I feel a surge of anger mixed with a flicker of fear, but I plant my feet firmly, refusing to waver. My eyes lock onto Cade’s, his wild, gleaming with menace, but I don’t flinch.
“Back off, Cade,” I warn, my voice low but steady, cold enough to cut through the charged air between us. “I am your Luna, and your Commander. And I order you to stand down.”
A slow, cruel smile spreads across his face, a predator circling prey. “You think you belong here?” he sneers, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re nothing but a weak little she-wolf, pretending to be something you’re not. You’ll never command me.”
Before I can respond, he lunges, a blur of claws and teeth. I barely dodge in time, my instincts kicking in as I pivot to evade him. His growl reverberates in the dark forest, the sound low and feral, sending a shiver down my spine. He circles me like a wolf playing with its kill, his eyes glinting with malice, his voice taunting.
“Think you’re one of us now? Think you can command wolves who’d rip you apart just for fun?” he snarls, his teeth bared in a twisted grin. “You think Lucian’s protection makes you untouchable?” He leans closer, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Ask his last Luna how safe she was.”
The words slam into me like a blow, chilling my blood. For a moment, I falter, my mind spinning. What could he mean? The question coils in my chest, sharp and uncomfortable, but there’s no time to dwell on it. Cade lunges again, his claws flashing in the moonlight. This time, they graze my side, pain searing through me like fire.
The sting ignites something primal inside me. My anger surges to the surface, red-hot and unrelenting. I snarl, meeting him head-on, my claws swiping across his face in a savage arc. Blood sprays, the coppery scent thick in the air. Cade stumbles back, his hand flying to his cheek as he glares at me, his eyes blazing with rage.
The forest is deathly quiet, save for the sound of our labored breathing. The shadows stretch and twist around us, the trees looming like silent watchers. Cade’s snarl breaks the silence, but before he can lunge again, a new presence fills the space.