Luna Everleigh's POV
***
The attack came just after midnight.
A blur of movement, a flash of silver in the dark—then a guttural snarl.
I spun just in time to see one of our scouts—Jared—collapse to the ground, a deep gash across his chest. The scent of blood thickened the air.
Another wolf lunged from the shadows, fangs bared.
I moved without thinking.
My body reacted before my mind could catch up—faster, stronger than it should have been.
One second, the enemy was charging toward me. The next, I had them pinned beneath me, my claws—when had they appeared?—pressing into their throat.
For a moment, I wasn't sure if I was in control.
The power surged through me, wild and untamed, whispering things I couldn't quite decipher.
A voice.
Let go, Luna.
It wasn't Rhydian's voice.
It wasn't anyone I recognized.
The moment shattered as Kael reached my side, his eyes flicking between me and the injured scout.
"You saved him," he said, as if the realization had just dawned on him.
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
Because deep inside, something was stirring.
Something other.
"We need to move," Rhydian said sharply, his gaze locked onto mine. He had seen it too. He had felt it.
But he didn't say anything.
Not yet.
We continued forward, the tension between us thick enough to cut. Every step felt heavier, every breath laced with something unspoken.
By the time we reached the ruins, the first light of dawn had begun to creep over the horizon.
The ancient temple stood before us—crumbling stone and twisted vines, a relic of a forgotten era.
But we weren't alone.
A figure stood at the entrance, bathed in the eerie glow of the rising sun.
Morganna.
Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile.
"I was wondering when you'd arrive," she purred.
A chill ran down my spine.
We were too late.
***
To be continued...