Page 13 of The Blood Moon Oath

“You’re not giving us much,” I say, leaning forward slightly, letting my voice curl into something playful, mocking. “What’s stopping us from taking what we need to know?”

Her hand tightens around the goblet in front of her, knuckles whitening. She doesn’t answer immediately, her lips pressed into a thin line, but I can see the defiance in her eyes, the fire she’s so desperately trying to control. It’s almost admirable.

I glance at Kael, then back to her. “Let me guess,” I say, my tone sharpening, almost a taunt. “Warlocks killed your family, didn’t they? Your parents, maybe? A tragic little story of vengeance that keeps you up at night, burning with the need to avenge them?” The words come out crueler than I intend, but it’s the only way to mask the ache that stirs in me at the thought. If it’s true… well, I understand better than anyone what that kind of rage does to a person. It twists you. Warps you. Consumes you whole.

Her eyes snap to mine, burning with fury. “You think this is funny?” she hisses, her voice trembling with barely contained anger. “You think I’d ever tell you anything?”

I shrug, leaning back in my chair with an exaggerated casualness. “Maybe not. But it’s written all over you, huntress. That rage. That pain. You wear it like armor, and it’s only a matter of time before someone finds the cracks.”

“Careful, Finn,” Kael says quietly, though there’s no mistaking the warning in his tone. “We’re here for answers, not to bait her.”

I smirk, raising my hands in mock surrender. “Just trying to understand our guest, Alpha. She’s not exactly forthcoming.”

Sable glares at me, her chest rising and falling with barely restrained fury. “I’m not staying here,” she snaps, her voicerazor-sharp. “I’ve killed your kind before, and I’ll do it again. I’ll escape, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

The room goes deathly silent. Even Torin, who’d been grinning like a madman moments ago, stills. The air thickens, tension crackling like a storm about to break.

Kael leans forward slightly, his presence heavy, commanding. “Is that so?” he asks, his voice calm but laced with steel. “You’ve killed many of our kind, have you? And yet, here you are, sitting in our realm, surrounded by us. I wonder… are you really as dangerous as you think you are?”

Her jaw tightens, and for a moment, she doesn’t speak. But then her hand clenches harder around the goblet, the faintest tremor running through her fingers. “Try me,” she growls, her voice low and dangerous, and it’s enough to make even me pause.

This woman, whoever she is, is either incredibly brave—or incredibly stupid. And I can’t decide which I like more.

Before I can react, the goblet in her hand cracks with a sharp, metallic sound. A ripple of energy surges through the air, making the flames in the fireplace flicker wildly.

“Now, that’s interesting,” I say, my voice calm despite the sudden thrill coursing through me. My gaze locks on her, intrigued. “Did you mean to do that?”

Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she schools her expression. “Stay away from me.”

Torin’s grin is back, wicked and full of anticipation. “I told you she had claws.”

Kael doesn’t move, but his presence dominates the room, a quiet force that demands attention. “It seems we’ve been underestimating you,” he says evenly. “But I think it’s time we stopped guessing.”

Her chin lifts, her defiance shining bright even as fear flashes in her eyes. “Whatdo you mean?”

Kael stands, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring the hunt. “We’re going to find out just how powerful you really are.”

The tension in the room snaps taut. Sable’s breathing quickens, but she doesn’t back down. Not yet.

“Don’t touch me,” she warns, her voice shaking slightly despite the steel in her words.

Torin rises next, his eyes gleaming with something close to madness. “Oh, I won’t lay a finger on you. Unless you beg me to.”

I follow, the silver ring in my hand spinning faster now. There’s a part of me that wants to see what she’s capable of. But another part—the smarter part—wonders if we’re about to unleash something we won’t be able to control.

Her gaze shifts between us, calculating her odds. Fear churns in her gut—I can see it in the way her hands clench at her sides—but she doesn’t flinch.

This one doesn’t break easily.

And that, I think, might be her greatest mistake.

Chapter

Nine

SABLE

The sharp sting in my palm pulls my attention to the shattered goblet. Blood drips slowly down my hand, a stark contrast against the deep red liquid that pools on the table. My breathing is uneven as I stare at the broken goblet. I did that. How the hell did I do that?

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