Marcus grinned. "You definitely are blind, Warden."
Ronan narrowed his eyes as he considered that, figuring he’d throw out the next comment to seekanyreaction. If none came, then they weren’t connected… But if itwassomehow connected to him…"We'll see what the Callons say, then, when I return. Poor Deacon has never been known to keep secrets. I’m sure he will enlighten me.”
Marcus's pupil dilated as his face contorted with wrath. "Get out of my home and out of my face."
"It's not a pleasure to look at, anyway," Ronan retorted, the subconscious of his mind trying to stitch all the details together.
Ronan's expression dropped as Marcus's eye turned amber.
The Alpha of Malus Moon lunged directly at Ronan while shifting into a wolf. Marcus went right for his side, to which Ronan countered by attacking the throat, punching hard enough to constrict the airway. Marcus opened his mouth in a gasp, digging his claws into Ronan's side—white hot pain spread like boiling water in his body.
Ronan growled at the sudden ripping of his muscles and flesh, howling with anger when a claw struck a rib. Rage gripped Ronan as the pain fueled him. He slammed Marcus onto the ground, a tile cracking. Blood gushed from Ronan's side, the warmth of it soaking his shirt. Every breath only increased the agony.
He ignored it. Pain was a mere distraction, serving as the ultimate enemy in any battle. Marcus rolled over, his black paws scratching against the floor.
Many Silvers gasped.
Marcus snarled, biting at the air with raised hackles.
Ronan remained in his human form.
Marcus came right at Ronan with a slew of teeth that strings of saliva connected, the wolf’s hot breath reeking.
Ronan braced himself for the pain and damage that would come.
As soon as Marcus was within arm's reach, Ronan lunged forward and clamped one of his hands on the upper jaw of the shifter, grabbing the lower with his other hand, teeth piercing through his palms. Ronan growled, grimaced, and grunted in pain as tendons in his hands ripped apart. His muscles flexed while the veins in his arms protruded.
Ronan braced Marcus's upper jaw as the wolf tried to bite down, Ronan craning the beast’s mouth open, the moist heat on his face. He summoned the power of the swelling moon, holding the jaws in place. He growled through grit teeth, his gaze meeting Marcus's only eye.
Ronan smiled with ire, and then wrenched down on the lower jaw, acracktremoring through his arms as the tooth dug further through his palm.
Marcus screeched in pain, using his weight to pull back as Ronan let go, teeth sliding out of the fresh wounds. Marcus quickly turned back into his human form and gripped his dislocated jaw.
Liquid rage fueled Marcus’ only eye, moaning in agony with each exhale.
Ronan paced in his spot, his hands dripping with blood while his heart pounded. He wanted to do more damage than that, but he wouldn't. There was no strategy in such brutality.
Not right now.
"Next time you position yourself alone with Rem," Ronan rasped, "I will rip your head off."
Marcus hesitated in retorting, but Allard intervened, placing a hand in front of him. “Enough.”
Enzo and Varga followed Allard as they stood in front of Ronan, the other Alphas behind them.
“Feel better now?” Varga asked.
“Not physically,” Ronan dryly replied as he raised a hand to look at it. It was an obscene sight, and the tissue would be a bitch to reform, but it was better than he initially thought. It would take a few days of absolute agony at the minimum, but he'd get over it. Stopping the bleeding was the only thing that was important.
The sound of feet smacking down the stairs made him glance up to see Imari. Her pale hair flapped in her face as she ran down. "What are you doing!" she frantically cried out.
Ronan languidly looked back at his hand, turning it over and moving what fingers he could. "Had a slight disagreement."
He looked around. The other Silvers were looking on with large, matching orange eyes. He looked at Rem, her eyes mirroring the rest, caught up in the awe of witnessing such a fight.
It was the first time he saw all the Silvers with their matching hairandeyes, all staring at him. They looked like a pack created by the moon herself.
The goddess hasn't forgotten us. Not yet.
