(Quinn's perspective)
The taste of Luca's kiss lingered on my lips while his hands stayed firm on my hips, and the way his eyes burned into mine made it impossible to look away. My thoughts were a jumbled mess of emotions I didn't have names for, and for a second, the world had shrunk down to just us—the steady thrum of his heart against mine, the sharp pull of need between us.
Then the door flew open.
"What the fuck is going on here?"
The voice was sharp, cutting through the haze like a cold blade. I jerked away from Luca so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet. My pulse jumped to my throat as I turned to see Derek standing at the entrance of the pavilion, his eyes darting between us like he'd walked in on something forbidden. And maybe he had.
Luca's entire body went rigid. His hands dropped from my waist, fingers curling into tight fists at his sides. His eyes darkened—no, not just darkened. They shifted. That eerie glow of red bled into his irises like ink in water, and I knew that wasn't just him anymore.
Amarok was showing himself.
"You've got three seconds to explain why you're still standing there," Luca's voice was like a snarl barely held back by a leash. He turned slowly, every muscle in his body wound tight like a spring. "Or maybe you'd rather skip to the part where I show you how it's done when a beta disrespects his Luna's meeting with another Alpha."
Derek's face twisted, but he didn't back down. "I didn't mean to interrupt," he said, lifting his hands in mock surrender, eyes darting to me. "I just want to protect my Luna from an asshole who has his hands on her without her consent."
That did it.
With a roar that seemed to shake the ground beneath us, Luca moved so fast I barely had time to blink. One second he was in front of me, and the next, Derek's back slammed against the glass wall of the pavilion with a shuddering crack. My breath hitched as I saw the hairline fractures spiderweb across the glass. Amarok's presence was so palpable, I felt it like a second shadow. Luca's grip on Derek's collar was ironclad, lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing.
"You smell like them," Luca's voice was a low, deadly rumble. His eyes glowed bright red, and his fangs bared with a feral snarl. "Cale's pack. You're one of his, aren't you?" He yanked Derek higher, his boots dangling inches from the floor. "Did you touch her? Huh?! Were you one of the bastards that tortured her, or were you just one of the cowards that watched? And I'm the asshole?"
"I didn't touch her!" Derek's voice cracked, his face twisted in pain. He clawed at Luca's wrist but might as well have been scratching at stone. "I didn't lay a hand on her, I swear!"
"Liar," Luca's voice dripped with venom. His grip tightened, and Derek's face reddened as he gasped for air. "Don't lie to me. I should rip you apart right now and no one—no one could stop me."
"Luca, stop!" My voice cut through the rising storm of his rage, but his gaze didn't leave Derek. "He's telling the truth! He didn't touch me, but he couldn't help me either. If he'd tried, they'd have killed him on the spot." I darted to Derek's side, hands on Luca's arm, tugging, pushing, anything to break his grip. "Let him go, Luca. He's the only one I trust."
I thought anything I said would have gone on deaf ears the way Luca was at this moment but he heard me – thank god.
Luca's eyes shifted to me, his gaze wild and unsteady, his breathing harsh like he'd just clawed his way out of a fight to the death. His eyes darted to Derek, then back to me, then back to Derek. Slowly, he lowered Derek's feet to the ground but didn't let go.
"The only one you trust?" he repeated, his voice low, dangerous, like he was testing the words on his tongue. "And where's his loyalty, huh? To you or to Cale?"
Derek's breath came in ragged gasps as he glared at Luca. "If I was loyal to Cale, you'd both be dead by now." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes hard and unflinching. "I've wanted to kill him since the first day I saw what he was doing to her in that hellhole." His gaze shifted to me, softer now. "I'd have done it if I'd had the chance or if I was powerful enough."
"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Luca's eyes flashed. "Why should I trust a man who's been running with that monster as his Beta?"
"Because," Derek growled, his eyes blazing with something raw and broken. "When the time comes to take Cale down, I'll be first in line." He glanced at me again, his voice fierce and sure. "And I'll follow her wherever she goes after that."
The silence that followed was heavier than anything I'd ever felt. I could feel Luca's heartbeat through the tension, wild and erratic. He looked at Derek, eyes narrow, searching for any sign of a lie. Then, with a slow, excruciating exhale, he released him fully, letting Derek's feet hit the ground.
"Sorry – you're second in line because he's mine to kill so you won't take that moment of joy from me. Stay," Luca said, his voice no less commanding than before. "We have some business to discuss."
Derek's eyes flicked to me, and I gave him a small nod. Slowly, he straightened his jacket, rolling his shoulders like he'd just walked away from a car crash.
We sat together, the three of us, a tense, uneasy alliance forged in the fires of old wounds and shared enemies. Luca's eyes stayed locked on Derek the whole time, watching, waiting for the first sign of betrayal.
"Here's what's gonna happen," Luca started, voice hard as steel. "We're taking down Cale. And you're gonna tell me everything you know about him, his pack, and his weaknesses." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes sharp as knives. "But if you lie to me, Derek—even once—there won't be anyone to stop me next time."
Derek's jaw tensed, but he nodded, eyes fierce with resolve. "Deal."
None of us said it out loud, but I knew we were all thinking the same thing.
Cale's reign was about to end.