan, a playful glint in my eyes.

"I figured it out when I picked her up. She's special, Noah. How long do you think it'll take her to escape the fantasy realm?" Ethan was glued to the screen, watching the live feed of each girl.

A wolf like mine, maybe just as strong? I focused on Ava on the screen. Two girls had already finished, Olivia and Anthea. They both did pretty well, taking about the same time.

"I'm guessing four hours," Ethan said, looking all confident. I hated that look. If Ava had a wolf like mine, she should be just as good.

"Are you sure?" I raised an eyebrow, watching Ava, who seemed a bit lost on the screen. "I think she might be out in a few minutes."

Ethan just smiled and made a bet with me. "Since we're guessing, why not place a bet? If Ava finishes when I think she will, let your future Luna have dinner with me. Deal?"

Just a meal, what was the big deal? Besides, could Ava really become my Luna? I doubted it.

I nodded, agreeing without hesitation. The top girls would get rewards, decided by the pack's scholars. Even I didn't know what they were.

But I bet those old guys couldn't come up with anything good, probably just a chance to have a meal with me. So boring.

I had hated women since I saw my mom cheating with another man.

Not that I hadn't had women, but they were just a pastime. As an Alpha, I had got pack matters to handle and couldn't waste time on this stuff. Plus, I was not interested in most women. They all seemed the same to me, boring.

Ethan froze the screen on Ava. This Luna Trial was a joke to me, like a kid's game.

I passed these tests ten years ago. Even the best here didn't match me, which was why I refused to look for a fated mate. No one could really boost my abilities.

On the screen, Ava moved slowly.

Ethan gave me a smug look, making me feel a burst of irritation. Damn it, after betting with Ethan so many times, this was the first time I felt like I was going to lose. And the one making me lose was this timid Ava on the screen.

Ava had a full, perky butt, a slim waist, and bright eyes that sparkled.

This was the first time I had been so interested in a woman. No wonder Ethan was captivated by her and helped her.

"Noah, looks like I'm going to win. This Ava is really weak, dragging such a simple level for so long." Ethan smiled, showing his sharp canine teeth.

I suppressed my anger, resisting the urge to punch him, and left with a cold face.

Damn woman, making me lose face in front of Ethan.

I couldn't help feeling a bit irritated.