[Ace's POV]
The enchanted chain whirled in the bandit alpha's grip, a serpent of black iron whose links pulsed with a sickly black light. Its very presence fouled the air, the metallic tang of dark magic clawing at the back of my throat. My hackles rose in a wave of pure instinct, a primal rejection of the unnatural weapon. Across from me, the blue-furred alpha's claws flexed around the chain's handle.
A low growl built in my chest, a deep vibration I felt in my fangs before it ever left my muzzle. "You really think that toy's gonna stop me?" Every muscle fiber in my body coiled. The memory of Ray's calm, assessing gaze flashed in my mind. He was watching, I knew. They all were.
The alpha's laughter was a harsh, grating sound that shook the leaves on the lower branches. "You're just a whelp playing at being alpha." Spittle flew from his maw, catching the moonlight on his fangs. "I'll snap your spine and hang your pelt from my lodge before moonhigh."
