Page 64 of A Luna’s Dynasty (Celestial #1)

The scream came again, closer this time.

Lita had reached the edge of pack territory but didn’t hesitate to run beyond it and Caspian’s barrier.

She ran through some thick brush, feet skidding on slick moss, and nearly fell.

She needed to be careful. In her weakened condition, she wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight.

She broke through the brush into a half-flooded clearing.

In the center, her back to a black pool ringed with cattails, sitting on the ground, was Felicia.

She was on her knees, hands splayed out in front of her, hair hanging in a curtain over her face.

There was blood on her arms, too much blood for the wounds Lita could see—but she seemed almost calm, like she’d been waiting there for hours.

Lita skidded to a stop, eyes darting for threats but found nothing.

The other woman didn’t move for a long moment. Then, with a wet, rattling laugh, she lifted her head. Her face was a mask of contempt and satisfaction. There was blood in her teeth.

“Wow,” Felicia said, and the word carried in the hush. “You really came running.”

“You were screaming,” she said, the accusation barely a whisper.

Felicia grinned, too wide, showing all her teeth. “Did you think I was in trouble? That’s sweet.” She tipped her head, letting her neck crack. “But I don’t need saving, Lita. I never did.”

“Did you poison the children?” Lita narrowed her eyes at Felicia as her mind raced. What game was she playing?

“Did I?” Felicia clicked her tongue with a shrug.

“Not poisoned. Cursed. There’s a difference.

The spell would have worn off eventually.

But you stayed behind playing doctor while Asher ran off to be the hero.

That’s what I needed. For you to be separated.

” She shrugged, as if discussing the weather.

“You’re sick,” Lita spat. “This is a new low, even for you.”

“Maybe,” Felicia said, and for the first time, there was a ripple of something in her voice, pride, or maybe just joy at the confession.

“But I’m also patient. You know how long I’ve waited for him?

How many times I’ve watched him throw himself at girls who barely lasted a week?

I was there for all of it, Lita. I was there through his pain.

Every time he lost someone. I was the one who comforted him when he lost his family and friends.

” Her eyes shone with manic intensity. “And then you. The fairy girl. The home-wrecker.”

Lita blinked, the insult almost laughable. “You’re insane.”

Felicia took a step forward. “I’m real. You’re the dream, Lita. A hallucination that needs to be cured. Once you’re gone, he’ll come back to himself. He’ll see me.”

There was a heat behind the words that made Lita’s blood run cold. She tried to reach for her magic, but the well was nearly empty. She’d spent everything on the children. If Felicia wanted a fight, Lita would have to bluff.

She squared her shoulders. “You’re not even a wolf anymore,” she said. “You lost your shift. You’re just a jealous—”

Felicia’s laugh shattered the night. “Oh, sweetie. That’s what I wanted you to think.” Her body began to shake, arms twitching at her sides. “You have no idea what I am now.”

Lita took a step back, heart hammering.

“He used to love me. He used to be a real alpha. Now he’s just your pet.”

Lita opened her mouth but Felicia cut her off, her voice rising.

“I tried to do this the clean way. I tried everything to get rid of you. That demon attack at the pack and the rogues at the gala? That was me. I’ve done so much to get Asher. Why wouldn’t I now? You don’t even know half of it. The time Black Ice was attacked by demon wolves—"

It was like the world froze around them, the trees themselves too shocked to move.

“You—” Lita’s voice died, the horror too big to voice.

Felicia’s eyes went black, utterly black, the irises and whites swallowed up by a darkness that seemed to glow.

Her smile widened, splitting her lips. “You want to know who killed Asher’s parents?

” she said, voice dropping to a guttural snarl.

“I needed them out of the way. His parents. My own family, too. Collateral damage, but necessary. I knew that, with my brother dead, Asher would fall for me. I would be Luna, and the pack would be mine.”

Lita felt rage boiling inside of her. “You … you’re a monster.”

“Not a monster. I’ve upgraded to something more.”

Her body contorted, bones crackling as her spine elongated and her arms bulged with muscle.

The skin on her hands split, claws pushing through, black and glistening.

Her jaw unhinged, stretching wide, fangs dropping past her chin.

Veins stood out along her neck, thick and pulsing with something dark and unnatural.

For a second, Lita was too stunned to move.

Then, instinct kicked in. She reached for her shift, tried to call Mira to the surface.

The wolf responded, but weakly. The exhaustion was too much; her body seized with a cramp, and she fell to one knee.

Her magic was too depleted to reach for Seraphina. At this point, she was on her own.

Felicia stalked closer, half-wolf, half-demon, eyes burning with triumph. “You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you? I respect that.” Her mouth twisted into a mockery of a smile. “But don’t worry. I’ll make sure Asher never forgets you. He’ll be haunted by your memory forever.”

Lita forced herself upright, every muscle screaming. “He’ll see what you are. He’ll kill you himself.”

Felicia tilted her head. “Maybe. But you won’t be around to find out.”

She lunged.

Lita kicked hard, catching Felicia in the gut. She staggered back, but it only made her madder.

Felicia’s face twisted, veins crawling up her cheeks. “You can’t win, Lita. Even if you kill me, I’ve already won. You’re alone. And Asher—he’s too busy trying to be a hero to save you.”

Lita ignored the pain, forced herself up. “You don’t know anything about us.”

Felicia laughed, spittle flying from her lips. “I know everything. I’ve watched you. I’ve envied you. I’ve wanted to be you, and then I realized—I could just erase you instead.”

She lunged again, wild, animal, but this time Lita was ready. She ducked, grabbed a handful of dirt, and flung it in Felicia’s face. She was momentarily blinded, but these were just parlor tricks. It wouldn’t be enough to defend herself from what Felicia had become. A wolf tainted with demon blood.

This time, she let out a roar when she recovered, swiping at Lita with her claws.

Lita tried to dodge, but her legs were rubber, her mind fogging at the edges.

Felicia’s claws raked her shoulder, spinning her around and sending her crashing into the dirt.

Lita rolled, narrowly avoiding a second strike, but she knew she wouldn’t last long.

The demon-wolf was faster, stronger, and utterly unhinged.

Blood trickled down Lita’s arm, soaking her shirt. She pressed a hand to the wound, trying to slow the bleeding, but it was already pooling beneath her. Felicia circled, savoring the moment, her tongue flicking over her lips like a snake tasting the air.

“He loves me. I’m going to be there for him, and with your death, he will open his arms to me.”

Lita bared her teeth. “He never loved you. He pitied you.”

That wiped the smile off Felicia’s face. With a roar, she slammed into Lita, pinning her to the ground. The force knocked the air from Lita’s lungs, and for a second, she saw stars.

Felicia’s claws dug into Lita’s wrists, pinning her. “Say goodbye, Luna,” Felicia hissed.

But Lita wasn’t done yet. With a surge of stubborn, reckless energy, she twisted her body and kicked upward, catching Felicia in the stomach. The demon-wolf howled, stumbling back just enough for Lita to scramble to her feet.

She staggered, clutching her bleeding arm, and locked eyes with Felicia.

With the last of her strength, Lita reached inside herself. Past the pain, past the exhaustion, to the spark that never went out. She found it, tiny but burning, and fanned it with everything she had.

Her skin lit up, blue and gold, the fire of the phoenix pouring out of her pores. Felicia shrieked, recoiling as the light seared her flesh. Lita dropped to her knees, gasping, the world tilting wildly.

Felicia staggered back, smoke rising from her arms where the fire had touched her. “You little bitch!” she screamed, charging for her again. But Lita was smiling, even as the darkness crept in at the edges of her sight.

Lita could feel it … she was finally ready to call for Seraphina to help her fight. It was her only chance, but she had to use her at the right moment. Just as Felicia leaped at her, a shadow tore through the trees.

The black wolf hit Felicia like a missile, jaws closing around her neck. With a snap and a gurgle, Felicia’s body was ripped apart. She went limp, claws twitching as the wolf shook her like a ragdoll, then flung her across the clearing.

Felicia landed hard, a tangle of limbs and blood.

The wolf stalked after her, shoulders rolling with predatory grace, and finished the job.

Jaws clamped down on Felicia’s skull, crushing it with a single, sickening crunch.

Blood, tainted black with demon poison, sprayed in an arc, splattering the birches at the edge of the clearing.

For a moment, there was only silence. The wolf stood over the ruined body, head low, steaming breath rising from its nostrils.

Lita stared at the black wolf with white ticked fur in shock. She knew this wolf. The scent of anise blasted her in the face. The smell she recognized from her nightmares. This was the wolf that had attacked her mother.

She crawled back a foot or two before he turned his gaze upon her.