Grey's POV
The battlefield was already chaos, but Kaine's betrayal ripped it apart.
Rogues turned on rogues. Some stayed loyal, others rallied behind the traitor. Crescent Moon warriors carved through both sides, their howls rising into the storm. The night was nothing but blood and teeth.
But my eyes never left her.
She was on her knees, chains dragging in the mud, her body trembling as light flickered behind her eyes. Silver. Blinding. The same silver that used to stare at me from another face.
My Luna.
The wolf inside me howled, clawing at my chest. It didn't matter that it was impossible. Didn't matter that I hated the very bond tying us. Seeing her like this — alive, glowing with a spirit I buried years ago — it cut me in half.
And Kaine dared to touch her.
He hauled her up by the broken chains, shouting over the battle. "Look at your king!" His voice dripped madness. "Look at the weakness he hides! He protects a girl instead of power. He is no true ruler!"
I surged forward, my Lycan form exploding into existence, but Kaine yanked her back, using her like a shield. My claws dug into the mud. My wolf demanded blood, but if I moved too fast, I'd tear her apart with him.
Her scream sliced through the storm — sharp, desperate, and laced with something that wasn't entirely hers.
For one heartbeat, I saw her eyes flash. Not silver. Not the bond. Hers. Wide with terror. "Grey—"
Xander moved before I could.
His wolf burst free, massive and brutal, his rage ripping across the battlefield. He cut a path through anyone in his way, snarling like a beast unchained. His eyes burned as they locked on her.
"She belongs to me!" His voice shook the ground.
Kaine only laughed, chains clutched tight in his hands. "Then take her from me, boy!"
Xander lunged. Kaine shifted fully, his wolf grotesque and twisted from years of corruption, and they collided in a storm of claws and fangs. The sound of tearing flesh echoed through the valley.
And she fell.
Her chains snapped, her body crumpling into the mud. I moved, faster than thought, catching her before she hit the ground. She was burning hot, her skin slick with rain and blood. Her breath came ragged, her eyes flickering between silver and her own.
The bond roared between us, so strong I nearly dropped her.
"You're safe," I growled, holding her tighter than I meant to. "I won't let them touch you."
But her voice shook against me. "I… I feel her. She's inside me. She's not gone, Grey. She's not gone—"
Her body convulsed, and for a terrifying heartbeat, another voice slipped from her lips. A whisper only I could hear. Grey…
My chest split open. My Luna. My mate. My ghost.
But it wasn't her. Not really. It was this girl. My enemy. My bond. My curse.
I shoved the thought down, baring my teeth at the battlefield. Xander and Kaine tore each other apart, their howls rattling the trees. Rogues faltered, some turning their eyes to me, others to Kaine. Loyalty was bleeding out faster than the warriors in the mud.
Veyra's voice cut through the chaos, sharp as a blade. "Your army fractures, Grey. If you do not end this, Kaine will steal them from you."
She was right. Every second I hesitated, Kaine grew stronger.
I rose, dragging the girl with me. My arm locked tight around her waist, claiming her before the entire battlefield. My voice thundered over the storm.
"She is mine. Anyone who dares touch her dies. Kaine is a traitor. Xander is prey. Follow me, or fall with them!"
The rogues hesitated. Some lowered their heads. Some bared their teeth.
But Kaine's voice rose again, choked with blood yet full of venom. "He is bound to her! To a girl promised to another pack! Grey is chained by fate — a king ruled by a bride!"
My claws dug into her skin. My wolf raged. And the worst part? His words landed.
I could see it in their eyes. Doubt. Poison.
The girl stirred weakly against me. Her lips trembled. "Grey… if you keep me, they'll turn on you."
I met her gaze, fury and fire surging through her eyes.