My heart was hammering in my throat, traitorous and loud. Kieran would never hurt me…right?
“He would have,” Elara snapped. “You fucking idiot.”
Ashar reared back, roaring, and the rest of my team rushed in.
Callum charged first, his axe gleaming as he swung at Ashar’s flank. The wolf batted him away with a single sweep of his paw, sending him crashing into Lisa, who cursed as they both tumbled into a snowdrift.
Dylan circled warily, shooting darts in quick succession, but they bounced harmlessly off that gleaming hide.
Elara was everywhere at once-blocking, dodging, countering-her movements sharp and efficient, her face set in grim concentration.
And me?
I hung back. Just for a moment. Just long enough to catch my breath. Regroup. Strategize.
As my teammates’ ragged gasps and furious yells filled the air, I waited for the perfect opening. A Luna must be cunning as well as strong, after all.
This wasn’t cowardice-it was strategy.
Ashar struck again, faster than any of them could track. Callum went down hard. Lisa barely rolled away in time. Dylan’s jacket was torn open with a single swipe, vicious claws barely missing skin.
And through it all, Ashar’s eyes remained cool, impersonal. He wasn’t even looking at me anymore.
Didn’t he see? Didn’t he understand?
This was supposed to be my triumph. My vindication!
Still…maybe he was only pretending. After all, he had a reputation to uphold and couldn’t be seen so obviously playing favorites.
Perhaps, at just the right moment, he would falter-allow me to strike, to seize victory.
Yes. That was what this was-a performance. It had to be.
I darted forward then, teeth gritted, hands reaching out to him. “Kieran!” I shouted, pouring every ounce of command and desperation into my voice. “Yield it to me!”
His head whipped toward me and our eyes met.
I exhaled. “That’s right, baby. Let me??@
Ashar’s massive tail whipped sideways, slamming into my ribs. The world spun as I was flung through the air and landed hard on my side.
Pain ripped through me, sharp and hot, stealing my breath.
I gasped, coughing, tasting blood.
When I lifted my head, Elara was glaring at me across the battlefield. “Stay back if you’re going to be fucking useless!” she barked, before turning to drive her blade into Ashar’s leg.
Ashar stepped out of her blade’s path and simultaneously lowered his head, slamming it hard into her chest. I heard her brutal exhale as she was tossed into the air and landed in a heap next to Callum.
Useless.
The word echoed, louder than the growls, louder than the clash of steel and roar of fury.
My hands curled into fists. I wasn’t useless. I wasn’t. related to Alphas from the six hundred times you mentioned it. I suggest you tattoo it on your forehead and save yourself precious saliva.”
Dylan disguised his laughter with a cough.
Anger tightened my chest, making it hard to breathe.
“You’re doing it again!”
Elara raised a brow. “Doing what?”
“Undermining me!” I shot back. “You’ve been doing it from the start. You love to see me humiliated.”
Her lips curled. “You humiliate yourself well enough without my help.”
I saw red. My nails bit crescents into my palms.
But before I could retort, Elara delivered the final blow.
“Take a proper look, Celeste.” She stabbed a finger over my shoulder. “There’s only one talisman left around his neck.”
My head whipped back, and my heart stuttered. She was right. Each Gatekeeper Boss bore two talismans, and only one glinted around
Ashar’s neck.
“That means Seraphina’s team has gotten theirs,” Elara hissed. “You think they acquired it through groveling?”
She didn’t pause for an answer. “No. I’m pretty damn sure she fought until her last breath. That’s the spirit of Frostbane. Something you clearly don’t understand.”
The name hit me like a slap.
Seraphina. Always Seraphina. Even here, even now, she overshadowed me. Her performances had everyone whispering-Sera the survivor, Sera the underdog, Sera who led without a wolf.
And now Elara dared to invoke her against me?
I wanted to scream. To claw the smirk from Elara’s lips, to demand she choke on her loyalty to the sister who was stealing my light.
But instead, I stood frozen, fury boiling beneath my skin, while Ashar’s growl rumbled across the field.
The battle was not over. But I’d already lost.
SERAPHINA’S POV
The moment my boots touched down on the polished steel of the Arena, I had to blink several times to convince myself I wasn’t trapped in some fever dream. That this was real.
We’d done it.
We had actually crossed the finish portal.
“OTS team One has arrived!” A booming voice carried through the space, magnified by unseen speakers. “The first team to clear the
Snowfield Arena and pass the final challenge of the LST!”
For a moment, there was silence-as though the gathered crowd of spectators couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing or hearing.
Then, all at once, the hall erupted into cheers.
The roar was deafening. Wolves howled in delight, fists punched into the air, and even a few of the non-competing members of the other milling around turned to gape at us.
For a moment, my team stood frozen, dazed.
The words replayed in my head, almost indecipherable.
First.
Did he really say…first?!
A whoop caught me off guard, and suddenly, I was lifted right off my feet.
“We did it!” Finn shouted, spinning me around like a victorious flag. I laughed breathlessly, not knowing which was more shocking-that
Finn was showing this much emotion, or that-holy shit-we did it!
“Raise her higher!” Judy cackled, and between the two of them-and Roxy and Talia jumping in for support-I found myself hoisted onto their shoulders, carried through the throng as though I were some conquering hero.
The world tilted crazily. Faces blurred into a sea of shining eyes and clapping hands. My ears rang with my teammates’ jubilant laughter.
I couldn’t stop grinning, joy bursting in me like fireworks. For the first time in ages, happiness didn’t feel forbidden or dangerous-it rushed through me, wild and exhilarating.
I’d fought for this, with blood, sweat, and potential hypothermia. I’d fucking earned this feeling.
“We actually did it!” Judy cried from below me, her voice breaking with disbelief. “We beat them all!”
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply