Luna's chest heaved, sweat prickling her skin despite the chill of the training yard. Her wolf thrashed in her mind, claws raking at her sanity, teeth snapping at the edges of control. Every instinct screamed: run, fight, dominate.
"Control it, Luna," she whispered to herself, teeth gritted. But the growl inside her didn't obey.
Caius and the other sons staggered backward, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe. They had seen humans fight before, but nothing like this. Nothing alive, powerful, and unnatural.
From the shadows, the Lycan King stepped closer, each stride deliberate, commanding. His gaze burned into her like molten fire, and Luna's wolf felt it too—drawn, submissive, yet wild.
"You've awakened," he said, voice low and dangerous. "And you have no idea what you've just started."
Luna's breath caught. His presence pulled at her, a magnetic storm she couldn't resist. Her pulse thrummed with fear—and something darker, thrilling, almost craving.
Suddenly, Caius lunged, foolish and defiant. Luna barely reacted in time, her wolf snapping instinctively. The air exploded with raw energy. Shadows twisted around her, and the ground beneath trembled.
The Lycan King's hand shot forward. One command, one movement—and the boys froze, rooted by some force beyond mortal understanding.
"Enough," he growled, eyes flashing amber. "You are mine to protect… for now."
Luna's wolf surged fully, its howl echoing in her mind. She had tasted power, and she would never go back.
The yard was silent. Every breath trembled with tension.
And somewhere deep, a darker presence stirred, watching, waiting.