Chapter 34 Rival Attack
POV: LUNA
I barely slept after the shadow creature. Maybe an hour. Maybe less.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it. That void where its face should be. Heard its voice like wind through dead leaves.
Three days. The convergence. The seal breaking.
I wanted to tell someone. Ryder. The defense group. Anyone.
But what would I say? That I'd broken our rule about going alone? That I'd found ancient runes and had visions? That a shadow monster told me I was going to release some ancient evil whether I wanted to or not?
They'd think I was losing it. Maybe I was.
Nova shook me awake for class. "You look terrible."
"Thanks. That's exactly what I needed to hear."
"I'm serious. When's the last time you actually slept?"
"Define sleep."
She sighed. "This is getting bad, Luna. You need to talk to someone. A counselor. The nurse. Someone."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. But I can't force you to get help."
We got ready in silence. The tension thick between us. Nova was worried. I got that. But I couldn't deal with her concern on top of everything else.
Professor Thorne's class was pack exercises. Combat formations. Group coordination. Exactly what I didn't have the energy for.
"Pair up," Thorne barked. "We're running attack and defense drills. Real speed. Real force. I want to see instinct, not thinking."
I ended up with Marcus. Safe choice. He was good. Controlled. Wouldn't actually hurt me.
We ran through the drills. Attack patterns. Defensive positions. It was fine. Routine.
Then Thorne called for a reset. "Switch partners. I want different styles. Different strengths."
Students shuffled around. I looked for Nova. For anyone from the defense group.
That's when Darius appeared beside me. Smiling. That calculated expression that never meant anything good.
"Eclipse. Looks like we're partners."
"I'd rather pair with anyone else."
"Too bad. Professor already marked us down."
Thorne was across the field. Organizing other pairs. He wouldn't hear me complain from here.
"Fine. Let's just get this over with."
We took our positions. Darius in attack stance. Me in defense.
"Go!" Thorne shouted.
Darius came at me fast. Faster than necessary for a drill. His first strike aimed at my ribs. Hard.
I blocked. Barely. The impact jarred my arm.
"What are you doing? This is supposed to be controlled."
"I am in control. You're just slow."
He attacked again. A combination. High, low, sweep. I defended but he was pushing me back. Using more force than the drill required.
Other students were noticing. Pausing to watch.
Darius landed a hit. My shoulder. It would bruise.
"Darius, back off."
"Make me."
He swept my legs. I went down hard. The impact knocked the wind out of me.
Before I could recover, Darius was on top of me. His forearm across my throat. Pinning me. His weight making it hard to breathe.
"You're weak," he hissed. "All that power and you're still weak. The challenge is in two days. You're going to embarrass yourself in front of everyone."
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't respond. My vision started to gray at the edges.
My wolf surged. Panic response. Survival instinct.
The partial shift happened without my permission. Strength flooding my limbs. Senses sharpening.
I threw Darius off. Hard. He flew backward. Hit the ground several feet away.
I was on him before he could recover. My partially shifted claws at his throat. My teeth bared. Feral.
"Luna, stop!" Someone yelling. Multiple voices.
I didn't stop. Couldn't stop. My wolf was in control. Protecting. Eliminating the threat.
Darius's eyes were wide. Actually scared. Good. He should be scared.
Hands grabbed me. Pulled me back. Strong. Insistent.
Ryder. He'd crossed the field. Got between us.
"Luna. Look at me. Focus."
I met his eyes. The gold in them steady. Calm. Grounding.
My wolf reluctantly retreated. The partial shift reversing. Leaving me shaking. Breathing hard.
Thorne was there now. "What the hell happened?"
"Darius attacked her," Marcus said. He'd seen everything. "Used excessive force. Choked her out."
"He's lying," Darius said. He was getting up. Brushing dirt off his clothes. "Eclipse lost control. Went feral. I was defending myself."
"That's not what I saw," Nova said. She'd pushed through the crowd. "You attacked her. Everyone saw it."
Other students murmured agreement. But some stayed silent. Darius's friends. His allies.
Thorne looked between us. "Both of you. Headmaster's office. Now."
"But Professor—" I started.
"Now, Eclipse."
Ryder squeezed my shoulder. A silent warning. Stay calm. Don't make it worse.
I nodded. Followed Thorne toward the main building. Darius walked beside me. That smirk back on his face.
He leaned close as we walked. Whispered so only I could hear.
"Next time, you won't be so lucky. The challenge is public. Faculty can't save you there. And when I beat you in front of everyone, they'll see what you really are. Weak. Unworthy of that mark."
I didn't respond. Didn't give him the satisfaction.
But my hands shook. From adrenaline. From fear. From rage.
Two days until the challenge. Two days until I had to face Darius publicly. Prove I deserved to be here.
And I'd just shown everyone exactly how fragile my control really was.
The Headmaster's office was cold. Formal. Aldric Sterling sat behind his massive desk. Ancient. Powerful. Watching us with eyes that saw too much.
"Explain."
Thorne gave his version. Professional. Neutral. Just the facts.
Then Darius gave his. Painted himself as the victim. Me as the aggressor who lost control.
When it was my turn, I told the truth. About the excessive force. The choking. My wolf responding to a threat.
Sterling listened to everything. His expression unreadable.
"Miss Eclipse. Your partial shift during a training exercise shows lack of control. Dangerous for you and other students."
"He attacked me. I defended myself."
"You nearly killed a classmate."
"I stopped. When Professor Ryder intervened, I stopped. That's control."
Sterling's eyes narrowed. "Barely. Mr. Kane, your tactics were also excessive. I'm disappointed in both of you."
"What's our punishment?" Darius asked. He already knew. I could see it in his face.
"The challenge will proceed as scheduled. Two days. Full moon. Public forum. You'll settle this properly. With witnesses. With rules. Until then, you're both confined to campus. No training exercises together. No contact outside of required classes."
"Understood," Darius said. He stood. Left without looking at me.
I stayed seated. Processing. The challenge was official now. No backing out. No avoiding it.
"Miss Eclipse. A word."
Thorne had left. Just me and Sterling.
"You're stronger than you realize. But strength without control is just destruction waiting to happen. The next two days, you train. You prepare. And you learn to master that wolf before it masters you. Understood?"
"Yes, Headmaster."
"Dismissed."
I left. My legs shaky. My mind racing.
The hallway was empty. Most students still in class. I leaned against the wall. Tried to catch my breath.
Footsteps. Ryder appeared around the corner. Like he'd been waiting.
"You okay?"
"No. Not even a little bit."
"What happened in there?"
"Challenge is official. Two days. Full moon. Public."
Ryder's jaw tightened. "We'll prepare. Extra training. Tonight. Tomorrow. You'll be ready."
"What if I'm not? What if Darius is right and I'm just weak?"
"You threw him across a training field. You nearly had him pinned before I stopped you. That's not weakness."
"That was losing control."
"That was survival instinct. And now we teach you how to harness it. Channel it. Use it deliberately instead of reactively."
I wanted to believe him. Wanted to think two days was enough time to prepare for a public challenge against someone who'd been training his whole life.
But doubt gnawed at me. Whispered that I was going to fail. Going to embarrass myself. Going to prove Darius right.
Ryder must have seen it in my face. "Luna. Look at me."
I did. His expression was intense. Serious.
"You're going to win. Not because you're stronger. Not because you're more skilled. But because you have something he doesn't. Something he can't understand. You fight for people you love. For protection. For survival. He fights for ego. For pride. And that makes all the difference."
I hoped he was right. Because in two days, I'd find out.
And if I was wrong. If I lost. Then everyone would see exactly what Darius thought I was.
Weak. Unworthy. A mistake.