Chapter four: Betrayal and the breaking point.

 

   My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

 

   Today was the day. Today Cassian would fight with Elias for the alpha position.

 

   He was magnificent. He looked like a warrior ready to claim his birthright.

 

   Yet, beneath the surge of pride that swelled within me, a knot tightened in my stomach.

 

   I had seen the way Elias, Mira and her supporters had looked at Cassian earlier. The looks spoke volumes of their resentment and fury.

 

   Cassian had trained relentlessly. For days.

 

   I watched as Elias approached Cassian, a forced smile plastered on his face.

 

   They exchanged words, too low for me to hear, but I saw the way Elias’s gaze flickered towards me for a split second before returning to Cassian.

 

   It was a look that sent a shiver down my spine, an uneasiness that I couldn't quite understand.

 

   Then, Mira. She moved away from Elias's side, her movements exaggeratedly casual, like a predator circling prey.

 

   She offered Cassian a handshake, her smile sickeningly sweet. “Good luck, Cassian,” she purred, her voice dripping with false concern. “You’ll need this.”

 

   Cassian hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowed, assessing.

 

   I knew about Mira’s manipulative nature. We all did.

 

   But surprisingly, Cassian took the handshake with a curt nod.

 

   He wasn't being cautious. Oh no.

 

   The challenge began. Elias was like a beast.

 

   He came at Cassian with brutal force, claws extended, his snarl echoing around the arena.

 

   Cassian met his attack head-on, his movements precise, deflecting his blows, turning his aggression against him.

 

   They were locked in a furious dance of power, a brutal show of tooth and claw.

 

   But something was wrong.

 

   We all knew Cassian. We knew the way he moved, the effortless power that flowed through him. And this wasn’t it. He was struggling.

 

   Elias pressed his advantage, his attacks growing bolder, more relentless.

 

   Cassian, usually so agile, was starting to falter. He took a blow to the ribs, a grunt escaping his lips, and I gasped,.

 

   He swayed, just for a moment, but it was enough. Elias pressed his attack, forcing him back, back, towards the edge of the ring.

 

   Fear surged through me.

 

   What was happening? He was losing ground, becoming sluggish.

 

   His movements were heavy now, lacking their usual grace. He was fighting, but it was like watching him move through obstacles.

 

   Then it hit me. The handshake. Mira. That sickly sweet smile.

 

   Poison.

 

   Rage, hot and blinding, roared through me.

 

   They had poisoned him. Mira, Elias – they had conspired to weaken him, to cripple him before the fight even truly began.

 

   Betrayal. The word echoed in my mind.

 

   I had to get to him.

 

   Ignoring the shouts and gasps of the crowd, I scrambled down from the stands, my heart pounding against my ribs.

 

   I pushed through the onlookers, shoving aside wolves, my eyes fixed on the arena.

 

   Cassian was on his knees now, Elias standing over him, his chest heaving, victory glinting in his eyes.

 

   He was trying to get up, but his limbs seemed heavy, unresponsive. His breathing was ragged, shallow.

 

   Poison. It was working fast.

 

   "Cassian!" I screamed, my voice lost in the roar of the crowd. But I didn't care. I had to reach him.

 

   I burst through the barrier surrounding the ring, ignoring the startled yells of the guards. I scrambled into the sand, my boots sinking slightly.

 

   Cassian looked up as I ran towards him, his eyes widening in confusion and concern. “Seraphina, what are you doing here? Get back, it’s dangerous!” he gasped, his voice strained.

 

   "They poisoned you!" I shouted, kneeling beside him, my hands flying over him, searching for wounds, for any sign of injury. "Mira, Elias…the handshake…"

 

   Understanding dawned in his eyes, a flicker of fury igniting in them, even as his face paled. "Damn them," he growled, his voice laced with pain and rage. "I should have known."

 

   "Don't try to move," I said urgently, my voice trembling. "Just stay still. I need to figure out what they used."

 

   I glanced around wildly, thinking of what to do.

 

   I wasn’t a healer, but I knew enough to recognize the signs of poisoning. His rapid breathing, the muscle weakness, it all pointed to a wolfsbane.

 

   Mira watched us from across the ring, a smug smirk twisting her lips.

 

   Rage, colder and more controlled than before, settled in my gut. This wasn’t just a challenge anymore.

 

   This was an assassination attempt.

 

   They hadn't just tried to win; they had tried to kill him.

 

   Cassian coughed, a racking, painful sound. “Seraphina… you need to… get out of here.” He was still trying to protect me, even now, even weakened and betrayed. “They’ll target you too.”

 

   “No,” I said, my voice low, firm, and unwavering. “I’m not leaving you.”

 

   He tried to argue, to protest, but I cut him off. “You tried to keep me safe, Cassian. I know you did. But I’m done standing aside while you fight my battles for me. This is our fight now.”

 

   My gaze locked onto Mira, my jaw tightening.

 

   She was still smirking, still reveling in her perceived victory. She thought she had won. She thought she had broken Cassian. She thought she had broken us.

 

   She was wrong.

 

   I stood up, my legs suddenly feeling solid, rooted to the ground.

 

   The fear was still there,  but it was overshadowed by a burning determination.  I was done being the damsel in distress, the fragile girl needing to be shielded.

 

   I loved Cassian. And anyone who dared to hurt him, anyone who dared to betray him, would have to go through me.

 

   I took a deep breath, and raised my chin, meeting Mira's gaze across the ring.

 

   The crowd had fallen silent, sensing the shift in the air.

 

   “Mira!” My voice rang out, clear and strong, cutting through the tense silence. “This challenge… it isn’t over.”

 

   Mira raised an eyebrow. “It is for Cassian. He’s defeated. Admit it, and spare yourself further humiliation.”

 

   “Humiliation?” I laughed.

 

   “You think poisoning someone is victory? You think betraying your own pack is strength?”

 

   I stepped forward, moving towards the center of the ring, drawing the attention of the entire pack.

 

   “Cassian may be weakened,” I continued, my voice sounding confident “but he is not defeated. And I… I am not done fighting.”

 

   Mira scoffed. “You? What can you possibly do?”

 

   “I may be young and not fully experiencd,” I said, meeting her eyes, my gaze unwavering, “but I am Cassian’s mate and we're in love.”

 

   A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Murmurs erupted, confusion and shock rippling through the wolves.

 

   “In love?” she sneered. “Don’t be absurd. Cassian is married to your mother and he hasn't accepted you as his mate.”

 

   I ignored her.

 

   “I am Luna,” I declared, the word feeling strange and powerful on my tongue, “and I challenge you, Mira, in Cassian’s stead.”

 

   The arena erupted into chaos.

 

   Shouts, gasps, furious roars – the noise was deafening.

 

   Mira stared at me, her face a mask of fury and disbelief. Elias stepped forward, his hand on his sword, a snarl twisting his lips. “You dare? You're going to get killed!”

 

   “She is my Luna,” Cassian said, his voice weak but firm, cutting through the noise.

 

   He pushed himself up on one arm, his gaze fixed on me, a mixture of shock, pride, and something close to awe in his eyes. “Seraphina...is my mate. And she speaks for me now.”

 

   The silence descended again, heavy with anticipation.

 

   All eyes were on me.

 

   Cassian had called me his mate...and his Luna. I was his, and he was mine.

 

   I stood tall, my heart still pounding, but I felt good. I was Seraphina, Cassian’s mate, his Luna. And I was ready to fight.