Bolton’s voice cuts through the tension like lightning. “Because you are selfish. Because you are ruthless. And because you bully anyone who threatens your fantasy of a crown you were never meant to wear.”
Cassie’s face flickers—anger, disbelief, something wounded she doesn’t want anyone to see.
He doesn’t stop.
“Leadership isn’t about power. It’s about loyalty. It’s about putting the pack above yourself. And you’ve never done that. Not once.”
He turns slowly, gaze moving across those gathered in the stone circle before locking onto Maya’s.
“She’s my mate,” Bolton says, his voice unwavering. “And she is my Luna—whether she’s shifted or not.”
Gasps echo around the ring. Someone mutters under their breath. Someone else exhales sharply, like they’ve been holding it in for hours.
Cassie’s mouth parts—but no words come.
I don’t move. But something stirs deep behind my ribs. My eyes lock on Cassie, and I know she sees it. The fury. The defiance. The promise.
This isn’t just a fight anymore.
It’s a reckoning.
I walk to the center of the ring, pretending my legs aren’t made of rubber, ignoring the whisper that says I shouldn’t be here. That I’m not one of them. That I’m going to get hurt.
I don’t let it in. Not now.
Instead, I find Bolton’s eyes at the edge of the ring. Cool and steady. His wolf is riding high under his skin—he’s practically radiating tension—but his face is composed. He gives me the smallest nod.
My pulse steadies.
Cassie’s voice cuts through the space like a whip. “You sure you want to do this?”
The crowd shifts. A few scattered murmurs. Some laughter.
I look at her. Not up, not down. Just directly. “Yeah,” I say. “I’m sure.”
Shesmiles, slow and pitiless. “You can forfeit now. Save yourself the shame.”
“You’re that confident?” I ask.
She tips her head, mock gentle. “I’m that experienced.”
“Cool,” I reply, voice dry. “I’ve been binging fight scenes on YouTube—pretty much the same thing, right?”
Cassie’s lips press into a thin line.
From the raised stone platform to the left, Alpha Sharpe steps forward. His presence silences everything. Every breath. Every blink.
“This challenge has been declared and accepted,” he intones. “Shifting is allowed, but no killing blows. The challenge ends when one combatant yields or is incapacitated. Do you understand?”
“I do,” Cassie says immediately, her voice sharp.
My throat is dry, but my voice stays steady. “I do.”
The Alpha nods once. “Begin.”
Cassie moves first.
Fast.
