“You have no idea what I'm capable of.” I took a step closer, my voice a deadly whisper. “I've faced demons far more formidable than you, and they have all fallen at my feet.”
Demons. Wow. I can’t believe I really said that. Well…perhaps Zarion’s demon count?
Valerie's eyes flickered with uncertainty as they landed on my face, a glimmer of doubt creeping into her defiant gaze. She was testing me, searching for a weakness. But I am not going to let her find any of it.
“Tell me,” I hissed, my voice dripping with venom. “Tell me why you were sent here, or I promise you, Valerie, your fate will be far worse than anything you can imagine.”
She swallowed hard, her bravado faltering for a fleeting moment. The air crackled with tension as she considered her options. I could see the battle raging within her, the fear of the unknown warring against her loyalty.
Now she knows I am not someone to be messed with.
I returned my attention to her. And then, in a sudden surge of defiance, she straightened her posture. Her eyes blazed with newfound resolve. “You can kill me, Cassidy,” she sneered, claws unsheathing. “I don’t give a fuck that you are now the Luna of the once-infamous Volatile Hounds Pack but you will never find the answers you seek. They go far deeper than you can comprehend…because you’re naïve. Stupid. Deep down, despite with all your shifting and werewolf strength, you’re still human.”
Her words hit home. But even when those punch-like words sent me scrambling back home, a mirthless smile still managed to chase away the nervousness that threatened to cleave my face in half.
Valerie's resistance only fueled my determination even further. I had honed my skills just like Zarion and Elliot taught me to, both physical and mental, for moments like this. I’ve long been ready to embrace the darkness within me, to plunge into the abyss of nothingness and raw pain.
And in a blink, I leapt gracefully through the dim forest—away from where I am, towards where she is. Every movement is a dance of deadly precision; the moon filtering through the dense canopy and its light casting eerie shadows upon the murky ground.
My heart raced with a potent mix of exhilaration and hunger, fueled by the adrenaline already coursing through my veins. The air burst with brutality as I easily dispatched the Rogues, my silver blades shimmering with bright crimson red despite the faint light of moonlight in this dim part of The Misty Forest. Each strike was deliberate and calculated, my aim true, as I engaged in a lethal waltz with my enemies.
I did not lie that I shall kill Valerie. And I will prove to her that I am not just a Luna.
The thrill of battle made me alive, my senses heightened and attuned to every subtle movement in the shadows. I relished this dance, reveling in the power that surged through my being. As I spun around, a swift movement caught my eye. My gaze locked with Alpha Zarion who stood at the edge of the clearing.
Well, he didn’t even lift a finger to help me yet I remained victorious in slitting the throats of the Rogues—the very Rogues that killed Elliot, no doubt under Hestia and Brandon’s command.
Zarion’s piercing eyes were fixed on me, his lips curling into a saccharine grin. His gaze held an intensity that made my breath catch, an enigmatic glimmer that spoke volumes. So much more than a gaze and a grin.
I knew then that he was observing me. Measuring me.
“I’m giving you a chance—” I beamed at him before turning to Valerie, “Who sent you here?”
“I will never fucking tell you until I die.”
“That’s why I’m asking you because I’m not letting you walk out here alive. And you probably know that already.
“If you kill me, you will never know.”
“Let’s see about that, then.” I never knew my voice could be cold and unforgiving. When she still didn’t open her mouth, I lunged forward, seizing Valerie by the collar, my grip tightening around her throat.
The place grew deathly silent as her eyes widened in fear. But I wasn't done yet. I need the answer that came straight from her trembling lips even though I already suspected who it was, and I would extract that answer from her no matter the cost.
“Last chance, who the hell sent you here?” My question as well as my eyes burn with anger as I looked at her straight in the eye, into her very soul and being. I saw my own reflection there, clear and vivid. Her body quivered, her resistance slowly crumbling under the weight of her own betrayal and my brutal bloodied hands.
“Hestia. It was Hesti—and Brandon” But even as she revealed the truths I sought, her defiance lingered. A final act of rebellion.
It was then that I made my choice.
Valerie just grins at me and shakes her head. With a final, agonizing twist in the head, I silenced Valerie forever. The place fell into an eerie stillness, the truth hanging heavy in the air.
Now I know how it feels like to kill someone for revenge.
As I stepped back, my heart was heavy with the weight of the lives lost and the sacrifices made. I knew there was no turning back. I’ve killed someone. I’ve sacrificed a few of my pack members just to obliterate and crush every Rogue.
The path before me is definitely stained with blood and darkness. Yet…it was the path I would gladly follow.
“That was… wow, Luna Cassidy,” Bridgette murmured behind me and kneeled in front—same with Beta Caleb.
Alpha Zarion clapped and his grin had widened, his eyes sparkling with pure amusement. It was a look that seemed to say: “Well played, Luna Cassidy. Very well played.”
And then the forest is silent again, save for the soft rustling of leaves and my own ragged breaths. I sheathed my blades, the weight of my actions finally settling upon my shoulders. “The other Rogue escaped,” I told Alpha Zarion. He wasn’t doing anything other than eye-fucking me the whole time I killed Valerie. He could have killed that Rogue, but he chose not to. He chose to watch. He chose not to interfere so that I can avenge Elliot single-handedly.
‘Well the good thing Zarion is I used both of my freaking awesome hands!’ I mind-linked him and the bastard just smiled back.
“The Rogue that escaped would no doubt bring further trouble to the Pack.”
“And to this forest.”He approached, his footsteps whisper-soft against the forest floor. Zarion eyed his surroundings before yielding a serious face as his eyes returned to mine.
His eyes bore into mine, and I could sense a depth of understanding hidden within them. “You fought well, Cassidy.” he breathed into my ears, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “Your first time as a Luna. Congratulations.”
And damn, I think I developed a new praise sort of kink.