Lian’s body trembled as she struggled against Clarise’s iron grip. “Where are you taking me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Clarise smirked, dragging her further away from the pack settlement. “To where you belong,” she sneered.
Lian’s stomach twisted in fear. She thrashed in Clarise’s grasp, trying to break free, but Clarise was too strong. She opened her mouth to call for help, but when she looked around, her heart sank. They were already past the pack borders, standing near the riverbank where she had first been found.
Clarise shoved her roughly, making her stumble onto the damp grass. “Leave,” she ordered coldly. “Go back to where you came from.”
Lian clutched her arms around herself, shaking her head. “I can’t,” she whispered. “If I go back… I’ll die.”
Clarise snorted in amusement. “I don’t care if you die or not.” Her voice dripped with venom. “I won’t let you take the Luna title from me. I’m the rightful Luna—not some weak, pathetic girl like you.”
Lian clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She knew she wasn’t fit to be Luna. She wasn’t strong, nor was she capable of leading. But… she felt safe here. And more than that—her mate was here.
“I won’t leave,” she said, her voice steadier than before.
Clarise’s eyes darkened, and a dangerous growl rumbled from her throat. “Then I’ll make you.”
In a blur, Clarise lunged, shifting mid-air into her wolf form. A massive brown wolf crashed into Lian, pinning her to the ground. Lian gasped, staring up at the sharp fangs inches from her face.
Clarise’s growl vibrated through her chest, and Lian’s vision blurred with unshed tears. Is this how it ends?
No! Luminous roared in her mind. Fight back!
With all her strength, Lian shoved Clarise off her.
Clarise yelped as she was thrown backward, slamming into a tree with a painful whimper. Lian sat up, gasping for breath. Had she just done that?
Clarise staggered back to her feet, fury blazing in her brown wolf eyes. “You little—!”
She lunged again.
Lian dodged just in time, rolling to the side. Her body moved on instinct, faster and stronger than she had ever thought possible. Clarise snarled, swiping at her, but Lian ducked and struck out with a powerful kick to her side.
Clarise yelped, stumbling back.
Lian barely had time to process what was happening. She was human. She had never been strong. But right now—right now, she was keeping up with a fully shifted wolf.
Clarise lunged again, her jaws snapping dangerously close. Lian twisted her body, grabbing onto Clarise’s thick fur and using her momentum to throw the wolf off balance.
Clarise tumbled to the ground, her chest heaving. Her brown coat was matted with dirt, scratches littering her side.
Lian stood over her, breathing hard, staring down at her trembling hands. How… how did I do that?
“We’re getting stronger,” Luminous whispered in awe.
Before Lian could process it, movement in the distance caught her attention.
Kaizer and Luke stood at the edge of the clearing, their eyes wide in disbelief.
Lian’s heart pounded. She dropped her hands and lowered her gaze, afraid to meet Kaizer’s eyes. What would he think of her now?
Clarise, panting, shifted back into her human form and rushed toward Kaizer. “Alpha!” she cried dramatically, pointing at Lian. “She attacked me! Look at what she did!”
Lian flinched, but she kept her mouth shut.
Kaizer’s expression was unreadable as he looked between them. His sharp gaze then landed on Clarise. “How did she end up outside the pack borders?” he asked, his voice dangerously low.
Clarise hesitated. “I… I didn’t defy your orders! She told me she wanted to leave, so I brought her back to the riverbank where we found her.”
Murmurs spread among the Betas who had arrived at the scene. Some looked at Lian coldly, their expressions filled with doubt.
Luke clicked his tongue. “Liar,” he spat. “Why would Lian want to go back to the place she barely escaped from? The place that nearly killed her?”
Clarise’s face twisted in frustration. “I was just trying to help her! She suddenly snapped and attacked me! And now, you’re all making me the villain!”
A few Betas exchanged glances. “Clarise is injured,” one of them muttered. “We should take her back for treatment.”
Clarise smirked as if she had already won.
Luke scoffed. “Take her back if you want. Just know that she’s lying through her teeth.”
The Betas hesitated, but eventually, they lifted Clarise to escort her back. Before leaving, Clarise cast one last hateful glare at Lian.
Lian shuddered but stood her ground.
Kaizer stepped toward her, his presence drowning out everything else. Without hesitation, he reached out, cupping both of her cheeks.
Lian gasped, heat rushing to her face.
The moment his hands touched her, the fear melted away. His touch was warm, steady—comforting in a way she had never known.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
Lian swallowed hard, nodding. “Yes…”
Her voice was small, barely audible. Her throat felt tight, her emotions tangled.
Kaizer studied her, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek. His touch sent warmth coursing through her body, and she felt something she had never felt before.
Safe.
Protected.
His eyes softened, but there was something else in them too—something dangerous.
Kaizer wasn’t just worried.
He was furious.
And Lian knew, at that moment, that Clarise had made a grave mistake.
