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716 Words
The war chamber was dimly lit, the silver dagger cold in my grasp. I shouldn’t be here. Every instinct screamed at me to leave, but I had a task to complete.
A deep voice shattered the silence.
"Zuriel." He called out.
My breath hitched. The dagger slipped from my fingers, clattering against the table. Luca.
I turned slowly, schooling my expression into one of indifference. He stood near the entrance, arms crossed, eyes locked on mine with quiet intensity. The flickering torches cast sharp shadows across his face.
“What exactly are you doing here?” His voice was calm, too calm.
Think. Lie.
I tilted my chin up. "Couldn't sleep," I said smoothly. "I thought I'd learn more about our weapons."
His gaze flicked to the dagger. "This one in particular?"
I shrugged. "Shouldn't I know the tools my Alpha wields?"
Luca smirked, stepping closer. "Protect, Zuriel? Or destroy?"
The words coiled around me, thick with meaning. I refused to back down, even as he invaded my space. His scent, dark and woodsy, curled in my lungs. Why does he have to smell this good?
Then, before I could react—he moved.
Luca's fingers wrapped around my wrist, warm and unyielding. Not painful, but enough to make me aware of his strength. His thumb brushed lightly against my pulse.
Fast. Too fast.
"Why do I get the feeling," he murmured, voice lowering, "that you're hiding something from me?"
---
The Cage of Wolves
Instead of accusing me outright, he did something far worse.
"If you want to prove your loyalty," he said, leading me through the underground tunnels, "there's a way."
A set of iron bars came into view. Behind them—a fighting pit.
My stomach clenched.
The cage.
A tradition among the pack’s warriors. Fights to prove dominance. Brutal. Unforgiving.
Luca opened the gate. "If you're truly one of us, Zuriel, you'll fight for it."
The crowd roared as I stepped inside. A thick wall of bodies surrounded the pit, their bloodlust palpable.
Then I saw him.
My opponent.
A brute of a man. Nearly twice my size. Grizzled, scarred, hungry for blood.
Luca leaned against the bars, his expression unreadable. Watching. Testing me.
I swallowed. If I hesitated now, they'd tear me apart. This was no longer an act. It was survival.
---
The Fight – and the Darkness Within
The moment the signal rang, my opponent lunged.
Fast.
I barely dodged the first swing. His fist grazed my ribs, a warning of what would happen if he actually landed a clean hit.
Pain bloomed through my side. Focus.
He came at me again, a beast in human form. This time, I didn’t run. I met him head-on.
A flurry of blows. Fists. Teeth. Claws.
His knuckles cracked against my jaw. I staggered, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth. He laughed—a guttural, mocking sound.
"You're not Luna material," he sneered.
Rage ignited in my veins. Wrong move.
I snapped forward, using my smaller frame to my advantage. A feint to the left—then I drove my knee into his ribs. Hard.
A sickening crack.
The crowd roared. Louder. Wilder.
But I wasn’t done.
I struck again, my vision tunneling into something sharper, deadlier. Something darker.
I wasn’t just fighting him. I was fighting for everything.
For my freedom. My vengeance.
For the Alpha's fall.
---
A Moment of Weakness
The fight ended with him sprawled on the dirt, wheezing. I had won.
The gate swung open, and Luca strode inside.
The crowd silenced instantly.
He approached me—slowly, deliberately. Then, without warning, he grabbed my chin, tilting my face toward his.
Blood smeared his fingers. My blood.
"You didn't hesitate." His voice was quiet, almost approving.
I panted, my heart slamming against my ribs.
"You threw me in a cage," I shot back. "What did you expect?"
Luca's lips quirked. "A lesser wolf would've begged."
I hated how his touch lingered. How his voice coiled inside me, dangerous and thrilling.
"You're different, Zuriel."
I should have pulled away. Instead, I met his gaze—defiant, burning.
Because for the first time since I entered his world...
He wasn’t just testing me. He was seeing me.
And that terrified me more than the fight ever could.
- Writer
