Azura's POV
The noise of the crowd faded into the background like someone had turned down the volume.
Isadora had her back to me, still celebrating. Still soaking in the cheers.
Some pack members noticed me moving. They pointed. Murmured to each other.
Isadora turned slowly.
Her eyes widened just slightly when she saw me standing. Like she couldn't believe it.
I raised my fists, positioning myself the way Silas had shown me. It hurt just to lift my arms.
Isadora stared at me for a long moment. Then she laughed. Not a kind laugh. A mocking one.
"Seriously? You don't want to give up?" She shook her head slowly. "You're going to die here. I don't want to kill you, but since you're pushing it… let's just get this over with."
She started walking toward me.
Slowly. Confidently. Like she had all the time in the world.
My mind screamed at me to run. To stop the fight. To give up before it was too late.
But my body wouldn't listen.
I heard Silas's voice in my head. Defend. Watch. Move.
I exhaled slowly.
Everything went quiet.
My vision sharpened. The world around me seemed to slow.
Isadora brought her fist back and swung at me.
And my body reacted.
I didn't think about it. Didn't plan it. Didn't even know I was doing it.
I just moved.
I dodged the punch.
Smoothly. Easily. Like I'd done it a thousand times before.
What on earth was that? How…?
Isadora's eyes went wide.
She attacked again. Faster this time. Angrier.
I dodged again.
And again.
Once. Twice.
She kept throwing punches. Kicks. Everything she had.
But I moved through it all like water, my body twisting and stepping in ways I didn't even know I could. Ways I'd never trained for. Never practiced.
The crowd went silent. Completely silent.
Isadora's face twisted with fury.
I saw an opening. Just a small one.
I brought my hand forward and pushed her in the stomach.
It should have been a light push. Just enough to create distance between us.
But Isadora flew backward.
She slid across the stone floor, her feet scraping against the ground before she finally stopped.
The crowd gasped. A wave of shock rolled through them.
I stared at my own hand, my chest heaving.
How did I do that?
Isadora stood up slowly. Her eyes were burning pure green now, glowing with rage.
She screamed.
And the scream turned into a howl.
Her body twisted. Reshaped. Fur rippled across her skin like a wave. Within seconds, a massive wolf with rosette fur stood where she'd been.
Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire.
"Is this allowed?"
"Is this supposed to happen?"
The wolf snarled, lips pulling back to reveal sharp teeth. Then it lunged at me.
I didn't have time to think.
I just moved.
I rolled to the side just as claws sliced through the air where my head had been. Without thinking, I ran toward a tree at the edge of the arena. My feet hit the trunk, and I pushed off, flipping backward through the air.
I landed in a crouch. My heart slammed against my ribs.
The wolf turned and charged again, faster this time. Angrier.
I moved on instinct, dodging claws, rolling under snapping jaws. Every attack missed me by inches, my heart pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.
The arena fell completely silent as we broke apart again.
Isadora stood across from me in her wolf form, body low to the ground, muscles tight, lips pulled back to bare her fangs. A low snarl rumbled from her chest, deep, warning, dangerous. It crawled over my skin.
I stood my ground.
My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. My hands were shaking, but I curled my fingers into fists and forced myself to breathe. I wouldn't show fear. I refused to.
Around us, the pack watched. Hundreds of eyes. Waiting. Judging. Some of them wanted to see me fall. Some of them already believed I would.
"Fight!" someone shouted.
"Attack her!"
The voices blurred together. The pressure felt heavy, like the air itself was pushing me down. I swallowed hard and kept my eyes on Isadora.
She moved first.
With a loud snarl, she took off, claws tearing into the ground as she ran straight at me. Fast. Powerful. Deadly.
I ran too.
The ground shook beneath our feet as we charged at each other. Every instinct screamed at me to turn away, to dodge, to run… but I didn't. I ran straight toward her.
She leapt.
Her jaws opened wide, fangs flashing as she aimed for my throat.
Time slowed.
I jumped.
My body moved before my mind could catch up. I twisted in the air, spinning sideways, once, twice, three times. The world blurred around me. The crowd. The sky. The ground rushed up.
Then I struck.
My foot slammed into Isadora's forehead, right between her eyes.
The impact jolted through my leg.
Isadora let out a sharp, broken sound as her head snapped downward. Her body crashed into the ground hard, the force shaking the arena floor.
She groaned.
I landed roughly, stumbling back a step as I caught myself. My chest burned. My lungs ached. I tasted blood in my mouth.
Whispers rose around us.
"What just happened?"
"Did you see that?"
"She hit her…"
Isadora moved.
Slowly, unsteadily, she tried to push herself up. Her legs shook beneath her, claws scraping against the stone. She bared her teeth again, forcing herself forward, refusing to stay down.
I watched her, breathing hard.
She took one step.
Then another.
Her body swayed.
Her legs gave out.
She collapsed.
Her wolf form hit the ground, and as she fell, her body began to shift. Fur melted away. Bones cracked softly. In seconds, Isadora lay there in her human form, her chest rising and falling fast.
Her wounds began to heal.
Cuts closed. Bruises faded. Blood disappeared from her skin.
That was normal.
What wasn't normal was that she didn't get up.
She didn't move.
She didn't even try.
My stomach twisted.
Once a wolf healed, they were supposed to feel strong again. Able to stand. Able to fight. That was how it worked. That was how it had always worked.
But Isadora stayed where she was.
Her breathing slowed.
Then her body went still.
She was unconscious.
No cheers followed.
No howls.
No one spoke.
The arena fell into a deep, heavy silence.
Then, quietly, a single voice rose from the crowd.
"Luna."
Another joined it.
"Luna."
And then more.
"Luna! Luna! Luna!"
The chant spread like fire, growing louder and louder until the entire pack was shouting my name.
I stood there, my fist still raised, my body shaking, looking around in complete disbelief.
The omegas were cheering the loudest. The weaklings. The forgotten ones. The ones almost like me.
They were cheering for me.
I looked up at the stage.
Everyone had the same expression. Surprise. Shock. Like they couldn't believe what they'd just seen.
Even Rhydor had stood from his chair, staring at me with wide eyes.
They were all looking at me like I had two heads.
Silas was clapping, a small smile on his face. He looked proud.
Axel looked shocked, but happy. Like he'd just watched something impossible.
Genevieve had tears streaming down her face, her hands pressed to her chest.
The crowd kept chanting.
"Luna! Luna! Luna!"
But something felt wrong.
My body wasn't healing. Blood still dripped from my cuts. My eye was swollen shut. My ribs ached with every breath I took.
I was too weak.
And then I felt it.
Dizziness. Like the world was tilting.
No. No. No. Not now.
Not during my victory celebration.
I've been waiting for this cheering, So you better stand still, legs.
I tried to keep my eyes open. Tried to stay standing. Tried to hold on just a little longer.
But my legs gave out.
The last thing I saw was the night sky spinning above me, the moon blurring into streaks of light.
Then darkness swallowed me whole.
Great.