The Lunar Queen Chapter 8

Lyric POV

Later in training, Delta Sam tells me I will be sparring with Savannah, and my stomach drops, a cold, heavy feeling settling in before anything even starts. Savannah is Summer’s best friend. If she is sparring with me, I know it’s not good.

“You good?” Winter links me.

“Yeah, sparring with Savannah,” I link back.

“Drama,” she says.

I say, “or danger.”

And this time, I know the difference.

“Can I have Lyric and Savannah in the sparring circle?” Delta Sam calls.

We both head over.

I see Summer whisper something to Savannah, and I notice the wicked grin spreading across her face, slow and deliberate, like she already knows how this is supposed to end.

“They are plotting something,” Nova says.

I reply, “I know,” and she adds, “Just keep your guard up.”

I feel Mason’s eyes on me, as if he’s willing me to look his way, pulling at me in a way that makes it harder to focus.

I don’t.

I can’t.

Because the second I do, everything gets worse.

When Delta Sam yells, “Begin,” she launches herself at me.

I sidestep her.

“She’s sloppy,” Nova comments.

She catches herself, spins, and charges at me again. I use her momentum, grab her arm, and punch her twice in the stomach.

Solid hits—but she doesn’t react the way she should. Not like she’s trying to win clean.

She growls and charges again, her hand hitting my wound.

I drop to my knees.

The pain is immediate and sharp, ripping through me like it never closed at all.

“Get up,” Nova says.

I stand, knowing her plan—use my injury against me.

So that’s what this is. Not sparring. Not practice.

She steps back and lunges at me, fakes right, and catches me in the side again.

I hiss in pain and drop to one knee.

My vision blurs for a second—but I force it to steady. I don’t have the option to stay down.

“She’s playing dirty,” Winter links me.

“I gathered that,” I link back.

“Finish this, Lyric,” Nova says, annoyed.

Because if I don’t, she will.

I stand, holding my side, square my shoulders, and steady myself, forcing my breathing to slow even as pain pulses through me.

She lunges again, but I see her coming and grab her arm. I throw a punch to her ribs, and when she steps back, I swing my leg, kicking her straight in the face.

She spits blood and growls.

“She’s getting angry,” Nova says.

“Angry means sloppy,” I reply.

And sloppy means I end this now.

She charges at me; I use her momentum against her. When we make contact, I grab her arm and flip her over me. She hits the ground with a thud, and the air is knocked from her lungs.

“Time,” Delta Sam yells.

I drop to my knees, feeling blood drip from my cut.

Warm. Too much. Too fast.

She reopened my stitches.

Mason is on me in seconds, picking me up and carrying me to the pack hospital.

I don’t even see him move—he’s just there.

“Mason, put me down. I can walk,” I say, as Nova purrs contentedly in my mind, completely betraying me.

“No, you are hurt. I will carry you,” he replies.

And the way he says it—like it’s not up for debate—makes something in my chest tighten instead of calm.

Summer POV

I don’t know what’s going on with Mason, but he’s been distracted since yesterday, and I don’t like it. Not one bit. Paying too much attention to that freak.

I thought after Nathaniel stabbed her at school yesterday, she would get the hint.

“maybe she is his mate” my wolf Seris says.

“If she is his mate, then she will wish the goddess didn’t make her his mate when I’m done with her,” I snarl.

Because I don’t lose. Not to her. Not to anyone.

“Maybe we should just wait for our own mate,” she says softly.

“No, Mason will be mine. I’ve worked too hard to get him,” I say, annoyed with her.

I didn’t come this far just to lose him now.

I told Savannah last night to ask to spar with her today; this will be fun.

When we get to the training grounds, he calls them up.

“Wait up, Savannah,” I say to her. She stops and walks back toward me.

“She has a stab wound on her left side. It’s fresh. If you go for it, you will win easily,” I say.

She grins wickedly and walks away.

Good. Let’s see how strong she really is.

When the fight begins, I watch in pure delight—she thought she would win. Savannah hits her, and she drops.

Good.

The stubborn bitch gets back up.

Of course she does. She always does.

When she drops the second time, I thought it was over, but she fucking gets up again and gives Savannah a slight smirk.

That smirk pisses me off more than anything else.

Within two minutes, Savannah is on the ground, and the delta is calling time.

The moment he calls time, she drops to her knees—and guess who runs to catch her?

Fucking Mason.

Right in front of everyone. Like he doesn’t even care who sees.

She will pay for this.

So will he.

“Our sister is strong,” Seris says proudly.

“Shut up, you stupid mutt,” I yell at her before shutting her out.

Because strength won’t save her. Not from me.

Seemingly, I need to get more creative in my lessons.

“Meet me in my room,” I link Nathaniel.

If she didn’t learn the first time… I’ll make sure she learns the next.

Time to move on to phase two.

Because if she still thinks this is just about a warning…

then she hasn’t learned anything yet.

And phase two is going to make sure she does.