Chapter 14: Fury Unleashed
The skin-walker prince circled them like a shark, his movements smooth and unnatural. Though he wore Darian’s face, everything about him felt wrong—from his too-wide smile to the way his joints seemed to bend in impossible directions.
"How touching," he mocked, glancing at the real Darian chained to the bone throne. "A family reunion."
Kael stepped forward, placing himself between the creature and Elara. "Release my brother."
The prince laughed, the sound echoing off the cave walls. "After keeping him for eighteen years? I think not." He turned his black eyes to Elara. "Besides, I’m more interested in our silver-eyed guest."
Ronan growled, his muscles tensing like he might pounce any second.
"Careful," Tobias warned under his breath. "This is his domain. He’s stronger here."
The prince smiled as if he’d heard. "The wise guardian speaks truth. Here, I am king." He snapped his fingers, and shadows rose from the ground, forming twisted wolf shapes around them.
Elara’s heart hammered in her chest, but she kept her eyes on the real Darian. He looked weak, his clothes torn, his face gaunt—but his eyes burned with the same fierce light as his brothers. The moment their gazes met, she felt a spark inside her chest—the third mate bond stirring to life.
"Let me guess," the prince said, watching her. "You think you can save him, free the real Luna Evelyn, and live happily ever after?" He shook his head. "My mother has other plans for you, little Luna."
"Your mother won’t win," Elara replied, her voice steadier than she felt. "I know what I am now."
The prince’s smile vanished. "A half-trained child with powers she can’t control." He moved closer, ignoring Kael and Ronan’s warning growls. "Do you really think you’re the first silver-eyed Luna to challenge us? We’ve broken stronger wolves than you."