Nyra clung to him, shaking, lashes heavy with tears that caught the chandelier’s light. Then, with the skill of a predator, she flicked a glance at me, her fake anguish glimmering sharp and cruel.
“Kaia,” she whispered, loud enough for the pack to hear, “if I upset you, you could have told me. Why did you push me? You know I’ve always been terrified of drowning…”
Her venom-laced words poisoned the gathering wolves. Mutters rose like restless growls. My mother surged forward, her Luna authority slicing through the air like a whip, her eyes burning with fury as she snarled,
“Kaia, how dare you push Nyra into the pool in front of the entire pack!”
Before I could move, before I could defend myself, her hands struck out with ruthless force. The shove was not merely maternal anger; it carried the strength of a wolf seasoned in dominance. I staggered backward, my feet slipping on the slick tiles, and then the world vanished into freezing chaos.