Blessed Luna Rising

Chapter 11: The Beast Unchained

Pain tore through me, raw and relentless.

It wasn’t just my bones shifting, my skin burning—it was deeper. Something older than my wolf, something buried for so long that my body didn’t know how to contain it. My breath came in sharp, ragged gasps as I clawed at the earth, feeling it crack beneath my fingertips.

The world around me blurred.

The True Alpha’s silver eyes gleamed in the darkness, locked onto mine with something almost hungry.

“Unleash it.”

His voice slithered into my veins like fire.

I felt my body unraveling, my control snapping.

Alera was no longer whimpering. She was howling.

The power inside me rose in a violent surge, thick and suffocating, demanding to be set free. My muscles tightened, my teeth ached, my vision darkened—but this time, I wasn’t afraid.

I let go.

The earth shook.

A wave of energy exploded from my core, shattering the silence like thunder. The shadows that had curled around me snapped to attention, writhing like living creatures.

I felt them.

I commanded them.

The wind howled, the cursed fire surrounding us flickering, bending to my will.

And then—

I moved.

Before I even understood what I was doing, I lunged—faster than I had ever moved before. The True Alpha barely shifted in time, his expression flickering with something sharp—surprise.

I slammed into him.

The force sent us both flying, crashing into the trees beyond the clearing. The impact should have hurt, but all I felt was power. It coiled around my limbs, my senses sharper than ever. I could hear his breath, his heartbeat, the slow, calculated inhale before he struck.

I dodged.

Instinct.

Pure, unchained instinct.

My claws met his, a shockwave of energy cracking through the air as we collided again. He was strong—but so was I.

For the first time in my life, I wasn’t the one struggling to keep up.

I was the predator.

His smirk was sharp, dangerous. “There she is.”

I didn’t hesitate.

I attacked.

My claws aimed for his throat—he dodged. I twisted, my body moving like something born from darkness, landing a blow against his ribs. He grunted but barely stumbled, his silver eyes burning as if I had just given him the best fight of his life.

He wasn’t holding back.

Neither was I.

The shadows obeyed me. The wind carried my rage. I was no longer an omega, no longer just a wolf.

I was something more.

And I could see it in his eyes.

The recognition.

The respect.

The fear.

The fight ended as suddenly as it had begun.

The True Alpha moved with unnatural speed, one second standing across from me—then suddenly behind me. His grip was firm as his hand closed around my throat, pulling me against his chest, his breath hot against my ear.

“Now,” he murmured, voice laced with something dark, something entirely male. “What will you do with all that power?”

A shiver ran through me, but I didn’t pull away.

I bared my teeth.

And smiled.