It all begins when a silver dagger goes missing.
For her entire life, a human named Cora Gabris has known that lycans were searching for her, as she was born as a Ruby -- a human that, when turned into a lycan, will become much stronger than any of...
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Cora struggled to comprehend what she just witnessed.
The moment was like the time she helped her father put their dog down when she was twelve. Baxter got attacked by an emaciated wolf, and by the time they killed the starving beast, Baxter suffered a punctured in the lung.
Cora would never forget holding her dog's head as her father slit it's throat; the moment created a mental scar that would alter view on the world.
Here, she felt that same change. She had never seen someone so brutally take power over another before, nor had she seen a lycan -- while turned -- attack another with full aggression. Perhaps a few weeks ago, she'd consider these creatures as the very beasts that she had been told they were. But now? Her veins burned with invigoration to harness that same power.
She never wanted to feel powerless again.
Whatever this moment was, she would be forever changed for it.
Ludovic grimaced, his pain and anger clearly mixing in what had to be a cocktail of adrenaline and rage. He glanced at his bloody hands before sneering, and all Cora could feel was concern for him. "Are his hands going to be alright?" Cora asked, leaning close to Mina.
Mina nodded, just as quiet as Cora. "Yes. He will heal."
Cora's pulse throbbed in her neck, especially as she eyed Theran who slowly walked out with a female lycan at his side. Despite Walder standing in front of Cora, Theran grunted a pathetic groan as he glowered at her, the ire in his eyes terrifying; he lunged at her, not to hit, but to intimate.
"Lostcha," Ludovic growled, glaring over his shoulder at his cousin.
Theran looked away in defeat and cradled his broken jaw, the female whispering something to him as they sluggishly moved away. It reminded Cora of the throes of a dying animal, although she was shocked that he would just abandon his throne like that.
"So, he is just leaving?" Cora asked, her eyes wide. "Just like that?"
Mina breathed heavier. "Yes, yes I think...I think Ludovic just took the throne. If Theran were to stay, Ludovic would kill him. No one around defended him," Mina said, astounded. "So...he has to leave."
"You seem surprised," Cora said, not sure where to land her gaze as she looked around the war room, stopping when she spotted Oren, who looked around with caution.
She didn't trust him, and she loathed his stupid nephew that mauled Ben.
"We haven't had an Alpha unseated like that in well over a hundred years. It's quite exhilarating." Mina gave a loose chuckle.
She eyed Ludovic once again. So, now he is the Alpha.
Cora swallowed thickly, her mind and heart dreading to find out the answer to her next question. "Am I staying, or will he give me away too?"
