Only Wolf Prince can hurt it, for some reason, and it has a copy of it to block him. She is faster, stronger, and has more skill. This is an uphill battle with no advantages. Holding the medallion, he had time to think.
The difference between him and his friends. They wanted power to move on, power to be strong for themselves. To become stronger by themselves, they needed power, thus achieving power.
They were active about it, they went to fight for it. All he did was to stay and wait. Was he not courageous enough? Most likely. He lacked the drive to control and use these powers? Certainly, in the face of death, he gave up once before, and twice when he was burning, being bailed out twice by supernatural powers beyond himself.
