Page 97 of A Luna's Dynasty
Chapter 59
Lita was walking hand in hand with Asher as he led them to the training arena. He kissed her cheek and gave her a small smile.
“You sure you want to stay for this? It won’t upset you to see either of us get banged up a bit?”
“Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” she replied. “Besides, I want to see you win. Or get clobbered. Either way, very entertaining.”
“Such a supportive mate I have.” Asher chuckled, prodding at her. He leaned in and placed a kiss to the spot below her ear. “Kiss my boo boos later.” He stood up and winked at her before trotting out to the middle of the field.
“Never thought I’d see a fight card like this,” said Caden, who arrived near Lita’s elbow with a steaming thermos of coffee. “The pack’s so hyped they’re eating raw bacon straight from the fridge.” He nodded to the gathering pack members in the stands.
Lita blinked. “That’s … a salmonella time-bomb.”
“Shh, don’t go all healer on us.” Garrett grinned, taking a seat a few rows up. Kristen didn’t come with him, since fighting and blood made her squeamish.
“Are we taking bets?” Caden asked, looking back at Garrett.
“Alpha-shaped pancake for $100?” Garrett beamed as Caspian laughed.
“Yeah, my money is on flattened.”
Don’t hold back for me, she thought at him. He jerked, ever so slightly, and she felt a laugh echo in her bones. He gave her a cocky grin as he rolled his shoulders.
“Alright Grayson, you ready to rock?”
“Rock?” Grayson chuckled. “This will be more like a classical ballad.” He cracked his knuckles as he walked out to the center of the arena.
“Give me a moment while I work on putting a shield around Lita.” Caspian moved next to her, reaching his hand out to her shoulder. “Alright, she should be good, but I’ll need to reapply it often. Her magic is fighting me.”
“Begin!” Garrett shouted.
They launched. The first clash was pure muscle, Grayson closing the gap with a bear’s momentum, Asher meeting him with a wolf’s speed. They didn’t shift into their beast forms but fought as humans during this first round. The impact was seismic, and even from the bleachers, Lita felt the shock run through her feet. For a minute, they were just a blur of limbs, wrestling for position, Asher ducking under Grayson’s arm and twisting into a move that looked almost choreographed.
“Nice,” Caspian murmured, “he’s using the weight difference to—oof.” Grayson had Asher in a headlock, pinning him so hard his face turned red.
But Asher didn’t tap out. Instead, he let his knees buckle, throwing Grayson off balance and rolling him, using his momentum against him. Grayson hit the dirt and Asher scrambled for a hold, but Grayson’s size gave him the leverage to flip Asher, nearly launching him into the stands.
“Not bad for a dog,” Grayson taunted, even as he blocked a strike and countered with a bear-sized shove that nearly toppled Asher.
“See, now I’m motivated,” Asher fired back. “You just made it personal.”
“Well … let me know when you want me to start taking this seriously.” Grayson gave him a cheeky grin. He was just toying with Asher.
Caspian felt something shoving the barrier away. He started to reinforce it when he retracted his hand in pain. A flame was licking his skin, and he quickly patted the fire out. “What in the—LITA!” he yelled, making Asher and Grayson snap their heads back.
Lita looked down at herself. Flames licked up her arms, blue-white and red, but she felt no heat, no pain. They fanned outward, swirling in a hungry cyclone, blinding and beautiful.She saw Asher sprinting toward her, his eyes wide and wild, his thoughts crashing into hers—
I’m coming. Hang on. Hang on.
She tried to shout, but there was no air, no body. Only the fire, and the shape of Asher cutting through it.
He reached her, wrapped her in his arms, and the inferno exploded outward. For a split second, she thought she heard the world shatter.
Then everything went white.
When the smoke cleared, the arena was empty. No flames. No Lita. No Asher.
Grayson was right behind Asher, but the moment he reached the fiery glow, it vanished. He inhaled gently and moved to the smoke. This was not normal magic. This was something from the gods.
