Sylvia’s POV

My heart pounded against my ribs as I watched the two Alphas clash in the moonlight. The sound of their collision echoed through the abandoned mine yard—a thunderous impact that sent snow scattering from nearby branches. Caesar and William moved with supernatural speed, their partially shifted forms blurring in the darkness.

William was good—faster than I’d expected, with a vicious fighting style that spoke of years of training. His claws slashed through the air with precision, drawing first blood across Caesar’s chest. The scent of my mate’s blood hit my nostrils, and I had to force Charna, my wolf, to stay calm beneath my skin.

*Not yet,* I reminded myself. *Caesar needs to handle this himself.*

But Caesar... my goddess, Caesar was magnificent. Where William fought with desperate fury, Caesar moved with calculated power. Each blow was measured, each defense anticipating William’s next move. It was like watching a master chess player who had already seen twenty moves ahead.

"You’ve gotten slow, old friend," Caesar taunted, dodging a vicious swipe and countering with a strike that sent William stumbling backward. "Too many years behind a desk?"

William snarled, blood trickling from a gash above his eye. "And you’re still holding back. Afraid to show your true strength, Caesar? Afraid of what your precious mate might think if she sees what you really are?"

My breath caught in my throat. William knew about me—knew I was watching.

Caesar’s eyes flashed dangerously, a deeper gold than I’d ever seen them. "You don’t speak of her."

The temperature around us seemed to drop as Caesar’s control slipped just enough to let his power leak into the air. The hairs on my arms stood on end as I felt the weight of it—ancient, primal energy that made even Charna whimper in recognition.

William laughed, though I could see fear beginning to edge into his expression. "There it is! The royal bloodline. Why hide it, Caesar? Why pretend to be just another Alpha when you carry the blood of the First Pack? With your lineage, you could rule them all!"

Caesar didn’t respond with words. Instead, he moved with blinding speed, catching William mid-taunt and slamming him into the ground with enough force to crack the frozen earth beneath them. The impact knocked the breath from William’s lungs.

"Because power without wisdom is nothing but destruction," Caesar finally said, his voice deeper, resonating with authority that made my knees weak. "Something you never understood."

William struggled beneath Caesar’s grip, his face contorted with rage. "They deserve to know what you are! What you’ve been hiding from them all these years!"

"They know what matters," Caesar replied coldly. "That I protect our kind. That I keep the peace."

"Peace?" William spat blood onto the snow. "You call this peace? Hiding in the shadows? Living like second-class citizens when we could be kings?"

Caesar’s expression hardened. "Last chance, William. Yield."

For a moment, I thought William might actually surrender. His body went limp, his eyes dropping in apparent submission. Caesar eased his grip slightly—and that’s when William made his move.

With a roar, he twisted free, producing something from his boot that glinted in the moonlight. A silver blade. Before Caesar could react, William had rolled away and was on his feet, weapon in hand.

"If I can’t have the crown," William snarled, "then neither will you."

But he wasn’t looking at Caesar anymore. He was looking at me.

I barely had time to shift my stance before William lunged toward my hiding place, silver dagger aimed for my heart. Time seemed to slow as adrenaline flooded my system. I could see Caesar’s expression transform to one of pure terror, could see him moving to intercept—but he wouldn’t reach me in time.

Charna surged forward within me, lending me her reflexes. I twisted away from William’s strike, the blade missing my vital organs but still tearing through my jacket. Before I could counter, Caesar was there, throwing himself between us with a ferocity that made the air vibrate with his rage.

"SYLVIA!" Caesar’s roar shook the ground as he caught William’s arm, but not before the silver blade sliced deep across his forearm.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air as the silver made contact with Caesar’s skin. Silver doesn’t kill us like in human myths, but it burns like acid and prevents our accelerated healing. The pain must have been excruciating, yet Caesar didn’t let go. Instead, he twisted William’s arm with such force that the bones snapped with an audible crack.

William howled in pain, the dagger falling to the snow. But even injured, he was dangerous. With his good arm, he pulled something from his pocket—a small device with a blinking red light. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"It’s not over!" he gasped through the pain. "My men are—"

Before he could finish, three figures emerged from the darkness behind him. William’s backup had arrived, all partially shifted, their eyes glowing with bloodlust.

Caesar positioned himself protectively in front of me, despite his injured arm. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice strained from the silver’s effect.

"No," I said, stepping beside Caesar. "We fight together."

William’s laugh was ugly with triumph. "How sweet. The Wolf King’s little mate thinks she can fight. This will be even more satisfying than I thought."

"You have no idea who you’re dealing with," I replied, reaching into my coat pocket for the specialized tranquilizer I’d prepared—specifically designed for wolf physiology, loaded with enough sedative to drop an Alpha.

"Kill them both," William ordered his men. "Her first."