TALIA’S POV
Cade's claws dig into my throat, each breath a struggle. My pregnant belly feels impossibly heavy as he holds me against him, and my heart shatters as I meet Lucian's eyes across the clearing. Those fierce green eyes that usually burn with such power now fill with helpless anguish as he watches the scene unfold, his body tensed but trapped by the threat to my life.
"Just like old times, isn't it, Alpha?" Cade's voice drips with malice as his claws press deeper against my throat. "You, watching helplessly as your beloved Luna dies."
"You're betraying Darkfang?" Lucian's voice shakes with disbelief. "Your own pack?"
Cade lets out a harsh laugh. "Betrayal? I'm siding with the Alpha who will rule with his head, not his heart. You've grown weak, Lucian. Love has made you forget what real power means." His lips curl into a cruel smile. "Kael understands strength. He knows that sentiment has no place in leadership."
His eyes glitter with dark satisfaction as he continues. "Just like your last Luna didn't understand. She didn't die in a rogue attack, you know. I made sure of that…with these very claws."
"You murderer!" Lucian roars, his face contorting with fury and grief. He launches himself at Cade, but Kael springs up from beneath him, slamming into his side.
Kael and Lucian crash to the ground in a tangle of fur and fangs.