Chapter 19: Chapter Nineteen
Chapter 19:
Lia’s POV
The alley was a graveyard of silence, broken only by the ragged sound of my breathing and the faint drip of blood on the pavement. Quinn lay pinned beneath Edgar, her eyes wild with rage and something broken, her claws still twitching like she might lunge again. The bond between Edgar and me thrummed, stronger now, a golden thread that felt both like a lifeline and a chain. My body was different, stronger, sharper, the wolf fully awake inside me, but my heart was a mess, torn between the power surging through my veins and the sting of Quinn’s betrayal.
“Quinn,” I said, my voice rough, still half-growled from the shift. “Why?” The word hung in the air, heavy with everything I’d lost, my only friend in Duskwood, the one person I’d thought I could trust. Her jealousy had nearly killed me, and the truth about my mother, about the Ironclad, was still a wound too raw to touch.
She didn’t answer, just glared at me, her eyes burning with that same ugly envy. Edgar’s growl deepened, his claws tightening on her arms, drawing thin lines of blood. “You’re done, Colby,” he said, his voice cold, alpha authority radiating from him. “You betrayed the clan. Betrayed her. You’ll answer for this.”
Before I could process it, a sharp laugh cut through the night, chilling my blood. I spun, my wolf senses flaring, and there he was Connor Dexter, stepping out of the shadows like he owned the darkness. His green eyes glinted with amusement, his charming smile twisted into something cruel. Behind him, more Frostclad knights emerged, their eyes glowing gold, their claws ready. My heart pounded, the bond with Edgar pulsing with his rage, mirroring my own.
“Well, isn’t this a sight,” Connor said, his voice smooth but laced with venom. “The alpha and his moonbound mate, fighting their own clan. Trouble in paradise, Nolan?”
Edgar stood, shoving Quinn aside but keeping her pinned with a glare. He stepped in front of me, his body a shield, his wolf close to the surface. “You’re a dead man, Dexter,” he growled. “You sent your dogs after her. You turned one of my own against me.”
Connor’s smirk didn’t waver, his eyes flicking to me, lingering too long, making my skin crawl. “Oh, I didn’t turn her in, Nolan. Quinn’s jealousy did that all on its own. But Lia…” He took a step closer, ignoring Edgar’s warning growl. “She’s the real prize. Moonbound, fully shifted, and now bound to you. Quite the power couple. Too bad it won’t last.”
My claws flexed, the wolf in me snarling, ready to tear into him. The bond with Edgar was a fire in my chest, urging me to fight, to stand beside him. “You’ll never touch me,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me. “I’m not your prize, Connor.”
His laugh was cold, sharp. “Bold words, Lia. But you’re not one of them yet. The Ironclad don’t trust outsiders, especially not a tribrid like you.” His eyes narrowed, his voice dropping. “They’ll turn on you, just like Quinn did. And when they do, I’ll be waiting.”
Edgar lunged, faster than I could track, his claws aimed for Connor’s throat, but the Frostclad knights moved, blocking him, their growls shaking the air. I grabbed his arm, the bond flaring, pulling him back. “Don’t,” I said, my voice low. “He’s baiting you.”
Connor’s smirk widened, his eyes never leaving mine. “Smart girl. But it doesn’t matter. I’m done playing games, Nolan. I challenge you, alpha to alpha. The winner takes the Ironclad… and her.” He nodded at me, his gaze like a blade, cutting through my newfound strength.
The bond roared, Edgar’s rage flooding me, but I felt something else, fear, not for myself but for him. “No,” I said, stepping forward, my wolf pushing me to stand tall. “If you want me, Connor, you’ll have to go through me first.”
Edgar’s head snapped to me, his eyes blazing. “Lia, don’t”
“I’m not helpless,” I cut him off, my voice fierce, my claws glinting in the moonlight. “I’m moonbound, Edgar. Your mate. I fight with you, not behind you.”
Connor laughed, a sound that made my blood boil. “Oh, I like her. Fine, Lia. You want to fight? You’ll get your chance. Tomorrow night, at the old clearing. The whole clan will watch, Ironclad and Frostclad. Let’s see if your bond is as strong as you think.”
He turned, his knights following, melting into the shadows like ghosts. The alley fell silent, but the weight of his challenge hung heavy, a storm waiting to break. I turned to Edgar, my heart racing, the bond pulsing with his anger and something softer, pride, maybe, or love.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said, his voice low, his hands clenched like he was fighting the urge to pull me close. “He’s dangerous, Lia. And the clan… they’re already questioning you. A tribrid mate, an outsider, they won’t accept you easily.”
“Then I’ll make them,” I said, my voice steady, the wolf in me rising to meet his gaze. “I’m not just your mate, Edgar. I’m Ironclad now, whether they like it or not. And I’m not letting Connor take you, or me, without a fight.”
He stared at me, his eyes searching mine, and for a moment, the bond felt less like a chain and more like a promise. But Quinn’s whimper broke the moment, her voice trembling as she spoke from the ground. “Lia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this”
“Save it,” I snapped, my wolf still too close to the surface, my heart too raw from her betrayal. “You made your choice.”
Edgar’s hand brushed mine, the bond grounding me, but his voice was hard. “Take her to the clan,” he said to the shadows, and two Ironclad wolves appeared, their eyes wary as they hauled Quinn to her feet. “She’ll face judgment later.”
As they dragged her away, I felt a pang of loss, but the wolf in me pushed it down. The fight with Connor was coming, and the clan’s distrust was a wall I’d have to break through. My mother’s secrets, Quinn’s betrayal, and the bond with Edgar, it was all too much, but I was done being afraid. Tomorrow, I’d fight, not just for myself but for him, for us. And I’d show them all what a moonbound could do.