Blood moon's shadow's

sparks in a black void. The air grew thick with tension, a

Darius said, his v

iar mixture of fear and rage. The part of her that still felt human

ed but his eyes sharp, watching the approachin

moonlight. It was massive, its shoulders nearly level with Darius's chest. Its eyes

said, his tone

contorted as the creature transformed, rising on two legs. Within moments, a man stood where the w

voice smooth but carrying a

," Darius replie

Lena, his expression unre

tinctively pressing closer

faint smile. "I'm the one wh

stepping forward. "She's

th menace. "But she's untrained, untested. You kno

," Darius

w. "You're willing to s

s said witho

his voice, but fear still coiled in her chest.

tion is the most dangerous. If you lose yourself to the wo

hurned. "I didn'

said coldly. "But that do

Some began to shift, their forms taking on a mix of human and beast. T

" Darius said, hi

ked. "Neith

pockets. "Alright, Alaric, we get it. You're the big, scary a

onan, his eyes narrowing.

rous. "If Lena's as important as I think she is, k

ith something unreadable.

irk returning. "But hey, don't listen to me. Go ahead and tr

rew heavier, the wolves shift

ius said, hi

with a shrug. "Just

ent before returning to Lena. He stepped

ietly. "The pull of the moon. The pow

look away. "I don't want this,"

want," Alaric said. "What ma

. "If you lose control, if you hurt anyon

d, her thr

ponsible for her now. If she's a dan

Darius said, h

ck into his wolf form and disappeared i

t again, the tension l

ing the silence. "That we

"Better? He just thr

worse," Ronan s

arp. He turned to Lena, his expr

her body still tr

k will be watching. We need to stay ahead o

her fear returning

"You will," he said, though his voic

I'm sure Alaric will be

Darius

ighten the mood," Ronan

he spot where Alaric had disappeared. She didn't kn

ear: she couldn't ru

in the sky, Lena made a

would fight to take it back-even if it meant facing the