Leah's POV
"People say that before death, a person's true nature will be revealed," Finn said, voice steady, taunting. "Do you want to know what Gean was like before he died?"
Leo stabbed deeper, rage contorting his ruined face.
"He begged me on his knees like a dog," Finn continued, "begging me to spare him. He said that as long as he could survive, he could even help me kill you…"
Leo spat blood, a crimson arc, his eyes wild. Finn raised a hand, poised to end him, but I moved - fast, instinctive - leaping forward to block the blow. Blood seared through my arm, hot and fleeting, as I pulled Leo into my arms, shielding him.
He stared up at me, blood-streaked, stunned. "Why… why did you do this?"
I knelt, snapping the shackles from his feet, my voice firm despite the tremor beneath it. "You're my family, Leo. I know you can't see it at all, but that it what it is. You're a Lycan. Our kind will never be chained, tamed, or manipulated."
Finn snarled, and the air shifted - thick, electric - as he transformed. His body twisted, chrome fur glinting, until he stood as a massive wolf, all vicious menace. I set Leo down and let the change take me, bones cracking, skin stretching, until I loomed as a giant wolf, my silver coat shimmering like moonlight on water.
He charged, and I met him, claws slashing, teeth snapping. My wolf danced, agile and sharp, weaving through his brutal strikes. He was a beast of fury, all jagged edges and raw power, but I was faster. We clashed, a storm of fur and blood, until I saw my chance - lunging, sinking my teeth into his shoulder. He yelped, and I pinned him, paws heavy on his chest, his metallic scent stinging my nose.
"The life Leo gave you, the freedom I gave you, the power His Majesty gave you - these are all gifts from us," I growled, my Lycan voice rumbling through the ruin. "What we can give, we can take back at any time. That is power. You said that before a person dies, their true nature is revealed. Now that you're dying, I want to see what yours is."
His ears twitched, and I heard it too - footsteps, heavy and swift. Finn shifted back, human again, sprawled beneath me, and I looked up. Lycidas' wolf barreled toward me, a massive black Lycan wolf, all claws and fury, his eyes locked on mine. I dodged, but his claws raked my side, sending me skidding across the floor. His missed strike cratered the ground, a jagged scar in the stone, and I stared at it, breath hitching. He'd aimed to kill - for Finn.
Finn scrambled to him, trembling, voice a pathetic whine. "Your Highness! Help! Your sister wants to kill me!" He glared at me, malice twisting his face, as he cowered behind Lycidas.
Lycidas turned, his gaze cutting through me - cold, unyielding, a prince of hunger and cruelty. My heart hammered, sweat prickling my skin, but I held my ground, silver fur bristling.
The moon watched, its bloody light pooling around us.
"What a wonderful family reunion moment," Lycidas' wolf snarled, voice like a blade dragging over stone. "You, me, and Leo, at Grandpa's villa…"
I didn't let it finish. With a sharp twist of will, I shed my wolf skin, bones grinding as I straightened into human form. The cold air prickled my scarred flesh—marks from the slave market I'd never scrape off. I waved a hand at the beast, dismissive, my voice cutting through the night. "I don't talk to dogs."
A vicious roar ripped from its throat, shaking the ground beneath me, and in a heartbeat, Lycidas stood there instead, human but no less feral. His broad frame loomed, claws twitching at his sides, as he stepped in front of Finn - some scrawny kid I barely registered—and glared at me like he could flay me alive with his eyes. I ignored him, dropping to Leo's side where he slumped against the wall, his breath rattling like a broken thing. My hands steadied him, rough but gentle, as I hauled him up.
"I haven't seen your wolf in a long time," I said, keeping my tone even despite the storm churning in my gut. "I remember when they kicked you out of the Kingdom, you swore you'd never wear that skin again. Now, for him," I flicked my eyes to Finn, "you break your oath."
Lycidas' jaw tightened, but his voice came steady, cold as a blade. "I've broken plenty of vows for him. One more don't mean shit."
I forced a smirk, though it tasted bitter. "Your wolf's still a sentimental, yapping mutt."
His gaze raked over me, sharp and cruel. "Yours is somethin' I don't even recognize. What'd you do? Heard your company dragged two direwolves back from the grave. Stem cells? Some magic brew? Or some vicious curse from the Moon Goddess herself? Bet your half-dead ex-husband Lucas Farrow wouldn't recognize it either."
Lucas Farrow. The name hit me like a fist, and my hands clenched, nails digging into my palms until I felt the sting. Lycidas saw it, his lips curling into a sadistic grin. "He's in agony every damn day, but he only screams your name when it gets too bad."
"You're gettin' old and chatty," I snapped, shoving down the tremor in my voice.
He shrugged, all mock indifference. "Take Leo. Fix up that deadbeat boyfriend you got stashed in the basement. But your ex? He's mine. Needs Leo's medicine to keep breathin'. Three days, Leah. Bring Leo back, or Lucas stops callin' your name for good."
I bit my lip, tasting iron. Basement. How the hell did he know about Darren? My mind raced, but Lycidas just smiled, a predator's grin. "You and Lucian - too many weak links to shield."
"Everyone's got somethin' to protect," I shot back, voice low and raw. "You were your father's golden boy. He shipped you off to the human world to keep you safe."
His face twisted, rage boiling over. "Safe? You and that bastard are cut from the same cloth. Twistin' cruelty into kindness, abuse into love - how do you even stand there, lookin' me in the eye?"
He lunged closer, voice rising to a wild shout. "I was the strongest in the Lycan line! No one could touch me! My father was blind - if he had kept me, and you'd be rottin' instead of him!"
I met his stare, my own voice dropping to a whisper, heavy with truth. "Yeah, it should've been me." Then I straightened, steel in my spine. "You're drowning in greed and hate now. Keep clawing at it, Lycidas, and you'll choke on your own ruin."
He laughed, a jagged, ugly sound, and summoned his claws. They grazed my cheek, cold and mocking. "Go on, rip me apart. I'm waitin', sister."
I slapped away his claw, hard, my finger jabbing into his chest. "I like you better as a dog." With that, I turned, hauling Leo with me, his weight dragging at my side as we staggered out of that cursed place. Lycidas' stare burned into my back, but I didn't flinch.