Chapter 166

Chapter 166
Asher's POV

I saw her before I saw his reaction—Suzanne, standing there as Luna, the same smirk she had worn years ago.

“You shouldn’t be speaking,” she hissed, stepping closer as if her presence alone could make me stop.

I didn’t. I let my voice carry, deliberate and calm, feeling Jason’s eyes tighten with every word.

“You think you control everything, don’t you?” I said, letting the accusation hang in the air. “And yet here we are, secrets spilling, loyalties questioned.”

Suzanne’s sharp intake of breath told me she didn’t expect me to push back. She shifted her weight, heels scraping softly against the stone floor, but I didn’t flinch.

Jason’s jaw tightened. His hands hovered near his belt, fingers twitching against the leather. I could see the tension radiating off him, the way his chest rose fast under his armor.

“You’ve underestimated her,” I said, nodding toward Suzanne without breaking my gaze. “You never saw it coming, and now you’re shaking in front of everyone who’s supposed to follow you.”

A clink of armor echoed from the nearest guard. Their eyes darted between us, uncertain which alpha was in control, the air humming with anticipation.

“You’re angry,” I added, letting the word slip like a knife. “And it shows. Your pride is brittle, and your threats are paper.”

Suzanne’s lips pressed into a thin line, the faint metallic scent of her perfume mingling with the iron tang of nearby swords. She opened her mouth to interrupt, then paused, realizing I wouldn’t stop.

Jason’s voice broke the quiet, low and sharp.

“Enough,” he growled, but it lacked its usual authority. “Focus on what you came here to do, Asher. Don’t waste time on petty words.”

I let a slow smile creep across my face, enjoying the ripple of unease that spread across his stance. Every micro-expression told me my words had landed.

“You’re trembling,” I said softly, stepping closer just enough to make the space between us electric. “And no one else in this room notices. Do they?”

Suzanne’s fingers flexed at her side, and I could almost hear her heartbeat in the heavy, charged air. The faint hum of magic pulsed around her like a warning I welcomed.

Jason clenched his fists, voice rising with irritation.

“Enough games, Asher. Let’s finish what we came here for.”

I let his words settle in the hall, knowing the storm was only beginning. I stepped forward slowly, pretending to bow, letting the silence stretch. Then I let the words fly.

“You have so much pride for someone in love with a whore…”

The impact was immediate. Jason’s eyes flared with fury, and his fist came at me before I could blink.

I met him head-on, deflecting the strike with tight precision. The clash of our movements rang through the hall like thunder, metal echoing against stone. He was fast, but so was I.

Every strike I blocked, every shove I returned, I felt my anger burn hotter, focused and controlled. Around us, his guards surged forward, teeth bared and weapons ready.

But I had anticipated this. My men moved like shadows, appearing from every corner to intercept the attacks before they could reach me.

Blows met shields, swords scraped armor, and the scent of sweat and iron thickened the air. Shouts and cries bounced off the walls, voices colliding in a chaotic symphony of chaos.

I tuned it out, letting my mind map every movement, every threat, every opening.

Jason swung again, reckless now, his pride blinding him. I sidestepped, the heat of his strike brushing my shoulder, leaving a sting that barely registered beneath my resolve. I countered with a sharp elbow, forcing him back a step.

“You really thought pride would save you?” I spat, letting the words sting as much as the contact.

The hall erupted around us. Guards collided, the clash of metal deafening, dust kicked up under booted feet. My men fought with precision, moving in sync with me, protecting my back and pushing our enemies off balance.

Blood and sweat mingled in the air, tangy and sharp. I could feel my own pulse hammering, every heartbeat syncing with the rhythm of the fight.

Jason’s control slipped with every exchange. His roars of command were drowned by the chaos of bodies, the crashing of weapons, and the relentless tide of my men pressing in.

I saw the hesitation flicker in his eyes, the split second where his pride faltered. That’s all I needed.

Every move I made was calculated, every strike backed by the loyalty of those who would follow me into hell itself. And still I pressed, words sharp, voice cutting through the chaos.

“You really thought pride would save you?”

The hall froze for an instant at my words, the echo of truth and insult hanging heavy as the fight raged on.

The chaos around me intensified, metal clashing against metal, shouts echoing off stone walls. I noticed the shift before anyone else did—the subtle movements of shadows where no one should have been.

My men had already infiltrated the stronghold, unseen and deadly. They struck with precision, taking down Jason’s guards before panic could spread.

Weapons clanged, armor rang, and the air filled with the sharp tang of sweat and fear. Jason’s attention split, his fury now mixed with disbelief.

Every strike he sent toward me seemed slower, weighed down by the unexpected attacks from behind.

I moved through the fight like water, my body guided by training, instinct, and the loyalty of my men. Each clash reinforced the advantage we had been silently building.

A sudden, eerie howl cut through the noise, sharp and clear, freezing the hall mid-battle. The fighting faltered, eyes darting toward the sound.

I felt it immediately—Rhys’s presence brushing against my senses, tense, alert, and full of something urgent. The hair on my arms prickled, a cold thrill racing down my spine.

“Rhys?” I whispered under my breath, my voice carrying over the din.

The wolf’s reply was clear, spoken only in that strange, intimate language between us.

“That’s Phina… her wolf has awakened…”

The words hit me like a jolt of lightning, sending adrenaline surging through every vein. I could feel the energy of her awakening reverberating through the stronghold, like a pulse that stirred the very stones beneath our feet.

“Great…” I sighed. “Just the miracle I have been waiting for…”