Chapter 7

Before I could even open the door,

the griffin behind her—Icarus—kicked it open with one brutal strike.

Seraphina strolled in like she owned the place and dropped into my chair.

"Ava, Icarus is still a little weak, and I don't exactly have anything valuable on hand.

So hand over your moon essence and let me use some.

You've got plenty of resources anyway.

It's not like this little bit means anything to you."

I honestly thought I'd misheard her. Then my mouth twitched.

"Do I owe you something?

If you want what's mine, fine—pay market price.

I won't charge you a cent more."

Seraphina hadn't even opened her mouth.

Icarus cut in from behind her, staring at me with cold contempt.

"You should be honored we even came to you. Don't be ungrateful."

Unbelievable.

The owner had no shame, and her spirit beast was cut from the same cloth.

"Oh, is that what this is?"

"Then maybe I'll take my generosity somewhere it's actually appreciated.

And you—a spirit beast who only just took human form—what exactly gives you the right to talk to me like that?"

A proud Icarus was never going to take that quietly.

He stepped forward at once, raising a hand to strike me.

But before his palm could come down, a powerful force slammed into him.

The force sent him flying clean across the room.

Both of them froze, eyes wide with shock.

Kieran stepped out from behind me and placed himself between us.

"You raise your hand against the future Alpha, and this is supposed to pass for manners?"

Humiliated in front of Seraphina, Icarus wasn't about to let that slide.

With a roar, he charged forward again.

But this time, the person who stopped him was Seraphina.

She fixed her gaze on Kieran's face. Hungry. Unashamed.

"So you're the cub from yesterday."

"I never expected you to look like this after shifting. Well. Aren't you full of surprises."

Icarus clearly hadn't expected Seraphina to admire another man right in front of him.

For a second, he looked completely thrown.

But Kieran didn't respond to her flirtation at all.

He looked at her like she wasn't even there, his expression cold.

"Miss Seraphina, if there's something wrong with your eyes,

you should get that treated before it gets worse.

If you go blind someday, you won't just drag down the whole pack."

"You'll drag down my —"

"— Ava."

The way he said my name—low and intimate—sent a shiver straight through me.

And I didn't stop him.

"How dare you!"

That was the final straw for Icarus. His pride had been trampled harder than ever before.

In the next second, he gathered all his power, turned into a streak of fire, and shot straight toward Kieran's face.

That attack was meant to kill.