Luna Everleigh's POV
***
Rhydian's voice was low, lethal. "You shouldn't be here."
The pressure of his presence intensified, an invisible force pressing down on Damian, making him wince.
I had never seen him like this before.
Yes, Rhydian had always carried an air of authority, of restrained power, but this was different. This was raw, unrestrained.
A true Alpha in his element.
Damian tried to stand his ground, but his body betrayed him—his shoulders tightened, his breath hitched. I could see it in his stance, in the slight bend of his knees.
He was fighting it.
But he was losing.
And for a moment, a twisted part of me wanted him to lose.
Because Damian had spent years underestimating me. Because he had chosen to turn away when I needed him most.
But Rhydian?
Rhydian had never looked away.
He stepped forward, his body tense with barely restrained fury. "I won't ask again."
Damian swallowed hard, his fingers curling into fists.
"Luna," he said, his voice strained. "You don't belong here."
Something inside me snapped.
I marched forward, closing the space between us, my pulse hammering in my ears. "You don't get to decide that."
Damian's gaze flickered with something like desperation. "I'm trying to help you."
"I don't need your help." The words tasted like iron on my tongue. "Not now. Not ever."
A muscle jumped in his jaw. "You don't understand."
"Then make me understand."
For a second, he hesitated.
Then, finally, he exhaled and said, "My family is connected to The Silver Fang Society."
The world seemed to tilt.
My breath caught, the air around me suddenly too heavy.
Damian's voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "And they're hunting something. Or rather… someone."
The meaning settled in my chest like a stone.
I took a step back, shaking my head.
"No," I breathed. "That's not—"
"Luna."
Damian's expression was grim. "They're looking for you."
***
(To be continued…)