Chapter 4: The Beta's Wrath

Chapter 4: The Beta's Wrath

The air in the cabin, already thick with tension, became solid. Cassian’s presence was a physical force, a pressure change that made Lyra’s ears pop. He didn’t snarl or posture. He simply stood in the doorway, his amber eyes burning with a cold, controlled fire that promised annihilation.

Rylan, the Bloodfang hunter, slowly straightened up, wiping the blood from his temple. His earlier bravado had evaporated, replaced by a wary, cornered-animal calculation. The other two hunters shifted, their stances widening, ready for a fight they knew they couldn’t win.

“Cassian,” Rylan spat the name like a curse. “This is neutral ground.”

“This land is under the protection of the Midnight Pack,” Cassian’s voice was flat, devoid of all emotion. It was more terrifying than any shout. “By crossing its threshold with intent to harm my Alpha, you have forfeited any claim to neutrality. You have declared war.”

His gaze flickered to Lyra for a fraction of a second, a quick, assessing glance that took in her defensive stance, the now-dented kettle in her hand, and her position shielding Orion. Something unreadable passed through his eyes before his focus returned to the hunters.

“The human is irrelevant,” Rylan lied, his eyes darting toward the silver knife on the floor. “Step aside. This is between Alphas.”

“You are no Alpha,” Cassian said, and took another step into the room. “You are a scavenger, sent to pick at a carcass. You have failed.”

That was the final straw. Pride, fury, and desperation broke Rylan’s control. With a roar that was more beast than man, he lunged, not for Cassian, but for the silver knife on the floor.

He never made it.

Cassian moved in a blur of motion too fast for Lyra’s eyes to follow. There was no dramatic transformation, just a surge of impossible speed and power. He intercepted Rylan, his hand closing around the hunter’s wrist with a crack that echoed like gunshot in the small cabin. Rylan screamed, a high-pitched sound of agony as the bones in his arm shattered.

In the same motion, Cassian pivoted, using Rylan’s own momentum to slam him head-first into the stone fireplace. There was a sickening, wet thud, and Rylan crumpled to the floor, unmoving.

The remaining two hunters stared in horror for a split second before their own survival instincts kicked in. They shifted.

It was not a graceful, cinematic transformation. It was a violent, grotesque eruption of flesh and bone. Their bodies contorted, clothes tearing as fur sprouted, snouts elongated, and they dropped onto all fours as two large, mottled-grey wolves, their eyes burning with the same sickly yellow as Rylan’s.

They launched themselves at Cassian in a coordinated attack.

Lyra stumbled back, pressing herself against the wall, a scream trapped in her throat. This was a nightmare made real.

Cassian didn’t flinch. As the first wolf leaped for his throat, he met it with a fist wrapped in what looked like swirling shadows. The impact sounded like a car crash. The wolf yelped, its ribs caving in, and was thrown back into the kitchen table, splintering it to pieces.

The second wolf went for his legs. Cassian brought his knee up in a brutal, precise movement, catching the beast under its jaw. The crack of its neck snapping was horribly final. The wolf dropped to the floor, twitched once, and was still.

Silence.

It was over in less than ten seconds. The cabin was a wreck, smelling of blood, ozone, and wild animal. Cassian stood amidst the carnage, his chest rising and falling steadily. He wasn't even breathing hard. He looked down at the bodies of the hunters with detached contempt before turning his attention to Orion.

The cold fury melted from his expression, replaced by stark concern and deference. He strode over and dropped to one knee beside his Alpha.

“My Alpha,” he said, his voice low and rough with emotion. “I failed you. We lost your trail after the river. Forgive me.”

Orion let out a weak, shuddering breath. He nudged Cassian’s hand with his nose, a gesture of absolution and profound relief. His silver eyes, however, immediately found Lyra’s across the room.

Cassian followed his gaze. He rose to his feet and took a step toward her.

Lyra flinched, pressing harder against the wall. This man—this *thing*—had just killed three other monstrous beings with terrifying ease. He was drenched in violence.

Cassian stopped immediately, recognizing her terror. He raised his hands, palms out, in a universal gesture of peace. The action was so deliberately human it was jarring.

“You are Lyra,” he stated, his voice now carefully modulated, losing its lethal edge.

She could only nod, her knuckles white where she still clutched the kettle.

“I am Cassian, Beta of the Midnight Pack.” He gestured to Orion. “You saved his life. You have the gratitude of our entire pack. And mine.”

His words were formal, sincere. But Lyra’s mind was reeling. *Pack. Beta. Alpha.* The words from fantasy novels and movies. They were real. It was all real.

“What… what are you?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“We are Lycans,” Cassian said. “What you would call werewolves. Orion is our leader.” He glanced around the destroyed cabin, at the bodies. “This is our world. And I am sorry it has been brought to your doorstep.”

He took another cautious step closer, his amber eyes soft but intent. “We cannot stay here. The Bloodfang will send more. They will not be so easily dealt with. We must get the Alpha to our healers. Now.”

He was asking her to trust him. To go with him. To step deeper into this nightmare.

Her eyes darted to Orion. He was watching her, his gaze steady. In it, she saw no malice, no deception. Only a silent, powerful plea. *Trust me.*

She had saved a king, and in doing so, had pulled his war into her living room. There was no going back to her quiet, solitary life. That door was broken, along with the bodies of the men who lay on her floor.

Swallowing the lump of pure fear in her throat, Lyra let the heavy kettle fall from her numb fingers. It hit the floor with a dull clang.

“What do you need me to do?” she asked.

A look of profound respect crossed Cassian’s face. He gave a sharp, approving nod. “Help me get him on his feet. We don’t have much time.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***